Upcoming
Events
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Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2009
10/10/09
NAGA Hawaii
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Hawaii, Tentative)
6/28-29/09
2009 Pac Sub
(Gi & No-Gi competition)
6/4/09 - 6/7/09
World JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(California)
5/9/09 - 5/10/09 &
5/16/09 - 5/17/09
Brazilian Nationals JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)4/18/08
NY International JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
5/9/09
15th Grapplers Quest Las Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Las Vegas, NV)
5/2/09
Uprising MMA
(MMA)
(Maui)
May 2009
Abu Dhabi World Submission Wrestling Championships
(Sub Grappling)
(Tentative)
4/4/09 - 4/5/09
NAGA World Championship
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(NJ, Tentative)
3/27/09
- 3/29/09
Pan Am JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
3/21/09 - 3/22/09
$30k Grapplers Quest/Fight Expo/Make a Wish Weekend
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Del Mar, CA)
NAGA US Nationals
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Georgia)
3/14/09
NAGA Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
3/7/09
UFC 96
(PPV)
(Columbus, OH)
Grapplers Quest Beast of the East
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Wildwood, New Jersey)
2/27/09
X-1 World Events
NEW BEGINNING"
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
2/21/09
UFC 95
(PPV)
(London, England)
2/15/09
X1 World Events
Temple of Boom: Fight Night III
(MMA)
(Palolo Hongwanji)
2/8/09
IWFF
Submission Wrestling Tournament
(No-Gi)
(IWFF Academy, Wailuku, Maui)
2/7/09
4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
Manup and Standup
(Kickboxing)
(Kapolei Rec Center, Kapolei)
UFC Fight Night
(PPV)
(Tampa, FL)
1/31/09
UFC 93 BJ vs GSP
(PPV)
(MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV)
1/30/09
MMA Event
(MMA)
(Schofield Barracks)
1/24/09
Eddie Bravo Seminar
(BJJ)
1/17/09
UFC 93
(PPV)
(Dublin, Ireland)
1/10/09
MAT ATTACK Jiu-Jitsu & Submission Grappling Tournament
(Sub Wrestling)
(Lihikai School, Kahului, Maui)
1/3/08
Uprising - Maui
(MMA)
(Paukukalo Hawaiian Homes Gym)
Hazardous Warfare - Maui
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center)
2008
12/27/08
UFC 92
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
12/13/08
The Ultimate Fighter 8 Final
(PPV, Las Vegas, NV)
12/10/08
UFC Fight For The Troops
(Spike TV)
Got Skillz Fighter
(Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom)
11/25/08
X-1 at Cirque Hawaii
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Cirque Hawaii, Waikiki)
11/22/08
Longman
Jiu-Jitsu Open
(BJJ)
(Kauai Veterans Center,
Lihue, Kauai)
Hawaiian Classic Kickboxing
(Kickboxing)
(Kalaheo H.S. Gym)
11/21/08
UFC: Penn-GSP Press Conference
(Blaisdell Concert Hall)
X1 World Events
(Boxing & MMA)
(O'Lounge Night Club)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
11/15/08
Destiny
(MMA)
(Aloha Tower Pier)
Aloha
State Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
UFC 91
(PPV, Portland, OR)
11/7/08
HFC Stand Your Ground IX
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
10/25/08
X-1
(MMA & Boxing)
(Palolo Hongwangji Hall)
UFC 90
(PPV, Chicago, IL)
10/19/08
Clay Guida Seminar
(Icon Fitness & MMA Gym)
10/18/08
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
UFC 89
(PPV, Birmingham, England)
10/17/08
Hawaiian Amateur Pankration Association
Presents
Friday Night Fights At Pipeline Café
(MMA)
(Pipeline Cafe, Honolulu)
10/12/08
HFL Championships
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
10/11/08
NAGA
(BJJ & Sub Wrestling)
(Blaisdell)
10/10/08
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
10/4/08
The Quest for Champions Martial Arts Tournament
(Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling and Continuous Sparring)
(Kalani High School Gym)
EliteXC on CBS
(TV)
808MMA
(TV)
9/27/08
X-1 Presents Temple of Boom
(Palolo Hongwanji, Honolulu)
(MMA & Boxing)
9/20/08
Boxing
(Palolo District Park)
(Boxing)
9/17/08
UFC Fight Night 15
(PPV, Omaha, NE)
9/7/08
2008
Samahan Filipino Martial Arts Tournament
(Forms, Fighting, Masters Demonstrations)
(Pearl City High School Gym)
9/6/08
UFC 88: Break Through
(MMA)
(PPV)
9/5/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
8/23/08 & 8/24/08
Hawaii Training Ctr Boxing
(Boxing)
(Waipio Industrial Court)
8/15/08
MMA At The O
(MMA)
(O Lounge Night Club)
8/14/08
Paragon Fighter
(Kickboxing)
(O Lounge)
8/9/08
K-1 Hawaii Grand Prix
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Stan Sheriff Center, UH at Manoa)
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Kalaheo High School)
UFC 87
(MMA)
(PPV)
7/26/08
Maui Jiu-Jitsu BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
7/19/08
Kawano B.C., Palolo B.C., & USA-Boxing Hawai Amateur Boxing
Show
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
Affliction - Fedor vs. Sylvia
(PPV)
7/12/08
Aloha State Mixed Martial Arts Competition
10AM - 7PM
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
7/11/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 10
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
7/5/08
UFC 86 - Jackson vs. Griffin
(PPV)
6/27-29/08
OTM
Pacific Submission Grappling Tournament
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
MMA Expo
(Blaisdell Convention Center)
6/21/08
Hawaii Xtreme Combat
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Maui)
Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale
6/20/08
Paragon
(MMA Hybred)
(O Lounge)
6/15/08
Grapplefest
(Submission Grappling)
Anderson Silva Seminar
Studio 4, UH at Manoa
1-4PM
$100
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Seminar
Tropic Lightning TKD
Waipahu
5-7PM
$60
6/14/08
EliteXC
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
6/7/08
UFC 85 - Bedlam
(PPV)
6/6/08
Punishment in Paradise
Pound 4 Pound
(Kickboxing)
(Ahuna Ranch, Maili)
6/5-8/08
World
Jiu-Jitsu Championsihps
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, California)
6/1/08
Hawaiian
Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
WEC 33
(Faber vs. Pulver)
(PPV)
5/31/08
CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights
(9-11 p.m. ET/PT)
(CBS)
5/25/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
5/24/08
UFC 84 - Ill Will
BJ Penn vs. Sean Sherk
(PPV)
5/16/08
X-1: Legends
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI)
5/9/08
Man Up Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 9
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballrooms)
5/3/08
Hawaii Fight League
Season 1, Event 3
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
Full Force 4
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
Heart-of-a-Cage-Fighter
(Kauai
Veterans Center, Lihue, Kauai)
4/25/08
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Farrington High School)
4/18/08
Local Pride
Friday, April 18, 2008
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/12/08
Man Up &Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
4/6/08
GrappleFest:
Submission Sundays
(Submission Grappling)
(Hawaii Room, Neal Blaisdell Center)
3/29/08
Garden Island Cage Match 7
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
Hawaii Fighting Championships 8
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial)
3/28-30/08
Pan
Jiu-Jitsu Championship
(BJJ)
(Californina State University, Dominguez Hills, CA)
Registration ends 3/22/08
3/16/08
Sera's Kajukenbo Open Tournament
(Continuous Sparring, MMA, Submission Grappling)
(Maui High School Gym, Kahului, Maui)
Icon Fitness Gym Tournament
(Submission Wrestling)
(Icon Fitness Gym)
3/15/08
Icon Sport
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/9/08
2008 Pacific Invitational BJJ Tournament
(BJJ )
(Hibiscus Room, Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu)
3/7/08
Got Skillz Fighter
(Kickboxing/MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
3/1/08
USA-Boxing Hawaii, Palolo B.C. & Kawano B.C. Presents Amateur
Boxing
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park)
2/29/08
X-1 at the O-Lounge
Fight Club Meets Nightclub 4
(MMA)
(O-Lounge, Honolulu)
2/24/08
Icon Grappling Tournament
(Sub Grappling)
(Icon Gym)
2/17/08
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Sub Grapping)
(Gym #1, UH Manoa)
2/15/07
Midwest Invasion: Team Indiana vs. Team Hawaii
(MMA)
(Coyotes Night Club, 935 Dillingham Blvd, Kalihi)
2/8/08
Hawaii Fighting Championships 7
(Kickboxing & MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
2/2/08
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
1/26/08
X1 World Events: Champions
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/20/08
Big
Island Open Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(Konawaena High School)
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(POSTPONED)
1/19/08
UFC 80: Rapid Fire
(BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson)
Newcastle, England
1/12/08
Hawaii Fight League
Season 1, Event 2
(MMA)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
|
|
February
2009 News Part 1
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
nights with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday with
Kaleo Kwan & Chris Slavens!
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
In
Memory of Lars Chase
Rest in peace my brother
March 10, 1979 - April 2, 2008 |
Looking
for a hotel room on Oahu?
Check out this reasonably priced, quality hotel in Waikiki!
For
the special Onzuka.com price, click banner above! |
 |
Fighters'
Club TV
The Toughest Show
On Teleivision
Tuesdays
at 8:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
|
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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.
New
O2MAA Kid's Jiu-Jitsu Class Starts Friday, December 5 from 5:30
to 6:30 PM!
Adult Wrestling Class Starts Starts Friday, December 5 from 8:30
to 9:30 PM!
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Quote
of the Day
“A
strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than
any wonder drug.”
Patricia Neal
|
UFC
FIGHT NIGHT 17 NETS $30,000 BONUSES
The Ultimate Fighting Championship handed out its usual post-fight
bonuses on Saturday night following its debut in Tampa, Fla.
The award-winning fighters at UFC Fight Night 17 pocketed an
additional $30,000 each for their performances.
UFC
officials notified MMAWeekly.com of the UFC Fight Night 17 awards
and bonuses following Saturday night's event.
Eight
minutes and 36 seconds was enough time for Josh Neer and Mac
Danzig to earn the Fight of the Night designation. The momentum
see-sawed between the two, but after a shift to Danzig's favor,
Neer swayed the fight for the final time, climbing his legs up
Danzig's back and locking on a triangle choke for the victory.
Continuing
his own climb, up the ladder of the UFC heavyweight division,
Cain Velasquez shucked off his All-American wrestling background
in favor of a wide assortment of boxing and Muay Thai techniques
to relentlessly batter Golden Glory fighter Denis Stojnic. It
was the first time the Team AKA fighter has had to go to a second
round, but his relentless TKO finish was enough to earn him Knockout
of the Night.
In
a bout that probably vied for Fight of the Night honors, Joe
Lauzon won the UFC Fight Night 17 main event and Submission of
the Night honors with his win over Jeremy Stephens, a late replacement
for Hermes Franca. Lauzon ate some heavy shots throughout, but
used his grappling mastery to work his way to full mount late
in round two before locking down a fight ending armbar for the
submission.
UFC
FIGHT NIGHT 17 AWARDS AND BONUSES
(Each fighter received a $30,000 bonus.)
UFC
Fight Night 17 Fight of the Night:
-Josh Neer vs. Mac Danzig
UFC
Fight Night 17 Knockout of the Night:
-Cain Velasquez
UFC
Fight Night 17 Submission of the Night:
-Joe Lauzon
Source: MMA Weekly |
EMERSON
JUMPING THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW
“The Ultimate Fighter” season five alum Rob Emerson
made a flash impression in his last pay-per-view appearance,
at UFC 87, knocking out reality castmate Manny Gamburyan in 12
seconds. Emerson says the victory was nice, but also a letdown.
“It
was disappointing,” he told MMAWeekly.com radio. “I
trained my ass off for that fight and I was ready to put on a
good show. It was cool to get the knockout and everything, but
I want to be in there with the tough fights, the fights that
people like and talk about and remember.”
Emerson’s
last bout, a tough decision win over Keita Nakamura, gave fans
more to judge, but it was aired after the main event, when casual
attention wanes. His fight with Kurt Pellegrino at Ultimate Fight
Night 17 in Tampa, Fla., will be about making an impression.
“You
have to be remembered,” he said. “There’s so many
guys in the division. My goal is to break into the Top 10.”
Of
course, he wouldn’t mind another knockout victory, but he
wants to work for it a little more. Pellegrino appears to be
the fighter to give him trouble.
“I
knew it was going to come sooner or later, just style wise,”
he said. “I’ve been keeping an eye on Kurt’s career
the last couple of fights. It’s good fight for both of us.
Style-wise, I think it has the makings to be the fight of the
night.”
Emerson
doesn’t believe Pellegrino—a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt—will
necessarily want to rush the action to the ground.
“I
think he’s going to come out and try to throw with me,”
said Emerson. “His last fight against Thiago Tavares, his
stand-up looked a lot cleaner. I heard he changed up his game
a lot too.”
Since
emerging from the reality show, it didn’t take long for
Emerson to realize he needed to change the way he approached
fights. On TUF, he admits he was unfocused, spending far too
much time with the free alcohol plied to castmembers. “I
just didn’t take it that seriously when I was on the show,”
Emerson said of the training. Off the show, he trained only when
he had a fight.
Now,
Emerson happily grinds out two-a-days in his “off season,”
and goes up to three-a-days for fights. He’s not complaining,
at least to us.
“There’s
been a lot of times in the past where I fought on the backburner,”
he said. “Just kind of relaxing – I’d land a shot
or two – and sit back and catch my breath. More worried
about conserving my energy so I didn’t gas out. But I put
in the time for this camp where cardio is not any problem for
this fight.”
And
though he’s on the undercard for Saturday’s bout, he
feels the style match-up will once again carry him to the broadcast
portion of the night.
“I’m
going to take advantage of my window now, before it closes.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Hermes
França
Scheduled
to fight Joe Lauzon on UFC Fight Night 17 main event, Hermes
França was very happy with being back to victories at
the event. However, a few days from the fight, a knee injury
forced the fighter to stop for a while for the recovery. In an
exclusive interview to TATAME.com, Hermes spoke about the injury,
the recovery time, the training in the United States and the
dream of a rematch against Sean Sherk, who defeated him 2007
in the title fight.
You
would fight in the UFC Fight Night 17, but suffered an injury
and was cut. Talk about the injury. How did it happen?
In
fact, I was already feeling my knee when I trained for the fight
against Marcus Aurélio, but I was training normally. Last
week, I was taken down and I felt the knee, couldn’t train
anymore and went to the doctor the next day, but the result was
an ACL in my knee…
Will
you need to do a surgery?
Many
people doesn’t go to surgery, but I’ll do it to come
back 100%. I’ll take this chance and deal with other injuries
as well.
How
long do you think you’ll be out of training training?
I
don’t know, but I will return only when I’m 100%. There
are cases, like "Shogun" (Rua), in which the athlete
returns quickly to the trainings and ended up getting injured
again. I’ll take care of this injury and get back hungry
(laughs)...
When
do you expect to return to the UFC? Do you have some projection?
Not
yet... I received a call from Mr. Dana White giving me a very
strong support, and I hope to return soon, but, as I said, I
want to return 100%.
After
two defeats, you won again in the UFC. How was the emotion to
defeat Marcus Aurelio?
It
was great, I needed that! Thanks God this lesion hasn’t
happen before my fight against Marcus Aurelio. Of course losses
happen, but I was in a situation that I had to win, and this
victory was very good!
What
are you waiting for you at the Ultimate?
I
hope to return soon and confront anyone in front of me, it's
just a matter of time now, but I will be in the next Ultimate
(UFC 17). Jeremy (Stephens) was scheduled to fight in my place,
I’m helping him in training and on the ground, we're doing
a lot of position and I think Jeremy submits Joe Lauzon...
With
how many victory do you believe you will have a new chance for
the belt?
The
belt will be there, with BJ (Penn) or with someone else. I just
think about victories, I know that the belt will come, sooner
or later... I believe in that a lot.
Is
there anyone in the UFC that you would like to face?
I
would like to face Sean Sherk again, I think we have a work to
finish...
Talk
about your trainings in the U.S.: in which academy are you training?
Who are your training partners?
I
was a little upset, because I were 100% focused on training,
I was traveling and training in different academies and with
many fighters, as Pablo Popovitch, Saulo Ribeiro, Dean Lister,
Brandon Vera, Leonard Garcia, Urijah Faber, and others, so I’m
with a black belt my giving lessons in my place, so like this
I could be 100% focused on training.
Want
to send a message for someone?
I
would you like to thank everyone and send a special thanks to
my manager, Reed Wallace, and Mr. Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta.
Source: Tatame |
Pitbull
looking for a knockout against GSP
After
UFC 94’s main event, in which Georges St. Pierre dominated
BJ Penn, the Brazilian Thiago "Pitbull" Alves entered
the octagon to challenge the Canadian for the welterweight title.
While the date of the confrontation isn’t defined, the Brazilian
is waiting - and training – hungry for the fight of his
dreams, and promises a great show.
"It’ll
be a great fight. I’m very excited, I can’t wait...
It’s going to be great", said the fighter, in conversation
with the reporter Cristiane Ripari, after the press conference.
"I saw what he did with BJ Penn and I’ll have to beat
him a lot, do my game", said Thiago, who wasn’t expecting
such domination over the Hawaiian. "I expected and didn’t
expected, understood? (laughs). I knew he would win, but not
this way. He’s much bigger than the BJ, a better athlete,
and the sport today, in that level, you have to be the best athlete",
said “Pitbull”, defining his strategy to the fight
against GSP in a sentence: "I’ll go there to knock
him out".
Source: Tatame |
Bruno
Bastos and ADCC Brazil
Black belt completely focused on physical conditioning
Bruno
Bastos didn’t let up on training even for New Year’s.
Ever since returning from the trip he took to Finland from September
to November last year, the black belt has given his all to be
at peak form for the ADCC 2009 qualifiers, to take place from
Friday to Sunday, at the Botafogo gymnasium, in Rio de Janeiro.
The
task at hand has not been one of the easiest to deal with. After
touching down in Brazil, the fighter weighed 103kg. He will be
entering the 87.9kg category at the ADCC.
For
this reason, Bruno has put great emphasis on his physical preparations
and guarantees he’s already at the right weight. “It
really wasn’t easy, but I’m certain it will pay off.
I focused my training on physical conditioning, because at ADCC
the fights can end in draws and then go into overtime. There
have been 20, 30-minute fights, Cachorrao and Jacare once fought
for 40 minutes, that’s why I focused on that part,”
stated the athlete.
“I
expect nothing other than victory,” said the confident Bruno
Bastos. “The ADCC is full of tough adversaries, there’s
Eduardo Telles, Roberto Tussa, Andre Galvao… but if I didn’t
believe in my winning, I wouldn’t even go to the Botafogo
gymnasium,” he completed.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Tribute
to Helio touches Miami
Homage to the Grandmaster brought together over 350 people
There
was not enough room at the homage to Grandmaster Helio Gracie
Yesterday
was a day of strong emotions in Florida’s most well-known
city. Organized by brothers Pedro and Guilherme Valente, the
homage to Helio Gracie, who passed away on the 29th, brought
together over 350 people, who visited the Gracie Miami academy
to remember striking moments from the late grandmaster’s
life.
“Our
ceremony was incredible. It all took place in a marvelous and
efficient manner. My brother Pedro started off the memorial thanking
everyone for their presence and reading a message sent from our
father. In a beautiful speech, he remembered the creation process
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu as Helio Gracie revolutionized the relationship
between the weak and the strong providing the physically disadvantaged
with a power that had never been materialized in the martial
arts. Next, we showed a video of the last seminars the Master
held at our school in 2005, 2006 and 2007,” recounted Guilherme
Valente.
“After
the video, my brothers and I, Pedro and Joaquim, told never-before-heard
stories about what we witnessed throughout our lives with the
Master. To finish, we played a touching slideshow, with historic
images of Grandmaster Helio Gracie throughout the years up till
2009,” he added.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
Quote
of the Day
“I
would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by
belief.”
Gerry Spence
|
Lauzon’s
win caps night of submissions
TAMPA,
Fla. – One week after a card that featured eight decisions
and no submissions, Saturday night’s UFC show could be turned
into a one-night DVD release called “Ultimate Submissions.”
Joe
Lauzon (18-4) topped a night which featured six submission endings
in 10 matches, stopping Jeremy Stephens (16-4) in the main event
at 4:43 of the second round with an armbar.
Lauzon
fought like a lighter weight Japanese fighter, with slick ground
work, constantly going for submissions and not being afraid of
losing position. He even went for a flying scissors takedown
into an ankle lock attempt early in the fight, but Stephens was
able to escape.
Stephens
opened Lauzon up in the second round with elbows, and went for
a choke. Lauzon made an escape from underneath, maneuvered into
the mount and finally finished with an armbar. UFC awarded Lauzon
a $30,000 bonus for best submission on night with a lot of competition
for the award.
“I’m
really big into computers,” said Lauzon. “I used to
watch highlights all day. I love that [Japanese] style. They
may not always be the best fighters, but I think they have the
best fight.”
The
back-and-forth nature of the main event saw the near-sellout
crowd of 7,596 at the University of South Florida Sun Dome stomping
the floor with excitement.
Lauzon
was originally slated to face Hermes Franca in the main event,
but Franca tore his ACL two weeks ago in training, so Stephens,
his training partner, stepped in.
Both
Lauzon and Franca had been civil in the buildup, but after Franca
pulled out, Lauzon on the Internet wished him the best of luck,
and suddenly Franca turned on him, saying Lauzon was lucky he
got hurt and then saying how he saw Lauzon’s younger brother
Dan’s fight on the Jan. 24 Affliction show and he wasn’t
any good.
“I
think he talked a lot of trash for a guy who backed out of the
fight,” said Lauzon. “I didn’t say anything bad
about him. I think he’s a bigger name. When I started training,
I used to be a big fan of Hermes but now I’d like to fight
him.”
The
most hype leading into the show was for Cain Velasquez (5-0),
a two-time All-American wrestler with great hand speed for a
heavyweight and conditioning that is almost legendary inside
the industry.
He
had his toughest test to date as he was taken into the second
round for the first time in his career by 246-pound powerhouse
Denis Stojnic (12-2) of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Velasquez
had no problems with his streak of first round wins ending.
“I
was thinking I needed ring time,” he said. “I was looking
for a guy who could give me that.”
Stojnic,
from the Golden Glory kickboxing team in Holland, and with a
background in sambo, was shut down in both of his specialties,
but proved to be able to take punishment.
Velasquez,
who joked after the match about Stojnic’s hard head, connected
with hard punches and knees down the center to the face while
standing in the first round, noting the game plan was to keep
the fight standing early and go for angles.
He
took Stojnic down in the second round and was able to control
him, landing constant punches and elbows. The ending was flat,
as Velasquez constantly peppered Stojnic with punches on the
ground, but didn’t seem to have him seriously hurt. But
Stojnic wasn’t getting out of a dangerous position and ref
Jorge Ortiz stopped it at 2:34 of the second round.
“I
need to throw three or four punches in combination,” said
Velasquez. “I was doing two punches and a kick.”
Velasquez
still got the $30,000 best knockout bonus, apparently for persistence
in landing so many hard shots on a guy difficult to finish.
It
was the first time Velasquez had been heavily promoted as a main
star of a show, in an attempt to get his name as big to the public
as it is within the industry. Velasquez has become the one of
the UFC’s hardest fighters to not only find opponents for,
but of late, trainer Javier Mendez noted he’s having trouble
keeping training partners.
“It
felt good,” said the soft-spoken product of Arizona State
University. “I liked doing the P.R. stuff. It took my mind
off the fights.”
The
fight of the night saw Ultimate Fighter Season 6 winner Mac Danzig
(19-6-1) lose his second fight in a row, when Josh Neer (25-7-1)
trapped him in a triangle at 3:36 of the second round in a fight
that went back and forth.
Neer
felt he was never in trouble, but said he did fear it being stopped
because blood was coming into his eye.
“I
felt like it was from a headbutt,” said Neer, who ended
up arguing with the crowd, yelling at them after he was booed
for not touching gloves at the start of the second round.
“I’m
not here to touch gloves, I’m here to fight. He headbutted
me in the first round, and I think in the second round. I told
the ref.”
Danzig
won the first round on two of the three judges’ cards in
what was one of the best fights of the early part of 2009. Neer
was more aggressive, but Danzig often danced out of the way and
landed good counter shots. Both men damaged the other on the
ground.
“I
heard he doesn’t like it when you pressure him,” said
Neer. “If you do things unorthodox he gets frustrated easy.”
Both
men earned $30,000 bonuses for the best match.
Anthony
Johnson (7-2) finished Luigi Fiorvanti (13-5) at 4:39 of the
first round, finishing him with punches on the ground after a
second knockdown.
Still,
Johnson seemed unhappy with his performance and some of the hype
in his direction at being a welterweight title contender.
“I
have to improve at everything,” he said. “I have to
become more well-rounded. Everybody thinks all I can do is knock
people out. I haven’t shown any submissions. People talk
about me going against GSP and being ready for a title shot.
For me to have a chance against GSP, I’d have to improve
100 percent.”
Three-time
NCAA wrestling champion Jake Rosholt suffered his first pro loss,
losing to a guillotine in a scramble in just 1:03 against Dan
Miller.
Source: Yahoo Sports
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ALVES
STARTS PREP FOR SHOWDOWN WITH ST. PIERRE
Sitting cage side for possibly the biggest fight in MMA history,
Thiago "Pitbull" Alves had the most watchful eye of
anybody in the crowd at UFC 94. He knew that the winner would
soon land in his crosshairs, being the No. 1 contender in the
UFC welterweight division.
Prior
to the fight, Alves had said he thought Penn would win the fight,
but he was rooting for St. Pierre because he wanted his title
shot. If the Hawaiian won and held two titles, nothing was guaranteed.
When it was all said and done, St. Pierre dominated Penn like
no other fighter ever has and even Alves was surprised by the
outcome.
"I
thought GSP looked really good like he always does, but B.J.
Penn I think didn't show up to fight at all," Alves told
MMAWeekly Radio on Wednesday. "I don't even know what happened
with him, I just don't think that was the B.J. Penn we're used
to seeing. Even in the first round he didn't put up no fight
against GSP, he was always playing the defense side, never attacked
him, never actually put up a fight.
"I
was expecting more from B.J., but props to GSP. He looked really
good."
After
the fight was over, Alves was brought into the Octagon to officially
lay claim to the No. 1 contender's spot, and even though he could
have taken the low road and gone for the throat, he remained
respectful throughout.
"I'm
a big fan of B.J. I'm a big fan of Georges St. Pierre. There's
no reason for trash talking. What can you say about Georges?
There's nothing bad you can say about the guy," Alves said.
"He's the perfect athlete. He's the man. He's the champion.
I've just got a lot of respect, but I want everything that he
has. I want to take the belt away from him. I want the fame.
I want the money."
Alves
will now head back into training with his compatriots at American
Top Team to get ready for St. Pierre. Following his last fight,
against Josh Koscheck in October 2008, Alves suffered a hand
injury. The Brazilian admits that he still isn't healed completely,
but he'll be ready in plenty of time for his next fight, which
will likely be in the summer of 2009 against St. Pierre.
"My
hand is not 100-percent yet. Still in therapy, but the thing
is I didn't break anything, I just sprained a ligament really
bad and the cartilage between the bones kind of got destroyed.
So we're working on it and everything, but by the fight, I think
the fight's going to be July 4th, I'll be 100-percent,"
Alves stated.
"I'm
the luckiest guy in the world. Everything just works really good
for me. I had the hand injury, so I took two months off pretty
much and my body's just heeled up. I'm hungry. I'm hungry to
get back in the gym again, and go through the punishment that
the training is and the training camp getting ready for the fight.
I can't wait. Even for the diet to lose weight, can you believe
that? That's how excited I am!"
The
excitement of fulfilling a lifelong dream will soon come to fruition
for Alves, and he says when St. Pierre steps in the Octagon to
face him, he won't be alone.
"Once
I step in there it's not going to be just me. It's going to be
my family, all of my teammates, and everybody. I'm really excited
about it," commented Alves.
Named
the 2008 Fighter of the Year by MMAWeekly.com, Alves promises
an even more stellar performance in this calendar year.
"2009
is going to be even better. I'm really excited about it."
Source: MMA Weekly
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AURELIO
RETURNS WITH KO AT WCA ON FRIDAY
ATLANTIC
CITY, N.J. – After losing his last two fights in the UFC,
Marcus “Maximus” Aurelio wanted to prove his naysayers
wrong. With one overhand right at World Cagefighting Alliance’s
inaugural event, he did just that. It was Pure Combat as Aurelio
and Chris “The Story” Liguori faced off in Friday night’s
main event.
After
winning the first round, Aurelio made the second round end quick
with a devastating right hook that knocked out the hometown fighter.
In the co-main event, Ultimate Fighter alum Paul “the Gentleman”
Bradley continued his undefeated streak as he out-pointed Team
Quest’s Nathan Coy.
