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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2009
11/21/09
UFC
106
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas)
11/14/09
UFC
105
(United Kingdom)
November
Aloha
State Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
10/24/09
UFC
104
(Staples Center, Los Angeles)
10/10/09
NAGA
Hawaii
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Hawaii, Tentative)
9/19/09
UFC
103
(American Airlines Center, Dallas)
9/16/09
UFC
Fight Night 19
(Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City)
9/12/09
Hawaiian
Open Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/29/09
MAUI OPEN 2009
Submission Grappling Challenge
(Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym)
UFC
102
(Rose Garden, Portland)
8/22/09
Destiny
(Maui)
8/9/09
WEC
(Las Vegas, NV)
8/8/09
UFC
101: Declaration
(BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian)
(Wachovia Center, Philadelphia)
8/1/09
Affliction: Trilogy
Fedor vs. Barnett
(Honda Cetner, Anaheim, CA)
7/25/09
Gracie Tournament
(Kalaheo H.S. Gym)
Boxing at Palolo
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
7/23/09
JUST SCRAP
(MMA)
(Pipeline Cafe)
7/20/09
Dream 10: Welterweight GP Final
(Japan)
7/11/09
UFC
100: Lesnar vs. Mir
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV)
7/10/09
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
6/27-28/09
OTM's 2009
Pac Sub
(Gi & No-Gi competition)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/20/09
The
Ultimate Fighter 9:
Team US vs Team UK Finale
6/13/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
UFC
99: Comeback
Silva vs. Franklin
(Cologne, Germany)
6/7/09
WEC: Brown vs. Faber 2
(Versus)
6/6/09
Quest for Champions 2009 Tournament
(Sport Pankration, Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS Gym)
Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields
(St. Louis, MO)
6/4/09 - 6/7/09
World
JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA)
5/30/09
Event of the Champions
(Triple Threat, Kickboxing, Grappling)
(Elite Auto Group Center)
5/26/09
Dream 9
5/23/09
UFC
98: Evans vs. Machida
(PPV)
5/16/09
KTI's Scrappa Lifestylez
Scrapplers Fest
(BJJ/Submission Grappling)
(Kauai)
5/9/09 - 5/10/09 &
5/16/09 - 5/17/09
Brazilian Nationals JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
5/9/09
X-1 Kona
(MMA)
(Kekuaokalani Gym, Kona)
15th Grapplers Quest Las Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Las Vegas, NV)
5/2/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
Uprising MMA
(MMA)
(Maui)
May 2009
Abu Dhabi World Submission Wrestling Championships
(Sub Grappling)
(Tentative)
4/25/09
MMA Madness Water Park Extravaganza
(MMA)
(Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, Kapolei)
4/18/08
Kingdom
MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
NY
International JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
4/11/09
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser High)
X-1: Temple of Boom
(Boxing & MMA)
(Palolo Hongwangi)
4/10/09
HFC: Stand Your Ground XII
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/4/09 - 4/5/09
NAGA
World Championship
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(NJ, Tentative)
3/28/09
Garden Island Cage Match
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
3/27/09
- 3/29/09
Pan
Am JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
3/27/09
Tiger Muay Thai Competition
(Muay Thai)
(Tiger Muay Thai Gym, Sand Island Road)
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
Hawaii Amateur Pankration Association: "Hit and Submit"
(Pankration & Muay Thai)
(O-Lounge Night Club, Honolulu)
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
Destiny
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
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)
|
|
July
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, Wednesday and
Thursday with Kaleo Kwan, PJ Dean, & Chris Slavens!
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
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Also on Akaku on Maui
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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
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O2
Martial Arts Academy Day Classes Start May 2!
Women & Kids Kickboxing Class starts May 4!
Click here for pricing and more
information!
O2MAA Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Day Classes will be held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
We have 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 On Fridays from 5:30 to 6:30 PM!
Wrestling Class Starts On Fridays from 8:30 to 9:30 PM!
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Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
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Quote
of the Day
"An
act of goodness is of itself an act of happiness.
No reward coming after the event can compare with the sweet reward
that went with it."
Maurice Maeterlinck
|
UFC
100 Tomorrow!
UFC 100 is set for July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas and will feature
two title fights as Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar faces Frank
Mir in the UFC 100 Main Event and Welterweight Champion Georges
St. Pierre puts his belt on the line against top contender Thiago
Alves. View the UFC 100 fight card & later the UFC 100 results
below, and check out our UFC 100 predictions & preview!
Hawaii
Air Time:
4:00PM
Channel 701
Fight Card for Main UFC 100 Fights:
•Brock Lesnar (c) (3-1) vs Frank Mir (12-3) - UFC Heavyweight
Championship
•Georges St-Pierre (c) (18-2) vs Thiago Alves (16-3) - UFC
Welterweight Championship
•Dan Henderson (24-7) vs Michael Bisping (17-1)
•Jon Fitch (18-3-0-1) vs Paulo Thiago (11-0)
•Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-1-0-1) vs Alan Belcher (14-5)
Fight
Card for Preliminary UFC 100 Fights:
•Stephan Bonnar (11-5) vs Mark Coleman (15-9)
•Jon Jones (8-0) vs Jake O'Brien (11-2)
•Dong Hyun Kim (11-1-1) vs Jonathan Goulet (27-10-0-1)
•Mac Danzig (19-6-1) vs Jim Miller (13-2)
•CB Dollaway (9-2) vs Tom Lawlor (5-1-1)
•Matt Grice (9-2) vs Shannon Gugerty (11-3)
Source: Profighting Fans
|
X-1
Scuffle On Schofield
|
UFC
100 IN-DEPTH: BROCK LESNAR VS FRANK MIR
by Ken Pishna
The UFC heavyweight title unification bout between champion Brock
Lesnar and interim titleholder Frank Mir has arrived. UFC 100
promises to be the most extravagant event in the promotion's
history, and Lesnar vs. Mir a focal point for the direction of
the heavyweight division.