Here
is the breakdown of the night’s action:
Marcus
"Maximus" Aurelio vs. Chris "The Story" Liguori
– Main Event
Liguori
was able to start fast with strikes, but once Aurelio took him
down, he was able to keep him there. After Liguroi got guard,
Aurelio was able to transition to side control near the end of
the first round. The second was over fast as Aurelio ends a
flurry with an overhand right knocking Liguori out.
-Marcus
Aurelio def. Chris Liguori by KO – 0:23, R2
Nathan
Coy vs. Paul "The Gentleman" Bradley – Co-Main
Event
Both
fighters were impressive in the first round. Coy found a home
for his jab while Bradley constantly landed counter strikes.
Although Coy was visibly rocked, Bradley was cut. After thwarting
multiple takedowns in the first, Bradley secures his own in the
second. Coy is able to bring the fight back up and gets his
first takedown of the night. Bradley is able to get back up
and the stand up exchange continues. Neither fighter gets a
significant edge as round two comes to a close. The pace slowed
down in the fighter seemed a little bit cautious. A body kick
from Bradley sends Coy reeling and could be the difference in
the fight.
-Paul
Bradley def. Nathan Coy by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Tom
Gallicchio vs. Rich Ashkar
Gallicchio
found himself in an unusual position early in the first round
– on the receiving end of a huge slam. Unfortunately for
Ashkar, he couldn’t keep it on the ground and moments later
he found himself on the mat from a right high kick to the cheek.
Ashkar crumbled, but stayed alive and eventually reversed position
finding himself in side control. Gallicchio was able to pull
guard, but took some damage throughout the end of the round.
The dominance of Ashkar continues in the second round. Gallicchio
is taken down early and is pounded for most of the round. He
comes out swinging in the third, but is met with counter strikes
from Ashkar. After putting the fight to the ground and mounting
Gallicchio, Ashkar drops bombs and the referee ends the contest.
-Rich
Ashkar def. Tom Gallicchio by TKO – 1:57, R3
Matt
Lee vs. Dave Jansen
You
can tell Jansen is trained by Team Quest. Excellent wrestling
complimented with overhand rights that would make Dan Henderson
proud. After getting the full mount, Jansen transitioned to
the Anaconda choke and Lee went to sleep.
-Dave
Jansen def. Matt Lee by anaconda choke – 3:00, R1
Al
Buck vs. George Sullivan
After
a slow start and an inadvertent low blow, Sullivan is able to
manhandle Buck on the ground. Sullivan gains full mount and
blasts away until the referee saves Buck from further damage.
-George
Sullivan def. Al Buck by TKO - 3:58, R1
Douglas
Gordon vs. Mike Medrano
Gordon
controls the first round by not letting Medrano utilize his wrestling.
Gordon lands repeated strikes but top his credit, Medrano fires
back. Gordon finishes round one with a big slam. During an
exchange early in the second round, the fighters clash heads
and have the same exact cut above their left eyes. The fight
continues without a doctor check-up and Medrano is now getting
the best of the stand-up exchange. Medrano is able to steal
round two leaving the fight up for grabs in round three. A close
third round, but Gordon should win as he had Medrano reeling
at the end.
-Douglas
Gordon def. Mike Medrano by unanimous decision (30-27 all three)
Steve
D'Angelis vs. Felipe Arantes
D’Angelis
appears to have learned more tricks besides his pedigree wrestling.
D’Angelis wins the stand-up game and the fight only goes
to the mat once when Arentas pulls guard. In round two, D’Angelis
goes back to his wrestling roots and takes down Arantes twice
followed by strikes from the top. The round is highlighted by
a beautiful flying knee from Arantes. D’Angelis continues
his wrestling dominance in the third as he secures multiple takedowns.
Arantes is unable to mount any offense or answer D’Angelis’
aggression.
-Steve
D'Angelis def. Felipe Arantes by unanimous decision (30-27 all
three)
Kevin
Roddy vs. Anthony Morrison
The
first round was a carbon copy of each fighter’s resume.
Morrison gets the early slam and initiates ground-and-pound
and Roddy stays active going for numerous submissions from the
bottom. More of the same in round two and, besides two armbar
scares, Morrison punishes Roddy. Morrison sticks to the game
plan and keeps the fight on the ground for the final round.
After a brief stalemate, Morrison wins the standup exchange and
takes the fight to the ground again. The round ends with Morrison
landing some ground-and-pound.
-Anthony
Morrison def. Kevin Roddy by unanimous decision (30-27 all three)
Brian
DeMuro vs. Eric Henry
The
first round was more of a kickboxing bout with DeMuro and Henry
trading leg kicks. The trend continues in the second and there
appears to be more circling than action. Henry appears to have
won this round as he landed more strikes including high kick
to DeMuro’s face, which could be heard from the concession
stands. The third finally sees the fight go to the ground, but
only for a few seconds. The fighters continue to kickbox without
much damage and the leave a lot to be desired as the fight goes
to the judges.
-Eric
Henry def. Brian DeMuro by unanimous decision (30-27 all three)
Lester
Caslow vs. Joey Camacho
It’s
all Caslow in round one. After Camacho gets the initial takedown,
Caslow reverses and punishes Camacho from top position for the
better part of the round. The second stanza is more of the same
and the referee halts that action, as Camacho is flat on his
stomach unable to defend himself intelligently from Caslow’s
onslaught of strikes.
-Lester
Caslow def. Joey Camacho by TKO - 0:51 rd. 2
Anthony
Leone vs. Patrick White
Leone
drops White early and is relentless with his ground attack.
Leone attempts a rear naked choke, an amrbar, and passes guard
several times. White defends valiantly but eventually succumbs
to the rear naked choke the second time around.
-Anthony
Leone def. Patrick White by rear naked choke - 4:36 rd. 1
Ryan
Smith vs. Phillip "The Wicked" Wyman
Wyman
connects with two hellacious body kicks that hurt Smith early
on. From his back, Smith avoids any damage by using up kicks
to create distance. Smith then grabs a leg and goes for a hell
hook bringing Wyman to the mat. Wyman scrambles and is able
to secure a triangle choke forcing Smith to tap.
-Phillip
Wyman def. Ryan Smith by triangle choke - 2:17 rd. 1
Mark
Getto vs. Kenny Foster
These
two had a boxing match until Foster was able to get the takedown
at the end of round one. The same formula ensues in round two,
but Foster is winning the stand-up exchange. Near the end of
the round, Foster goes for the takedown, but ends up slapping
on a tight guillotine choke. Getto gets the slam, but is still
caught. He forces his head out and starts to unleash some ground
and pound until the round ends. After both fighters circle each
other for several minutes in the third round, referee Kevin Mullhal
brings the fighters to the center of the ring to encourage action.
The fighters listen and Foster secures a takedown but is unable
to do much damage as the bell rings.
-Kenny
Foster def. Mark Getto by unanimous decision (30-27 all three)
Daniel
Tavares vs. Bryan Danner
Danner
with a good combination of crisp strikes and solid takedown defense
is able to win this one early
-Bryan
Danner def. Daniel Tavares by KO – 1:48 rd. 1
World
Cagefighting Alliance "Pure Combat" Full Results
Main
Event:
-Marcus
Aurelio def. Chris Liguori by KO – 0:23, R2
Co-Main
Event:
-Paul
Bradley def. Nathan Coy by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
-Rich
Ashkar def. Tom Gallicchio by TKO – 1:57, R3
-Dave
Jansen def. Matt Lee by anaconda choke – 3:00, R1
-George
Sullivan def. Al Buck by TKO - 3:58, R1
-Douglas
Gordon def. Mike Medrano by unanimous decision (30-27 all three)
-Steve
D'Angelis def. Felipe Arantes by unanimous decision (30-27 all
three)
-Anthony
Morrison def. Kevin Roddy by unanimous decision (30-27 all three)
-Eric
Henry def. Brian DeMuro by unanimous decision (30-27 all three)
-Lester
Caslow def. Joey Camacho by TKO - 0:51, R2
-Anthony
Leone def. Patrick White by rear naked choke - 4:36, R1
-Phillip
"The Wicked" Wyman def. Ryan Smith by triangle choke
- 2:17, R1
-Bryan
Danner def. Daniel Tavares by KO – 1:48, R1
Source: MMA Weekly
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CAIN
VELASQUEZ, "I'M AN MMA FIGHTER"
Four bouts into his professional career and the undefeated Cain
Velasquez is already being touted as a potential contender to
the UFC heavyweight championship. Not that far fetched considering
the promotion's current beltholder, Brock Lesnar, maintains a
3-1 professional record and that Velasquez' every move is shaped
with the championship in mind.
His
opponent at UFC Fight Night 17 on Saturday night – little
known Bosnian Denis Stojnic – isn't likely to catapult Velasquez
to the head of the line for the winner of a planned Brock Lesnar
versus Frank Mir unification bout later this year, but he is
integral in Velasquez' quest to eventually arrive at that spot.
"In
the past, it's happened to other people where they overlook their
opponents when their opponents have not been well known. I look
at it as every fight is a title fight and that's how I'm looking
at this fight," said the Arizona State (ASU) wrestling standout
on MMAWeekly.com Radio recently.
His
collegiate wrestling pedigree includes two-time All-American
honors and two Pac-10 championships while at ASU, as well as
a junior college national championship at Iowa Central Community
College. It's not surprise that a UFC championship is in the
plans for his mixed martial arts career, though he doesn't seem
to be in the rush that others are assigning to his rise to contention.
"I
just feel like I need more ring time until I'm feeling super
comfortable in the Octagon," he conveyed. "I want to
just work my way up the ladder. If I get there in two years,
in ten years, that's fine with me, as long as I reach my goal."
In
making the move from collegiate wrestler to a profession of fighting,
Velasquez followed the advice of his wrestling coach, Thom Ortiz,
and headed to American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif.
There, he trains with several fighters that have "been there,
done that." He credits Team AKA for much of his immediate
success in the sport.
"I
give Team AKA and all my coaches and managers all the credit,"
Velasquez said with humility. "All the guys I work out with
like Jon Fitch, like Josh Koscheck, just to know that they've
been there before and learn from them, just to follow somebody
who is on the right path.
"To
have those guys rotating in on you for your sparring is the best
thing you can have. Working with Paul (Buentello) my stand-up
is getting better and better the more that I work with him."
About
the only question mark stamped on Velasquez as he heads into
the Octagon in Tampa, Fla., is regarding his knee. An injured
meniscus sidetracked an earlier return in December, but he casts
aside any doubts. "I had a meniscus surgery about three
or four months ago. Now the knee is fine, it's perfect, 100 percent."
Despite
his belief that the injury is not a factor, Velasquez is not
looking past Stojnic.
"I
know he has a record of 12-1. He's super aggressive, big guy,
tough guy," says the 26-year-old heavyweight. "He does
go out there and bang, he's a brawler for sure. People don't
know him, but I have to take him very seriously. He's a tough
opponent. He's a worthy opponent."
Worthy
or not, if his assessment of Stojnic's skills are accurate, the
Hollander should play right into the hands of Velasquez, who
doesn't see himself walking into a classic striker versus grappler
match-up. So don't be surprised if the All-American doesn't rush
into a takedown attempt on Saturday night.
"It's
always important to show that I'm well rounded. That's what kind
of fighter I am now," he stated. "I'm not just a wrestler,
I'm an MMA fighter."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Roger
Gracie
Five
times BJJ World Champion, Roger Gracie were at European Championship,
at Lisboa, Portugal, watching his team’s performance at
the tournament. In an exclusive interview with the black belt,
Gracie spoke about his preparation for his third MMA fight, revealed
the possibility of training with Renzo Gracie at New York, commented
the European Championship and Master Helio Gracie’s death,
last Thursday. Check below the exclusive interview with Roger
Gracie.
How
many students did you bring to the European Championship?
I
have about 15 students fighting, from white to black belt. I’m
with a good team here, they’re training a lot. I think the
team is getting bigger now, so it’s good.
How
do you see Jiu-Jitsu in Europe?
I
think that Jiu-Jitsu has grown in whole Europe. My academy increases
every year, I believe that all the academies do too. You see
people doing more and more competition, the championships are
getting full every years. Soon we’ll have two thousand athletes
fighting the European Championship, if it continues like this.
This is very good for Jiu-Jitsu. In the European you can really
understand the growth of Jiu-Jitsu. People competing in the blue
belt, now in purple and brown. This is great.
And
how are your training today?
I
practice most the physical part and ground part, everything else
is secondary. I train a lot the takedowns, do some Boxing, but
I focus more on the physical preparation. Preparation, for me,
is being there well physically and with a good Jiu-Jitsu.
Do
you know when you'll be back to Sengoku?
I’m
training to fight MMA now in March, at Sengoku, Japan. It’s
90% right, but it isn’t confirmed yet and I can’t guarantee.
But I believe that will happen. I’m training in my gym.
If I do fight in March, I’ll continue doing my training
in London and four weeks before the fight I believe that I should
go to NY with Renzo (Gracie).
How
do you come for your third fight?
I
think that I develop a lot my game after every fight I do. This
will be the third fight in MMA and I believe I’ll be better
every fight, not only physically but also mentally, with more
experience, in a different way in the ring. The more I compete,
the more I overcome myself.
How
your family and the Jiu-Jitsu world loses with Helio Gracie’s
death?
Master
Helio Gracie’s death is sad for everyone, especially for
his sons, wife and the people who are closer to him. He was 95
years, I believe that all he had to do in his life he has done.
So, of course it’s sad, because nobody likes to lose a father,
a husband, but I think he has his mission accomplished here in
this world, and as he spoke, the day of his death was suppose
to be a celebration. It isn’t a moment of joy, but it’s
something that was more or less expected. We couldn’t expect
that he would live more than 95 years old.
Source: Tatame
|
Brazilian
team defined at M-1 Challenge
Coming
to Brazil in 2009, the M-1 Global will organize this year a MMA
championship from different countries, which, of course, will
have a Brazilian team. After announcing Carlão Barreto
as the coach from Team Extreme Naja, TATAME’s partner, Fernando
Kallas, has first-handed the list of athletes of the Brazilian
athletes that will compete at M-1 Challenge in 2009, revealed
with exclusivity from TATAME.com.
In
the lightweight division, Flavio Alvaro, coming from an excellent
knockout victory in Santos Fight Festival, will represent the
Brazilian team. Eduardo Pamplona, coming with four straight victories,
is the Brazilian welterweight fighter, coming down from the middleweight
category. In the middleweight, Juliano Belgine, who was defeated
by Pamplona in his last fight, will represent Brazil.
Jair
"Sorriso", that won all the three fights he did in
2008 and lost to Junior "Cigano" dos Santos (now in
the UFC) in 2007, at MTL, will be the light-heavyweight fighter.
Jose Franca, who has two fights and no losses in his career,
will be the heavyweight fighter of the team. According to executives
of M-1 Global, the list is subject to change in case of injuries.
Stay tuned for more news on the TATAME.com
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Science
is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."
Immanuel Kant
|
UFC
Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs. Stephens Play-By-Play Results
USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida
Fight #1 - Luigi Fioravanti (171) vs. Anthony Johnson (171)
R1:
Fioravanti throws a fast combo that doesn't connect. Johnson
lands an inside leg kick. Fioravanti lands answers with a leg
kick. He throws another combo that Johnson avoids. Johnson lands
a leg kick that stumbles his American Top Team opponent. Johnson
throws a roundhouse kick that's blocked. Johnson continues to
attack with leg kicks. Fioravanti is looking to catch a kick
and counter with a punch. Fioravanti shoots at 1:45 but Johnson
defends, and they're in clinch against the cage. Johnson is hit
with a knee directly on the groin. Johnson shakes it off and
the fight is back on with 1:18 left. Johnson lands a punch that
momentarily drops Fioravanti. Sensing his opponent is hurt, Johnson
moves in with a flurry of punches. Johnson drops Fioravanti and
fires away with more punches. The referee stops the fight.
Johnson
wins via TKO (punches) - R1 (4:39)
Fight
#2 - Mac Danzig (154.5) vs. Josh Neer (156)
R1: Danzig throws a high kick but slips. Neer comes in to attack.
Danzig lands a nice uppercut. Danzig throws another high kick
that misses. They clinch. Danzig lands nice jabs and connects
with a right. Neer is bleeding. Danzig lands punches. Neer throws
knees to Danzig's body. Danzig is outboxing Neer. They clinch
and Neer lands knees to body. Danzig drops Neer with a right
at 1:29. Neer attempts the triangle choke and then a omoplata.
Danzig spins out. Neer backs Danzig with punches. Neer is doing
the Diaz brothers' arms-out taunt. They swing. Awesome first
round.
MMAFighting.com
scores the round 10-9 for Danzig.
R2:
Neer comes out punching confidently. Danzig shoots at 4:38 but
pulls guard. Neer drops heavy elbows. Danzig tries to escape.
More elbows from Neer and he moves to side mount. Danzig escapes
but gets his back taken shortly after. Neer looks for an armbar
but Danzig escapes into Neer's halfguard. Neer goes to closed
guard. Neer attempts the triangle choke again. Neer goes for
the armbar and then back to the triangle choke. Danzig tries
to escape but he's forced to tap.
Neer
wins via submission (triangle choke) - R2 (3:36)
Fight
#3 - Cain Velasquez (239) vs. Denis Stojnic (246)
R1:
Stojnic swings for the fences. Velasquez clinches and works knees
to Stojnic's thighs. Velasquez throws a kick that lands under
Stojnic's arm. Velasquez muscles in and lands a knee in clinch.
Velasquez connects on punches. Stojnic covers up and Velasquez
tees off with punches and knees. Stojnic pushes Velasquez off
at 2:30. Velasquez comes back with more punches and knees. Velasquez
continues to land punches and knees. Velasquez works leg kicks.
Velasquez rocks Stojnic with a right. Stojnic is simply banking
on a knockout win but he's swinging too wildly for any punches
to connect. The more technical Velasquez makes his opponent pay.
MMAFighting.com
scores the fight 10-9 for Velasquez.
R2:
Velasquez goes right back to work with punches and knees. Stojnic
pulls down for a guillotine choke attempt. Velasquez escapes
and goes to side mount. Velasquez drops elbows. Stojnic gives
up his back. Velasquez rains down right punches. Stojnic rolls
to give Velasquez side mount. Velasquez with more elbows. Stojnic
turtles and Velasquez drops punches. The fight is stopped, anticlimactically,
as Stojnic didn't put up much of a defense.
Velasquez
wins via TKO (punches) - R2 (2:34)
Fight
#4 - Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Jeremy Stephens (156)
R1:
Stephens throw a big right that's blocked. Lauzon goes to the
floor and looks to sweep. They stand up in clinch. Stephens throws
a knee. Lauzon drops for a leglock but Stephens escapes. Lauzon
takes down Stephens, who closes his guard. Lauzon drops elbows.
Lauzon climbs into halfguard and then full mount. Lauzon goes
for the armbar with 1:50 left. Stephens escapes into Lauzon's
guard. Stephens drops heavy punches. Lauzon weathers the strikes.
Lauzon stands up but gets slammed. The round ends with Stepehens
in Lauzon's closed guard.
MMAFighting.com
scores the round 10-9 for Stephens.
R2:
Stephens misses a kick and has a right hand blocked, but he lands
a leg kick. Stephens swings away. Lauzon puts Stephens on his
back with a fireman's carry takedown. Lauzon passes to side mount.
Lauzon takes full mount at 2:32. Lauzon throws elbows and punches.
Lauzon takes Stephens' back. Stephens escapes into Lauzon's guard.
Stephens connects with strikes. An elbow cuts open Lauzon. Lauzon
turns Stephens over and Lauzon has side control, and then full
mount. Lauzon attempts the armbar and Stephens taps.
Lauzon
wins via submission (armbar) - R2 (4:43)
Preliminary
Bouts:
1.
Matt Riddle (171) def. Steve Bruno (171) via unanimous decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2.
Nick Catone (184) def. Derek Downey (185.5) via sub (keylock)
- R2 (1:15)
3.
Gleison Tibau (155.5) def. Rich Clementi (156) via sub (guillotine)
- R1 (4:35)
4.
Matt Veach (156) def. Matt Grice (156) via TKO (punches) - R1
(4:34)
5.
Dan Miller (186) def. Jake Rosholt (185.5) via sub (guillotine)
- R1 (1:03)
6.
Kurt Pellegrino (155) def. Rob Emerson (153.5) via sub (strikes)
- R2 (3:14)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Submission
Grappling tournament
Aloha,
Please post info regarding Submission Grappling tournament planned
for this weekend.
Junior/Kids $25 entry fee; Adults $35 entry fee.
Weigh ins on Sat (7) @ IWFF Academy; event to take place Sunday
(8) at IWFF Academy.
Mahalo!
--
Tyson & Leinell Coloma-Nahooikaika
Island Warriors Freestyle Fighting Academy
1552 Mill Street
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
http://www.iwffacademy.com
www.myspace.com/iwffacademy
"If you can dream it...you can live it!"
|
Full
Choke Documentary On Kauai About Kauai!
Hi All,
Come out and see the movie documentary filmed, edited and produced
by Chris Kawae and Lono Pascua.
Every aspect of the film was done on Kauai, Come show your support!
A
truly Kauai made product!
See
you at the movies!
February
13,14 & 15
Waimea Theater, Waimea, Kauai
Showtime is: 6pm
Documentary
‘Full Choke’ explores local mixed martial arts events
Vance Pascua of Ainofea Productions with ‘Full Choke’
documentary filmmakers Lono Pascua and Chris Kauwe. The film
opens Feb. 13 at Waimea Theatre. Pam Woolway/The Garden Island
Vance Pascua of Ainofea Productions with ‘Full Choke’
documentary filmmakers Lono Pascua and Chris Kauwe. The film
opens Feb. 13 at Waimea Theatre. Pam Woolway/The Garden Island
By
Pam Woolway - The Garden Island
Next week an all Kaua‘i product will hit the market —
possibly the only product touting “Kaua‘i made”
that is indeed 100 percent unadulterated Kaua‘i blood, bones
and spirit.
Ho‘omana
Video Productions movie documentary “Full Choke” claims
local subject matter, two Kaua‘i filmmakers and music written,
performed and produced by a Kaua‘i songwriter. Not to mention
it will open in a Kaua‘i-owned and operated theatre. At
6 p.m., Feb. 13, 14 and 15, see the 52-minute documentary made
by Koloa residents and filmmakers Lono Pascua and Chris Kauwe.
Both men were born and raised on the South Shore.
Pascua
attended Hollywood Film Institute in California where he studied
screenplay writing. Kauwe taught and did video production at
public access station, Ho‘ike.
“Full
Choke” opens with an introduction to three Kapa‘a mixed
martial artists: Tsai Seamster, Shane Kahananui and Kyle Sukehira.
The film provides an overview of the 20 by 20 foot platform-ring
construction in Hanapepe and footage of each fight dubbed with
the voice of the fighter explaining the match blow for blow.
There are three, three-minute rounds.
“We
present the story of three fighters from Kaua‘i and want
to leave the interpretation up to the viewer,” said filmmaker
Lono Pascua. “We’re not trying to promote mixed martial
arts.”
Mixed
martial arts (MMA) is a style that incorporates a variety of
fighting techniques that include striking and grappling.
“They
can use at any time one of these disciplines,” Pascua said.
“Fighters started to study each other’s styles and
that’s how it evolved into MMA. It was beneficial to become
more complex in their art.”
Long
time friend and fellow filmmaker Chris Kauwe joined Pascua on
the project to do the camera work. Lono and Kauwe had worked
together on Na Kanaka Hawai‘i News.
“Chris
had no idea how many people were into cage fighting. Three thousand
people showed up for the last match in Hanapepe,” Pascua
said.
The
match filmed for “Full Choke” in March 2008 was the
seventh of its kind produced by Ainofea Productions, LLC, which
hosts an annual mixed martial arts cage match every spring. Ho’omana
Video Productions is in association with Ainofea Productions.
The
organization’s founder, Vance Pascua, is Lono Pascua’s
cousin. When stickers and T-shirts cropped up all over Kaua‘i
professing “ainokea,” (I no care) Vance Pascua wanted
to counter the apathetic attitude by creating something empowering
for Kaua‘i youth.
“He
sees how the discipline of the martial arts can be incorporated
into your lifestyle, especially for young kids,” Pascua
said.
Vance
Pascua is a black belt in kajukenbo, a form that originated in
Hawai‘i. His first cage fight productions began at Kapa‘a
High School gym five years ago, but the events quickly outgrew
the venue.
“It
was such an overwhelming response it broke the fire code and
we had to find a bigger place,” Pascua said. “Vance
came up with the idea to turn Hanapepe stadium into an arena.”
Not
long after, Ainofea Productions purchased a used ring that they
upgraded for safety.
“It
wasn’t up to specification,” he continued. “Everything
has to be padded for the safety of the fighters — with not
so much as a zip tie or wire uncovered.”
For
the matches at Hanapepe Stadium a crew of supporters help move
bleachers into a circle. Over 1000 chairs are collected from
all over the island for the floor seating around the platform-padded
ring.
“We
use more facility area then any event on the island, even Relay
for Life,” Pascua said. “After the match we sweep it,
clean and leave it better then we found it.”
Professional
referee, Kevin Yoshida comes from O‘ahu. Local doctors Dave
Rovinsky and Chris Sanchez are on hand for medical attention.
“This
is not staged but controlled in a very regulated way to be safe,”
Pascua said.
Film
commissioner Art Umezu came to the pre-screening of the film
last week.
“It’s
rare to have someone pick up on this sort of subject,” he
said. “This is truly a Kaua‘i made product — right
down to the soundtrack.”
The
soundtrack written and performed by Lono Pascua features classical,
jazz and hip-hop. The filmmakers plan to submit “Full Choke”
to the Berkley and New Orleans Film Festivals. The film shows
at 6 p.m. Feb. 13, 14 and 15. Ticket costs: adults, $7; 12 and
under, $5; 5 and under, free.
•
Pam Woolway, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext.
257 or pwoolway@kauaipubco.com
Source: The Garden Island.com
|
***PRESS
CONFERENCE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC***
ROY JONES
JR. FEBRUARY 11 PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE “MARCH BADNESS”
– BOXING & MMA
MARCH
21 in PENSACOLA, FL
Tickets
go On Sale Wednesday at 10:00 AM!
WHO:
ROY JONES JR., Eight-Time World Champion
OMAR
SHEIKA, Light Heavyweight Contender
SETH
“The Silverback” PETRUZELLI, KO’d Kimbo Slice
DOUG
“Rhino” MARSHALL, Former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion
ROY
“Big Country” NELSON, IFL (Int. Fight League) Heavyweight
Champion
JEFF
“The Snowman” MONSON, Two-Time Submission World Champion
BOB
LASHLEY – Three-Time NCAA Wrestling Champion, WWE Superstar
WHAT:
Eight-time world champion “Superman” Roy Jones Jr.
will host a news conference in Pensacola to announce his upcoming
‘homecoming’ light heavyweight fight against Omar Sheika.
B.J. Flores, IBF No. 2 Cruiserweight, will be featured on the
card along with three MMA bouts, headlined by Seth Petruzelli,
who most recently knocked out Kimbo Slice, against Doug Marshall;
Roy Nelson will battle Jeff Monson; also featured will be Three-Time
NCAA Wrestling Champion and Wrestlemania star Bob Lashley. “March
Badness,” promoted by Square Ring Promotions, Inc. will
take place at the Pensacola Civic Center and be broadcast live
on pay-per-view.
TICKETS:
Priced at $128, $103, $78, $53 & $28 go on sale Wednesday,
February 11 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available at all Ticketmaster
locations and the Pensacola Civic Center Box Office.
WHEN:
Wednesday, February 11, 12 Noon
WHERE:
Pensacola Civic Center
201
East Gregory Street
Pensacola,
FL 32502
Press
and public enter through main entrance adjacent to box office
CONTACT:
Ed Keenan, EMC (609) 399-1330, keenan@emcevents.com
Summer
Jimmerson, Pensacola Civic Center: (850) 432-0800 x231 sjimmerson@pensacolaciviccenter.com
Source: Ed Keenan
|
Debating
the future growth potential of MMA as an industry
By Zach Arnold
Take
some time today and read two articles on this subject: First,
a positive take from The Las Vegas Sun and second, a negative
take from Sam Caplan.
Some
thoughts on both sides of the argument. Let’s stick with
some positives here.
UFC,
for the third consecutive domestic PPV, will likely end up drawing
more than 800,000 buys per event (Couture/Lesnar, Evans/Griffin,
Penn/St. Pierre). Tell me what other sporting event right now
has this kind of drawing power with customers willing to pay
$40 ~ $50 for an event. The organization is on fire and since
UFC has positioned themselves in the eyes of most fans as being
the entire sport of MMA, I don’t see how things will slow
down any time soon. If UFC is drawing this strongly in bad economic
times, I’d really love to see how numbers will increase
when people have more money in their pockets.
For all the talk about UFC and MMA becoming an extension of showbusiness,
let us not forget one thing — most indicators suggest that
UFC’s audience is not poor. Perhaps not filthy rich, but
not poor. How many times have we heard the argument that UFC’s
audience revolves around pro-wrestling fans who grew up and didn’t
like what they were watching any more (i.e. the ‘graduation’
theory)? Wrestling fans are notorious in marketing circles as
being viewed as poor. UFC fans, on the other hand, are not. Granted,
you find articles comparing boxing crowds bringing in more money
than an UFC audience does at casinos, but MMA fans do spend disposable
income and are very loyal to the sport.
As long as the sport continues to thrive and generate new fans
in the 18-34 demographic and add older fans into the mix, the
industry will at the very least be a ‘value play’ in
the eyes of marketers and may continue to experience further
growth in international circles. UFC right now is the only player
in town, but don’t sleep on potential competition in the
industry. I expect a revival to happen in Japan, even if it’s
not any time soon. You can’t keep a great market with great
fans like Japan down long-term. Once new players develop internationally,
it will only help grow the audience size for the sport.
MMA, in the eyes of some, is becoming more or less part of a
certain lifestyle. If you take BJJ classes or you train in MMA
or you are involved in the sport one way or another as a promoter
or matchmaker or writer, you’re going to be emotionally
attached to it. It’s not a disposable hobby or interest
unlike other sports that you may watch on TV only. Because MMA
tends to draw more of a crowd that views it as a lifestyle, you
will continue to see not only MMA events but also merchandising
companies draw well. I don’t see a slowdown any time soon
here.
With fighters gaining notoriety, the level of agent representation
in the business will continue to grow in legitimacy. Georges
St. Pierre being aligned with CAA for endorsement deals is a
big story. More and more fighters will turn to bigger sports
agencies that realize what kind of potential MMA fighters have
in marketing. If reports from sites like MMA Payout are true
that UFC wants to implement 360 deals, then there will be a clash
between fighters who have real agent representation versus those
who sign over their rights to Zuffa. (In other words, a labor
dispute.) In the end, I think the amount of money UFC makes will
grow bigger each year and the amount of money fighters can make
will slightly grow as well — maybe not in proportion to
the increase in revenue that UFC makes, but it will grow.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Strikeforce
acquires EliteXC assets
Strikeforce today announced that it has entered an asset purchase
agreement with ProElite Inc. to acquire certain EliteXC fighter
contracts and video library.
What remained to be revealed are which fighters will be brought
over to Strikeforce and what Strikeforce's plans are for Pro
Elite's other promotions.
The
deal could also see Strikeforce airing live events on Showtime
starting April 11.
"This
is a tremendous development that will bolster the Strikeforce
roster and allow us to produce even more competitive matchups
between top fights," Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker
said. "Some of these athletes have been on the sidelines
for a while now and are eagerly waiting to return to competition.
We look forward to providing them with the opportunity to do
so in the next few months."
Strikeforce
co-promoted two events with EliteXC, "Shamrock vs. Baroni"
in June 2007 and "Shamrock vs. Cung Le" in March 2008.
EliteXC,
the first MMA promotion to hold a live event on network television,
ceased operations in less than two years of fight promoting.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
How
judo sees the guard
Quick
on the attack in Jigoro Kano’s sport, Olympic medalist Flavio
Canto is one of the characters featured in the February issue
of GRACIEMAG.
“The
revolution of the guard would be even greater if there were a
greater exchange between athletes from different academies,”
says Canto.
In
the following special interview with GRACIEMAG.com, the black
belt makes his point of view regarding the subject:
GRACIEMAG
- What has been Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s contribution to the
guard, which originated in Japan, and to the style you use today,
Flavio?
Canto
- Since my early days, with Geraldo Bernardes, Paulo Caruso and
Leopoldo DeLucca, teachers from my past, and who circulated both
in the realms of judo and Jiu-Jitsu at the same time, I learned
to avoid giving up my back, like most judokas do. Both in defending
and attacking, there’s no logic to going to all fours, turning
your back to your opponent. You should always aim to face them.
It’s just that, in the rules of judo, where the objective
is to not end up with your back to the floor, most folks choose
to land facing it and remain there, closing themselves up while
they wait for the referee to stand it up. The rules of wrestling,
in this respect, also go against there being a dynamic ground
game, of pulling the opponent into the guard, as Jiu-Jitsu preaches.
There
are exceptions, of course, but giving up your back and closing
yourself up, especially in an MMA fight, is a “stupid reflex,”
since no one has eyes in the back of their head. This addiction
of turning to all fours, with your back to your opponent, to
me is a negative part of the judo school. That’s why I only
teach my students to not turn their backs to their opponents,
but to replace the guard, and quickly look to attack.
These
days you have a Jiu-Jitsu teacher, Alexandre Pulguinha, a great
guard player, teaching class at your not-for-profit project in
the Rocinha low-income-housing neighborhood. What contributions
to the development of fighting could judo and Jiu-Jitsu provide,
by joining forces?
The
two arts are nearly identical, just with different rules. In
judo you need to have a ground game, and in Jiu-Jitsu you need
to have good standing base, so why not train them both together?
In my view, Jiu-Jitsu created the snowball of positions and situations
that are still far from reaching the end. In my view, the revolution
of the guard aspect would be even greater if there more of a
mindset of exchange between athletes of different academies.
I think we’d see things even more fantastic than we are
seeing today.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
HDNET
REACHES DEAL TO AIR SENGOKU EVENTS
by Ricardo Mendoza
HDNet Fights has reached an agreement with World Victory Road
to broadcast Sengoku events, beginning with Sengoku 8 on March
20. The opening round of the promotion's Featherweight Grand
Prix highlights Sengoku 8.
The
announcement was made on Inside MMA by Kenny Rice, which continues
HDNet’s pledge to be the premier network for mixed martial
arts by adding yet another organization to their broadcasting
line-up. HDNet already broadcasts DREAM, K-1, K-1 Max, Strikeforce,
Adrenaline MMA, Sportfight, Maximum Fighting Championships, M-1
Global, Ring of Fire, Affliction, and others.
Announced
participants for the Sengoku Featherweight Grand Prix so far
include Hatsu Hioki, Chris Manuel, Marlon Sandro, Nick Denis,
Ronnie Mann, Masanori Kanehara, Tatsuya Yamada, and Chang Son
Jon.
In
a non-tournament bout for Sengoku 8, King of Pancrase light heavyweight
champion Ryo Kawamura will face off with the eccentric “King
Mo” Muhammed Lawal.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Where
is Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira?
By Guilherme Cruz
Forget
Waldo. Who saw the last five fights of Alexandre "Cacareco"
Ferreira doesn’t understand how the fighter doesn’t
show up for almost a year. Submitting all his last five opponents
in the fist round - three of them in less than 40 seconds -,
Cacareco step into the ring for the last time in February of
2008, when needed only 20 seconds to submit Lew Polley at IFL’s
ring. Rumored to fight for IFL’s title, the Brazilian saw
the event close the doors and new opportunities come, but never
become real.
"Things
were stopping, the events that I sign didn’t work out. The
IFL closed, I tried at Dream, but I had a problem and didn’t
signed", remembers Cacareco, who doesn’t understand
why the opportunities stopped to appear. "I ask myself this
question every day. Winning or losing, I give a show in all my
fights, I don’t choose opponents, I always go against anyone,
everyone knows that", says the fighter.
Without
fighting since February of 2008, Ferreira had a great opportunity
to fight in 2008’s second semester in the UFC, but, again,
it failed. "Thiago Silva was set to fight Lyoto (Machida),
but got hurt. They called me asking if I accepted to fight Lyoto
and I said yes, of course, but it never happened. I don’t
know why it didn’t happen, they haven’t told me anything",
says the Brazilian, who used to do great battles at light heavyweight
division. "My losses in recent years was when I tried to
fight at 185lbs, because up to 205lbs I was winning everything.
When I fought at 205lbs, I was like a guy coming from the heavyweight
division, nobody could handle more than five minutes with me".
Out
from Brazilian Top Team since Ze Mario Sperry’s left, Alexandre
continues without a manager to control his career. "I have
no manager. When Ze Mario left BTT I chose to get out too and
thought it would appear more opportunities, but ended not happening
and he started working with other things and didn’t have
more time to take care of fights, so now I have no managers",
says Cacareco, who now manages his own career and leave his cell
phone available for promoters of events from all over the world:
+55 21 9726-0904.
Source: Tatame
|
Joe
Calzaghe announces retirement from boxing
By Zach Arnold
News
broke yesterday that the 46-0 fighter would call it quits from
the sport, turning down a long-rumored fight against Carl Froch.
With Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the sidelines and Pacquiao/Hatton
signed, the question was whether or not Calzaghe would accept
a fight against Froch. The answer is no.
Calzaghe
had long been promoted by Frank Warren, but ended the relationship
to work with Roy Jones Jr. for a fight at Madison Square Garden.
He won a decision and the undercard for the show was brutal.
Surprisingly,
a lot of Calzaghe’s critics have come out of the woodwork
in the media. Accusations of him being ’scared’ to
fight Froch and also the labels of him being a ’slapboxer’
have been flung around in the foreign press.
He
declined to give Hopkins a rematch after the American’s
lack of grace in defeat, while he says that he lacks the motivation
for bouts against younger, unbeaten champions such as Carl Froch,
the WBC super-middleweight champion from Nottingham.
Froch
will now turn his eyes towards a fight against Jermain Taylor
either on April 18th or April 25th.
Ben
Dirs at the BBC makes the argument for why Calzaghe belongs amongst
the all-time greats. Ron Borges questions whether or not Calzaghe
is the best Brit of all time. The Mirror says that there is no
doubt that he was the best of the best. Scott Christ takes a
look at Calzaghe’s legacy. Ricky Hatton has nothing but
praise for Calzaghe.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
World
Champion Joe Calzaghe Announces Retirement
Press Release
LONDON
(AP) - Former super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe retired
from boxing Thursday after winning all his 46 professional fights.
"I've
got no other goals to go for," he said. "That's why
I am calling it a day."
The
36-year-old Welshman outpointed Roy Jones Jr. in November in
his last fight of a 16-year professional career.
Calzaghe
held the WBO super middleweight world title for more than 10
years, unifying the title against Mikkel Kessler in April 2007,
before moving up to light heavyweight to fight Bernard Hopkins
and Jones.
"It
was a difficult decision to make but I have achieved everything
I wanted to achieve in boxing," he said. "I've been
world champion for 11 years, unifying the super middleweight
division, going to America and winning light heavyweight titles
against great fighters like Hopkins and Roy Jones.
"I
had a long think with my family. My children wanted me to give
up, plus my mum. That's why I decided to call it a day and will
go on to do something else."
Calzaghe
said he was tempted to fight three more times to match Rocky
Marciano's record of 49 wins from 49 fights, but said he lacked
the hunger.
And
there will be no comeback, he pledged.
"My
decision is to retire. I've been boxing for 25 years and, like
I said, I've achieved everything I want to achieve," he
said. "You can never say never in this game, but I can't
see myself boxing again.
"There's
loads of things I want to do. I'm proud to be one of only a few
fighters in history to retire undefeated."
Source: Fight Network
|
Lyoto:
“I’d like to fight with Rashad”
By Guilherme Cruz
With
six straight wins in the UFC, remaining undefeated after 14 fights
in the career, Lyoto Machida still won’t have his titleshot.
With the knockout win against Thiago Silva at UFC 94, the Brazilian
hoped to face Rashad Evans for the belt, but Dana White revealed
on the post-fight conference that he still won’t fight for
the title. In an exclusive interview to Cristiane Ripari, Lyoto
Machida revealed that he want’s to fight Rashad, but respects
Dana’s decision.
“I’d
like to fight with Rashad, but if it’s not possible I don’t
pick another opponent. I’ll fight whoever comes. I might
think (that I deserve a titleshot), but Dana is our boss and
I’ll do whatever he says”, said Machida, looking the
situation for the bright side. “It’s good for me because,
when I get where I want, I’ll really deserve it”.
Against
another undefeated Brazilian, Machida his first knockout in the
UFC, just one second before the first round’s end. “I
saw when he fainted, but I heard the bell and went to my corner,
when I saw the judge by the screen saying that it was over. I
didn’t knew what would happen, he could be back, but he’d
be back really bad”, tells Lyoto, praising the ATT athlete.
“Thiago is a great fighter, tough, was undefeated too, but
my game was really well planned. We knew how he’d come and
that was the result of our training”, said Machida.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Treat
the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with.
His mind was created for his own thoughts, not yours or mine."
Henry S. Haskins
|
BJ
PENN WELCOME HOME RALLY
Saturday, February 14th @ 2PM
Ala Moana Centerstage
Appearances by: BJ Penn, Kendall Grove, Shane Nelson, Troy Mandaloniz,
and Brandon Wolff
Please
join us to welcome home BJ Penn and wish the Hawaiian UFC
fighters luck in their upcoming fights.
UFC
95
London, England
2/21/09
-Troy Mandaloniz vs Paul Kelly
UFC
96
Columbus, Ohio
3/7/09
-Shane Nelson vs Aaron Riley
-Kendall Grove vs Jason Day
UFC
98
5/23/09
-Brandon Wolff vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Please
post on your websites, myspace pages, facebook, etc.
Thanks
and see you guys soon!
Aloha,
Rich
|
Helio
Gracie Celebration Today!
On
Tuesday morning, Grand Master Helio Gracie was tanning at his
ranch in Brazil, and on Thursday morning at 9:15 he passed on
due to natural causes. His legacy will survive forever in all
members of the Gracie Family, jiu-jitsu practitioners around
the world, and all those who have benefited from the revolution
he began.
In
his final years, the creator of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu often spoke
of his satisfaction with his life’s work. He openly stated
that he had accomplished everything he had set out to do, displaying
his preparedness for the transition into the afterlife.
The
Grand Master believed that such a transition should be seen as
a positive step in one's spiritual evolution. In a recent interview
he declared: “I’ve already told my sons that when I
die I want there to be a party. No drinking, no debauchery.”
To
honor his request and his legacy, the Gracie Academy will host
a celebratory gathering/slideshow presentation on Saturday, February
7, 2009. In anticipation of a large turnout of friends and family,
we intend to have three showings starting at 4:00pm, 5:00pm and
6:00pm. If you can’t make it to the party, but would like
to express how the Grand Master has affected your life, please
send your story to heliogracie@gracieacademy.com so we can post
it on the Gracie Academy website.
Grand Master Helio Gracie (October 1, 1913 – January 29,
2009)
Source: Gracie Academy
|
Gracie
Miami pays homage to Helio Gracie
Valentes’ academy remembers the Grandmaster
Just as Gracie Academy in Torrance is doing, Gracie Miami too
is preparing an homage to Grandmaster Helio Gracie.
This
Saturday, February 7th, at the academy of the Grandmaster’s
eldest son, Rorion Gracie, a get-together will be held to remember
the life of the Professor, as Helio was often called. The ceremony
is set to begin at 4pm, West Coast time, and the email address
heliogracie@gracieacademy.com is available for anyone wishing
to send a message to be published on the academy’s website.
Also
on Saturday, Gracie Miami, overseen by Pedro and Guilherme Valente,
who had in the late Grandmaster a second father while growing
up, will host a memorial ceremony for Helio Gracie. A slide show
will feature among the activities, which are set to begin at
5pm (East Coast time) and all practitioners and members of the
Jiu-Jitsu community are welcome to attend.
The
students at Gracie Miami will wear a white gi as an homage to
Grandmaster Helio Gracie.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Tribute
to Helio Gracie at UFC 94
By Guilherme Cruz
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship will dedicate the 94th edition
to the Brazilian Helio Gracie, patriarch of the Jiu-Jitsu, who
passed away last Thursday, with 95 years old, in Itaipava, Rio
de Janeiro. Before the beginning of the show, organizers will
announce the tribute to the public at MGM Grand Garden Arena,
in Las Vegas, USA.
"The
legendary patriarch of jiu-jitsu’s first family, Helio Gracie,
has passed away at the age of 95. The father of nine children,
including UFC Hall of Famer Royce, the master of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
was revered throughout the world for his gentle manner off the
mat and his amazing skill and technique on it. He will be sorely
missed. The UFC sends its sincerest condolences to the family
and friends of Helio Gracie", said the statement, released
on UFC’s official site, on Thursday.
Source: Tatame
|
Royce:
“Helio taught me how to be a man”
By Guilherme Cruz
Yesterday
was a sad day to all in martial arts and Jiu-Jitsu’s world.
Patriarch of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Grandmaster Helio Gracie passed
away at 95 years old, at Itaipava, Rio de Janeiro. Coming from
United States, Royce was able to talk with his father for the
last time before he passes. In exclusive open letter sent to
TATAME.com, Royce talks about the tough moment of his family’s
life:
“Today
my father, Helio, at the age of 95 passed on. I am honored to
be the son of such a great man! He was an inspiration to me throughout
my life. As a Grandmaster of Jiu-Jitsu and the father of "Vale
Tudo" he brought Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to the forefront of martial
arts. He was a man of small stature but his heart was that of
a giant. He proved with Gracie Jiu-Jitsu that even a small man
could overcome a bigger stronger opponent by using leverage and
technique. He was truly an innovator. Just look around and you
can see how his success gave birth to the sport of mixed martial
arts that we all enjoy today.
“Many
of you may think that the greatest thing my father ever gave
me was Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. But I want all of you to know that I
will remember him most for what he taught me off the matt. He
taught me how to be a man, a husband and a father. He showed
me how to be honorable, respectful and diligent. He taught me
how to be a whole person.
“I
ask that together we celebrate the remarkable life of my father,
Helio Gracie. The greatest tribute you can to pay to my father
is to continue to train and share Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, remembering
to never lose sight of the fact that what you do off the matt
counts more than what you do on the matt. Face life's challenges
with confidence, dare to pursue your dreams and live to the fullest
just as my father did.
God
bless us all!
Royce”
Source: Tatame
|
Man
Up and Stand Up Today!
WEIGH INS
KAPOLEI REC CENTER (NEXT TO KAPOLEI ELEMENTARY)
FRIDAY FEB 6
6:00 PM
ALL FIGHTERS UNDER 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY PARENT
THANKS
DERRICK
DEAN HENZE 166 LAWRENCE HINOJOSA
Dean will be in his first title defense against Lawrence. Dean
shocked
the crowd at the last Man Up Event, with a unanimous decision
against
the hard hitting favorite Chris Kutzen. Dean's lighting fast
kicks were
unanswered througout the whole fight. If MMA and kickboxing veteran
Lawrence can get passed the outstanding taekwondo martial artist,
we
could be looking at a new supermiddle weight Man Up & Stand
Up
champion. But if not, the belt is going back home to Kaneohe
on
Saturday night.
ISAAC UGISILE 260+ MAT EATON
Isaac and Mat will be battling for the King of th Giants title
which
Isaac currently holds. Mat is the newest up and coming super
heavy weight trying to make his mark as one of the best. Isaac
is
the veteran in the fight scene trying to defend his belt for
the first
time. The battle of these two giants will definitely be a crowd
pleaser.
KOLOA KAHALEWAI 240 CHRIS BARNARD
These two super heavy weights once battled with Chris coming
out
the victor. Koloa hopes to change the outcome of this fight and
be
the new super heavy weight champion. Chris's remark, when told
he was going to fight Koloa for the title was, I quote "easy."
And it's easy to talk heavy when you’re a super heavy weight.
But
the mission will be far from easy when the bell rings.
DANIEL MADAYAG 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
These two young boys have been raising a lot of eyebrows throughout
the fight world. Daniel who is originally a Kenpo karate martial
artist,
has been taking on a lot of great kickboxers and will meet another
one
who goes by the name of Clem Halloway. This fight will be an
aggressive fight, for both fighters like to be on the offensive.
Daniel
has good kick combinations with Clem having the better punch
combinations. Be sure not to miss these two teenagers for guns
will
be blazing in this match.
PATRICK CHANDELARIA 180 JACOB RAUSCHENBURG
GARY UDEGAWA 140 KEONI MARTIN
KAIPO KIAAINA 140 JORDAN DEKNEEF
JOSEPH ENAENA 150 BLAKE VILLANIDO
HOKU BUDDINGER 140 JOSHUA GONSALVES
SAGE YOSHIDA 150 LIKI VELLAROSA
DYLAN APILADO 95 NELSON KUKAHIKO
ETHAN RISTA 165 YOSHITAKE HIGUCHI
AULANI VEA 45 ISAAC STALCUP
MARTIN DAY 145 JORY FAASILI
JONAH KUTZEN 125 JOEY SHIPPER
LOKAHI MORANTE 60 SPIKE KAHALEWAI
VINCE LONGBOY 135 THOMAS MATTIAS
JUSTIN KAHALEWAI 115 ISRAEL ALVAREZ
KENANI MEDALI 190 SHAWN HEREY
XAVIER VEA 135 EMERSON SOURIEA
NICK CORREA 145 COLAN MACKENZIE
KEONI GRANDY 200+ NOLAN SANCHEZ
LAA KOOHOOKELE 150 SOLOMON
matches & participants are subject to change
|
Palolo
Gym Boxing Tonight!
USA BOXING HAWAII, PALOLO B.C., and KAWANO B.C.
Presents
4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial Match Event
Saturday February 7th, 2009 at the Palolo District Park Gym 6
p.m
RED CORNER WEIGHTS BLUE CORNER
BIRTHDATE 3 ROUNDS BIRTHDATE
1). Wilson Sevadra ; 75/72 Nainoa Dung-Cummings
Kalakaua B.C. 08/10/99 1 min. 02/11/99 Waianae B.C.
2). Nathan Rodrigues 79/81 & nbsp; John Galdones
Palolo B.C. 07/27/98 1 min. 03/31/97 FlipSide B.C.
3). Dustin Somera 86/81 Jarrin Diaz
PearlSide B.C. 08/13/97 1 min. 10/29/95 Waianae B.C.
4). Wesley Hamaguchi 150/156 Greg Ishikawa
Palolo B.C. 02/01/86 2 min. 10/07/78 Kawano B.C.
5). Bryce Yamauchi 119/112 Garin Rabellizsa
Palolo B.C. 03/26/85 2 min. Waianae B.C.
--------------------------15 MINUTE INTERMISSION--------------------------
6). Alex Limatoc 175/180 Kaeo Myer
&n bsp; Unattached 03/16/90 2 min. Kailua-Kona B.C.
7). Dustin Dosher 201+ Ponesawan Wheeler
Kalakaua B.C. 01/07/83 ; 2min. 06/22/82 Kawano B.C.
8). Samuel Quel 139/135 Leland Chapman
Unattached 05/30/88 2 min. 12/14/76 Kailua-Kona B.C.
Outstanding bout awards sponsored by Colleen Loo _________________________________
Thanks you to our Medal Sponsors Colleen Loo with Quick-Jab Athletics,
X-1 Events who has a show on Feb. 15th, and the Law Office of
Frank Fernandez.
Also, thanks to all our Volunteers: Coaches, Boxers, Parents,
Dr. Suehiro, HPD Officer Ron Richardson, Officials, Door Workers,
Glove Table, Glove Runners, Concession Staff, Hawaii State Boxing
Commission, USA-Boxing Hawaii, Burt from the Palolo District
Park, and you our “Boxing Fans”. 20Thank You Again!!
IN LOVING MEMORY OF CLINTON ANDREW JOSEPH SHELTON
OCTOBER 7, 1982- OCTOBER 8, 2005
ALSO KEN OKI from the OKI BOXING CLUB AND MIKE MACHADO HAWAII
STATE BOXING COMMISSION.
|
UFC
Fight Night 17 at the Sun Dome Preview
Posted by Robert Rousseau
UFC Fight Night 17 will take place at the Sun Dome in Tampa Bay,
Florida on February 7, 2009. Unfortunately for Hermes Franca,
he had to pull out of his main event battle against Joe Lauzon
due to injury. Of course, one person’s misfortune is another
person’s fortune.
Enter hard-hitting Jeremy Stephens on short notice.
Beyond
that fight is a card full of worthy fighters like Cain Velasquez,
Mac Danzig, Anthony Johnson, and more.
Joe
Lauzon (16-4) vs. Jeremy Stephens (16-3): Joe Lauzon is a very
good wrestler with outstanding cardio. He also displays solid
stand up skills with good power and above average submissions.
In fact, training with BJ Penn has likely taken those submission
skills of his to another level, particularly when working from
the guard.
Jeremy
Stephens has good stand up and hits like a truck. Beyond that,
he’s also very strong and possesses good wrestling skills.
In terms of a weakness, in the past he’s been somewhat susceptible
to submissions, having lost twice via that route.
Prediction:
This is a very tough fight to call. If Lauzon can get Stephens
to the ground for a significant length of time he may be able
to pull off a submission. But getting him to the ground and keeping
him there is not going to be easy. Stephens, on the other hand,
is a very powerful striker. Of course, Lauzon isn’t bad
in that regard either. Figure that this one goes the distance
with Lauzon gaining enough takedowns and avoiding well enough
on his feet to eek out a decision victory. The short notice that
Stephens took this fight on may hurt him against a fighter that’s
been training very hard.
Joe
Lauzon wins via a close decision.
Cain
Velasquez (4-0) vs. Denis Stojnic (12-1): Velasquez, simply put,
is an excellent wrestler that hits like a truck. In other words,
he may not be a great submission fighter yet, but he’s got
the other two facets covered.
Stojnic
is a very good striker just like everyone else that trains with
him at Golden Glory. His wrestling, though, is not at the level
of a Velasquez.
Prediction:
If Velasquez finds the going difficult on his feet, he has another
way to go. Does Stojnic?
Cain
Velasquez wins by way of TKO.
THE
REST OF UFC FIGHT NIGHT 17
Mac
Danzig (19-5-1) vs. Josh Neer (24-7-1): This is a fight where
both combatants can do it all. Guess is that Danzig may be a
little better on his feet than his adversary, but this one is
very close.
Mac
Danzig wins by way of unanimous decision.
Luigi
Fioravanti (13-4) vs. Anthony Johnson (6-2): Both of these fighters
like to stand and bang. Johnson, though, is the more athletic
fighter. That could be the difference.
Anthony
Johnson wins via TKO in round two.
Kurt
Pellegrino (18-4) vs. Rob Emerson (10-6-1): If this fight stays
standing, Emerson will win by knockout. But guess is that Pellegrino
will get this one to the ground. That’s his world.
Kurt
Pellegrino wins via first round TKO.
Dan
Miller (11-1-1) vs. Jake Rosholt (5-0): This fight is about as
interesting as they come. Jake Rosholt is a top-flight wrestler
with decent stand up and a jaw of granite. Dan Miller has solid
stand up, wrestling, and outstanding submissions. If the fight
stays on the feet, Miller may be able to eek out a decision.
If it hits the ground—and that will be up to Rosholt—then
we’re talking about a submission fighter versus a wrestler.
Can’t
decide on this one as it’s that close. So take the guy that’s
already fought in the UFC.
Dan
Miller wins by way of a second round submission.
Matt
Grice (10-1) vs. Matt Veach (10-0): Veach is well-rounded. Grice
is well-rounded and has fought on the big stage before.
Matt
Veach wins by way of decision.
Gleison
Tibau (27-5) vs. Rich Clementi (40-13-1): Tibau is the better
submission fighter. Clementi is the better striker.
Rich
Clementi wins via second round TKO.
Nick
Catone (6-0) vs. Derek Downey (10-3): Catone has a lot on his
feet, but Downey may have the more well-rounded skills.
Derek
Downey wins by way of second round submission.
Steve
Bruno (13-4) vs. Matt Riddle (1-0): Bruno truly has well-rounded
skills. Riddle, though, seems to have all the talent in the world
and good wrestling to boot.
Matt
Riddle wins by way of a decision.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Submission
Grappling tournament tomorrow
Aloha,
Please post info regarding Submission Grappling tournament planned
for this weekend.
Junior/Kids $25 entry fee; Adults $35 entry fee.
Weigh ins on Sat (7) @ IWFF Academy; event to take place Sunday
(8) at IWFF Academy.
Mahalo!
--
Tyson & Leinell Coloma-Nahooikaika
Island Warriors Freestyle Fighting Academy
1552 Mill Street
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
http://www.iwffacademy.com
www.myspace.com/iwffacademy
"If you can dream it...you can live it!"
|
UFC
FIGHT NIGHT 17 WEIGH-IN RESULTS
The weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 17 took place Friday in Tampa,
Fla., including the main event pitting Joe Lauzon against Jeremy
Stephens.
Other
big fights including a match-up between past "Ultimate Fighter"
winner Mac Danzig and lightweight Josh Neer, as well as heavyweight
prospect Cain Velasquez making his return to the Octagon to face
newcomer Denis Stojnic.
A
couple of the fighters on the card were unable to make weight
and were granted one hour to lose the extra. Josh Neer and Rich
Clementi both came in at 156.5, a half-pound over the 156-pound
weight allowance for their respective bouts.
MMAWeekly.com
has confirmed that since the weigh-ins ended both Neer and Clementi
have met the required 156-pound weight limit.