The
two squared off once before, in Lesnar's Octagon debut at UFC
81. The former WWE superstar dominated from the bell, only to
have his inexperience exposed, tapping out to a kneebar at 1:30
of the opening round.
Now,
one and half years later, the situation has changed dramatically.
Lesnar bounced back to roll over Heath Herring and then champion
Randy Couture to capture the heavyweight belt, while Mir TKO'd
the previously unstoppable Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim
designation.
With
questions swirling around both fighters, they will meet for the
second time at UFC 100 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to settle
the score and unite the heavyweight belts.
STRIKING
This
is likely to be one of the biggest areas of separation between
these two phenomenal grapplers. With his stocky build, Lesnar
doesn't go out of his way to get fancy with his striking, instead,
he utilizes a more honed straight-forward attack that takes advantage
of his massive frame and power.
In
every one of his UFC fights, including the first one against
Mir, Lesnar has been able to put his opponent on his butt with
a solid right hand masked in a custom-fitted XXXL glove. His
hand speed isn't phenomenal, but his timing, coupled with his
size, makes for a deadly impact.
He's
also made notable advances in utilizing the Muay Thai neck clinch
in combination with his knees. Likely weighing in the neighborhood
of 290 pounds come fight time, the Thai clinch is an extremely
effective way for Lesnar to hang his weight on his opponent,
tiring them out, while punishing them with brutal knees at the
same time.
Initially
known solely for his amazing submissions, striking has recently
become a strong suit of Mir's as well. Specifically, his much-improved
boxing has advanced his Octagon prowess.
He
has shown good hand speed and combinations that he used effectively
against Nogueira to win the interim title. Mir has an especially
sly uppercut that tends to slide under his opponent's defenses.
He caught Nogueira numerous times on the chin with it.
He
has also become an effective kicker, though he'll need to keep
them low on Lesnar if he doesn't want to immediately get put
on his back for his efforts.
Their
striking styles are definitely worlds apart, with the match-up
playing more into Lesnar's favor. More technical, Mir cannot
afford to get anywhere near Lesnar's right hand. The bigger man
has shown time and again that one touch from his gargantuan hand
will put a fighter down, typically with fatal results. Mir's
been there; he doesn't want to be there again. And Mir just isn't
fast enough to play the stick and move game with Lesnar. Lesnar's
size, power, and athleticism give him a distinct advantage in
the striking game.
GRAPPLING
Both
are obviously in the master's class when it comes to grappling,
albeit in polarizing areas. Lesnar is a superb wrestler, Mir
a world-class submission artist.
In
his four mixed martial arts bouts, no one has been able to stop
Lesnar's takedowns, not even Couture. Again, Lesnar's massive
six-foot-three, 290-pound frame, in conjunction with his athleticism
makes it equivalent to trying to sprawl out on a freight train
when he shoots. It's not clear who, if anyone, will ever be able
to stop the 2000 Collegiate National Champion's shot.
The
thing about Mir's expertise in submissions, however, is that
he doesn't necessarily have to stop Lesnar's shot. He has to
be more interested in being in a strong enough position to work
his submission game. Although he did it to great effect in their
first meeting, tapping Lesnar out with a kneebar, it's not likely
to be as easy this time around.
Mir
still has the most aggressive and widest variety of submissions
in the heavyweight division, but Lesnar has also had a year and
a half to work on his defense with some of the top submission
artists in the world. He showed against both Herring and Couture
that he isn't as sloppy, leaving limbs exposed once the fight
reaches the ground. He utilizes his wrestling to maintain better
positioning, and tends to stay tighter to his opponents, smothering
them and not giving them space for submission attempts.
Still,
Mir has such a vast array of submissions that – even while
Lesnar appears in control – there is still the constant
threat of a finishing maneuver. It will be much more difficult
this time than their first encounter, but Mir isn't your bread-and-butter
armbar and rear naked choke MMA guy. Though Lesnar's time training
with Erik Paulson should help to counter much of Mir's unorthodox
submission arsenal.
If
and when Lesnar takes Mir down, he could dominate on the ground
by being smart with his wrestling positioning and his hyperactive
ground and pound attack. Still, this is a much more exposed area
for Lesnar as well, because of Mir's super-aggressive submission
style and varied angles of attack from the bottom.
OCTAGON
CONTROL
Typically,
on the feet, Lesnar is a little more the guy that sits back and
waits for an opening for his striking or a shot to put the fight
on the ground. Once on the canvas, Lesnar utilizes his wrestling
and strength to maintain control.
Lesnar's
style on the feet plays right into Mir's newfound abilities as
a striker. Mir is much more of a tactician on the feet than Lesnar
and can dictate where the fight will go, dancing in and out of
striking range, circling in the Octagon. But that only lasts
until Lesnar shoots, or connects with his oversized hands.
CONDITIONING
Typically,
a fighter Lesnar's size has a huge question mark permanently
imprinted on his gas tank. Not so with this big man, however.
Coming from his background of collegiate wrestling, it's unlikely
that Lesnar will tire over the course of even a five-round championship
fight... if it were to go that far. He fought Herring to a three-round
unanimous decision victory and never skipped a beat.