The
official weights from the UFC Fight Night 17 weigh-in:
Main
Card Bouts:
-Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Jeremy Stephens (156)
-Cain Velasquez (239) vs. Denis Stojnic (246)
-Anthony Johnson (171) vs. Luigi Fioravanti (171)
-Mac Danzig (154.5) vs. Josh Neer (156.5)
Preliminary
Bouts:
-Jake Rosholt (185.5) vs. Dan Miller (186)
-Rich Clementi (156.5) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
-Kurt Pellegrino (155) vs. Rob Emerson (153.5)
-Matt Grice (156) vs. Matt Veach (156)
-Nick Catone (184) vs. Derek Downey (185.5)
-Steve Bruno (171) vs. Matt Riddle (171)
(Weigh-in
results courtesy of Scott Newell.)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
13
fighters announced for DREAM Featherweight GP
DREAM announced today 13 participants for the promotion's Featherweight
Grand Prix, which kicks off on March 8 at DREAM 7 at the Saitama
Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Notable
participants are current DEEP bantamweight champion Masakazu
Imanari, former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe and four-time
WEC competitor Micah Miller.
Norifumi
"KID" Yamamoto is recovering from a knee injury and
will likely receive a bye in the first round.
Masakazu
Imanari
Chase Beebe
Akiyo "Wicky"
Takafumi Otsuka
Kim Jong Won
Shoji
Joe Warren
Hiroyuki Takaya
DJ. Taiki
Hideo Tokoro
Micah Miller
Fernandes Bibiano
Atsushi Yamamoto
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Strikeforce
Announces Deal with Showtime
Confirms Acquisition of Select ProElite Assets
By FCF Staff
Strikeforce
continues to entrench its presence in the MMA world, as the promotion
announced late Thursday afternoon that it has signed a multi-year
contract with the Showtime Network, in addition to acquiring
select assets from ProElite, the parent company of the now defunct
Elite XC.
In
its deal with Pro Elite, Strikeforce has acquired “specific”
assets of the organization, including a library of Elite XC events
and the contracts of “certain” fighters.
“This
is a tremendous development that will bolster the Strikeforce
roster and allow us to produce even more competitive matchups
between top fighters,” Scott Coker, Founder and CEO of Strikeforce
was quoted saying in a release from the promotion. “Some
of these athletes have been on the sidelines for a while now
and are eagerly waiting to return to competition. We look forward
to providing them with the opportunity to do so in the next few
months.”
The
announcement did not include any specific contracts which Strikeforce
has in fact acquired. For months now, speculation has abounded
as to where some of the more notable Elite XC fighters would
wind up, a list which includes Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano, Kevin
“Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Jake Shields.
In
terms of contract negotiations, Strikeforce’s bargaining
chips have likely been bolstered considerably, due to the multi-year
agreement the promotion has announced with Showtime. According
to the press release regarding the new deal, the agreement will
see Showtime produce and televise up to 16 live Strikeforce events
per year. The “initial championship event” will take
place April 11, 2009, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
No details regarding the card were confirmed.
“We
are very excited to have the opportunity to deliver live Strikeforce
events on the Showtime premium television platform,” said
Coker.
“Showtime
is a forward-thinking innovator with a reputation for producing
outstanding original programming in sports and entertainment.
They have been a phenomenal partner in the past and we are looking
forward to growing our relationship with them and bringing the
Strikeforce brand of MMA to millions of Showtime subscribers.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Strikeforce
taking over Elite XC is best possible outcome
By Zach Arnold
News
broke today that StrikeForce has landed Elite XC’s Showtime
and CBS broadcast TV deals. This is good news on many fronts.
For
fighters stuck in Elite XC, it becomes pretty clear that there
is now an alternative to UFC at the bargaining table. Understably,
fighters like Jake Shields want to go to UFC. However, for Shields
and those who want to go to UFC but might not be polished enough
to hang with the best in UFC, having a strong position in the
#2 MMA promotion in North America is good.
With
so many fighters under contract to UFC and so many Elite XC fighters
not earning a paycheck for months, now doesn’t seem to be
the time to put up a significant fight in regards to a money
war. Champions like Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields need to fight
and fight soon. Strikeforce’s new deal gives them that opportunity
to get booked relatively quickly.
Some
fighters, like Gina Carano, did not seem to be a natural fit
for Zuffa. She will be a natural fit for Coker’s promotion
because people see her as a star attraction.
Coker’s
quick rise to getting Strikeforce on NBC, Showtime, and perhaps
CBS is remarkable. It should not be discounted by any measure.
This is good for MMA.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Brock
Lesnar, Frank Mir to unify UFC titles at UFC 98
UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and interim champion Frank
Mir will fight on May 23 at UFC 98 to determine the undisputed
UFC heavyweight champion.
UFC
president Dana White confirmed the fight will take place May
in Las Vegas on an appearance Wednesday on the WAAF's Hill Man
Morning Show in Boston.
The
co-headliner for UFC 98 will be the long-delayed welterweight
bout between Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.
Making
his UFC debut in only his second professional MMA fight, Lesnar
lost to Mir at UFC 81 "Breaking Point" on Feb. 2, 2008.
Lesnar was caught with a kneebar after dominating the entire
fight with powerful ground and pound.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
ARLOVSKI
BOXING HIS WAY INTO NEXT MMA FIGHT
by Tom Hamlin
Affliction heavyweight Andrei Arlovski is headed back to Los
Angeles next week to begin another journey with boxing mentor
Freddie Roach.
This
time, Roach won’t have to speculate on the myriad of transitions
and moves between striking and grappling. His student is using
only his hands.
According
to personal and MMA manager Leo Khorlinsky, Arlovski is set to
appear on the undercard of a Golden Boy-promoted Paul Williams
vs. Winky Wright boxing card at the Mandalay Bay Events center
in Las Vegas on Apr. 11.
“Hopefully
it will go well, and we’ll train hard for the fight,”
Roach says, adding that former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer
will assist him in training camp. “I’m excited to see
how he does in the boxing field, but I still want a rematch with
Fedor, and not do a flying knee.”
Arlovski
was heartbroken by his knockout at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko
at Affliction’s “Day of Reckoning,” but Khorlinsky
says he is ready to move forward.
“He
realized where the mistake was, but at the same time, he feels
like he has to keep on going,” he said. “It’s
not how he feels about the mistake – most importantly is
what kind of conclusion he’s going to draw from making that
mistake, and make sure he’s not going to make that mistake
again.”
The
former UFC heavyweight champ is treating the boxing match as
“preparation” for his next MMA bout. Khorlinsky would
not disclose the terms of his relationship with Golden Boy, but
characterized it as a multi-fight deal that would dovetail with
his obligations for MMA partner Affliction.
"He’s
looking forward to his next MMA fight,” said Khorlinsky.
“He’s not giving up MMA for boxing fight. We can’t
wait for him to get back into his next MMA fight.”
Affliction
VP Tom Atencio says the promotion’s next show should be
in June or July, but nothing was confirmed. For the promotion's
second event, “Reckoning” did well, selling $1,429,557
in tickets. Atencio claims it did “50% better” than
the 100,000-plus pay-per-view buys quoted for their first event,
“Banned,” though the company is not required to release
its buy rates.
Khorlinsky
bristled at critics – armed by tape of the “Reckoning”
main event – who believed Arlovski could not withstand the
punishment often doled out in boxing.
“I
want to see a single person that would be hit right on the tip
of their chin with the same power that is not gonna go down from
that punch,” said Khorlinsky. “If you can show me that
one person, not only will I accept (the statement), I will also
pay a good amount of person for withstanding that punch.
“Did
Andre get knocked out? Absolutely. I would say you put any person
in that position, get hit exactly in the same way Andrei got
hit, that person is going own. If Fedor would have been in Andrei’s
position, and Andrei would have landed the same punch, with lesser
power even, then Fedor would have gone down. For anybody who
understands a knockout or anything about the sport, they can
tell you that.”
Arlovski’s
boxing manager, Bill Keane, was unavailable for comment on the
upcoming bout, but Roach said it would likely be a six-round
fight.
Khorlinsky
said the new pursuit would mend old wounds.
“The
best exercise for your brain is to get back in the gym and train,
and continue improving your skills and, ultimately, compete,”
he said.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
B.J.
Penn Among Five Suspended After UFC 94
Ariel Shnerer
Five
fighters have been issued medical suspensions following UFC 94,
including current UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, who unsuccessfully
tried to become the first man in UFC history to add a second
title to his repertoire.
The
news comes courtesy of Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the
Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Penn,
who fell victim to a trouncing by welterweight titlist Georges
St-Pierre, will be out of action until March 18 for precautionary
reasons with no contact allowed during training until March 3.
Co-main
eventer Thiago Silva, who was knocked out in the first round
of his light heavyweight match-up versus Lyoto Machida, will
also serve a suspension until March 18 with no contact until
March 3. Silva too has been suspended for precautionary reasons.
TUF
alum Stephan Bonnar, who suffered a unanimous decision loss to
Jon Jones, is suspended for a scalp laceration suffered in the
light heavyweight affair. He is out until March 3 with no contact
until February 22.
On
the undercard, Akihiro Gono was dominated by former welterweight
title contender Jon Fitch en route to a unanimous decision loss.
Gono is suspended until March 3 with no contact until February
22 for precautionary reasons.
The
last fighter suspended is Chris Wilson, who suffered a split
decision loss to debuting IFL veteran John Howard in a bout that
earned both fighters co-Fight of the Night honors. Wilson broke
his nose in the welterweight match-up and he must have no contact
until March 3. He can be cleared to return to the octagon sooner
by a doctor.
UFC
94 emanated from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
on Jan. 31. One of the UFC's most anticipated cards to date,
UFC 94 set a venue record by drawing an attendance of 14,885
for a live gate of $4.3 million.
Source: Fight Network
|
13
Questions for Ben Askren
by TJ De Santis
Ben Askren wants to make a splash in mixed martial arts.
A
two-time national wrestling champion who finished his collegiate
career at the University of Missouri on a remarkable 87-fight
winning streak, Askren will make his professional MMA debut against
Tom Aaron at Headhunter Productions “The Patriot Act”
this Saturday at the Holiday Inn Select Executive Center in Columbia,
Mo.
The
2008 Olympian sat down with Sherdog.com to discuss the next step
in his career, his alliance with American Top Team and whether
or not he plans to return to the Olympics in 2012.
Sherdog.com:
When did MMA first catch your eye?
Askren:
I’ve been watching since UFC 1 and 2. I remember my dad
brought home the VHS version back when it was chaos and mayhem.
I was, like, 8 years old. I remember when Dan Severn and Mark
Coleman -- those early wrestlers -- were winning a bunch of those
competitions. Kevin Randleman and whoever was on the wrestling
videos were talking about it because they wanted wrestlers to
be the biggest and baddest people around. It’s another avenue
for us to do something post-collegiate.
Sherdog.com:
People obviously know of you because of your wrestling credentials,
but what some people may not know is that you’re a purple
belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. What made you take up BJJ?
Askren:
I actually got into it because I was traveling and doing wrestling
camps by myself a couple of summers ago. I needed a place to
workout, and there weren’t any wrestlers around near my
caliber. So I ended up finding The Armory back when Hermes Franca
was there. I rolled with him a couple of days, and Matt Wiman
was there, too. And then, one time, I found Din Thomas’
place, and then American Top Team’s gym opened up in Columbia,
[Missouri]; they’ve got a good jiu-jitsu guy. Jiu-jitsu
and wrestling -- they’re really, really similar. It’s
like the same thing, just a different way to score points. I
love wrestling, so I took to jiu-jitsu really quickly, and I
love it. It’s a lot of fun.
Sherdog.com:
You chose a high-profile team -- American Top Team -- with which
to train in mixed martial arts. What stood out for you to make
it your camp?
Askren:
The biggest thing is they have a gym here in Columbia, Missouri,
where I live. That’s the number one reason I did it. We
have a really good Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach. [Francisco] “Kiko”
France came from Fortaleza, [Brazil, and] trained in Fort Lauderdale,
[Florida], for a few months before he came up here. So I teach
him the wrestling, and he teaches me the jiu-jitsu. We have a
few other tough guys. You know, pretty much [the fact] that I
am coaching here is what drew me.
Sherdog.com:
Now that you have been training for a fight, how is that preparation
different from getting ready for the Olympics or a wrestling
season?
Askren:
Training is training. Mixed martial arts has so many different
aspects to train for. So many different things can happen. You
have to be ready for a lot of different things.
Sherdog.com:
How do you feel you’re adapting to the striking aspect of
MMA?
Askren:
We finally have a pretty good coach up here now coaching the
striking. His name is Lucas Lopez, also from Brazil. Having a
striking coach on hand on a regular basis is going to be a really
big help to my striking game. It’s definitely not very good
right now. Striking is probably the most dangerous and hardest
to learn. For me, in wrestling -- and now in jiu-jitsu -- I learn
by failing. I learn by getting taken down and getting pinned,
getting choked, and it’s not a big deal. That’s a hard
thing to do in striking because, hell, it hurts getting punched
in the head. You can’t just go into the cage and say, “Hey,
punch me in the head until I figure it out.” I can’t
really figure it out by failing.
Sherdog.com:
You have two fights scheduled in February. What are your short-term
goals in MMA, and how many fights do you want to get in 2009?
Askren:
One of them got canceled, actually. They canceled the whole event
in Miami, [Florida]. I want to fight as many times as possible
-- four, five or six ... whatever it takes to get me into a larger
organization. I kind of had this idea that I would just jump
into a larger organization after I got done with the Olympics,
but none of them were really having it. They said, “We want
you to have experience. We want you to have three, four or five
fights before we think about signing you.” I’ve just
got to get some fights under my belt so I can go somewhere bigger
and more profitable.
Sherdog.com:
You’ve obviously had some talks. Do you want to drop any
names of the promotions that have been interested in you?
Askren:
I’ve talked to the WEC, and I think my manger has talked
to the UFC. There was a part where we were thinking of going
on the TUF show because that is a springboard for a lot of people,
but I decided against it because I didn’t want to be gone
for six weeks during the middle of wrestling season. Plus, those
guys get locked into too long-term contracts anyway. If I make
it big, I will probably be making a lot more money than those
guys, so I’m willing to take a chance on myself.
Sherdog.com:
Collegiate wrestling is producing a lot of young talent in MMA.
Phil Davis, Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks and other high-caliber
wrestlers are getting their feet wet in the sport. Do you see
a new era for wrestling on the horizon?
Askren:
Well, of course. As there are more organizations and more productions,
there are more fighters that can make a living doing it. And
when you have more fighters, some of them are going to be wrestlers.
The thing about wrestlers is we’re tough; we’ve been
training our whole lives. For a lot of people to train, it’s
hard to motivate themselves. For us, it’s normal. From then
on, it’s [about] just not being stubborn and being willing
to learn jiu-jitsu and being willing to learn whatever stand-up
you need. I think a lot of wrestlers are definitely willing to
do it.
Sherdog.com:
Do you think there’s anyone out there in your mind, either
on the collegiate or international level that you feel compelled
to go up to and say, “Dude, you’re a great wrestler,
but you’d be a phenomenal mixed martial artist?”
Askren:
I don’t have a great eye for what’s going to make a
great mixed martial artist yet. Like I said, the biggest thing
that sets us apart is we know how to train hard, and we’re
tough. I think there are a lot of guys that are going to make
their mark in the next couple of years, as long as they’re
not stubborn and say, “I am just going to take this guy
down and pound him,” you know, Mark Colemanesque. Mark Coleman
has been doing this sport for nine years, and he still doesn’t
know how to do jiu-jitsu. As long as the wrestlers aren’t
stubborn and learn the new tasks at hand, they will be successful.
Sherdog.com:
Do you want to get back to the Olympics in 2012?
Askren:
I haven’t decided yet. Right now, I am just going to focus
on the fighting. Later on, I will probably make more decisions
with what I am going to do with wrestling.
Sherdog.com:
What were your most memorable images from Beijing?
Askren:
It was a great experience. I think walking in for opening ceremonies
was the best for me. The whole Team USA was chanting, “USA,”
like we were a bunch of little kids or something. It’s something
you think about for years and years and years, and you wonder
what it’s going to be like, and then you’re doing it;
you’re in the moment.
Sherdog.com:
Does that experience better prepare you for your fight this weekend?
Askren:
I can’t say for sure. I have been in a lot of big competitions.
The bigger the competition, the more I like it. I can’t
say with a 100 percent certainty, but there’s a good chance
I won’t be very nervous stepping into the cage.
Sherdog.com:
Tell us more about this event coming up this weekend. You’re
promoting it, right?
Askren:
Me and two other guys are actually promoting it. It’s in
Columbia, which is my hometown. The Web site is HeadHunterEvents.com.
The fight is called “The Patriot Act.” Din Thomas is
fighting on it. My jiu-jitsu coach, “Kiko” France,
is fighting on it. My former teammate, Tyron Woodley, who’s
a two-time All-American at Missouri, he is fighting, too. “Kiko”
and Tyron are both young guys who I think have bright futures
in mixed martial arts.
Source: Sherdog
|
UFC
HAS NEW RULES FOR CUTMEN AND CORNERS
by Damon Martin
Following a week of controversy after the Georges St. Pierre
and B.J. Penn fight in which Vaseline was applied to the Canadian
by one of his cornermen in between rounds, the UFC has instituted
new policies regarding cut men and how the corners are allowed
to enter during the breaks in between rounds for this weekend's
UFC Fight Night 17 show in Tampa, Fla.
According
to sources close to the situation, the UFC has now instructed
that cornermen associated with the fighters will no longer be
allowed to handle the Vaseline used in between rounds to treat
and prevent cuts.
The
UFC will now provide one cut man for each corner for the fight.
Only two people are allowed to enter the Octagon between rounds
so if a cut man is necessary to apply Vaseline or work on a cut,
one of the other cornermen working with the fighter must exit
the cage to allow the cut man to work.
This
is all following the controversy surrounding St. Pierre cornerman,
Phil Nurse, applying Vaseline to his fighter's face in between
rounds and then moving his hands to the Canadian's chest and
back to help with a breathing technique at UFC 94. Because his
hands may have still had Vaseline left on them, Penn's camp was
compelled to file a letter with the Nevada State Athletic Commission
asking for an investigation into the matter.
Though
there has been no official word from the UFC if this ruling will
be instituted in other states or if Florida previously approved
the matter, several MMAWeekly.com sources indicated that the
new rules regarding Vaseline use have been presented as permanent.
Stay
tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more on this story as it develops.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Minotouro
comments on Affliction win
Brazilian explains strategy for beating Matyushenko
Rogerio
Minotouro is on a roll after having knocked out Vladimir Matyushenko,
at Affliction 2. Besides being his fourth win in a row, the result
was of special significance to the fighter, as it was to the
very Belarusian fighter that Minoto would first taste defeat,
in 2002. To achieve victory, Rogerio optedto strike. The fighter
explains this strategy.
“He’s
a guy with good takedowns, but always starts out striking. My
strategy was to kick and knee him while he would come at me so
he couldn’t shoot for my legs. It worked,” he said
to Portal das Lutas, GRACIEMAG.com partner site.
Going
to the ground with Matyushenko could have been a tough task,
but the Brazilian guarantees he was prepared for a ground war.
“I
think I would have been fine landing on top or bottom, since
I was well prepared. I trained a lot of ground, but I think it
was less risky to strike with him,” said Minoto, who also
assesses his performance overall: “I think I fought well,
but I left some openings. Comparing this fight with some from
the past, I held my guard a bit low. I’m going to correct
that. At the start I didn’t take risks, I studied his counters,
he had a powerful left. I didn’t go after him and when I
saw he left an opening, when he came in to bang, that was when
I saw my chance to knock him out. Tactically the fight was perfect,
but there were some defects, for sure. It could have been over
in the first round.”
The
next edition of Affliction should take place only during the
second semester of 2009. Minotouro, who recently fought at the
Japanese Sengoku event, guarantees he will not be kept on ice
while waiting and there are possibilities for him being in action.
“There
is a chance, I open for whatever. I believe the next Affliction
show will be in July or August, so until then I could have a
fight or two. Who knows?” he said in finishing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
WEC
adds flyweights, remove welterweights
The WEC will add a flyweight division (125 pounds) and remove
its welterweight division (170), the promotion announced Tuesday.
The four weight classes the WEC will promote are now flyweight,
bantamweight (135), featherweight (145) and lightweight (155).
"With
the addition of the flyweight division, the WEC has cemented
its status as the home of the greatest lighter weight fighters
in the world," WEC Vice President of Operations and Production
Peter Dropick said. "We are excited to launch the 125 pound
championship division, and look forward to giving our fans the
best and most action-packed flyweight fights in the sport."
WEC
welterweight champion Carlos Condit will make his UFC debut against
Martin Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 18 on April 1 in Nashville,
Tennessee. Number one contender Brock Larson will return to the
UFC also at UFC Fight Night 18 in a fight against Jesse Sanders.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Keep
five yards from a carriage, ten yards from a horse, and a hundred
yards from an elephant; but the distance one should keep from
a wicked man cannot be measured."
Indian Proverb
|
Palolo
Gym Boxing Tonight!
USA BOXING HAWAII, PALOLO B.C., and KAWANO B.C.
Presents
4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial Match Event
Saturday February 7th, 2009 at the Palolo District Park Gym 6
p.m
RED CORNER WEIGHTS BLUE CORNER
BIRTHDATE 3 ROUNDS BIRTHDATE
1). Wilson Sevadra ; 75/72 Nainoa Dung-Cummings
Kalakaua B.C. 08/10/99 1 min. 02/11/99 Waianae B.C.
2). Nathan Rodrigues 79/81 & nbsp; John Galdones
Palolo B.C. 07/27/98 1 min. 03/31/97 FlipSide B.C.
3). Dustin Somera 86/81 Jarrin Diaz
PearlSide B.C. 08/13/97 1 min. 10/29/95 Waianae B.C.
4). Wesley Hamaguchi 150/156 Greg Ishikawa
Palolo B.C. 02/01/86 2 min. 10/07/78 Kawano B.C.
5). Bryce Yamauchi 119/112 Garin Rabellizsa
Palolo B.C. 03/26/85 2 min. Waianae B.C.
--------------------------15 MINUTE INTERMISSION--------------------------
6). Alex Limatoc 175/180 Kaeo Myer
&n bsp; Unattached 03/16/90 2 min. Kailua-Kona B.C.
7). Dustin Dosher 201+ Ponesawan Wheeler
Kalakaua B.C. 01/07/83 ; 2min. 06/22/82 Kawano B.C.
8). Samuel Quel 139/135 Leland Chapman
Unattached 05/30/88 2 min. 12/14/76 Kailua-Kona B.C.
Outstanding bout awards sponsored by Colleen Loo _________________________________
Thanks you to our Medal Sponsors Colleen Loo with Quick-Jab Athletics,
X-1 Events who has a show on Feb. 15th, and the Law Office of
Frank Fernandez.
Also, thanks to all our Volunteers: Coaches, Boxers, Parents,
Dr. Suehiro, HPD Officer Ron Richardson, Officials, Door Workers,
Glove Table, Glove Runners, Concession Staff, Hawaii State Boxing
Commission, USA-Boxing Hawaii, Burt from the Palolo District
Park, and you our “Boxing Fans”. Thank You Again!!
IN LOVING MEMORY OF CLINTON ANDREW JOSEPH SHELTON
OCTOBER 7, 1982- OCTOBER 8, 2005
ALSO KEN OKI from the OKI BOXING CLUB AND MIKE MACHADO HAWAII
STATE BOXING COMMISSION.
|
Man
Up and Stand Up Tomorrow
WEIGH INS
KAPOLEI REC CENTER (NEXT TO KAPOLEI ELEMENTARY)
FRIDAY FEB 6
6:00 PM
ALL FIGHTERS UNDER 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY PARENT
THANKS
DERRICK
DEAN HENZE 166 LAWRENCE HINOJOSA
Dean will be in his first title defense against Lawrence. Dean
shocked
the crowd at the last Man Up Event, with a unanimous decision
against
the hard hitting favorite Chris Kutzen. Dean's lighting fast
kicks were
unanswered througout the whole fight. If MMA and kickboxing veteran
Lawrence can get passed the outstanding taekwondo martial artist,
we
could be looking at a new supermiddle weight Man Up & Stand
Up
champion. But if not, the belt is going back home to Kaneohe
on
Saturday night.
ISAAC UGISILE 260+ MAT EATON
Isaac and Mat will be battling for the King of the Giants title
which
Isaac currently holds. Mat is the newest up and coming super
heavy weight trying to make his mark as one of the best. Isaac
is
the veteran in the fight scene trying to defend his belt for
the first
time. The battle of these two giants will definitely be a crowd
pleaser.
KOLOA KAHALEWAI 240 CHRIS BARNARD
These two super heavy weights once battled with Chris coming
out
the victor. Koloa hopes to change the outcome of this fight and
be
the new super heavy weight champion. Chris's remark, when told
he was going to fight Koloa for the title was, I quote "easy."
And it's easy to talk heavy when you’re a super heavy weight.
But
the mission will be far from easy when the bell rings.
DANIEL MADAYAG 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
These two young boys have been raising a lot of eyebrows throughout
the fight world. Daniel who is originally a Kenpo karate martial
artist,
has been taking on a lot of great kickboxers and will meet another
one
who goes by the name of Clem Halloway. This fight will be an
aggressive fight, for both fighters like to be on the offensive.
Daniel
has good kick combinations with Clem having the better punch
combinations. Be sure not to miss these two teenagers for guns
will
be blazing in this match.
PATRICK CHANDELARIA 180 JACOB RAUSCHENBURG
GARY UDEGAWA 140 KEONI MARTIN
KAIPO KIAAINA 140 JORDAN DEKNEEF
JOSEPH ENAENA 150 BLAKE VILLANIDO
HOKU BUDDINGER 140 JOSHUA GONSALVES
SAGE YOSHIDA 150 LIKI VELLAROSA
DYLAN APILADO 95 NELSON KUKAHIKO
ETHAN RISTA 165 YOSHITAKE HIGUCHI
AULANI VEA 45 ISAAC STALCUP
MARTIN DAY 145 JORY FAASILI
JONAH KUTZEN 125 JOEY SHIPPER
LOKAHI MORANTE 60 SPIKE KAHALEWAI
VINCE LONGBOY 135 THOMAS MATTIAS
JUSTIN KAHALEWAI 115 ISRAEL ALVAREZ
KENANI MEDALI 190 SHAWN HEREY
XAVIER VEA 135 EMERSON SOURIEA
NICK CORREA 145 COLAN MACKENZIE
KEONI GRANDY 200+ NOLAN SANCHEZ
LAA KOOHOOKELE 150 SOLOMON
matches & participants are subject to change
|
Predictions
for UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens
By Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros
This
Saturday, instead of watching "UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs.
Stephens", I will be at a nearby pub, drinking my face off
in preparation for my trip to Brazil. Why am I going to Brazil?
It is a fine question, but a better question might be why I didn't
book my goodbye party; which on Facebook I titled as "F@ck
off Wombat! We never liked you anyway" at a pub that is
actually showing the event. The only answer I have to give you
is that I am stupid. I am also devilishly charming, however,
so I bet you that, between tankards of ale, I can guile the waitress
into switching the channel to the show, so I can watch the bloodshed
first-hand.
Joe
Lauzon vs. Jeremy Stephens
Anyone
who has seen my picture knows I'm no cover model, unless you're
talking about the cover of "Grinning Lunatics Monthly",
which I would be ideally suited for. That being said, Lauzon's
skull looks like a new VW Beetle with the doors open. I would
probably have the same ear-flaps today if my parents hadn't sent
me in for an ear-pinning when I was 10 years old; an event which
led to me spending upwards of four days in a hospital bed with
a mentally-challenged teenager as a room mate. As I recall, he
was obsessed with belt buckles and rambled on ceaselessly. Turning
to the fight any fan who is worth half a bucket of cat spit knows
that this match was originally supposed to be Lauzon vs. Hermes
Franca, but the Brazilian hurt his knee while practicing takedown
defense against a bobcat on a skateboard, so they called in Stephens;
who you will recall from his last bout, where he landed an uppercut
so solid, his opponent's head snapped back like the top of a
Pez dispenser. No Pez was dispensed, but Stephens did earn a
shot in the main event here. My Guess: Lauzon by submisson.
Cain
Velasquez vs. Denis Stojnic
Velasquez
has outwrestled both Jake O'Brien and Brad Morris inside the
octagon. Now he is fighting Stojnic, a kickboxer from Bosnia.
Call me crazy, but I don't see how a kickboxer can stop Velasquez
from taking him down and beating him senseless when two decorated
wresters have already failed. On his bio, it says that Stojnic
is also a black belt in Sambo, but honestly that could mean anything
since in Europe, some Sambo schools are just like MMA while others
are more like Aikido, which doesn't work worth a damn unless
your opponent is both drunk and suffering from a mental condition
that makes him move as slow as a man in a pool full of molasses.
My Guess: Velasquez by TKO.
Mac
Danzig vs. Josh Neer
The
only sure way to beat Neer is to shoot him. Even then, he might
just shake it off and kick your ass. When he fought Joe Stevenson,
he nearly had his leg broken early in the fight but just gritted
through it and beat Stevenson into a living death, to quote the
bard of MMA, Ken Shamrock. Afterwards, in his post-fight interview,
Neer answered the question "Did you think about tapping?"
with a look of scorn, as if tapping something only children do,
and only cowardly children at that. Danzig has all the tools
to win, but when your opponent is made of gravel, nails and broken
glass, the human body might not be equipped to handle it. I am
just guessing here, but I think Neer has been in fights that
involve shovels, hammers and knives, so fists and chokes are
laughable. My Guess: Neer by decision.
Luigi
Fioravanti vs. Anthony Johnson
Fioravanti
has had a bunch of fights in the octagon, but most of them have
been in that awful "may not he shown" segment that,
if it is shown, is usually shown after the main event, when most
bars here in Canada turn the TV's back to the hockey game. For
the first long while, he was fighting at middleweight with, and
this is just conjecture, a belly full of Krispy Kreme donuts.
Then, after careful consideration, he decided to drop to welterweight,
where he has lost to Diego Sanchez, Forrest Petz and Jon Fitch.
While those are all wrestlers, Johnson is the total opposite;
a nightmarish striker who looks like he is midway through a transformation
into some kind of monster werewolf. My Guess: Johnson by TKO.
Kurt
Pellegrino vs. Rob Emerson
Pellegrino
is a fighter I will never bet on, because whenever I expect him
to win, he loses and when I expect him to lose, he wins. I never
thought he had the stuff to take out Thiago Tavares, but he pulled
it off; right after losing to Nate Diaz, who I thought he would
destroy. Emerson has had a weird ride in the UFC. His first fight
was that bizarre draw against Gray Maynard, that was effectively
a double TKO. Then he won a split decision of Keita Nakamura
that was so obviously wrong, even the American fans were boo'ing
the call. Finally, he TKO's Manny Gamburyan in 12-seconds, sealing
the idea that the Armenian is cursed for something he did in
a past life. Who wins the battle between the backwards man and
the coincidence fighter? My Guess: Emerson by fluke.
Dan
Miller vs. Jake Roshalt
Roshalt
is one of those All-American wresters with a grappling resume
that is full of indecipherable accolades only other wrestlers
can understand. Basically, he is just very good at tackling people
and then staying on top of them. Miller won a decision over Matt
Horwich in his last fight, escaping countless submissions while
Joe Rogan extolled the virtues of the rubber guard from the broadcast
booth. Now Miller might get a chance to operate off his back,
assuming he doesn't drop Roshalt with a flying knee in the first
minute of the fight. My Guess: Miller by TKO.
Gleison
Tibau vs. Rich Clementi
I
know I've seen Tibau fight a few times, but I swear I can't remember
any of the matches. It's like I have a mental block or something.
As I recall, his bout against Tyson Griffin went down on the
same night as Emerson's win over Nakamura, and was also a wickedly
bad decision on the part of the judges, who clearly had money
on Griffin to win, and wanted a return on their investment. Then,
he got choked by Joe Stevenson, who has guillotined almost everyone
in the 155-pound division. Clementi is coming off a loss to Gray
Maynard, but was on a killing spree leading up to that, winning
four in a row. Of course, all those guys wanted to trade strikes
with him. You never do that with a guy who has a tattoo of a
bulldog lifting dumbells on his chest. My Guess: Tibau by decision.
Jeff
Meszaros welcomes reader feedback at wombat@fcfighter.com and
can be heard as the host of FCF Radio.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Rafael
dos Anjos talks Griffin
Fighter going for spot in ADCC
Rafael
dos Anjos is being mentioned by the international press as being
Tyson Griffin’s next adversary. The bout should go down
at UFN 18, on April 1st. The fighter has not yet confirmed the
match. He says he found out about it on the internet and is awaiting
an official pronouncement from the UFC. Nevertheless, he did
not refrain from commenting on his likely opponent.
“I
think he’s one of the best, he’s top five in the category
and a win over him would be really important to me. It would
give me a big boost in the organization,” he said to Portal
das Lutas.
While
he awaits for his next opportunity in the octagon, Rafael focuses
his attention on another event, the ADCC national qualifiers,
to take place this weekend, in Rio de Janeiro.
“I’ve
been training a lot and, even though I want to fight in the ADCC
very much, it will serve more as preparations for my upcoming
MMA fights, so I won’t just feel that adrenaline while in
the MMA ring. You feel adrenaline in the championships and it
will be really cool to fight in these qualifiers. If I can capture
a place, I intend to fight in the main event. That’s what
I intend to do. Besides it being good prep work for MMA, I also
want to fight in the event, which is really important,”
said the Roberto Gordo black belt.
UFC
athletes generally fight at most thrice a year. For Rafael, fighting
in Jiu-Jitsu and submission wrestling events is a great way to
keep up his pace.
“I’ll
use it to get in rhythm, because I haven’t been fighting
in anything, just at the UFC. A fighter can’t be left out
of the ADCC action; beyond having top-notch athletes, it demands
a lot of concentration. It’s different from MMA, but keeping
competition form is important,” he finished.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
St.
Pierre Offers Rematch; Penn Accepts
By Steven Marrocco
UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has issued a formal
statement in the wake of controversy surrounding his fight with
BJ Penn at UFC 94.
Outcry
erupted when the cageside audience—and UFC cameras—witnessed
St. Pierre’s cornerman, Phil Nurse, applying Vaseline to
his brow and rubbing his shoulders and back. Officials from the
Nevada State Athletic Commission, including Executive Director
Keith Kizer, subsequently approached St. Pierre’s corner
after the second and third rounds and instructed them to cease
the activity, to which Nurse complied.
St. Pierre backed trainer and chief cornerman Greg Jackson’s
claim that the incident was not aimed at giving him an unfair
advantage.
“I
have never cheated in my life, and as my fans know, I am deeply
committed to upholding the integrity of the sport,” the
statement read. “My entire camp and I have been completely
open about what happened during my fight at UFC 94—we have
nothing to hide. One of my cornermen did use an energy technique
to help with my breathing that involves rubbing my back. He’s
also done this in my previous fights. If there was any Vaseline
left on his hand after he put it on my face, it was unintentional,
and I do not believe it made the slightest difference in the
outcome of the fight.”
On
Tuesday, Penn’s lawyer, Raffi A. Nahabedian, issued a letter
asking the NSAC to investigate the incident, and said the lightweight
champion “continues to seek a fair and just encounter against
Georges St. Pierre.”
St.
Pierre said he was willing to settle any debate on the outcome.
“Of
course it’s up to the UFC, but I would be happy to offer
BJ a second rematch,” he wrote. “I am confident the
outcome will be the same.”
Penn,
in a counter-statement issued on his website late Thursday night,
re-iterated his lawyer’s argument and urged a third bout.
“To
the untrained eye the grease might not look like much, but every
grappler knows the effect that it has,” Penn wrote. “Being
able to apply your submissions and sweeps or just being able
to hold on to your opponent to defend yourself from being hit
is absolutely critical! There is a reason why you are not allowed
to put grease anywhere on your body except for the area around
your eyes.
“Because
of the grease applied to St.Pierre’s body the Nevada State
Athletic Commission’s executive director, Keith Kizer, has
stated that the Penn-St. Pierre fight ‘definitely wasn’t
fair.’
“I
hereby accept George St. Pierre and Greg Jackson’s challenge
for a fight in the summer 2009. Let’s call Dana now and
set it up.”
White
condemned Nurse’s actions in the post-fight press conference
for last Saturday’s fight, but has been silent during the
controversy.
Kizer
and NSAC Bill D. Brady are currently reviewing a tape of the
fight and waiting for a formal response from Nurse on his actions.
Nurse could face suspension or fines if an impropriety is ruled.
St.
Pierre said he would take time to relax before gearing up for
his next fight against Thiago Alves, likely to take place in
late spring or early summer.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Challenge
accepted: St-Pierre vs. Penn 3 in Summer?
BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre are both ready to settle their
feud once more amidst all the controversy surrounding St-Pierre's
alleged greasing in their fight at UFC 94.
In an interview on Wednesday with "Beatdown" radio
on Sherdog.com, St-Pierre denied he greased and will gladly offer
a rematch with Penn.
"Let's
do a rematch with BJ Penn," St-Pierre said. "We're
going to do it this summer. St-Pierre-Penn III -- and this time
we'll wear a rash guard. I guarantee you the result will be the
same or even worse for him."
By
Thursday evening, Penn left a message on his official website
BJPenn.com accepting St-Pierre's challenge.
"For
the past several days I have been reading statements made by
St-Pierre and Greg Jackson about our fight on Jan. 31,"
Penn said. "St-Pierre claims that he 'is not a cheater'
and that he and Greg Jackson will have 'no problem with a rematch
in the summer of 2009.'
"To
the untrained eye the grease might not look like much but every
grappler knows the effect that it has. Being able to apply your
submissions and sweeps or just being able to hold on to your
opponent to defend yourself from being hit is absolutely critical!
"There
is a reason why you are not allowed to put grease anywhere on
your body except for the area around your eyes. Because of the
grease applied to St-Pierre's body the Nevada State Athletic
Commission's executive director, Keith Kizer has stated that
the Penn-St-Pierre fight 'definitely wasn't fair.' I hearby accept
Georges St-Pierre and Greg Jackson's challenge for a fight in
the summer of 2009. Let's call Dana now and set it up."
The
fight is now in the hands of UFC president Dana White if he chooses
to promote it. While the general consensus is that St-Pierre
would have defeated Penn regardless of the effects of the grease,
the entire feud has been elevated to the point that a third encounter
could match or exceed the success of UFC 94.
Summer
may be too soon though, as both fighters already have a title
fight on the horizon. St-Pierre will defend his welterweight
belt against Thiago Alves, while Penn will defend his welterweight
title against Kenny Florian.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Penn
Representative Asks NSAC to Investigate GSP
By Steven Marrocco
Raffi A. Nahabedian, BJ Penn’s lawyer, has requested the
Nevada State Athletic Commission launch a formal investigation
into the actions of Georges St. Pierre and his cornermen at UFC
94.
The
letter, released to the media on Wednesday by NSAC executive
director Keith Kizer, indirectly accuses St. Pierre’s camp
of “greasing” his body during his fight with Penn.
As a result, it states, Penn was unable to counteract the ground
and pound assault he received at the hands of the welterweight
champion.
“It
is aptly clear why GSP and his corner should not engage in illegal
improper activities when ‘they’ collectively are competing
against one of the most reputed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
in the world,” the letter states.
Only
five minutes after Penn and St. Pierre’s headlining bout
began, it was shrouded in controversy.
In
the one-minute break between rounds one and two, several members
of the fight’s ringside audience approaching NSAC officials,
claiming St. Pierre’s cornermen were applying Vaseline to
his body.
Though
it does not expressly prohibit “grease” to the body,
the NSAC’s rulebook states “the excessive use of grease
or any other foreign substance may not be used on the face or
body of an unarmed combatant.”
Officials
relayed the complaint to Kizer, who watched St. Pierre’s
corner during the next one-minute break and witnessed cornerman
Phil Nurse rubbing the welterweight’s back and shoulders
after applying Vaseline to his eyebrows and forehead. Kizer entered
the cage and instructed Nurse to cease doing so, after which
St. Pierre was rubbed off with a towel by Commission officials.
Between the third and fourth rounds, officials briefly rubbed
down St. Pierre again. UFC cameras caught everything on tape.
St.
Pierre’s other cornerman, head trainer Greg Jackson, would
later state that Nurse was performing a technique designed to
boost his fighter’s energy.
“This
illegal situation made it impossible for Mr. Penn to defend himself
and unfairly exposed Mr. Penn to GSP’s ‘ground and
pound’ strategy which Mr. Penn extensively trained for and
was fully prepared to perform against,” Nahabedian’s
letter states. “More importantly, by neutralizing Mr. Penn’s
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu abilities through the use of illegal and
improper means, Mr. Penn was subjected to a life threatening
and career ending environment; an environment that the Commission
was formed to protect against.”
St.
Pierre has maintained his innocence since the controversy erupted.
Nahabedian
also claims that Penn’s camp warned the NSAC about the possibility
of St. Pierre “greasing” prior to the fight, although
Kizer has yet to confirm this.
Kizer
told FCF he is sending the letter to Nurse tomorrow for his response
on the matter. Nurse will have 20 days from its receipt to respond
to Nahabedian’s claims.
Nahabedian
has made it clear the letter was not a formal complaint, and
would only say that Penn “continues to seek a fair and just
encounter against Georges St. Pierre.”
Kizer
said he has obtained a copy of the fight from the UFC that included
footage of St. Pierre’s corner between rounds, and will
decide whether to pursue action against St. Pierre’s cornerman
after reviewing the tape and Nurse’s response to the allegations.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Vaseline
should pay BJ Penn and sponsor him
By Zach Arnold
Update:
From the comments section — take a look at this animated
GIF.
I’ve
taken heat for even *considering* the argument that BJ Penn’s
camp has presented in regards to allegations of illegal vaseline
usage by George St. Pierre’s corner.
So,
naturally, I’m here to provide you with many links to thoughts
from various MMA writers on the subject.
Michael
David Smith has rational thoughts on the matter and thinks that
the trainer, Phil Nurse, should face punishment. He also thinks
that the vaseline issue did not effect the outcome of the UFC
94 fight. On both accounts, I agree 100%. However, if you adopt
this rational opinion, be prepared for an absolute e-mail and
web site onslaught for even considering this point of view.
Sam
Caplan thinks the incident is a serious situation to pay attention
to.
Head
on over to MMA Weekly to catch up on the latest story details.
Sherdog has comments from Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic
Commission on the matter. As I stated before on this site, I
figured that nothing in the end would happen from Kizer. MMA
Convert has more updates on Penn’s camp filing a complaint.
Fightlinker
mentions past incidents featuring greasing in MMA. To add fuel
to the fire, he points out comments Jason “Mayhem”
Miller made about a previous opponent he fought that he accused
of greasing up.
The
big loser in this situation? Ryoto Machida.
Gryphon,
a famous Japanese MMA writer, points out the obvious comparison
to Akiyama vs. Sakuraba from a couple of years ago (as I noted
when this story first broke).
Source: Fight Opinion
|
BJ
Penn: I was going to make GSP my last fight
UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn was ready to retire if he had
defeated Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight belt last Saturday
at UFC 94 in Las Vegas.
Penn, who was absent from the UFC 94 post-fight press conference
because he was taken to a hospital, according to UFC president
Dana White, made this surprising revelation to KHON2 news in
Hawaii.
"I
have no clue what's going on in my head right now," said
Penn in his first public statement since his loss. "My mind
changes from time to time so I was going to make this my last
fight and finish up fighting GSP.
"In
my head, I was with the company for nine or ten years and I kind
of just wanted to go be finished with this whole thing after
this. So I don't know where my head is right now."
Penn's
next fight would be a title defense against Kenny Florian.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Where
the St. Pierre/Penn vaseline story is heading
By Zach Arnold
Vaseline
should pay BJ Penn and sponsor him
Does the UFC now have their own version of the “Akiyama”
scandal?
Generally, with a story or a potential ’scandal’ like
this, fight fans and followers will pay attention for a limited
amount of time unless something new develops. If nothing new
develops, then the attention span wanders very quickly onto something
else.
So,
where is this current story heading?
Was
vaseline improperly used by St. Pierre’s cornermen in multiple
rounds? It’s clear that an incident did take place, but
the discussion has been primarily focused on intervention from
the Nevada State Athletic Commission between rounds two and three.
However, as Ivan Trembow succinctly lays out this morning, there’s
plenty of discussion about possible improper vaseline application
between the first and second rounds. If Penn’s camp &
attorneys or the NSAC can prove a certain timeline of events
here to implicate either trainer Phil Nurse or trainer Greg Jackson,
then both men could be in serious trouble.
If Penn files a formal complaint with the NSAC, will the NSAC
used both edited and unedited UFC footage from multiple camera
shots for investigation examination? So far, we’ve gotten
to the point of speculation from both fans and writers based
on a) people live at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and b) those
watching the PPV telecast at home. What we haven’t seen
or had access to are all the camera angles and VTR (video) that
the production truck recorded. If the NSAC asks to see this footage,
will they find conclusive evidence on St. Pierre’s corner
using vaseline improperly or will the footage not show improper
usage based on how the directors instructed the cameramen to
shoot at certain angles?
If any improper activity occurred, what should the punishment
be? It seems highly doubtful that the outcome of the Penn/St.
Pierre fight will be changed from a St. Pierre win to a no-contest.
Therefore, the focus will be on trainers Phil Nurse and Greg
Jackson. Jackson is the big fish here. If the NSAC was to suspend
him indefinitely or even permanently from cornering in Nevada,
it would certainly change the way fighters from Jackson’s
camp (Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, etc.) are instructed at the
fights. Furthermore, if the NSAC were to suspend Jackson, would
that suspension be enforced at UFC’s foreign events?
Will this damage St. Pierre’s relatively clean-cut reputation?
Fight fans can be a very forgiving lot, so I sincerely doubt
that the taint from this incident will, pardon the pun, rub off
on the Canadian superstar. If anything, I suspect that St. Pierre’s
most ardent supporters will rally around him in a defensive posture
and attack anyone who tries to insinuate anything negative about
St. Pierre’s credibility.
Will a fight between St. Pierre and Anderson Silva still draw
mega-PPV buyrate status, even if the commission determines that
something improper took place at UFC 94 involving vaseline usage?
Yes, it will.
If improper vaseline usage by St. Pierre’s corner is confirmed
by the NSAC, how will this effect the public’s perception
of BJ Penn? I don’t think he suffered much damage image-wise
coming out of the fight, as everyone seems relatively fine with
accepting the fact that St. Pierre is the better fighter between
the two. That said, UFC has certainly edged their fan base (through
the UFC Prime Time TV specials on Spike TV) to look at Penn as
more of a heel than a face, even though he wasn’t booed
much at all in Las Vegas last week. I highly doubt that the public
in general would look at Penn filing a complaint on this matter
as a cowardly act. The online reaction towards this developing
story has been hysterical, primarily amongst flamers who have
really dumped all over Penn as a person who only knows how to
make excuses. I seriously doubt the average UFC fan looks at
BJ Penn the way some people on Sherdog or The Underground Forum
do. This situation should not be damaging towards Penn at all.
I doubt that it will significantly soften the blow from the St.
Pierre loss, but Penn should not be drawing heat for pointing
out potential improper vaseline usage by St. Pierre’s corner,
either.
After I wrote this initial post, I happened to read this and
I am just shaking my head:
The
newest canard being bandied about is that St. Pierre’s corner
rubbed Vaseline on his back and shoulders between rounds and
that the Vaseline constitutes “cheating” on the part
of St. Pierre’s team (notice that no one is saying it changed
the outcome of the fight). The charge is true in that the corner
clearly committed wrongdoing, but it’s not the least bit
clear how much Vaseline was used nor how much it impacted the
fight. Most importantly, a champion like Penn deserves better
than to have his shortcomings constantly re-examined because
fundamentalists cannot accept what must be a very bruising reality.
And
guess what label was attached to someone who believes this story
has legs? According to the writer, you’re a “BJ Penn
apologist.” Ah, this brings back memories to me… like
when I was accused of being a “Zuffa apologist” for
covering and highlighting the mafia scandal that destroyed PRIDE
or when I was accused for being a “Dana White apologist”
when I ripped into Gary Shaw, Jared Shaw, and Jeremy Lappen during
Elite XC’s stand-up scandal involving Kimbo Slice and Seth
Petruzelli. Apologists everywhere these days, I suppose.
That
last article I linked to is a crystal clear example of the absolute
killer bee-type hysteria online right now for anyone who even
dares bring up this topic. Sad and regrettable.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Matt
Hughes chimes in on St-Pierre vs. Penn 2
Matt Hughes, who has fought both Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn
at least twice inside the Octagon, commented on the UFC 94 main
event and touched on the topic of St-Pierre's alleged greasing.
"I thought BJ would have put on a better performance,"
Hughes wrote Tuesday on his blog. "BJ Penn is coming from
a lighter weight class, but he took the fight at 170. That’s
the bottom line. I knew it was going to come down to who had
the better cardio and even at the end of the first round BJ looked
tired.
"Now,
on to what everybody is talking about, the greasing. I’m
not the only one who has said that GSP felt greasy during a fight.
I know Matt Serra has mentioned it and, even in their first fight,
I think BJ said something. I’m not saying GSP did something
wrong and I’m not saying that it would have changed any
outcomes of any fights; but what I am saying is, for my last
two fights against Georges, he felt greasy."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Strikeforce
Inks Deal with Pro Elite
Fight Network Staff
LOS
ANGELES, CA. - In a transaction signaling the dawn of a new era
in the world's fastest growing sport, world championship mixed
martial arts (MMA) organization Strikeforce®, has acquired
certain fighter contracts from ProElite, Inc, the parent company
of former Strikeforce ® co-promoter, Elite Xtreme Combat
(EliteXC).
Strikeforce®
also acquired other specific assets of ProElite, including a
library of EliteXC events, which were distributed live on either
CBS or Showtime Networks.
"This
is a tremendous development that will bolster the Strikeforce®
roster and allow us to produce even more competitive matchups
between top fighters," said Scott Coker, Founder and CEO
of Strikeforce®. "Some of these athletes have been on
the sidelines for a while now and are eagerly waiting to return
to competition. We look forward to providing them with the opportunity
to do so in the next few months."
Strikeforce®
and EliteXC joined forces to deliver the first live SHOWTIME
PPV® MMA event, "Shamrock vs. Baroni," on June
22, 2007. In the headlining contest, former UFC middleweight
champion and MMA legend Frank Shamrock submitted knockout artist
Phil "The New York Badass" Baroni in the second round,
where upon Shamrock became the first Strikeforce® World Middleweight
Champion.
On
March 29, 2008, the two promotions collaborated once more to
deliver a live telecast on SHOWTIME® featuring one of the
sport's most anticipated showdowns - Shamrock versus undefeated
world kickboxing champion Cung Le. In a battle that has since
been proclaimed "Fight Of The Year" by critics, Le
seized the Strikeforce® middleweight crown by pouring on
a relentless offensive and fending off Shamrock's counter attacks
before breaking the defending champion's arm with a hard roundhouse
kick. Shamrock retired from the bout after the third round of
a five round match.
A
martial arts promoter for over 23 years, Coker has gained widespread
acclaim among industry colleagues and the media, including Rolling
Stone magazine, Yahoo! Sports, and The San Jose Mercury News.
Coker elevated his 14-year-old Strikeforce® organization
to become a major player in the World's fastest growing sport.
Strikeforce's® inaugural MMA event hosted a capacity crowd
of 18,265 at San Jose's HP Pavilion on March 10, 2006. The live
gate figure also broke the then all-time record for attendance
at an MMA event held in North America.
EliteXC
burst onto the MMA scene with "Destiny," the first
live, SHOWTIME®-televised MMA fight card in history, on February
10, 2007. Held at Southaven Mississippi's DeSoto Civic Center,
the main event pitted Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert,
Renzo Gracie.
The
promotion made history again by bringing, for the first time,
a live MMA event to the CBS Television Network on May 31, 2008.
About
Strikeforce:
Strikeforce® is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight
promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with
its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event, the first sanctioned
mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The
star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank
Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie
at San Jose's HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out record crowd
of 18,265. Since 1995, Strikeforce® has been the exclusive
provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and after 12 years
of success as a leading world championship kickboxing promotion,
the company unveiled its mixed martial arts series with "Shamrock
vs. Gracie." Since then, it has co-produced the first SHOWTIME
PPV® mixed martial arts event in history with its world championship
"Shamrock vs. Baroni" card on June 22,2007 followed
by the first-ever mixed martial arts event at the world-famous
Playboy Mansion on September 29, 2007.
Source: Fight Network
|
Dream
Announces First 12 for Featherweight Tourney; Sengoku, Shooto
Reveal Exchange Program
by Jordan Breen
With World Victory Road having already announced a host of names
for the Sengoku featherweight tournament, parent company Fighting
and Entertainment Group has finally lit the fuse for the Dream
featherweight grand prix, officially announcing 12 names for
the tournament bracket, which kicks off on March 8 at the Saitama
Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
The
dozen entrants offer very little surprise, as the vast majority
of the participants were well speculated on and all but official
for several weeks. The domestic side will feature Deep champion
Masakazu Imanari, popular janitor-turned-MMA superstar Hideo
Tokoro, 2008 Cage Force featherweight tournament runner-up "Wicky
Akiyo" Akiyo Nishiura, WEC veteran Hiroyuki Takaya, Norifumi
"Kid" Yamamoto protégé Atsushi Yamamoto
and well traveled prospect Takafumi Otsuka. Former lightweight
King of Pancrase Shoji Maruyama will take on charismatic firebrand
"DJ.taiki" Daiki Hata on Deep's Feb. 10 card with the
winner gaining a spot in the bracket.
The
announced foreign contingent features former WEC bantamweight
champion Chase Beebe, WEC veteran Micah Miller and Brazilian
jiu-jitsu ace Bibiano Fernandes. It will also mark the MMA debuts
of two grappling sports stars in South Korean judoka Jong Won
Kim and 2006 Greco-Roman wrestling world champion Joe Warren,
who was slapped with a two-year suspension from wrestling after
he tested positive for marijuana a second time in May 2007.
Still
unconfirmed for the grand prix is Dream superstar Norifumi "Kid"
Yamamoto, who the tournament was originally slated to be built
around. Dream event producer Keiichi Sasahara said that while
"Kid" will not be featured on the March card, Yamamoto's
participation is still undecided.
FEG
and Yamamoto have cited continuing issues with knee injury, although
there are further complications in the matter due to many of
Dream's event sponsors being reluctant to champion Yamamoto's
return due to lingering public relations issues. In July, Japanese
tabloid Shukan Gendai linked the 31-year-old Yamamoto to "marijuana
parties" in Tokyo, a serious allegation given the strict
cannabis control laws in Japan.
If
Yamamoto does participate in the tournament, he will be seeded
into the second round of the tournament in May, after the seven
tournament bouts play out in March. Should "Kid" not
be part of the bracket, a full slate of 16 fighters will square
off on March 7.
In
another curious on-going saga, FEG still has yet to officially
announce the weight contract for the tournament. Thus far, Dream's
featherweight bouts have been held at catch weights of 139 and
141 pounds. Yamamoto, who was to be the cornerstone of the tournament,
was originally given input into the weight structure and suggested
a 135 or 137-pound cutoff. Now, Sasahara has announced that the
official weight will be announced in the coming days, and will
likely be between 139 and 143 pounds.
Sengoku
and Shooto join forces
World
Victory Road hasn't been limited to featherweight tournament
announcements, as the Sengoku parent company has revealed the
formation of a cooperative partnership with the world of Shooto.
WVR
director Takahiro Kokuho met with Japanese Shooto Association
head Taro Wakabayashi and leading Shooto promoter Sustain's chairman
Kazuhiro Sakamoto over the winter holiday to discuss forging
a relationship between the Shooto system and the upstart Sengoku.
While the finer technical details of the arrangement have yet
to be ironed out, it is the hope of WVR to use Shooto's well-developed
amateur system to groom their developmental prospects, while
allowing for established pro Shootors to earn more lucrative
purses in the Sengoku ring.
"We
will consult with the Shooto commission and Sustain about the
definite cooperation structure [soon]," WVR representative
Tomohiro Iida told Sherdog.com. "The reason we've formed
the partnership with Shooto is to revitalize MMA in Japan."
Maximo
Blanco had a solid Sengoku debut.Despite WVR being aligned with
powerful sponsors such as Don Quijote, whose money was used to
pay off the debts of Pancrase and restructure the organization
in August, WVR brass maintain that the relationship is not a
buyout or sponsorship of any kind.
"It
is not financial sponsorship," elaborated Iida. "Basically,
it is to exchange fighters in promotions like Pancrase, DEEP,
and Cage Force. We will provide the opportunity to compete in
Sengoku for the fighters in amateur and professional Shooto,
and Sengoku fighters will also compete in professional Shooto."
In
July, WVR announced the signings of developmental talents Maximo
Blanco, a Pan-American games bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling,
and Shigeki Osawa, an All-Japan University champion and World
Intercollegiate champion from wrestling powerhouse Yamanashi
Gakuin University. Blanco has already gone on to compete in Pancrase
and Sengoku, while Osawa is expected to begin his MMA training
after graduating from YGU in March.
On
Feb. 1, WVR staged their first open tryout in which some 70 applicants
worked out, and a total of 14 fighters were chosen by prominent
gyms Grabaka, Shooting Gym Tokyo, P's Lab Tokyo, Wajyutsu Keisyukai,
and the Yoshida Dojo. WVR will be paying these developmental
fighters' gym dues and looking to foster their growth toward
Sengoku, meaning many will likely cut their teeth in the amateur
Shooto system, fighting in regional amateur tournaments in the
near future.
While
WVR and Sustain have designs a large-scale co-promotion in 2010,
the relationship between the two promotions may be on display
sooner than that, as Sustain is already looking toward its major
20th Anniversary event on May 10, which may feature Sengoku talent.
Ueda-Tazawa,
BJ-Shoujou title tilts for 3/20 Shooto
Apart
from firming up cooperative deals with other promotions, leading
Shooto promoter Sustain has been busy announcing its headliners
for March 20's "Shooto Tradition 6" card at Korakuen
Hall in Tokyo.