This
used to be one of the greatest areas of weakness for Mir, the
key to defeating him. Take him into the second or third round
and he slowed considerably. It's unclear if he'll have the tank
to go five rounds, but that's unlikely in this fight anyway.
He has been training with Ken Hahn for some time now, and it
showed in his fight with Nogueira. Mir kept up a stringent pace
and never slowed, wearing down Nogueira with a barrage of striking
until he finished the former UFC and Pride champion.
THE
“X” FACTOR
Though
size, athleticism, and power all fall onto the shoulders of Lesnar,
giving him some distinct advantages in this fight, the biggest
X-Factor for him will be experience. He's used to competing in
the spotlight and against world-class athletes. He trains as
hard as anyone in the sport and is a quick study. But there is
a lot to be said for actually being in the cage, logging the
hours in that uncontrolled frenzy that is the actual fight. You
can't make up for that in training, it only comes from time in
the Octagon... and Lesnar doesn't have it, yet.
The
Frank Mir of three years ago would have been an easy puzzle for
Lesnar to solve. Stay away from his submissions and eventually
you will where him out or knock him out... or both. But training
with Ken Hahn has taken Mir's game to a different level, and
not just with his ever-improving striking game. Not only have
Mir and Hahn talked about Mir's rededication to the martial arts,
rekindling his passion for training and fighting, but several
outsiders have as well. Most saying that this is the most dedicated
and focused Frank Mir that they have ever seen. That coupled
with a tremendous advantage in not only experience, but big fight
experience, could counter much of what is perceived as advantages
for Lesnar.
KEYS
TO VICTORY
Brock
Lesnar:
–Use size and wrestling to wear Mir down
–Stay disciplined; don't get over-excited
–Stay tight on the ground, smothering Mir, avoiding submissions
–Be patient, cutting off the Octagon and countering on the
feet
Frank
Mir:
–Lots of lateral movement while standing; do not stand and
trade
–Stay out of the clinch where Lesnar can wear him down
–When on the canvas, stay active and get out from under
Lesnar quickly
–Vary attack, keep Lesnar constantly adjusting, exposing
his inexperience
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
100 IN-DEPTH: ST. PIERRE VS ALVES
by Steven Marrocco
They're two men on a roll.
On
July 11, welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre will meet Thiago
Alves at UFC 100 in Las Vegas for his third title defense. Alves
has laid waste to three of the division’s finest for his
first shot at the belt and first 25-minute fight. It’s GSP’s
first time facing as complete a striker as the Brazilian, having
defined his rise by multi-fight battles against ground specialists
like Matt Hughes, B.J. Penn, and Matt Serra.
The
momentum both carry into the fight is the intangible that makes
the match-up so interesting. GSP has served more time in the
spotlight, and has been appointed to carry MMA into the next
generation of fans. Alves’ rise has been fast and he has
come into his own in recent fights, although he is less tested
in high profile, high pressure situations.
Alves
is no less dangerous an opponent, though. Depending on who controls
the distance of the fight, it could be the ultimate payoff to
his early-life struggles, or St. Pierre’s poise and experience
could be the deciding factor.
STRIKING
Alves’
Muay Thai base is his primary weapon. He’s a crisp, compact
striker who’s methodical in his attacks. His outside leg
kick is the best in his weight class; he turns them over, almost
jumping into them. In his strikes, he has the deadly mix of natural
power and technique: when he hits you, you feel it.
Lately,
his footwork has improved dramatically. Instead of a slugfest,
he’s able to get in and get out (he favors an inside leg
kick/punch combo to get inside). He has quick reflexes. Almost
all of the strikes that have ended opponent’s nights have
been in transition: as opponents reset, as they charge in, as
they shoot for a takedown. When he capitalizes, he does it in
a big way.
Then
there’s his takedown defense, which ranks among his chief
strong points. Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck, two of the best
wrestlers in the game, could not keep him on the mat.
Against
St. Pierre, he’ll use his kicks to take the steam out of
an impending takedown. Footwork will square him up to the champ
so he can work combinations. If St. Pierre neglects to set up
his takedowns with punches, a knee will be waiting. He’ll
do what’s been working best: catching foes when they least
expect it, or before they can defend it.
St.
Pierre is a more kick heavy striker, though his boxing has improved
light years from where it was when he began. He doesn’t
have the same sting as Alves, but he’s got sting nonetheless.
He gets more creative with his legs, using lead leg head kicks
and spinning back kicks (almost trademark by now). He’ll
mix his attack, but his reach gives him the ability – and
desire – to anchor his advance with the jab, throwing it
constantly as he steps in.
Expect
to see St. Pierre do two things: use his legs more to inflict
damage from distance, check kicks, and smother Alves against
the cage. He knows it’s not wise to stand in the pocket
with a heavy-handed striker. Instead, he’ll keep the jab
constant, attack Alves’ left side with overhand rights and
high kicks, and time a charge forward to the cage. There, he
can move to the next phase of the game.
GRAPPLING
Fans
have long figured out that St. Pierre’s lack of wrestling
credentials mean next to nothing. He has natural talent, and
he trains with the best Canada and the U.S. have to offer. The
ground game is his decided advantage in this fight: whether in
the clinch or on the mat, he’s an offensive player. Excellent
at passing guard or doing damage within it, St. Pierre’s
long arms allow him to pick at opponents overhead or at close
range. If he passes to side guard, he’ll let loose with
elbows and look to mount. He’s gotten better on his back
as well, particularly at avoiding damage and getting back to
his feet.
At
some point, he’ll look to take Alves down and pass to side
control where he can fire away. If he lands enough, he can scramble
for mount or catch a submission off a reversal.
Alves'
strength, and one that’s improved dramatically over time,
is the thing keeping him from a pounding by the champ. He stymies
ground specialists on the mat. When they try to pass guard, he
locks them down; when they transition, he scrambles upward. As
a striker, his ground game is defensive in nature, designed to
get him back to his feet.
Against
St. Pierre, he’s destined to end up on his back at some
point, where the two will struggle between guard and half guard.
If he manages to reverse GSP, it’s a different story: he
will punish the champ from his guard if his posture isn't controlled.
CAGE
CONTROL
GSP,
for the most part, plays the aggressor in his Octagon fights.
But he’s patient: he strings together combinations on the
feet then goes for the kill on the mat. Since his emergence as
champion, he has rarely ceded control of the action’s pace,
unless hurt by strikes. That happened at UFC 69, where Matt Serra
took his equilibrium with punches and swarmed in for the kill.
Alves,
though he likes to be aggressive, is more varied than many might
think. Sometimes he’s very aggressive and marches forward,
as with Koscheck in his last fight. Against fighters that chose
to brawl over snipe, like Karo Parisyan and Chris Lytle, he’s
more tentative, waiting for his opportunity to land with power.
On the ground, he doesn’t take control, but prevents his
opponent from doing so.
It
will be interesting to see who keeps the center of the cage in
this fight. If Alves presses the action, the fight could go down
quicker, where GSP is dominant. If GSP is more aggressive, a
longer battle will ensue with conditioning becoming a factor.
CONDITIONING
GSP
has six times gone more than 15 minutes in his professional career.
He has consistently relied on his conditioning to get him through
tough spots, as in his first fight with B.J. Penn at UFC 58.
But since then, he’s never slowed, unless stopped. And so
far, that’s only happened twice.
Alves,
on the other hand, has only three 15-minute battles to his credit,
and never longer (or under such great stress). He’s a huge
welterweight, bigger than GSP, and that’s not something
that can be counted out as a consideration in the fight. He’s
had trouble making weight before. Much like Anthony Johnson,
who cuts from a similar walking weight, the cut ravages his body,
and he’s been flagged for illegal diuretic use. He’s
also young, and at 25 years old, might be years away from his
physical peak.
Count
on GSP to rely on this if the fight goes past the third round.
Alves’ head movement almost ceases when he’s been grappling
more, and could serve as a target for a GSP uppercut in later
rounds. It could also make a shot much easier.
THE
“X” FACTOR
In
this fight, it’s primarily a question of whether Alves’
striking power can damage GSP enough to alter the course of the
fight early on. Alves doesn’t have the championship level
experience, and there’s no way to simulate that. He does,
however, have the ability to end GSP’s night early if he
connects. If not, a longer running fight will favor the champion.
St. Pierre is more polished overall, but hasn’t faced a
striker like Alves.
KEYS
TO VICTORY
Thiago
Alves:
–Keep the pressure on GSP; draw him into exchanging
–Leg kicks, leg kicks, leg kicks
–Takedown defense; get ready to fire off a knee as GSP comes
in
–Counter GSP’s jab with combinations
Georges
St. Pierre:
–Keep Alves guessing with different striking combinations
–Use punches to set up takedowns
–Move laterally on the feet and change range quickly
–Take Alves into deep waters
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Gomi
vs. Oliveira Confirmed for “Trilogy”
By FCF Staff
After weeks of speculation that Takanori Gomi would be heading
stateside to compete at Affliction’s upcoming “Trilogy”
card in Anaheim, the promotion has now confirmed that the former
Pride lightweight champion, will indeed fight Rafeallo Oliveira
at the August 1st event. The bout has been added to the pay-per-view
portion of the card.
Gomi
(30-5) heads into the bout having won his last fight in May,
when he knocked out Takashi Nakakura in the second round at a
Shooto event. The win ended a two fight losing streak for the
Japanese fighter, as last November Gomi dropped a Split Decision
loss to Sergey Golyaev at the “Sengoku Sixth Battle”
event, and then in January, he was quickly submitted by Satoru
Kitaoka at World Victory Road’s “Sengoku No Ran 2009”
card.
Gomi
returns to the U.S. for the first time since February, 2007,
when he was submitted by Nick Diaz at Pride 33. The bout was
later declared a No Contest after Diaz allegedly tested positive
for marijuana. Before the decision was altered, it had been just
Gomi’s second loss since October, 2003.
Oliveira
(8-1) has won three in a row heading into “Trilogy;”
most recently he worked his way to a Unanimous Decision over
John Mahlow at an XFC event in April. His only loss to date was
a TKO stoppage he incurred at the hands of Lyle Beerbohm, when
the two fought at a ShoXC event last October.
“Trilogy”
will be headlined by a WAMMA heavyweight title fight between
champion Fedor Emelianenko and challenger Josh Barnett. The PPV
portion of the card is also scheduled to include Renato Sobral
vs. Gegard Mousasi, Gilbert Yvel vs. Paul Buentello, and Vitor
Belfort vs. Jorge Santiago.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
2009
Worlds summed up
Siriema and challenges faced by IBJJF
With
the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in California out of the way,
there are still echos of the most important championship on the
sport Jiu-Jitsu calendar. This 14th installment saw 1,865 athletes
from 40 countries signed up, 240 being black belts, a record
number.