In
a pair of Shooto world title bouts, unbeaten Shooto world 132-pound
Masakatsu Ueda will stake his championship against former foe
So Tazawa, while in the main event, mercurial 123-pound king
Shinichi "BJ" Kojima will make the third defense of
his crown against fiery free-swinger Yuki Shoujou.
Ueda,
31, took the vacant Shooto world title last March with a unanimous
decision victory over Koetsu Okazaki, and retained his title
in his first defense in September in a draw with Brazilian standout
Marcos "Louro" Galvao. The 26-year-old Tazawa is unbeaten
in his four bouts since March 2007, when he was submitted by
Ueda with a third-round brabo choke.
The
wildly inconsistent Kojima returned to the 123-pound division
after a disastrous attempted run as a bantamweight in July, and
submitted rival and former champion Mamoru Yamaguchi via a guillotine
choke with 78 seconds to spare in the bout to retain his title.
However, on Jan. 18, "BJ" turned in a lackluster draw
against Guam import Jesse Taitano in a non-title affair. The
28-year-old Shoujou pulled off a thrilling last-minute guillotine
of his own in September, when he upset perennial divisional star
Yasuhiro Urushitani, choking him out with 81 ticks left in the
fight.
The
March 20 bill will also feature a pair of 115-pound contests
with Noboru "Shinpei" Tahara taking on Takehiro Harusaki
and 2008 rookie champion Mikitoshi Yamagami tangling with "ATCH
Anarchy" Atsushi Takeuchi.
Kanehara,
Yamada and Jon join Sengoku tourney
World
Victory Road has expanded its own line-up for March 20, as Sengoku's
featherweight tournament will open up at the Yoyogi National
Stadium Second Gymnasium in Tokyo.
Adding
to the five confirmed fighters announced last week, WVR confirmed
ZST standout Masanori Kanehara, undefeated 18-year-old prospect
Tetsuya Yamada and upstart South Korean Chang Son Jon for the
bracket.
Kanehara,
26, sealed his bracket berth by blasting brawler Kenji Arai in
the Pancrase ring on Feb. 1 in what was essentially an elimination
bout for the WVR tournament. Another ZST notable, the precocious
Yamada has finished all three of his opponents, polishing off
Makoto Toriumi in September in under two minutes. The 21-year-old
Jon burst onto the scene in August, where he took a unanimous
verdict over UFC veteran Michihiro Omigawa before destroying
hard-nosed Fanjin Son in just 17 seconds this past December.
The
trio join previously announced Hatsu Hioki, Marlon Sandro, Ronnie
Mann, Nick Denis and Chris Manuel as announced participants,
totaling eight of the scheduled 16 entries.
Lightweight
tourney on tap for Deep 40 Impact
On
the topic of tournaments, Deep has announced a bracket of their
own as the promotion seeks a new lightweight champion.
Already
with heavy title implications on the card, Deep's 40 Impact at
Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on Feb. 20 will now feature the semifinals
of a four-man tournament to crown their next lightweight king.
Former champion Seung Hwan Bang was stripped of his title in
October after defecting to Sengoku without the consent of Deep,
with whom he had an active contract.
The
championship quartet will feature veteran and former Deep welterweight
king Jutaro Nakao, as well as once-beaten upstarts Katsunori
Kikuno and Koichiro Matsumoto. Deep boss Shigeru Saeki stated
that he is currently scouting for strong international talents
to fill the fourth slot.
The
lightweight tournament will be featured alongside welterweight
champion Seichi Ikemoto defending his title against Hidetaka
Monma, and the middleweight title eliminator between Riki Fukuda
and Ryuta Sakurai. The winners of the lightweight semifinals
will meet in April to crown the promotion's new lightweight king.
Sato,
Miku and “the Afro” look to shine in Shoot Boxing
The
next major Japanese combat sports card will feature three MMA
stars, but in a different kind of vale tudo: standing vale tudo.
Japanese
promotion Shoot Boxing will open their 2009 campaign at Korakuen
Hall on Feb. 11 with a card featuring Shooto icon Rumina Sato,
afroed flyweight star Mamoru Yamaguchi, and Deep 106-pound queen
Miku Matsumoto all in stand-up affairs. Shoot Boxing, which is
an offshoot from the same family tree as Shooto, promotes "standing
vale tudo" events that feature the full complement of punches,
kicks, elbows and knees in addition to throws and standing submissions.
Sato
will take on Australian Mike Campbell in a 143-pound affair,
while Matsumoto, who took out experienced Shoot Boxer Lena in
at the S-Cup 2008 in November, will meet Misato Tomita in a 112-pound
affair. The most sternly matched of the three, the former two-division
Shooto world champion Yamaguchi will take on Shoot Boxing 122-pound
provisional champion Noriyuki Enari in a non-title affair.
Source: Sherdog
|
Rubens
Cobrinha eyes ADCC title
By Guilherme Cruz
Three
times BJJ world champion, Rubens Charles “Cobrinha”
returned from Jordan with another title in the career. Lightweight
Champion after passing through Rafael Mendes in the grand finale,
Cobrinha turn his focus now to the ADCC. In exclusive interview
with TATAME.com, the black-belt spoke about the conquest, the
plans for 2009, the rivalry with Rafael and Bruno Frazzato and
expectation of being four times world champion. Check here the
complete interview with Cobrinha.
Source: Tatame
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Galvao
on ADCC qualifiers
Black belt will compete for spot in Rio
Carlos Osorio / PortaldasLutas.com
The
Brazilian ADCC trials kick off this Friday (February 6), with
weigh-ins for the fighters to dispute spots in the main event,
to be held in New York. In the 87kg category, among many other
renowned athletes, Andre Galvao will be looking to conquer his
spot. Despite the Jiu-Jitsu black belt recently dedicating most
of his time to MMA lately, he guarantees he’ll be more than
ready to vie for the Brazilian spot in the finals.
“I
trained a lot for this qualifier. I’m well-trained and I
think I’ll manage to put in a good performance and win.
I trained with Ramon Lemos (Atos JJ), who’s an excellent
teacher, in Rio Claro, and with the whole gang from over there.
I’m prepared and now I just need to weigh in, rest and wait
for time to fight. God willing I’ll win,” he said.
And
Galvao’s category is replete with top competition, meaning
great bouts to come. Among those to stand out, there are athletes
with domestic and international titles and even fighters coming
from wrestling and MMA like Bruno Bastos, Eduardo Santoro, Eduardo
Telles, Jorge Michelan, Leopoldo Serao, Adrian Jaoude, Marcelo
Zulu, Renan Vital and Rodolfo Vieira, among many others.
Source: Gracie Magazine
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UFC
vet Ian Freeman facing jail time over tax evasion
UFC veteran Ian "The Machine" Freeman and his wife
both pled guilty to tax fraud and could receive jail time. They
will be sentenced on March 3.
According to the BBC News, it is believed that Freeman, 42, stopped
paying taxes in 1997 after leaving his job as a security guard.
Since, he's released a book, fought professionally, promoted
fight events, but didn't report those activities when filing
his taxes. Instead, he claimed he lived off his wife's salary
as a pharmacy assistant.
"Mr.
Freeman's blatant disregard for the tax system is beyond belief,"
HM Revenue & Customs North East head of investigation, Peter
Hollier said in the report.
Freeman
is the final Cage Rage British light-heavyweight champion and
a six-time UFC competitor. Freeman went 3-2-1 in the Octagon,
which includes a TKO win over current UFC champion Frank Mir.
Source: MMA Fighting
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Update:
Hansen Healthy, Management Negotiating with FEG
by Tim Leidecker
Following his withdrawal from his New Year’s Eve clash against
fellow top 10-ranked lightweight Gesias Cavalcante, reigning
Dream lightweight tournament champion Joachim Hansen seemed to
disappear.
Neither
his coach nor his training partners nor his management could
say anything about the whereabouts of the likeable Norwegian.
Since
the Dec. 31 bout in Japan had been reportedly cancelled due to
Hansen failing medical clearance because of a head injury, wild
rumors circulated about the physical condition of the 29-year-old
“Hellboy.” Fueled by non-statements from Dream event
producer Keiichi Sasahara, speculation even went as far as suggesting
Hansen might suffer from a possibly career-ending brain tumor.
John
Benjamin, who represents Joachim Hansen in business matters,
told Sherdog.com exactly what went down at Saitama Super Arena
before the fight: “Joachim was warming up with a training
partner and when attempting a takedown, his teammate landed awkwardly
on his head. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where
they diagnosed a concussion, which is why the fight had to be
cancelled.”
On
Friday morning Sherdog.com reported that Hansen is healthy now
but in a contract dispute with Fighting & Entertainment Group.
However, Benjamin contacted Sherdog.com to make it clear there
is no “dispute” with FEG. Rather, Hansen’s management
is in negotiations with the company and expects to iron out a
date for his first title defense.
Meanwhile
Hansen is resting in Norway.
Baron
out of UFC 95
French
lightweight David Baron will miss out on a chance to avenge his
May 2006 loss against Scandinavian rival Per Eklund. Baron had
to withdraw from their Feb. 21 bout due to a persistent foot
injury. Even though the injury did not prevent him from training
for the fight, it is too serious to compete with, as Baron is
unable to weigh both legs evenly, let alone run, a source from
his camp told Sherdog.com.
The
36-year-old former European Shooto champion made the UFC on the
back of a surprise submission win over Japanese standout Hayato
Sakurai in May of last year. He botched his UFC debut last October,
however, when Jim Miller choked him out. After what happened
to his compatriot Samy Schiavo, who was cut from the promotion
following two losses, the fight against Eklund was already seen
as Baron’s final chance in the UFC.
A
replacement for the firefighter from Bois-Colombes, a commune
in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, has since been found in
newcomer Evan Dunham. The submission specialist, who fights out
of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, is a veteran of the Northwestern
MMA circuit and has also been a member of Team Shamrock at the
PFP “Ring of Fire” event in the Philippines in late
2007.
Goran
Reljic will continue to sit idle.Reljic to miss first half of
2009
Young
Croatian Goran Reljic, who made a boatload of new fans with his
strong UFC debut against Wilson Gouveia last May, will be out
of action longer than expected after recently undergoing back
surgery.
Zoran
Saric, who represents his 24-year-old countryman in business
matters, explained the situation to Sherdog.com via e-mail:
Having
Reljic return to Europe to fight on the June event in Germany
“would have been a great idea, but unfortunately his medical
situation will not allow him to fight. His back is getting better,
but since Goran is a huge talent and getting very popular in
the UFC, we need to be very careful with his health and career.
I don't want to push him until he is 100-percent sound and ready
to fight. We are constantly scanning his back and yesterday doctors
in Zadar Hospital decided to do a small surgical procedure [connected]
to the disc issue.”
Expect
the spectacular kickboxer and skillful BJJ player to return to
action at UFC 100 in July at the earliest. He will have gone
more than 13 months without a professional mixed martial arts
bout by then.
Night
of Gladiators looking to crown 205-pound grand prix champion
In
the tradition of great European tournaments like KSW or the now-defunct
European Vale Tudo series, Croatian promoter “UFC Gladiator”
will put on an eight-man, one-night tournament to find the strongest
fighter at 205 pounds.
The
winner will get to take home a total of $10,000. Promoter Mario
Urlic is currently accepting applications. It is expected that
“UFC Gladiator” fighter Maro Perak will be in the tournament,
and other top regulars of the European circuit like Jan Blachowicz,
Igor Pokrajac, Mikko Rupponen and Jair Goncalves are also likely
to enter, barring injury problems or promoter indifference.
The
final roster and the brackets are likely going to be announced
by early March. Sherdog.com will of course stay on top of the
situation to keep you up to date on what promises to be a blast
in the Balkans.
Daley
vs. Depret tentatively scheduled for March
European
top welterweight Paul Daley has made plans to face Belgian up-and-comer
Tommy Depret in the main event of a self-promoted show, scheduled
for March 29 in Daley’s hometown of Nottingham, England.
The inner-European duel, which would be Daley’s first since
his clash with Slovenian judoka Bojan Kosednar last July, is
still on shaky legs due to prior commitments from both fighters.
Daley’s
next fight will come against former Bodog Fight welterweight
champion and UFC veteran Nick Thompson on the main card of MFC
20 “Destined for Greatness,” which takes place Feb.
20 in Enoch, Alberta, Canada. A Golden Glory product, Depret
will see action against compatriot Wim Deputter in one of two
MMA bouts at “It’s Showtime” in Antwerpen, Belgium,
on Feb. 8.
With
Daley’s management looking for a new deal with a major promotion
following the collapse of EliteXC, “Semtex” has discovered
new possibilities to keep himself busy by promoting his own events.
Look for more top fighters without a major deal to follow his
example in the years to come.
M-1
Challenge entering its sophomore season
The
M-1 Challenge -- M-1 Global’s vehicle to breed and discover
up-and-coming talent from around the globe -- will kick off its
second season on Feb. 21 in Seattle with battles between USA
Team West and Brazil Naja, Fedor Emelianenko’s Imperial
Team and Korea, as well as Finland vs. Benelux. Adding a third
team challenge per event is one of the changes made to the format
of the series.
The
other reform for the new season concerns the participating teams:
Joining France, Korea, Japan, the Russian Legion, Spain, the
United States and the World Team, which were already featured
on the first season, are now squads from the Benelux, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Germany, Turkey and the U.K. The Red Devil Fighting
Team will be replaced by Fedor Emelianenko’s Imperial Team.
Besides
Seattle, the event series will have stops in Sofia, Bulgaria;
Tokyo, Japan; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Kansas City, Mo.; Seoul, Korea;
as well as Spain and England. Three of the most interesting fighters
who are taking part in the Feb. 21 event are Finland’s Lucio
Linhares, Russia’s Alexey Oleinik and Brazil’s Jair
Sorriso.
Linhares
is a “naturalized” Brazilian who has been living in
Finland for four years now. The 35-year-old Alliance black belt
is one of the premier BJJ instructors in Scandinavia and has
successfully competed in MMA as well, defeating the ultra-tough
Poles Grzegorz Jakubowski and Robert Jocz, as well as handing
French hothead Karl Amoussou his first defeat in 16 months most
recently.
Oleinik
was brought into the Russian team as a replacement for “Baby
Fedor” Kirill Sidelnikov, who has been drafted into Affliction
in place of Aleksander Emelianenko. The 31-year-old sambo stylist
is one opponent you definitely want to avoid, both at 205 pounds
and at heavyweight, as he is well rounded, extremely tough and
nearly impossible to finish.
Jair
Goncalves is your typical late bloomer as far as MMA is concerned.
A fantastic BJJ player who received extensive training both at
Gracie Barra and at Nova Uniao, “Sorriso” made the
transition to MMA in his late 20s. Gifted with one of the most
impressive physiques of any 205-pounder, this Rio de Janeiro
native has earned an excellent reputation in Europe in the last
couple of years.
Winner,
Mills pre-TUF 9 U.K. team favorites
If
you believe the list of names that has been leaked out on the
Internet, the U.K. team that will take on an American squad during
the course of the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”
reality series will be comprised of an interesting mixture of
exciting veterans and potentially hopeful rookies. What has been
baffling many experts is the exclusion of stalwarts Jim Wallhead
and Abdul Mohamed, who undoubtedly possess the sporting skills
to make the final 16.
In
their absence, Wallhead’s Rough House teammate Andre Winner
and Gloucester’s Che Mills appear to be the pre-show favorites
to go all the way for the Brits. Winner is a former FX3 lightweight
champion and has been very busy in his young career, fighting
12 times since turning pro in 2006 and beating some decent opposition.
Mills is the cousin of UFC veteran Mark Weir and a former Cage
Rage British welterweight champion. He has good hands and the
killer instinct to finish fights.
Also
heavily rumored to be participating are James Bryant, Ashley
James, Gary Kelly, Jeff Lawson, Ross Pearson, Martin Stapleton
and AJ Wenn in the lightweight division as well as Dean Amasinger,
James Bateman, Dave Falkner, Tommy McGuire, Nick Osipczak, Alex
Reid and James Wilks at welterweight. Look for the Erik Paulson-trained
Wilks to be a dark horse at 170 pounds.
Note:
This article was updated at 2:15 EST on Feb. 6 with clarification
from Hansen's camp as to his injury and contract status with
FEG.
For
more mixed martial arts news coverage in German, log on to Ground
& Pound at www.groundandpound.de
Source: Sherdog
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Quote
of the Day
"Honest
hearts produce honest actions."
Brigham
Young, 1801-1877, American Religious Leader
|
Submission
Grappling tournament
Aloha,
Please post info regarding Submission Grappling tournament planned
for this weekend.
Junior/Kids $25 entry fee; Adults $35 entry fee.
Weigh ins on Sat (7) @ IWFF Academy; event to take place Sunday
(8) at IWFF Academy.
Mahalo!
--
Tyson & Leinell Coloma-Nahooikaika
Island Warriors Freestyle Fighting Academy
1552 Mill Street
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
http://www.iwffacademy.com
www.myspace.com/iwffacademy
"If you can dream it...you can live it!"
|
Man
Up and Stand Up
WEIGH INS
KAPOLEI REC CENTER (NEXT TO KAPOLEI ELEMENTARY)
FRIDAY FEB 6
6:00 PM
ALL FIGHTERS UNDER 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY PARENT
THANKS
DERRICK
DEAN HENZE 166 LAWRENCE HINOJOSA
Dean will be in his first title defense against Lawrence. Dean
shocked
the crowd at the last Man Up Event, with a unanimous decision
against
the hard hitting favorite Chris Kutzen. Dean's lighting fast
kicks were
unanswered througout the whole fight. If MMA and kickboxing veteran
Lawrence can get passed the outstanding taekwondo martial artist,
we
could be looking at a new supermiddle weight Man Up & Stand
Up
champion. But if not, the belt is going back home to Kaneohe
on
Saturday night.
ISAAC UGISILE 260+ MAT EATON
Isaac and Mat will be battling for the King of th Giants title
which
Isaac currently holds. Mat is the newest up and coming super
heavy weight trying to make his mark as one of the best. Isaac
is
the veteran in the fight scene trying to defend his belt for
the first
time. The battle of these two giants will definitely be a crowd
pleaser.
KOLOA KAHALEWAI 240 CHRIS BARNARD
These two super heavy weights once battled with Chris coming
out
the victor. Koloa hopes to change the outcome of this fight and
be
the new super heavy weight champion. Chris's remark, when told
he was going to fight Koloa for the title was, I quote "easy."
And it's easy to talk heavy when you’re a super heavy weight.
But
the mission will be far from easy when the bell rings.
DANIEL MADAYAG 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
These two young boys have been raising a lot of eyebrows throughout
the fight world. Daniel who is originally a Kenpo karate martial
artist,
has been taking on a lot of great kickboxers and will meet another
one
who goes by the name of Clem Halloway. This fight will be an
aggressive fight, for both fighters like to be on the offensive.
Daniel
has good kick combinations with Clem having the better punch
combinations. Be sure not to miss these two teenagers for guns
will
be blazing in this match.
PATRICK CHANDELARIA 180 JACOB RAUSCHENBURG
GARY UDEGAWA 140 KEONI MARTIN
KAIPO KIAAINA 140 JORDAN DEKNEEF
JOSEPH ENAENA 150 BLAKE VILLANIDO
HOKU BUDDINGER 140 JOSHUA GONSALVES
SAGE YOSHIDA 150 LIKI VELLAROSA
DYLAN APILADO 95 NELSON KUKAHIKO
ETHAN RISTA 165 YOSHITAKE HIGUCHI
AULANI VEA 45 ISAAC STALCUP
MARTIN DAY 145 JORY FAASILI
JONAH KUTZEN 125 JOEY SHIPPER
LOKAHI MORANTE 60 SPIKE KAHALEWAI
VINCE LONGBOY 135 THOMAS MATTIAS
JUSTIN KAHALEWAI 115 ISRAEL ALVAREZ
KENANI MEDALI 190 SHAWN HEREY
XAVIER VEA 135 EMERSON SOURIEA
NICK CORREA 145 COLAN MACKENZIE
KEONI GRANDY 200+ NOLAN SANCHEZ
LAA KOOHOOKELE 150 SOLOMON
matches & participants are subject to change
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WHITE
BREAKS DOWN ST. PIERRE-PENN AND UFC 94
With
UFC 94 already in the books as another gate-buster, UFC president
Dana White had every reason to be thrilled at the post-fight
press conference. Exhaustion was his latest opponent.
“We’ve
done like five fights in the last month,” he said. “After
you get done with a week like this… you just try to get
through it. I’ll be back in mode again on Monday.”
Apart
from his staffers' projections, he knew the fight would be successful
after talking with other UFC fighters.
“This
was a big fight because of who B.J. Penn is, and because of who
Georges St. Pierre is,” White said. “They’re both
very well respected by the fans, by other fighters. This was
a big fight. You can gauge how big a fight is and how exciting
it is by how many fighters are pumped up to see a fight. And
every one of them couldn’t wait to see this fight tonight.”
The
“Primetime” special featuring Penn and St. Pierre proved
to be a wise investment for the promotion, mirroring the success
of “24/7” as a vehicle to generate interest in a fight.
Its $1.7 million price tag will reserve it for three big fights
a year, according to White, but it will stay in the UFC’s
promoting arsenal.
“It
was a good experience,” he said. “Obviously, me and
B.J. got into a big fight during the show, but other than that,
it was good.”
St.
Pierre’s victory over Penn did much to cement his legacy
as one of the greatest fighters in the game today. Another super
fight opportunity lingers with Anderson Silva, but White says
the French Canadian still has some work to do before he takes
the spot of the pound for pound best.
“I
still wouldn’t call him pound for pound the best in the
world, but he’s number two, no doubt about it,” White
said. “Georges takes out Thiago Alves? He’s on his
way. I would say Georges St. Pierre would be neck and neck with
Anderson had he not lost to Matt Serra.”
Penn
was shuttled to a local hospital after the fight and was unable
to attend the press conference. He will soon defend his lightweight
title for the second time, against Kenny Florian. White said
it was unlikely Penn would move up in weight again in the near
future.
“I
don’t think I’ll have to encourage him to do that,”
he said.
But
he stressed that size wasn’t at the root of Penn’s
defeat. The Hawaiian was simply outgunned.
“Georges
beat him tonight, period.”
Source: MMA Weekly
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PENN
VS. ST. PIERRE CONTINUES OUTSIDE OCTAGON
Despite an impressive four-round performance by current UFC welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 on Saturday night –
he dominated lightweight champ B.J. Penn into a post-fourth round
stoppage – much of the attention is not so much on St. Pierre's
accomplishment as it is on a firestorm of controversy focused
on his cornermen.
In
the hours after the event, it came to light that there had been
more going on in the Octagon on Saturday night than St. Pierre's
performance claiming him a piece of MMA history.
His
corner – famed trainer Greg Jackson and coach Phil Nurse
– are being accused of improperly applying Vaseline to St.
Pierre's back at the least, and being called cheaters who were
intentionally "greasing him up" to nullify Penn's jiu-jitsu
game at the other end of the spectrum.
"The
controversy came because Phil Nurse also was putting Vaseline
on Georges’ eyebrows,” Jackson told MMAWeekly.com on
Sunday. “In between rounds, you always want to put on Vaseline
on (a fighter’s face). So Phil Nurse put all the Vaseline
on his face, so his hands might have had a miniscule amount left
over from that, when he went around the side and rubbed a little
point on his back, and tapped on his chest."
The
perceptions may vary, but the executive director of the Nevada
State Athletic Commission – the sanctioning body that maintains
authority over UFC 94 – confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Monday
that there is an issue at hand that is based in fact.
"After
the first round ended, the fighters are getting ready for round
two. One inspector noticed a (St. Pierre) cornerman, Phil Nurse,
putting Vaseline on George's face, then kind of rubbed him down
a bit, which would be okay if he was clean," asserted Keith
Kizer.
Such
an impropriety immediately raised red flags and put him on full
alert, especially with this mega-fight occurring just one week
after another wave of doctoring controversy had crashed over
the Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosely boxing match in California.
Margarito was suspended and ordered to attend a hearing due to
a foreign substance found in his hand wraps on the night of the
fight.
"After
round two, I watched him like a hawk," said Kizer. "I've
only entered the ring maybe three or four times (in my career)
during a fight, but I did this time.
Watching
the pay-per-view, Nurse is clearly seen on camera applying Vaseline
to the face of St. Pierre following round one. It is difficult
to tell the amount of residual Vaseline on his hands, but he
does clearly rub St. Pierre's shoulders and then reach around
to touch his upper back. The extent to which such actions affected
the actual in-ring action are unclear, but what is clear is that
such action was a violation Nevada's regulations.
"They
didn't take a big glob and throw it on his back. After putting
Vaseline on (St. Pierre's) face, he put his hands on his body.
I don't know if it was intentional or not, but it was improper,"
Kizer continued, who confirmed that an inspector did use a towel
to wipe St. Pierre's back between rounds two and three, and three
and four.
He
also indicated that Penn mentioned to a commission inspector
in his corner that he was having trouble controlling St. Pierre.
"He did bring that up to the inspector after either round
one or two, I'm not sure which. I didn't know that until (Monday)
morning."
Currently,
the ball is in Penn's court. While there could be further action
against St. Pierre's cornermen, Kizer says the commission will
first wait to see if Penn files a formal complaint. B.J.'s brother
and manager, J.D. Penn, told Sherdog.com that they intend to
file such a grievance on Monday, but as of mid-afternoon local
time in Nevada, the athletic commission had yet to receive said
complaint.
If
and when the Penn's do file a complaint, then it will be up to
the five commissioners on the Nevada State Athletic Commission
to determine whether there will be a hearing or not. The commissioners
would take into consideration the complaint and any arguments
then determine how to proceed.
It's
possible that the commission could still pursue action whether
or not a complaint is lodged.
The
outcome of the contest isn't likely to be overturned, however,
according to Kizer. "The Penn's could ask for that, but
the regulations, that I know of, wouldn't allow for it. It's
more likely that there would be a written warning or other disciplinary
action.
"There
are four bases for Nevada law to overturn the outcome of a fight:
a failed drug test, a scoring error, the referee misinterpreting
and applying the rules, or collusion." Collusion would encompass
some sort of conspiracy to predetermine the outcome of a fight.
Kizer
likened the situation to a baseball game. If a pitcher is caught
in the later innings of a game using Vaseline or another substance
to doctor the ball – and he very well could have been doing
it on every pitch of the game to that point – he is thrown
out of the game, but the score isn't changed, the game isn't
started over.
"Of
course, (Penn's camp) is free to argue (that there is cause to
overturn the outcome)," he added. "(But) it was a violation
of (St. Pierre's) cornerman."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GUIDA
SAYS UFC 94 WIN A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME
While
he proudly carries the nickname "The Carpenter" into
the cage, Clay Guida may soon have to take up the moniker of
"TUF Killer," as he defeated his second straight "Ultimate
Fighter" winner. On Saturday night at UFC 94, he picked
up a win over season 5 champion Nate Diaz.
Guida
controlled the pace of the fight at almost every turn, frustrating
Diaz with his clinch work and takedowns. While the Chicago resident
was mindful of his opponent's ground game, he never felt in any
danger from the Cesar Gracie student's submissions.
"I
felt actually very comfortable in his guard," Guida told
MMAWeekly.com after the fight. "Everyone knows his triangle,
that's his move and that's his bread and butter, and we passed
his legs. He probably outstruck me a little bit, but we got the
big slam and we kept the fight where we wanted to."
The
striking game was the one area that Guida was critical about
when it came to judging his performance. In the third round,
Diaz was able to use his reach advantage to pepper Guida with
jabs before "The Carpenter" got back in control with
his grappling game.
"I
wasn't satisfied with my striking, he seemed like every time
I'd throw a right or something, he would come in, a little more
elusive, a couple more inches away from me," Guida stated.
"I'm 5'7", I'm definitely not the tallest guy in my
weight class, but we're working on those hands."
Winner
of three fights in a row and his fifth win overall in the UFC,
Guida is hoping the New Year will bring big things for his career
as well.
"Each
one is more important than the last," Guida said about the
win. "It's just a little hint of what's to come in '09."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ALMEIDA
ON INJURY, HELIO GRACIE AND RETURN
It’s
been over half a year since Ricardo Almeida was last in the Ultimate
Fighting Championship Octagon, suffering his first loss in six
years to Patrick Cote at UFC 86.
Since
then he’s been recovering from injury and retooling his
game in hopes of working his way back towards title contention
in the stacked UFC middleweight division
Originally
scheduled to face Matt Horwich at UFC 90 last October, Almeida
was forced to drop out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury,
which he recently opened up about.
“I
was diagnosed with a sports hernia, which is essentially a tear
(in) your lower abdomen,” he said of the injury that sidelined
him. “That’s a very different type of injury compared
to the popular inguinal hernia, most frequent among football
and hockey players.”
According
to Almeida, it appears a previous surgery may have contributed
to the hernia.
“In
2003, I had my appendix removed and that seems to have left a
weakened area of scar tissue where the injury developed,”
he speculated.
Having
properly dealt with the situation, Almeida doesn’t foresee
it becoming an issue as he prepares to return to action in the
coming months.