All
the shine and emotion of the Worlds is spread over 35 pages in
GRACIEMAG 148, on its way to GMAs and subscribers the world over.
A
championship of the Worlds’ scale is certainly not easy
to put together and there are always facets needing evaluation
and improvement. So, GRACIEMAG.com had a chat with Marcelo “Siriema”
Araujo, organizer of the IBJJF, and sought to find out what are
some of the main challenges the Federation faces and what novelties
will surface at the 15th edition, in 2010.
After
the hurry and hard work, what is your assessment of the 2009
Jiu-Jitsu World Championship?
I
think the result was a good one, the technical level was excellent
and the organization flowed according to planned.
What
were the main challenges overcome and what needs to improve?
We’re
going to invest more time and effort to improve the refereeing
with every year. Even with everything going well, I feel there’s
always room for improvement. What’s important is that we
take a critical view of our work to keep up the current standards.
Truth is, at the first Worlds in California we had many challenges,
from training the staff to the finer details of infrastructure.
But after three installments it’s all become easier.
And
is there anything new for upcoming editions?
The
idea’s that the World Championship should remain open, but
we want to want to implement a ranking system that will place
the athlete in the bracket. We’re still thinking about possibilities,
but what’s for sure is that the athletes who’ve been
having better results will be better placed and will have fewer
matches.
On
the Rio Open, how is that event being organized?
It’s
nearly ready. We just had the Southern Brazilian and we’re
going to have the Central-Western Brazilian; we’re used
to having several events going on at the same time.
Anything
new for this year?
We’re
closing a partnership with the Sportv tv channel through the
Sensei show, and due to the great success in audience numbers
we’ve had with the finals of the Brazilian Nationals, we’ll
repeat it with the Rio Open. Beyond that, we’ll also have
a special program with the black belt finals at the Rio Open.
How
many athletes do you expect?
The
Master and Rio Open together should have around 1,100 signed
up. A particularity of the Master and Rio Open is that together
last year we had 339 black belts competing on the same day, which
could be a record among Jiu-Jitsu events.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Chuck
Liddell to sit out rest of 2009
The next time Chuck Liddell steps inside the Octagon -- if he
chooses to do so -- will be at the age of 40.
The former UFC light-heavyweight champion recently told SI.com
that he will not make a decision on the future of his fighting
career until after April 2010. Speaking with SI.com's Josh Gross,
Liddell said he hasn't "personally made a decision one way
or the other" about retirement.
Liddell
appeared to have been "retired" by UFC president Dana
White at UFC 97 in April following Liddell's loss in Montreal
to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.
"I
care about these guys," White said at the post-fight press
conference. "I don't want to see anybody sticking around
too long, I don't want to see anyone get hurt. And in the almost
twenty-year history of the UFC there's never been a death or
serious injury...and you're never going to see Chuck Liddell
on the canvas again. It's done. Tonight was the end of an era.
One of the greatest guys in the sport fought his last fight tonight."
Last
month White eased on his insistence that Liddell retire.
"I'm
not his father, he can do whatever the hell he wants to do,"
White said. "I'm his friend and I care about him a lot,
and I'd never like to see him fight again."
Liddell
will take the time off to recover and work on his ground game.
"Hopefully
my brain can heal over time," Liddell told SI.com. "The
shot last fight is something that normally wouldn't hurt me.
I think I need at least some time off from getting hit. I'm going
to take time off sparring then. I'll train still. Still gonna
roll. I'll probably do a little more jiu-jitsu than normal because
I like it. It's fun."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Female
MMA Coming to Penticton on Aug. 15Press Release
If
you feel that Mixed Martial Arts (MMA or sometimes referred to
as Ultimate Fighting) is barbaric or “human cockfighting”
then we have bad news for you, it’s in British Columbia
and it’s staying. Not only that but there is also going
to be some “human chick fighting” that will probably
offend you even more. The IFC recently announced a women’s
fight for their upcoming event in Penticton on August 15 and
it has a little international flavor.
Venezuelan
native Julianna Pena will be meeting Julia Budd of Port Moody,
BC in a three round affair (rounds are 5 minutes in length in
MMA) on the undercard of the IFC World Heavyweight Championship
event taking place on August 15 at the South Okanagan Event Center
in Penticton, BC.
The
IFC has long been a proponent of women’s fighting. It’s
first female cage matches and the first ever in MMA history were
held in 1996. Explains IFC Founder and CEO, Howard Petschler,
“Women have a long history and tradition in the martial
arts. They train just as hard and are just as competitive as
the guys. Why shouldn’t they fight in the cage? A couple
of our most exciting fights have been the women.” In the
IFC the women have always fought under the same rules as the
men. Petschler adds ,“ The woman certainly have the aerobic
capacity to go the distance. Some organizations have chosen to
shorten the rounds for women. I don’t understand that. Before
we instituted the round system to benefit TV, fighters fought
until a fighter was KOed or submitted. There were no judges.
Our longest fight on record was a 55 minutes and was a back and
forth affair between two very tough women. The fans loved every
minute of it. You can’t convince the IFC that women need
shorter rounds.”
The
night’s feature fight is the IFC World Heavyweight Championship
battle between undefeated “Pitbull” Tracy Willis and
veteran IFC, UFC, Pride and Dream warrior Travis “Diesel”
Wuiff. Several local area fighters will be appearing on the undercard.
The event will also feature a four man single elimination tournament
in the 170 pound weight class.
Former
and current IFC Champions include Chuck Liddell, Eugene Jackson,
Rich Franklin, Tim Silva, Jens Pulver, Dan Severn, Igor Vovchanchin,
Vladimir Matyshenko, Matt Lindland, Paul Buentello, Jeremy Horn
and many other top fighters in MMA. IFC fighters come from many
backgrounds; they are respected as some of the best athletes
in the world. Most use a combination of boxing, wrestling, open
hand combat and martial arts fighting techniques in the cage.
Fights can be won by knockout, submission or by the scorecard.
There are three five-minute rounds in a non-championship bout
and five five-minute rounds in a championship bout. Known for
their extreme, no holds barred fighting in the steel cage IFC
fighters will do about anything necessary to win.
Tickets
start at $30 Canadian and are on sale at ValleyFirstTIX.com or
by calling 877-763-2849 in Canada
For
more information contact press@ifccagedcombat.tv.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Gesias
at Dream 11, but not against Alvarez
By Eduardo Ferreira
After
the rumors about a possible fight between Gesias Cavalcante and
Eddie Alvarez at Dream 11th edition, which is scheduled for September
23 in Japan, we went after the Brazilian to know more about the
confrontation. Gesias guaranteed that will be on Dream 11’s
card, but his opponent won’t be Alvarez. "They offered
me Eddie Alvarez and I was excited, but it seems that he’s
injured or had some other problem and won’t be able to fight
in the event. I’m confirmed in Dream 11, but I still have
no opponent", said JZ. Stay tuned in TATAME site for more
news about the Dream 11.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"You
cannot see the future with tears in your eyes."
Navajo Proverb
|
We will also be looking for qualified referee's to work in our
events, so if you or anyone you know is interested in applying
just contact us.
Thank
you so much for your support.
Sincerely,
Riane
Gracie
Tournament Coordinator
310-6672067
rianegracie@gmail.com
|
Lavar
Johnson shot during Independence Day celebration
Strikeforce heavyweight Lavar "Big" Johnson was one
of five victims shot Sunday afternoon during a family reunion
and Independence Day celebration in Bakersfield, California.
Johnson was shot in the abdomen and transported with three others
to the hospital, while one passed away on the scene from multiple
gunshot wounds, according to a Bakersfield Police Department
news release.
Police
investigation determined that the shooter was a black male in
his late teens and possibly accompanied by another black male
and a black female in their late teens. The shooter "suddenly
brandished a semi-automatic handgun and began to indiscriminately
discharge the weapon multiple times into the crowd striking all
of the victims," the report stated.
Police
said they were called at 12:34 p.m. for a possible assault with
a firearm near the intersection of First street and T. The celebration
was held at a residence in the 200 block of T street.
Johnson
(12-3) has stopped his last five opponents before any entered
the second round, and in his most recent fight, on May 15 at
the first-ever ShoMMA, knocked out Carl Seumanutafa in 18 seconds.
Johnson
was next scheduled to fight at a Strikeforce event on August
15 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. He was in talks
to face PRIDE and EliteXC veteran James Thompson.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Cote
Almost 100%, Eager to Return
By Kelsey Mowatt
2009
has likely been a long and drawn out year in the life of Patrick
Cote. After the 29 year-old-fighter climbed his way to the top
of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s middleweight division,
courtesy a 5 fight winning streak, a knee injury Cote incurred
in the third round of his title fight with champion Anderson
Silva last October, has sidelined the Canadian ever since.
“Not
fully, but it’s doing very well,” said Cote, when asked
whether or not his knee is fully recovered yet. “I’m
starting to push a little bit harder and everything is going
very well. I’m really happy.”
“I’ll
be ready probably in October,” Cote added. “That’s
the target.”
Cote
earned his shot at Silva’s belt by working his way to a
tightly contested Split Decision over Ricardo Almeida nearly
one year ago, and after having faced the champion himself, he
hopes to make his return against another notable competitor.
“I
don’t have a name right now,” Cote told FCF. “I
just want a good fight. I want to be in a good show and put on
a good show for the fans. I think I’m able to put on a good
show against anybody so I want a top guy right away. We’ll
see what the UFC will give me.”
With
other notable middleweights like Demian Maia, Nathan Marquardt,
Dan Henderson, and Michael Bisping, among others, all getting
ready for bouts this summer, depending on what transpires, there
may not be a lot of big names available come October. Yushin
Okami is another of the division’s more accomplished fighters,
and although the injured knee which kept him out of UFC 98 may
prevent him from returning this Fall, he’s a possible opponent
that interests Cote.
“Yeah
sure,” said Cote, when asked if he would be interested in
fighting Okami. “He’s a really good fighter and he’s
at the top of the middleweight division. So for sure. That would
be a really interesting fight for me to come back for. If not
him I’ll take another one.”
Anderson
Silva will next face Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 on August 8th,
a light-heavyweight bout that was put together, after the champion’s
last two title defenses have not produced the highlight reel
material fans have grown to expect. In addition, recently President
Dana White conceded that the promotion might look outside of
the organization (perhaps in Vitor Belfort’s direction)
for the next challenger, further fueling debate as to whether
or not the UFC has a viable contender within the organization.
“I’m
50-50,” said Cote, when asked if he agrees with the idea
that Silva has cleaned out the division. “I’m not stupid.
I know that Anderson is incredible and one of a kind in the world,
but, nobody is unbeatable and he’s only human. In my last
fight I don’t think I won the first two rounds but I was
still there, still standing in the third round. I received his
best punch I think and I was still there. Our game plan was perfect
and we were exactly where we wanted to be. I don’t think
he’s unbeatable but it will be very difficult to beat this
guy.”