“I
have taken some forced time off, giving it time to heal,”
he commented. “As I returned to training I have been feeling
really good. I am happy to be able to train pain-free.”
When
he does get back into the Octagon, he will be doing so with a
renewed focus stemming from his loss to Cote.
“I
wasn’t really upset with the fact that I lost, but (more
so) really disappointed in my performance,” Almeida disclosed.
“I am a competitor by nature, but to me, winning or losing
is not as important as fighting my best and letting the scorecard
show what happened.
“I
just didn’t fight my best last July and that is giving me
enormous motivation leading up to my next fight.”
If
things go according to plan, his return to action will be at
UFC Fight Night 18 on the April 1 against the man he was supposed
to face last October, Matt Horwich.
“Matt
is one of the best grapplers at 185,” said Almeida. “He
has an unorthodox style on the feet as well as on the ground.
This is a fight where for sure I will have to be very focused,
even when it hits the ground.”
Speaking
of the ground game, as many fans know, Almeida is a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
black belt under Renzo Gracie, grandnephew of the recently passed
away legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu innovator and patriarch Helio
Gracie.
An
ambassador for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu himself, Almeida commented
on the passing of Gracie. “Master Helio was an inspiration
not only to his family, but to jiu-jitsu practitioners all over
the world.
“He
and his brother Carlos spearheaded the biggest revolution in
modern martial arts. Their legacy will impact many generations
(to come).”
Turning
his attentions towards the future, Almeida looks forward to not
only furthering his cause inside the cage, but outside as well.
“My
injury late last year came as somewhat of a blessing as it has
given me the time to heal and refocus on the things and people
who really matter most in my life,” he stated. “My
personal goal for 2009 is to be a positive influence for those
around me and continue to grow and develop my students.
“As
for fighting, I want to keep building my body, my mind and skills
so I can get back in the (title) hunt. I was one fight away from
fighting for the title and I want to be back in that position.”
In
closing, Ricardo wanted to make sure to thank fans for their
continued support of not only himself, but MMA as well.
“On
Super Bowl weekend I went to Weston, Fla., to teach a seminar
at my friend Stan Beck’s school. Part of the proceeds were
donated to Autism Speaks, which is an organization dedicated
to increasing awareness of autism, and there was a very nice
turnout,” he said. “Later that same night we did a
‘meet and greet’ at a local bar/restaurant during the
B.J. (Penn) and GSP (Georges St. Pierre) fight, and I could not
believe how many people were there tuned into the UFC.
“I
wanted to use these two distinct examples of how far our sport
has come since my first fight in the UFC in 2001, and thank the
fans for their support and participation even in the tough (economic)
times we are experiencing in our country.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
LYOTO
MACHIDA FINALLY "ARRIVES" AT THE UFC
Undefeated Brazilian light heavyweight Lyoto Machida was the
only fighter at UFC 94, other than wrecking ball Georges St.
Pierre, to finish his opponent. And he did it in devastating
fashion.
Kind
of ironic for a guy who’s gotten a heap of criticism as
the essence of boring.
“My
goal is to please my fans,” Machida told reporters through
his translator and manager, Ed Soares, at the post-fight press
conference.
If
you asked UFC president Dana White, this moment was coming. Machida
came into the Ultimate Fighting Championship at UFC 67 with a
number of impressive wins, but he was essentially an untested
commodity. After Saturday’s finish, an artful display of
speed, leverage, and power, White believes Machida has found
his footing.
“If
you think back to Matt Hughes, Randy Couture, even Chuck Liddell,
any of the guys who’ve been the big stars here in the past
10 years, they weren’t barnburners when they first came
into the UFC,” White explained. “It wasn’t like
highlight reels and excitement. What happens is guys get into
the UFC, it takes them a little while to feel this is their home,
they start to get the feel for it, get some fights under their
belt. And I said when Lyoto gets that, he’s going to be
very dangerous, and I think he’s going to be one of the
greatest fighters in MMA. He looks better every time he fights.”
Machida
attributed the better showings to his father, who first taught
him karate, as well as a new nutrition plan.
“I
changed up quite a few things in my training,” he said.
“I trained a lot with my brothers and my father helped a
lot more through this training camp, on the finer points of my
game.”
White
again stressed that Machida was “in the mix” for a
title shot, though he would not face Rashad Evans next and would
probably not get his chance until the end of the year.
Perhaps
for the first time, Machida got a hero’s praise from the
crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. He didn’t give them
much of a choice this time.
“I’m
just real happy because every time I come out I try to get better
and better and try to improve and finish fights,” he said.
“And it just makes me feel good when I go out there and
do the kind of job that I did, and the fans are cheering for
me and get on my side.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DANA
WHITE ON POUND-FOR-POUND & SUPERFIGHTS
Pound-for-pound rankings in mixed martial arts are a highly debated
topic that plays out on voting panels, website forums and around
water coolers in workplaces on any given day.
There
are really only three names being mentioned as the best pound-for-pound
fighters in the world: Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre and
Fedor Emelianenko, although Lyoto Machida's stock is quickly
rising.
Ultimate
Fighting Championship president Dana White believes the top two
pound-for-pound fighters in the world are in his organization
with Anderson Silva being No. 1 and Georges St. Pierre a close
second.
"I
still wouldn't call (St. Pierre) pound-for pound the best in
the world. But I would say, yea, he's No. 2. No doubt about it,"
said the high profile president of the UFC. "Anderson Silva
has been annihilating everybody for a long time. Georges has
some work to do now.
"If
Georges takes out Thiago Alves, he's on his way," added
White. "The pound-for-pound to me, I would say Georges St.
Pierre would be neck-and-neck with Anderson had he not lost to
Matt Serra."
An
Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre bout seems to be on a collision
course if the stars align and both remain champions through their
next fights.
"I
think it's possible," White commented. "Right now,
what I think we should do is guys stay in their weight classes
for a while, but I'm a fan of super-fights."
White
admitted he'd "absolutely" like to see the two highly
regarded fighters test their skills against each other in the
Octagon, but it probably won't happen in the near future. "I
think if these guys continue to go unbeaten and keep fighting...
what I like to see, I like to see weight classes cleaned out.
When you empty a division and you're looking for that next challenge,
why not step up and try to take it?"
Yet,
White won't commit to a hard timeline for such a bout. "Do
I think it will be by Super Bowl of next year? I don't know."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CARLOS
CONDIT VS. MARTIN KAMPMANN ANNOUNCED
Spike TV on Tuesday officially announced the UFC Fight Night
18 event scheduled for April 1. The event takes place at the
Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
As
expected, WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit will make his
UFC debut in the main event, facing UFC veteran Martin Kampmann.
Condit is on an eight-fight winning streak, while Kampmann is
now 5-1 in the UFC following a successful move from middleweight
to welterweight in his most recent fight.
Other
bouts confirmed for UFC Fight Night 18 feature Ultimate Fighter
8 winners Ryan Bader and Efrain Escudero marking their first
fights since the reality series ended. Bader faces American Top
Team's Carmelo Marrero. Escudero's opponent has yet to be officially
announced. If he comes out unscathed in his main event bout with
Joe Lauzon at this weekend's UFC Fight Night 17 in Tamap, Fla.,
however, Jeremy Stephens is expected to return against Escudero
on April 1.
Spike
TV will open the two-hour televised fight card at 9:00 pm ET
with a lightweight battle between Ultimate Fighter 8 alum Junie
Browning and Ultimate Fighter 5 veteran Cole Miller.
Ultimate
Fight Night 18 marks the UFC's debut in Nashville.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SAUNDERS
OUT; MCCRORY TAPPED AS REPLACEMENT
Another change has been made for UFC's return to Columbus, Ohio,
as Ben Saunders has been forced off the card with a foot injury.
Tamdan McCrory has been tapped as a replacement to step in and
face newcomer Ryan Madigan at UFC 96, as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com
on Monday by sources close to the situation.
Currently
sporting a 2-2 record in the Octagon, McCrory steps into this
bout after a loss to Dustin Hazelett at UFC 91 in November. Ironically
enough he will be facing Madigan, the fighter who replaced Hazelett
when he faced an injury and was unable to fight on the card.
McCrory
has been a handful for any opponent in all of his fights, standing
at 6'4" tall and fighting at 170lbs, gives him a reach advantage
in nearly all of his bouts. He submitted veteran fighter, Pete
Spratt, in his UFC debut in June 2007 and also holds a win over
"Ultimate Fighter" season 2 runner-up, Luke Cummo.
Ryan
Madigan is a dangerous kickboxer who transitioned to MMA and
still currently holds an undefeated record for his career.
It's
unknown at this time if the bout between McCrory and Madigan
will be on the main card, but it will likely be relegated to
the untelevised preliminary show. The main event for UFC 96 will
pit former UFC light heavyweight champion, Quinton "Rampage"
Jackson against Keith Jardine in a 205lb contest.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Don't
think you're on the right road just because it's a well-beaten
path."
Source Unknown
|
ST.
PIERRE FINISHES PENN WITH 4TH ROUND STOPPAGE
Boxing had Muhammad Ali. Basketball had Michael Jordan. Baseball
had Babe Ruth. And mixed martial arts has Georges St. Pierre,
who on Saturday night cemented his legendary status as he dominated
UFC lightweight champion, B.J. Penn, en route to a 4th round
stoppage when the Hawaiian could no longer continue.
As
fans from around the world made predictions and picked sides
in the battle of two of the best fighters the sport has ever
seen, St. Pierre and Penn squared off in Las Vegas to determine
who truly is the best pound for pound fighter, and battle for
the UFC welterweight championship.
It
was apparent in the early going that St. Pierre had no intentions
of letting Penn settle into any kind of rhythm as he pressed
the Hawaiian against the cage, going for a takedown, while peppering
him with shots whenever necessary. The first five minutes of
the fight were the only time Penn was able to stop St. Pierre
from getting the takedown and the remaining 15 minutes saw a
dominant performance from the Canadian.
The
2nd round saw St. Pierre once again get the clinch, but this
time landing the takedown on Penn and immediately the welterweight
champion started chipping away at his opponent's defense. Hitting
Penn from the top with punches and elbows, St. Pierre looked
strong and fast as he punished the lightweight champion, making
him struggle for air with a relentless attack.
St.
Pierre said his stifling style of takedowns and wrestling was
all part of the master plan concocted by his coaching staff to
take away Penn's hand speed.
"B.J.
Penn is a world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu so my strategy
was in the first two rounds to make a wrestling match with him
because he's got very quick hands and his shoulder is made for
boxing," St. Pierre explained. "So because he has small
soldiers, by making him wrestle, all the blood would go into
his shoulder and it would have become stiff and his hand would
not come out as it is usually."
The
plan worked to perfection and Penn seemed to slump a bit between
rounds, obviously winded from the attack put on him by St. Pierre
throughout the fight.
The
third and fourth rounds saw referee Herb Dean keep a close eye
on the action as St. Pierre continuously punished Penn from the
half guard and side control positions as Penn struggled to get
out from under the Canadian champion. St. Pierre never seemed
to stop moving as he continuously worked to pass guard and pummel
his opponent with everything in his arsenal.
After
the fourth round ended as B.J. Penn stood with his back to his
opponent, the Hawaiian's corner instructed the cageside physician
that they were stopping the fight, declaring Georges St. Pierre
the winner of this monumental match-up.
"I've
been training for this fight since September so I had a lot of
pressure. Last time I fought him I won in a decision, this time
I really wanted to take him out and I'm glad that I did it,"
St. Pierre said after his 2nd consecutive title defense.
Winning
his 5th fight in a row overall, St. Pierre proved on Saturday
night why he considered one of the best fighters ever to step
into mixed martial arts, and why he can be tagged with the name
"legend" already at this point in his career. While
happy in his victory, St. Pierre was quick to point out that
he has a very tough opponent waiting in the wings to face him
in the near future.
"Thiago
Alves is the #1 contender," St. Pierre stated. "I'm
world champion, I'm a proud champion so I want to fight the best
guys in the sport, I think Thiago is next and it's a fighter
that I have a lot of respect for, so it's going to be a good
fight."
With
the celebration still going on, Thiago Alves entered the Octagon
and spoke to the capacity crowd in attendance as well as the
champion, Georges St. Pierre.
"Georges
congratulations, amazing performance, I'm a big fan, you looked
really great," Alves said after shaking the champion's hand.
"I'm looking forward for this fight, I'm the #1 contender
and I really want to get the title shot."
Georges
St. Pierre will relish his victory today, but the savvy champion
knows that the next challenger is waiting just around the corner.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
HANDS DOWN $65,000 BONUSES FOR UFC 94
On a night that saw Georges St. Pierre cement his place in history
with a 4th round stoppage over B.J. Penn, the UFC handed down
$65,000 bonuses to some of the tremendous competitors on the
card Saturday night.
"Knockout
of the Night" was a no brainer, beyond the fact that it
was one of only 2 finishes on the card, as Lyoto Machida kept
his perfect record in tact with a thunderous right hand on the
ground that knocked opponent, Thiago Silva, unconscious to end
the first round and the fight.
Machida
stays undefeated and carries home a $65,000 bonus for his efforts
against Silva in the win.
The
UFC handed down two different "Fight of the Night"
bonuses as both Clay Guida and Nate Diaz earned a bonus for their
fight to kick off the pay-per-view card, as well as welterweights
John Howard and Chris Wilson who went to war during the untelevised
preliminary show.
All
4 participants will get a $65,000 bonus each as winners of "Fight
of the Night."
The
card featured no submissions, thus no "Submission of the
Night" award went out for the UFC 94 show.
Stay
tuned as MMAWeekly.com will have a full report with salaries
from the UFC 94 card tonight as well.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
94 "ST. PIERRE VS. PENN" FIGHTER SALARIES
MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary information from the
Nevada State Athletic Commission for UFC 94 "Georges St.
Pierre vs. B.J. Penn" featuring the welterweight championship
mega-fight, which took place on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the MGM
Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The
following figures are based on the fighter salary information
that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic
commissions, including the winners' bonuses.
Although
mixed martial arts fighters do not have collective bargaining
or a union, the fighters' salaries are still public record, just
as with every other major sport in the United States. Any undisclosed
bonuses that a promoter also pays its fighters, but does not
disclose to the athletic commissions (specifically, pay-per-view
bonuses, fight of the night bonuses, etc.), are not included
in the figures below.
In
the listings below, "Main Event Fighters" are defined
as fighters who compete in the main event of a show. "Main
Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose fights appear
on the main card, but not in the main event. "Preliminary
Card Fighters" are defined as fighters whose matches take
place before the main card goes on the air, regardless of whether
or not those matches end up airing on the TV or Internet broadcast.
MAIN
EVENT FIGHTERS
–
Georges St. Pierre $400,000 (includes $200,000 win bonus) def.
B.J. Penn $125,000 (win bonus would have been $125,000)
MAIN
CARD FIGHTERS
–
Lyoto Machida $120,000 (includes $60,000 win bonus) def. Thiago
Silva $29,000 (win bonus would have been $29,000)
–
Jon Jones $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus) def. Stephan Bonnar
$22,000 (win bonus would have been $22,000)
–
Karo Parisyan $80,000 (includes $40,000 win bonus) def. Dong
Hyun Kim $26,000 (win bonus would have been $26,000)
–
Clay Guida $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus) def. Nate Diaz
$20,000 (win bonus would have been $20,000)
PRELIMINARY
CARD FIGHTERS
–
Jon Fitch $68,000 (includes $34,000 win bonus) def. Akihiro Gono
$28,000 (win bonus would have been $28,000)
–
Thiago Tavares $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus) def. Manny
Gamburyan $14,000 (win bonus would have been $14,000)
–
John Howard $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus) def. Chris Wilson
$15,000 (win bonus would have been $15,000)
-
Jake O'Brien $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Christian
Wellisch $12,000 (win bonus would have been $12,000)
–
Dan Cramer $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Matt Arroyo
$8,000 (win bonus would have been $8,000)
UFC
94 DISCLOSED FIGHTER PAYROLL: $1,091,000
(Editor's
Note: MMAWeekly.com incorrectly omitted the salaries of Jake
O'Brien and Christian Wellisch upon the initial publishing of
this article.)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ST.
PIERRE CORNERMAN STIRS UFC 94 CONTROVERSY
LAS VEGAS - Although it flew under the radar for most of the
fans in attendance and those watching on television, there was
an incident during the UFC 94 main event mega-fight between Georges
St. Pierre and B.J. Penn that could land one of St. Pierre's
cornermen in hot water.
It
seems that at some point between the first and second rounds,
a St. Pierre cornerman allegedly applied Vaseline to St. Pierre's
back, an infraction of the rules.
"I
saw the commission jump up there and flip out. They said that
one of the guys was rubbing Vaseline on GSP's back... in between
one of the rounds, one and two, I think," said UFC president
Dana White following the UFC 94 post-fight press conference.
"I personally didn't see it, the commission did. And that's
about as illegal as you can get... I'm sure the commission is
going to deal (with it)."
St.
Pierre was clearly wiped down with towels in between rounds two
and three, and again between rounds three and four, by a commission
official.
White
believes - while the allegations are serious and that there should
be serious repercussions - the outcome of the fight wasn't tainted
by the incident.
"You
could have put Vaseline on from head to toe, that wasn't the
point, the point was you don't do it. It's illegal. The guy who
did it needs to be punished, it's not (St. Pierre's) fault,"
said the UFC president. "The question is what happens to
a guy that does that. You've got to put the smack down on him.
He should lose his license.
"I
don't think that impacted the fight, I don't."
A
representative of Penn's camp informed MMAWeekly.com that they
had not yet determined whether to file a formal complaint with
the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
There
was no comment available from St. Pierre's camp or from the Nevada
State Athletic Commission at the time of publication.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ST.
PIERRE TRAINER RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS
The fighters of Greg Jackson’s team are no strangers to
ritual inside the Octagon. First there’s the “Jackson
nipple tweak,” a bizarre, if amusing, twist of the nipples
his fighters often do before fighting, believed to prepare them
for intense battle inside the Octagon. Now, there appears to
be a new ritual in Jackson’s camp, and it’s the source
of controversy following Georges St. Pierre’s rout of B.J.
Penn at Saturday’s UFC 94.
St.
Pierre’s cornermen, including Jackson, were at the center
of a storm at UFC 94 after officials from the Nevada State Athletic
Commission approached them during the fight to investigate allegations
that they were applying Vaseline to St. Pierre in between rounds.
Jackson
spoke to MMAWeekly.com on Sunday afternoon and said the misunderstanding
arose after Phil Nurse, one of St. Pierre’s cornermen, executed
a ritual taught by a member of St. Pierre’s team, a “witch
doctor” named Steven Friend.
“So
in between rounds, (Friend) had this little drill that you do
– and Phil Nurse is the one who knows how to do it –
he showed Phil, and this is what Georges wanted, so we did that,”
Jackson said. “But this is why we were doing it. He rubbed
your back and tapped your chest; I don’t know exactly how
it works. But anyways, what that’s supposed to do is get
your energy in line, or motivated or whatever. So in between
rounds, we had Phil Nurse do that.”
Jackson
said St. Pierre has worked with Friend for years, since the French
Canadian began training at Jackson’s academy in Albuquerque,
N.M. Jackson says Friend has also worked with Matt Hughes and
Randy Couture in preparation for their fights. Friend was featured
in the sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” as a
guest of Hughes.
“The
controversy came because Phil Nurse also was putting Vaseline
on Georges’ eyebrows,” Jackson elaborated. “In
between rounds, you always want to put on Vaseline on (a fighter’s
face). So Phil Nurse put all the Vaseline on his face, so his
hands might have had a miniscule amount left over from that,
when he went around the side and rubbed a little point on his
back, and tapped on his chest.
“At
that point, somebody in the audience thought we were greasing
George down, and ran over and told the commission that we were
greasing his body down. The commission came in and said ‘you
can’t grease him down,’ which didn’t work. They
said ‘you’re putting Vaseline on his back,’ and
Phil’s like, ‘oh, there might be a little on my fingers,
but it wasn’t intentional at all, and of course they wiped
it right off and it was gone, so it wasn’t a factor in the
fight at all.”
Indeed,
much of the fight played out with St. Pierre on top of Penn,
doling out a vicious ground and pound attack. Jackson said after
a little explaining, the commission realized what was going on.
“We
told our side of the story, we said didn’t mean to put any
grease anywhere,” he said. “If we were trying to grease
the back we’d be greasing up and down, we would make it
count. We wouldn’t do a little tiny spot in the back. The
whole thing doesn’t make any sense, so they were fine with
it once we gave our explanation. It wasn’t like we were
taking gobs of Vaseline and slathering on his back. They didn’t
understand the drill that the witch doctor was having us do,
and so it looked that way. It didn’t affect the fight at
all.”
At
this point, no formal complaint has been filed with the NSAC.
The popular trainer chalks the whole incident up to fan paranoia.
“The
whole greasing thing is pretty ridiculous,” he said. “You
can’t grease somebody up. You just couldn’t do it.
They check your body before you get into the cage, there’s
an inspector right there. In order for us to grease him up, it
would be insane. There are cameras everywhere. We don’t
cheat. We don’t need to cheat to win.”
Jackson
said he wasn’t aware if St. Pierre’s ritual was related
to the infamous “nipple tweak,” as the whole business
was “out of his domain.” As long as it made his fighter
feel better, he was all for it.
“If
it works, we’re going to use it,” he said.
Source: MMA Weekly |
IN
THE WAR ROOM WITH GEORGES ST. PIERRE
The
war room at Camp St. Pierre must be a busy place before every
championship bout, as members of the Canadian fighters' team
put together the perfect game plan to break down the opponent
and give their fighter the edge. The strategy worked to perfection
once again on Saturday night, as St. Pierre punished and out
worked B.J. Penn on his way to a fourth round stoppage in their
championship bout.
Following
the win, St. Pierre admitted that it was a loss that turned things
around for him and the results have been big win after big win.
"After
my loss to Matt Serra I decided to train more seriously and more
professionally, I really changed everything," St. Pierre
said.
The
changes have worked as his team led by famed coach Greg Jackson
and others put together the strategy to beat Penn. Even in the
first round when St. Pierre was unable to put the Hawaiian on
his back, he knew that eventually he'd put the lightweight champion
where he wanted him.
"Not
at all, it was part of the gameplan, to make the fight very physical,
make him hop on one leg, make him push me away, and make his
shoulder tired," St. Pierre responded when asked if he was
frustrated by not getting Penn down early.
"If
I would have got the takedown, I would get it, but I wasn't rushing
it. I was like no problem, I'm just going to clinch him and push
him away. Make him carry my weight."
The
plan to use the takedown as a weapon to work Penn into exhaustion
was possibly the biggest factor in the fight, and St. Pierre
executed it to perfection.
"I
knew in the beginning it would have been hard to get the takedown,
but I wanted to make him tired, tired, tired as much as I can,"
commented St. Pierre.
Once
on the ground, St. Pierre then employed a body shot clinic, hurting
Penn with everything in his arsenal while concentrating on the
breadbasket to make him fight for every breath he could muster.
"On
the ground my strategy was when I put him down to focus on body
shots, not the head," said St. Pierre. "So always putting
the point of my elbow on his stomach, to make him tired, plus
the wrestling, plus the body shots."
The
game plan couldn’t have worked any better, and with the
win, St. Pierre holds onto his welterweight title as well as
vaulting higher in everyone's minds as possibly the best mixed
martial arts fighter on the planet.
Admittedly
tired from the long and rigorous camp, St. Pierre said he plans
on taking a couple of months off to vacation and relax, but then
he knows that he has a "Pitbull" named Thiago Alves
waiting in the wings.
"I'll
be hungry again," St. Pierre reassured the media in attendance.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
94 RESULTS, LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY AND PHOTOS
MMAWeekly.com is on location in Las Vegas to bring live results,
play-by-play and photos from Saturday night's UFC 94 at the MGM
Grand Garden Arena.
The
UFC 94 main event features the anticipated mega-fight for the
UFC welterweight title. Current champion Georges St. Pierre looks
to defend his title from UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn in
a rematch three years in the making.
Other
bouts feature a light heavyweight battle between Top 10 fighters
Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva and a lightweight showdown pitting
Clay Guida and Nate Diaz against each other.
The
first preliminary bout is scheduled to begin at approximately
5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. The main card on pay-per-view begins at
7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.
Refresh
your browser frequently for the latest UFC 94 results, play-by-play,
and photos.
UFC
94 Play-by-Play:
Georges
St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn
(Late betting money has gone on Georges St. Pierre at the MGM
as the latest odds have GSP at -170 and B.J. Penn at +140. A
slight increase in St. Pierre's favor over Friday.)
Canadian
and Hawaiian flags pop up across the arena as fans again begin
the GSP and B.J. Penn chants across the arena.
The
crowd is deafening as B.J. Penn makes his way onto the arena
floor and heads to the Octagon for the biggest fight in UFC history.
Not
to be done by their Hawaiian counterparts, the Canadian contingent
was out in full force, raising the volume to unbelievable levels
as Georges St. Pierre stepped into the Octagon... Game on!!!
R1
– No touch of the gloves, they immediately tie up and start
trading knees, backing up to the fence. St. Pierre hooks a leg
and attempts a takedown, Penn's amazing balance keeps them upright
and they re-clinch along the fence. Penn lands a couple of punches
as St. Pierre again goes for the takedown, but can't get it.
They separate, St. Pierre landing a right hand as they split.
St. Pierre initiates the clinch at center ring, starts kneeing
Penn and drives him to the fence. Again trying for a takedown,
St. Pierre gives up and opts again for the clinch. They exchange
punches, Penn catching St. Pierre with the right hand and a good
stiff left jab. St. Pierre lands a left-right combination, controlling
the center of the Octagon. Again they clinch on the fence, St.
Pierre pressing his weight on Penn. St. Pierre lands a stiff
jab of his own s they separate, then a right leg kick.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for St. Pierre.
R2
– St. Pierre lands a jab to the body. Penn rushes forward
and St. Pierre catches him coming in, but no heavy damage. They
clinch up against the fence again, St. Pierre once again looking
for the takedown, and this time he gets it, landing in Penn's
guard. St. Pierre starts to ground and pound, while Penn starts
working his legs up, looking for a submission. St. Pierre stands
up and then dropdown in Penn's guard, punching as he does so.
He passes Penn's guard and works from side control, punching
to the head repeatedly. St. Pierre starts mixing in hammer fists.
Penn gets his guard back, putting St. Pierre in a full guard.
St. Pierre postures up and drops some heavy punches down on Penn.
St. Pierre stands, drops some big shots, stands again, and then
passes guard, but Penn immediately gets his guard back. But St.
Pierre unleashes a couple of really heavy punches, and it looks
like he may have cut Penn under his left eye, the round closing.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for St. Pierre.
R3
– St. Pierre opens with a stiff jab and leg kick, then another
strong punch that has blood gushing from Penn's nose. St. Pierre
is snapping Penn's head with his jab, really starting to mount
some damage. He again takes Penn to the mat and goes to work
from half guard, punching to the head. Penn gets his full guard
back, but St. Pierre continues his ground and pound attack, working
head and body. St. Pierre again postures up and drops some heavy
shots, but Penn miraculously works back to his feet and pushes
St. Pierre up against the fence as he looks for a takedown. St.
Pierre manages to get him upright and reverse positions; Penn
now back to the fence. St. Pierre again takes Penn down. Pinned
to the fence, Penn is feeling some heavy forearms and punches
from St. Pierre with no room to escape. St. Pierre stands up
and drops down, again brutalizing the lightweight champion.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for St. Pierre.
R4
– St. Pierre starts to work right away on the body with
punches and kicks to the legs, then shoots in for a double-leg
takedown, putting Penn on his back once again. Working from side
control, St. Pierre drops forearms and punches down at will on
Penn, but gets warned for shots to the back of the head. He has
Penn's arms trapped and is unloading a relentless barrage. St.
Pierre moves to partial mount, continuously punishing Penn with
punches to the head and face. He moves back to side control,
driving a knee to the ribs, then starts up with punches and hammerfists
to the face again, followed by a sharp elbow. Penn continues
to move and try to find a way to fend off St. Pierre, but the
welterweight champion is just brutalizing Penn with an unwavering
attack. With 30 seconds left, St. Pierre opens up, sensing a
finish to the fight, hammering away on Penn, who somehow moves
to get St. Pierre nearly into his guard.
MMAWeekl.com
scores the round 10-8 for St. Pierre.
After
the fourth round, referee Herb Dean has seen enough and waves
off the fight. Georges St. Pierre is your winner and still UFC
welterweight champion of the world!
Georges
St. Pierre def. B.J. Penn by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 5:00,
R4
Lyoto
Machida vs. Thiago Silva
R1 – As Silva moves in, Machida is the first to start throwing
leather, later followed by a left high kick. They clinch, Machida
throws a knee, and Silva backs away, complaining of a low blow.
They restart, Machida moving in and taking Silva down, landing
on top, but they scramble and are quickly back on the feet. Machida
dives in with a right hand, but no real damage. Machida drives
a knee to the body and lands a punch that puts Silva on his back.