Cote
was indeed the first fighter to take Silva into the third round
since the Brazilian signed with the UFC, who when the two met,
was on a 7 fight winning streak, and had stopped names like Rich
Franklin, Dan Henderson and Nathan Marquardt in under ten minutes.
Despite Cote’s resiliency in the fight, and the fact it
came to an end because of an injury, there was little substantive
discussion of a rematch afterwards.
“At
the beginning yes,” Cote said, when asked if he was bothered
by the fact that his performance at UFC 90 didn’t lead to
a rematch. “Now I just want to come back and just fight.
I want to get a title fight. I want to fight him again, even
if he’s not the champion anymore; I want to finish this
business. I don’t care if he knocks me out or if I win,
I just want a real decision. I do this sport to be number one
and bad luck happened last time. My goal is to have a rematch.
I can sleep though; I’ve been able to pass over it.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Belfort
trains in Vegas
Brazilian one of the headliners at Affliction Trilogy
Vitor Belfort is totally concentrated on his next challenge:
his August 1 fight against also-Brazilian Jose Santiago, in the
middleweight category of the Affliction event, once again to
take place at the Honda Civic Arena, in Los Angeles. Vitor is
already training in Las Vegas, at the academy of Randy Couture.
“I’m
in my final phase of preparation, training eight hours a day,
with all the facilities I need. MMA in Las Vegas brings in the
second biggest crowd, only losing out to the casinos. This is
the capital of the sport. That’s a great motivational factor.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
FIGHT NIGHT 19: NATE DIAZ VS MELVIN GUILLARD
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday officially announced
UFC Fight Night 19 scheduled for Sept. 16 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The
event at the Cox Convention Center features a bout pitting Nate
Diaz against Melvin Guillard and the return of Roger Huerta as
he squares off with Gray Maynard.
Diaz
is coming off of a loss to Joe Stevenson at the recent Ultimate
Fighter 9 Finale in June. Though he dropped a unanimous decision
– his second straight defeat in the Octagon – Diaz'
bout with Stevenson was one of an unprecedented three Fights
of the Night.
After
back-to-back losses in 2007, Guillard has rebounded to win his
last three fights, including a controversial split decision over
Gleison Tibau at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale. A win over Diaz
would put him well on his way to top tier fights in the UFC's
lightweight division.
Roger
Huerta will be returning to the Octagon after more than a year
out of action due in part to commitments to movie roles, but
also due to a public spat over his contractual status with the
UFC. This is the final fight on Huerta's contract with the promotion,
and it is widely believed that he will not be returning after
the fight with Maynard.
While
Huerta has been out of action, Maynard, a product of Xtreme Couture,
has been busy building up his record to 7-0 (with one no contest).
He is on the cusp of breaking into contenders bouts in the UFC's
155-pound division, and sending Huerta unceremoniously out of
the UFC would surely cement his position among top fighters in
the division.
Other
rumored bouts for UFC Fight Night 19, but not yet comfirmed by
the UFC, include Ronnys Torres vs. Jeremy Stephens, Chris Wilson
vs. Mike Pyle, and Nate Quarry vs. Tim Credeur.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Diaz
VS Riggs 2
Nick Diaz is fighting Joe Riggs at Strikeforce's August 15th
show. Diaz had previously lost a very controversial decision
to Riggs in the UFC a few years ago and will be looking to finish
Riggs so that this time there will be no doubt. After their lst
fight, Diaz went on to TKO Riggs the very same night when a war
of words erupted into a full out brawl at the hospital.
This
fight will be for Strikeforce's Welterweight Championship Belt.
That means 5 full rounds of mortal combat for your viewing pleasure.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Inglorious
Bastards of Mixed Martial ArtsFight Network Staff
What
is an inglorious basterd?
The
good guy, or fan favorite, who comes out with his guns blazing.
An inglorious basterd is willing to do whatever it takes to secure
victory regardless of how ethical or violent his tactics are.
1.
Kazushi Sakuraba
2. Wanderlei Silva
3. Don Frye
4. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto
5. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
6. Genki Sudo
7. Quinton Jackson
8. Chuck Liddell
9. Diego Sanchez
10. Scott Smith
Source: The Fight Network
|
Frazzato
doesn’t give up of the world title
By Marina Nunes
Brazilian
champion of Jiu-Jitsu in May of this year, Bruno Frazzato hoped
to achieve the same status in 2009’ BJJ Worlds, which happened
in early June. Vice-champion in 2008, the athletes trained hard
to achieve the dream of bringing home the first world title,
but found a tough opponent in his way: Rubens Charles "Cobrinha”.
"I
tried to make a fight different than I did in 2008, I fought
the whole championship with the final in mind, I tried to make
a fight ahead. I knew Cobrinha was a great opponent, I have anything
to say about him as an athlete, he’s a great fighter. I
tried to give the best of me and don’t stop at the fight,
he made a good strategy and managed to maintain a good rhythm.
But I liked, I thought the fight was good and that the judge
could give to any one of the two. When it ends tied it hasn’t
much to do, I don’t have what to complain. I hadn’t
even got the opportunity to make a point, neither an advantage",
said Frazzato.