Machida follows him down and into his guard, but stands back
up, Silva kicking at his shins. Machida dives down into Silva's
guard, starting to ground and pound, but stands back up, allowing
Silva up, then kicks him in the head. Machida catches Silva with
a left-right punch combination, flooring him again, but can't
finish him off. They wrestle back to their feet, clinched. Machida
leg trips Silva, who falls to his back, and then Machida follows
him down landing a huge right hand that puts Silva out cold just
a split second before the bell.
Lyoto
Machida def. Thiago Silva by KO (Punch) at 4:59, R1
Stephan
Bonnar vs. Jon Jones
R1 – Jones lands a turning back kick and an inside leg kick,
then they clinch, Jones putting up a knee to the body. Jones
trips Bonnar and as Bonnar gets back up, Jones lands another
knee to the body. They clinch and Jones tosses Bonnar to the
ground with a hip toss. Jones neck wrestles Bonnar down, but
they're quickly back up and trading sparingly. Clinched along
the fence, Bonnar scores with knees to the thigh and body. Jones
suplexes Bonnar and is taking a commanding lead in the round,
then lands a spinning elbow that lands to the back of Bonnar's
head and floors him. They get back up and clinch. They then separate
and Jones pulls Bonnar's head down and lands a brutal knee to
the face of Bonnar.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Jones.
R2
– Bonnar starts aggressive, throwing kicks. Jones lands
another back kick. Bonnar tries an arm throw, but they hit the
mat with Jones in control. Back up and Bonnar eats a couple of
knees to the face. Jones catches a Bonnar kick and wrestles him
to the mat, landing in Bonnar's half guard. They scramble up
and Bonnar throws a high kick that does little. Jones throws
a kick, but Bonnar counters with the right hand. Then Jones throws
a strong right of his own before they clinch on the fence. Bonnar
is looking seriously gassed at this point. But they separate
and Bonnar lands some strong punch combinations and they clinch
again on the fence. No quit in Bonnar, he moves in on Jones,
throwing punches, but Jones clinches and tosses Bonnar.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Jones.
R3
– They clinch right away and start exchanging knees. Bonnar
lands an uppercut. They fight out of the clinch, Jones now looking
gassed as Banner throws a strong 4-punch combination. They clinch
again, trading overhand rights. Bonnar scores an overhand right,
they clinch, and Jones wrestles Bonnar to the mat. Bonnar tries
to set up the triangle choke, but Jones moves out to side control,
Bonnar on all fours, and then they stand up, clinched. They finally
separate, less than a minute left, and start to trade, but neither
has the gas to throw the fight ending blow. Bonnar moves forward,
but Jones clinches and the bout ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Bonnar; the fight 29-28 for Jones.
Jon
Jones def. Stephan Bonnar by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28,
29-28), R3
Karo
Parisyan vs. Dong Hyun Kim
R1 – Kim wrestles Parisyan to the ground early, maintaining
control from behind as they're squatted up against the fence.
Kim jumps to Parisyan's back as he stands up, and starts punching
Parisyan in the head. Parisyan flips them to the ground, but
Kim maintains back control with hooks in, punching Parisyan to
the sides of the head and urging the crowd on. Parisyan stands
with Kim on his back, diving back to the ground in an attempt
to break free, but Kim won't let go. Parisyan gets free, but
Kim goes for an armbar, followed by a triangle attempt, and then
winds up with Parisyan in his full guard. They scramble back
to their feet and Kim again gains control from behind, as they
move back down to the mat. Parisyan works back to his feet and
the two clinch on the fence. They separate, swinging hard, but
neither connects.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Dong Hyun Kim.
R2
– Kim throws a high kick that grazes Parisyan, who then
throws a few punches, then has his takedown attempt stuffed.
They lock up on the fence and Kim takes Parisyan down, a scramble
ensues, with Parisyan nearly securing a Kimura. They scramble
back to their feet, clinched on the fence. Parisyan scores with
a tremendous judo throw. They remain tied up and return to standing
along the fence. They separate and trade a few sparse punches
before clinching again and making their way back to the fence.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Parisyan.
R3
– They come out firing, but clinch right away and Kim wrestles
Parisyan to the mat. Parisyan kicks Kim off of him, but gets
a warning for kicking him to the face when Kim was still on the
ground. Stood up, they clinch and wrestle to the mat and back
to the feet once more, following the pattern of the first two
rounds. Clinched on the fence, Kim lands a solid knee to the
body, then Parisyan returns in kind with a jumping knee, then
they begin to wrestle again for position. They spend the rest
of the round clinched and wrestling along the fence.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-10; the fight 29-29.
Karo
Parisyan def. Dong Hyun Kim by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28), R3
Nathan
Diaz vs. Clay Guida
R1 – Guida scores first with a couple strong leg kicks,
but Diaz is doing a good job putting his jab out there. Guida
is using his movement a lot, keeping his head down and throwing
the right hand followed by a kick, but Diaz is starting to really
pop the jab. Guida snags a leg, but soon gives up on the takedown
and launches a right hand to the body. Diaz goes for the takedown,
but Guida stuffs it and ends up on top of Diaz on the ground
in half-guard, then moving to full guard. As Diaz stands, Guida
takes his back, wrestling Diaz down with a full nelson hold.
Diaz flips over, lands on all fours, but Guida still has back
control as they stand up. Guida scoops Diaz up and slams him
to mat, landing in guard, firing punches. They scramble back
up to the feet where Guida maintains control and lands a solid
knee.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Guida.
R2
– The round opens with a brief exchange, then a clinch on
the fence, Diaz landing knees to the body, then Guida landing
knees to the thighs. From behind, Guida wrestles Diaz to the
mat, but they quickly return to their feet along the fence. A
chess match for position at this point with Guida being more
in control. Diaz scores a nice hip toss, but Guida maintains
control from behind Diaz, neither able to secure anything too
damaging. Diaz again scores the takedown, but Guida maintains
contol and then works into Diaz' guard as the round ends, Diaz
looking for a submission, Guida throwing punches.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Guida.
R3
– They come out firing, Diaz gaining the upper hand with
his jab. Guida staying busy, moving in with the punch-kick combination,
but Diaz' reach is keeping him ahead as he lands more combinations,
more frequently. Diaz starts posturing, taunting Guida, but then
unleashes a flurry that has Guida hurt. Guida finally locks Diaz
up along the fence, but Diaz uses the hip toss again. Right back
up on the feet, Guida maintains control from behind, but Diaz
tries to work for the Kimura. Guida then wrests Diaz down with
a single-leg, but they're right back up against the fence. Guida
jumps up on Diaz' back near the end of the round, but can't take
advantage and the fight is over.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Diaz; the fight 29-28 for Guida.
Clay
Guida def. Nate Diaz by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28),
R3
Jon
Fitch (#2 Welterweight in the World)* vs. Akihiro Gono
(Gono and his two sidekicks make their way to the ring wearing
sequined dresses and wigs... yes, in drag, giving fans a little
dance routine as they stopped just short of the Octagon.)
R1
– Fitch opens with a hard-fought takedown attempt, but Gono
defends and they end up clinched on the fence, exchanging knees
before separating. Fitch drives in with punches, clinches and
then starts an attack of knees to the body. They separate, but
Fitch immediately continues to stalk Gono and finally scores
a takedown, getting to the Japanese fighter's back. He works
for the choke, but starts throwing punches to the side of Gono's
head in an attempt to open him up. Gono tries to stand, but Fitch
maintains back control as the round ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Fitch.
R2
– Fitch lands a hard kick to the leg of Gono that leaves
him limping a bit before they clinch along the fence. Fitch eventually
secures a leg-trip takedown, landing in Gono's closed guard.
Fitch starts dropping forearms and punches to Gono's head and
body. Fitch attacks the body with a series of punches, then goes
heavy with forearms on Gono's skull, putting the fight very near
a stoppage. Gono scrambles, but Fitch takes his back and locks
on the body triangle, punching his head. Gono tries to get out,
but gets caught in an armbar just before the bell sounds.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Fitch.
R3
– Fitch catches Gono with a punch to the midsection and
then follows with a solid kick and takedown. He immediately starts
working his ground and pound from half guard, stuffing punches
and forearms in Gono's face. Gono does a good job upkicking Fitch
back and returning to his feet. Gono attempts a jumping knee,
but Fitch catches him and ties him up on the fence. Back away
from the cage, Gono goes for a rolling kneebar, but Fitch defends
well, maintaining back control. Gono turns and Fitch works some
brutal strikes from knee on belly. Gono reverses into Fitch's
half butterfly guard before falling into full guard. Gono gets
out and stands up, attempting a kick as Fitch stands up, but
can't score. Fitch lands a left-right punch combination followed
by several knees, then scrambles Gono to the mat as the round
ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Fitch; the fight 30-27 for Fitch.
John
Fitch def. Akihiro Gono by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27,
30-26), R3
Manny
Gamburyan vs. Thiago Tavares
R1 – Neither fighter is quick to engage. About 45 seconds
in, Tavares scores with a double-leg takedown and starts working
some solid ground and pound from Gamburyan's guard. Moving to
half guard, Tavares has his arm snagged by Gamburyan, who attempts
a Kimura. The move is close to a finish, but Tavares deftly spins
out and back into the full guard of Gamburyan, again unleashing
an aggressive ground and pound barrage. Gamburyan attempts to
escape, but Tavares has a gut wrench hold. Standing, Gamburyan
throws Tavares, who maintains the gut wrench the entire time
and thy return to their feet. Tavares picks Gamburyan up and
slams him to the mat, back into his guard and attacking with
punches and hammerfists. They work back to their feet as the
round ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Tavares.
R2
– More GSP and B.J. Penn chants erupt in one corner of the
arena, as Gamburyan moves in on Tavares with a combination of
punches and kicks that doesn't do much damage, few landing. Tavares
attempts a takedown, but Gamburyan reverses it and lands on the
mat in Tavares' full guard, attacking with ground and pound.
A slow down in the action and referee Josh Rosenthal stands the
fighters up. They immediately start trading punches, Tavares
getting the better of the exchange, landing a wild right hook
before they lock-up along the fence, the round ending.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Gamburyan.
R3
– Tavares opens with some strong right hands, but can't
score the takedown he's looking for. They exchange, but Tavares'
size is weighing in his favor, giving him the harder punch of
the two, but then Gamburyan fires right back with a straight
right that snaps Tavares' head back, then follows with a strong
leg kick. Gamburyan lands a couple more good shots, but Tavares
lands a cracking leg kick of his own and soon follows with a
right cross. Gamburyan fails on his takedown attempt and eats
a knee from Tavares on his way back to the feet. Gamburyan shoots
again, but Tavares fends him off and they start exchanging punches
again. The fight ends in a dance over the last 20 seconds with
no strikes thrown.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Tavares; the fight 29-28 for Tavares.
Thiago
Tavares def. Manny Gamburyan by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28), R3
Chris
Wilson vs. John Howard
R1 – Wilson attempts a knee strike early, but Howard catches
it and takes him down, but lets him right back up to the feet,
peppering him with punches in a brief flurry. They exchange leg
kicks and punches over the next minute or so, Howard landing
the harder shots, before clinching and wrestling to the mat.
As they stand up, Howard lands a hard right that appears to hurt
Wilson. Wilson then follows with a nice punch-kick combination,
a low kick sweeping the leg out from under Howard. Wilson follows
him down, attempting a guillotine, but Howard defends., putting
Wilson in his guard. Wilson lands some hard shots to the head
and body, before standing up and an impressive wrestling exchange
ensues, Howard winding up in Wilson's guard. Stalemated, referee
Herb Dean stands them up. Howard scores a high single leg as
the round ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Howard.
(In
between rounds an errant "GSP! GSP! GSP!" chant erupts
through the arena, soon followed by a "B.J. Penn" chant
in retort.)
R2
– Howard opens with a brutal leg kick, but Wilson survives
and returns with a solid knee strike. Howard then takes Wilson
down, they scramble, and are soon back on the feet. Howard scores
again with a high single leg takedown, elevating Wilson and dropping
him on his back, then starts working from half-guard. They scramble
back to their feet. They clinch along the fence, trading knees,
before separating and trading blows, Howard again landing the
harder shots. He takes Wilson down again, but Wilson ends up
in guard this time and starts his ground and pound, unable to
do any real damage before the round ends with Howard scrambling
out.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Howard.
(More chants through the crowd in between rounds.)
R3
– Howard again wrestles Wilson to the ground, this time
taking his back in the process, attempting a rear naked choke.
Howard has his legs triangled around the midsection of Wilson.
He starts rocking Wilson with some hard punches to the sides
of his head, then snags the rear naked choke, much deeper this
time, but still can't finish. He again starts pummeling Wilson's
head, trying to open him up for the choke. Wilson keeps trying
to escape, and finally does, reversing position into Howard's
guard. Wilson stands up, but Howard catches his leg between his
own and takes Wilson back down, using only his legs. They work
their way back to the feet. Wilson tries to start up the striking
game, but Howard takes him down again, winding up in Wilson's
guard, eating elbows to the skull before the round comes to a
close.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Howard; the fight 30-27 for Howard.
John
Howard def. Chris Wilson by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28),
R3
Jake
O'Brien vs. Christian Wellisch
(Christian Wellisch makes his way to the ring with "Do You
Really Want to Hurt Me?" by Culture Club blaring over the
loudspeakers.)
R1
– O'Brien and Wellisch immediately start trading punches,
O'Brien dropping Wellisch briefly. Wellisch pops right back up,
they trade a few more shots before O'Brien wrestles Wellisch
to his back and starts a ground and pound attack from inside
the guard. After a bit of a stalemate, they're back on their
feet. Wellisch misses with a high kick and eats a stiff left
jab to jaw. Wellisch misses on his takedown attempt, but falls
to his back. O'Brien follows him down and starts to work again
from inside the guard. No real damage being done, referee Yves
Lavigne stands them up and they immediately start trading punches
again. Wellisch lands a couple good punches to the head. O'Brien
takes Wellisch down and they trade a couple of up and down positions
as the round ends with no further serious damage.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for O'Brien.
R2
– Wellisch starts the round with a strong overhand right.
They exchange blows with Wellisch being a little busier of the
two, landing more frequently with both punches and kicks. O'Brien
is landing some of his shots though, as evidenced by the blodd
pouring from Wellisch's nose. O'Brien shoots and scores the double-leg
takedown on O'Brien and begins the ground and pound again, but
Wellisch defends well and works back to the feet. Wellisch is
again pushing the pace, landing a few good single shots, but
not landing many of his follow-ups on the combinations. O'Brien
again shoots and takes Wellisch down and begins working from
inside his guard. Wellisch again works back to the feet and the
round ends in a brief exchange.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Wellisch.
R3
– While O'Brien looks less tired than Wellisch to start
round three, it is Wellisch that is pushing the pace, again landing
various punches and kicks. O'Brien again falls back on the takedown
and lands it, but Wellisch works his way back to the feet immediately.
O'Brien seems to be waiting to counter and Wellisch is using
that to his advantage to pile up the score, but just as he gets
going, O'Brien takes him down again. Again, Wellsich is right
back to his feet, stalking O'Brien, pot-shotting him with punches
and kicks. Wellisch is breathing hard, no doubt due in part to
blood flowing through his nose, but he is still the busier fighter
of the two. O'Brien scores a couple more takedowns, landing in
guard on the second one. Wellisch again gets out and up to his
feet, the round ending with Wellisch defending another O'Brien
takedown.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Wellisch; the fight 29-28 for Wellisch.
Jake
O'Brien def. Christian Wellisch by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
28-29), R3
Matt
Arroyo vs. Dan Cramer
R1 – Arroyo starts things off with a solid leg kick. A short
time later, he shoots and takes Cramer down, landing in full
mount. Cramer reverses, but gets caught in an armbar, which he
escapes. Cramer is extremely poised for a fighter making his
professional debut. Arroyo lands a couple of elbows to the top
of Cramer's head with Cramer in his full guard. Cramer launches
a couple of solid forearms in response. Arroyo tries to climb
his legs up for a triangle attempt, but Cramer postures up and
drops some solid punches down, starting to hurt Arroyo. With
under a minute left in the round, Cramer lands a solid right
cross, but gets caught in another armbar attempt, which he again
escapes. Cramer stands up and tries to dive bomb in with a punch,
the round coming to a close.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Cramer.
R2
– Arroyo attempts a back kick, falling to the mat. Cramer
follows down into his guard and starts his ground and pound attack.
Arroyo rolls out, trying to catch a leg, but Cramer goes back
into Arroyo's guard, eating a few elbows to the top of the head,
but then starts his own ground and pound attack again. Just under
two minutes left in the round and Cramer lands a hard blow, but
Arroyo is doing a good job blocking Cramer's ground and pound
attempts. Arroyo gets a warning for landing an up-kick to the
face of Cramer, who was still on his knees at the time. The round
ends with Cramer working his ground and pound game and Arroyo
defending.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Cramer.
R3
– Arroyo scores a takedown and Cramer is on his back, working
for a possible triangle choke, but quickly loses the position
to Arroyo, who takes his back. Arroyo has one hook in and immediately
goes for the rear naked choke. Cramer fights off the choke, but
Arroyo starts pummeling him, keeping back mount and wearing Cramer
down. Arroyo can't find the choke and Cramer reverses position,
ending up in Arroyo's guard, trying to start up his ground and
pound. Arroyo is doing a good job avoiding any damage. Neither
is being effective and referee Steve Mazzagatti stands them up.
Arroyo immediately shoots, doesn't get the takedown, but falls
to his back, Cramer in guard. Both fighters appear exhausted
at this point, 30 seconds left in the fight. The round ends with
neither fighter inflicting any damage.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Arroyo; the fight 29-28 for Cramer.
Dan
Cramer def. Matt Arroyo by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28),
R3
UFC
94 Results:
Main
Card Bouts:
-St. Pierre def. B.J. Penn by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 5:00,
R4
-Lyoto Machida def. Thiago Silva by KO (Punch) at 4:59, R1
-Jon Jones def. Stephan Bonnar by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28), R3
-Karo Parisyan def. Dong Hyun Kim by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28), R3
-Clay Guida def. Nate Diaz by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28),
R3
Preliminary
Bouts:
-John Fitch def. Akihiro Gono by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27,
30-26), R3
-Thiago Tavares def. Manny Gamburyan by Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28), R3
John Howard def. Chris Wilson by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28), R3
-Jake O'Brien def. Christian Wellisch by Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 28-29), R3
-Dan Cramer def. Matt Arroyo by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28), R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FITCH
DOMINATES GONO; UFC 94 PRELIMS GO THE DISTANCE
Even though Akihiro Gono had to have gotten ring entrance of
the night – if there were such an honor – at UFC 94
on Saturday night, it was he was thoroughly dominated in his
bout with top ranked welterweight Jon Fitch.
A
repetitive scenario over the course of all three rounds, Fitch
continually took Gono to the mat, brutalizing him with an aggressive
ground and pound attack. Fitch came close a couple of times with
submissions, and rocked Gono on a couple of occasions on the
feet, but it was the takedown and ground assault that scored
him a thoroughly one-sided unanimous decision.
"I'm
a little disappointed I didn't finish him," said Fitch after
the fight, but giving credit to a tough opponent. "He's
a crafty veteran. He's been fighting for 15 years. A lesser opponent
than Akihiro Gono, I would've finished."
Thiago
Tavares utilized his size to his advantage over the course of
his three-round bout with Manny Gamburyan, bullying the smaller
fighter around with takedowns and score with a strong ground
and pound attack. On the feet, Gamburyan tried to make up for
size and push the pace in the striking, but he couldn't land
enough to counter the heavier shots from Tavares. The judges
awarded a unanimous decision to Tavares.
He
agreed, saying, "I'm really happy. I think I won the three
rounds."
Despite
seeming to dominate the bout with his extraordinary takedowns
and by landing the more damaging blows on the feet, UFC newcomer
John Howard had to rely on a split decision from the judges to
score the victory over opponent Chris Wilson.
Howard
scored with several high single-leg takedowns, slamming Wilson
to the mat often. Wilson was able to land a couple big knees,
but Howard again seemed to edge ahead landing harder punches,
both to the body and head.
"I
was trying to go for the submission bonus," said Howard
later, "(but) a win is a win and I'm glad to be in the UFC."
Under
a rain of boos from disagreeing fans, Jake O'Brien won a split
decision over Christian Wellisch in what was each fighter's light
heavyweight debut. All three rounds followed much of the same
pattern with Wellisch stalking O'Brien on the feet, scoring in
spurts, and O'Brien falling back on his wrestling, taking Wellisch
down at will, but not really doing much in follow-up. The judges
seemed to be swayed by the takedowns and one punch from O'Brien
early in round one that dropped Wellisch.
"When
I heard them call his name first, I got nervous," said O'Brien
after the fight. "It was a much needed win."
In
what is no easy task for any newcomer to the Octagon, let alone
a fighter making his professional MMA debut, American Top Team's
Dan Cramer scored a victory his first time out for the UFC. It
didn't exactly excite the fans in attendance, but he effectively
out-positioned Matt Arroyo for the better part of their bout
and used a modest ground and pound attack to win a split decision
on the judges' scorecards.
"It
was great," Cramer said of his pro and UFC debut. "It
was definitely nerve-wracking. To fight on a B.J.-GSP card was
great. Everything will now seem easier."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
JONES
IMPRESSIVE OVER BONNAR; DECISIONS REIGN SUPREME
Decisions reigned supreme in the early fights of UFC 94 as all
three bouts leading up to the final 2 fights went to the judges'
scorecards with 21 year old, Jon Jones, stealing the show with
dominant takedowns and a strong performance over a veteran fighter
in Stephan Bonnar.
Jones
impressed many fans with his win over Andre Gusmao in his UFC
debut and he did not disappoint on Saturday night after punishing
Bonnar with takedown after takedown and some unique striking
as well.
In
the first round, Jones threw Bonnar around the Octagon with numerous
throws and takedowns that obviously frustrated the former "Ultimate
Fighter" season 1 competitor. The highlight of the fight
came late in the first as Jones released a clinch held with Bonnar
and unleashed a vicious spinning back elbow that sent his opponent
crashing face first to the mat.
Even
UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva, was impressed as the replay showed
him jumping up from his seat as Jones followed Bonnar to the
ground.
The
following rounds slowed a bit but Jones still took the 2nd round
with more takedowns and a strong wrestling attack. The third
round saw the strongest performance from Bonnar as he tried to
utilize a striking attack to catch Jones, but the young 205lb
fighter avoided anything dangerous and pulled out the unanimous
decision.
Karo
Parisyan returned to the Octagon after multiple injuries forced
a nine month layoff from competition, winning a close decision
against fellow Judoka Dong Hyun Kim.
From
the start, Parisyan struggled with Kim’s size. The Korean
fighter put the pressure on early, taking Parisyan’s back
early in the fight, much like his split decision victory over
Matt Brown at UFC 88, hinting at a rear naked choke attempt.
Parisyan
escaped the position, and several submission attempts including
an armbar and triangle choke as a scramble put him on top of
Kim.
An
ill-fitting mouthpiece seemed to distract Parisyan from his attack,
but in the end, his prediction that wrestling would win the day
proved true.
As
the fight wore on, Parisyan was able to deal with Kim’s
weight, executing a beautiful Judo throw midway through the second.
In the subsequent scramble, he nearly locked a kimura, but Kim
was able to escape.
On
the feet, Parisyan’s counter right hand racked up points,
though admittedly, there wasn’t much damage done on either
end.
It
was a difficult fight to score, but in the end, two judges gave
Parisyan the 29-28 nod, while a lone judge dissented with a 29-28
score for Kim.
"I'm
happy I got the win and the throw on the judo guy," Parisyan
commented after the fight.
In
another closely contested battle, Clay Guida used superior positioning
to edge a decision victory over “The Ultimate Fighter”
season five winner Nate Diaz.
Facing
an eight-inch reach deficit, Guida had success working on the
lead leg of Diaz, following with a straight right hand. However,
Diaz’s punch count—a carbon copy of brother Nick—stayed
high throughout the fight and frustrated Guida whenever the fight
stayed on its feet.
Following
a brief skirmish in the first, the bout hovered between the clinch
and the mat, as both fighters tried to take dominant position.
Guida
used his wrestling base to stay out of submission danger, and
simply smothered Diaz as the two clinched. Diaz, often fighting
Guida at his back, used the constant threat of a kimura to sweep
the Illinois native of his feet. However, he was unable to leverage
the position to his advantage, as Guida adjusted position and
kept the pressure on.
Mostly,
the two negated each other on the mat, though Guida was able
to inflict some damage midway through the fight with a series
of elbows from the top.
In
the third, Diaz had Guida on the ropes with a flurry of punches,
but “The Carpenter” took the action down again, where
the two came to another offensive stalemate.
A
close fight by all accounts, one judge ruled a 29-28 score in
favor of Diaz, while the other two saw it 29-28 for Guida.
The
loss was Diaz’s first since emerging from the reality show.
After
a litany of thank you’s to UFC staff, Guida promised he
would soon contend with the division’s best.
“I
know I wasn’t pretty to win,” he told Joe Rogan. “I’m
coming guys, look out for me.”
Source: MMA Weekly
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MACHIDA
KO'S SILVA TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED
In a battle of unbeaten light heavyweights, Lyoto Machida made
his case for why he should the #1 contender for the 205lb title
as he knocked out Thiago Silva at the end of the first round
at UFC 94.
The
strategy of Lyoto Machida never seems to be a secret as he plays
an elusive, and dangerous game of cat and mouse just waiting
to pounce on his opponent at just the right moment. Unfortunately
for Thiago Silva, he played right into Machida's game.
With
Silva moving forward early, Machida connected with a big punch
that put his opponent on the floor and he quickly followed up
to work on the ground. Silva persevered and the fight got back
to the feet.
Again
Machida made Silva pay for over pursuing him landing another
series of strikes that had to leave his opponent guessing at
what he could do to hurt his fellow Brazilian.
As
the seconds ticked away and the round was closing, Machida landed
a quick trip takedown and as Silva turned to try and defend,
the "Dragon" flew in with a vicious right hand that
bounced his opponent's head off the canvas, leaving him unconscious
as the horn sounded to end the round.
As
the referee swooped in to signal the end of the round it was
obvious that Silva was knocked out and the fight was stopped,
and Lyoto Machida kept his perfect record in tact.
"I'm
very happy to be here, Thiago is a tough, but today I was better
than him," Machida said addressing the Las Vegas crowd.
"When I fight here I feel in my home."
Now
the question has to be raised as Machida raises his UFC record
to 6-0, is he the top contender for Rashad Evans' light heavyweight
title? Machida asked the crowd in attendance the very same question.
"People,
am I deserving the title shot?" Machida screamed to the
crowd. "Whatever, whoever, I'm here."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Boxing
at Palolo!
Our next
boxing show will be on Sat. Feb. 7th at Palolo District Park
gym, starting at 6 p.m.
It will be the 4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial Match Event.
Scheduled to compete is Leland Chapman from the hit show Dog
the Bounty Hunter against Sam Quell at a 135lbs.
Admission is $10.
If you have any questions you can email me at bkawano@aol.com
Thank You For Your Support for Amateur Boxing in Hawaii!!
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tuesdays!
Channel
52
NEW TIME of 8:00 PM!
If
you are not on the Onzuka.com Hawaii Ground forum, you are missing
the latest news from upcoming events, get to rub elbows with
numerous promoters and fighters, and get to voice your opinion
on any subject you can dream up. Hit the links above to sign
up for a free account and start posting away!
|
Man
Up and Stand Up
Kickboxing
Feb 7 Saturday
Filcom Center Waipahu
Doors open at 6:00 pm
All matches & participants are subject to change.
DANIEL MADAYAG 140 CLEM HALLOWAY
PATRICK CHANDELARIA 180 JACOB
GARY UDEGAWA 140 KEONI MARTIN
THEODORE BROWN 105 JOJO GUILLONE
KAIPO KIAAINA 140 JORDAN DEKNEEF
JOSEPH ENAENA 150 BLAKE VILLANIDO
HOKU BUDDINGER 140 JOSHUA GONSALVES
SAGE YOSHIDA 150 LIKI VELLAROSA
DYLAN APILADO 95 NELSON KUKAHIKO
ETHAN RISTA 165 YOSHITAKE HIGUCHI
AULANI VEA 45 ISAAC STALCUP
MARTIN DAY 145 TBA
JONAH KUTZEN 125 JOEY SHIPPER
LOKAHI MORANTE 60 SPIKE KAHALEWAI
DEAN HENZE 166 LAWRENCE HINOJOSA
VINCE LONGBOY 135 JULIO MORENO
JUSTIN KAHALEWAI 115 ISRAEL ALVAREZ
KENANI MEDALI 190 DANIEL
ISAAC UGISILE 260+ MAT EATON
XAVIER VEA 135 EMERSON SOURIEA
NICK CORREA 145 COLAN MACKENZIE
KOLOA KAHALEWAI 240 CHRIS BARNARD
KEONI GRANDY 200+ NOLAN SANCHEZ
Source: Derrick Bright
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Ron
Verdadero Fights in Australia!
Good luck
Ron!
Source: Nicole
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Royler
Gracie Seminar in Hawaii!
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Sera's
Kajukenbo Open Tournament
 |
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