Asked
if he would start to train MMA, Bruno, who, among other championships,
will participate of the Rio Open, guaranteed that won’t
desist of being world champion at black belt. "My focus
is to continue in the Jiu-Jitsu until the next year. Win the
world title in black belt still is my dream. I’ll train
much for it and enter into a bigger rhythm of competition in
2009, I competed just a little last year. I’ll compete a
lot in the rest of the year, to be better in 2010", said
the fighter, explaining the "fifty-fifty guard”, much
used by him and the athletes of the Atos team, as Rafael and
Guilherme Mendes.
"It’s
a position that really stops the fight a bit, but has several
variations on it. Some people still don’t know. We created
up of a strategy, but it’s a position that sometimes ends
up falling in several situations of the fight, we use as any
other type of situation. People started to comment a lot why
the fight doesn’t have much continuity".
Source: Tatame
|
UFC
gauging how far they can push the envelope
By Zach Arnold
1)
Their new magazine
MMA
Payout notes that UFC’s mailing list, combined with Men’s
Fitness customer database, will be the backbone for launching
and developing a customer list for their own magazine.
Prediction:
UFC will develop a magazine that is oriented for the general
public, not for hardcore fans. The company won’t go after
other magazines who interview fighters since UFC would likely
consider it free PR. As far as whether the magazine makes a profit,
I don’t think it matters — as long as UFC can generate
enough press coverage through their own means without spending
too much money, it’s a win-win situation for them.
2)
Dana White’s on-again, off-again infatuation with Vitor
Belfort
He
said on YouTube the day after he got Kimbo at the TUF 10 tapings
that he was in Los Angeles for a meeting that would change the
world. Then he said on the UFC web site that he wanted Vitor
Belfort, despite Belfort being under contract. Tampering charges?
How reckless was this? White’s now saying publicly that
he has no interest in Belfort.
Prediction:
If Affliction 3 bombs, my opinion is that Atencio considers filing
a lawsuit and ending up with a settlement. This story also illustrates
that not only is White still unfiltered (think: Youtube incident,
Vitor issues, the whole issues with the video game), but that
the company’s legal team doesn’t give a damn. They
don’t exactly have Jerry McDevitt in their corner, however.
The
mood with UFC, as demonstrated with the Jon Fitch video game
situation, does seem reflective on how Lorenzo Fertitta operates
— good and bad — as we’ve seen with the way Station
Casinos was handled when it went from private to public and now
back to private, along with the various union fights that have
existed with SC.
3)
Continuing fights against sponsors
It’s
insanity. No other major league sport has gotten into as many
fights so quickly (as I can recall) than UFC has with sponsors.
As I stated before, all of this reeks of divide-and-conquer politics
at its worst. Why is this penny-wise and pound foolish? What’s
attracting new talent to MMA is money. Fighters are coming in
because they sense they can make a career in this sport. If you
start taking money directly away from fighters because you’re
cheap or because you want 100% control over the athletes, then
guess what will start happening? People will start leaving the
business or not consider getting into it. As we’ve seen
in Japan, when the money dries up so does the big-league talent
pool.
Prediction:
UFC will continue to push away or blacklist sponsors at an alarming
rate. It will not catch up with them right now, but in a couple
of years the organization will find itself developing so many
enemies that UFC will find the people they shunned aligning with
opposition groups. I also predict that if a slowdown in sponsorship
money continues that there will not be as many blue-chip prospects
coming down the road, despite the fact that the reason most people
want to fight in UFC has more to do with fame than money.
UFC
already has the best of all worlds — they have fighters
as independent contractors and not employees, they don’t
pay fighters outside of whenever the athlete fights, and they
approve/disapprove of sponsors. It’s not a crime to make
a profit, but it’s bad business when you become too cheap
and it starts to negatively impact who wants to be in MMA and
who doesn’t. If you assume people make rational economic
decisions in terms of employment, then drying up how much money
a fighter can make certainly will impact who stays and who goes.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
"Happiness
lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy
of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort."
Franklin
D. Roosevelt
|
ST.
PIERRE NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING ALVES OFFERS
For any fighter that is currently aspiring to hit the heights
in the sport of MMA, the model to follow is undoubtedly current
UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who has molded
himself into the most complete fighter in the sport, while continuously
evolving with each and every fight.
Coming
off of possibly the biggest win of his career, a fourth round
TKO over arch rival B.J. Penn, it was St. Pierre who opted for
only a week off before heading right back into the gym to train,
which he says he does because he loves it, not because he has
to.
The
two-time UFC champion traveled to several gyms to prepare for
his July 11 showdown against No. 1 contender Thiago Alves, including
trips to New York to work with Renzo Gracie's school, and to
France where he worked with several world class Muay Thai experts.
Still
what has to be described as an almost flawless performance against
Penn, it's St. Pierre who readily admits that he is a different
fighter from that bout, and he is always changing his game to
stay on top of any opponent who dares face him in the cage.
"I'm
a different fighter than when I fought B.J. Penn. It's a different
fight against a different opponent, and I do have a specific
strategy that I will use against him," St. Pierre told MMAWeekly
Radio recently about his gameplan for Alves. "And I'm going
to use it the night of the fight."
While
St. Pierre's strategy is usually locked away deeper than the
gold in Fort Knox, he will divulge one of his biggest weapons
in every fight, which is his uncanny ability to take away his
opponent's biggest strength, and putting them on the defensive
as soon as the horn sounds.
"The
main thing is to keep your opponent out of their comfort zone,"
he commented. "The best defense is the offense. Not all
of the time, but most of the time."
His
opponent in this fight could be the biggest and most dangerous
of any fighter St. Pierre has faced in his time with the UFC,
but despite Alves' pedigree in the striking game, the Canadian
champion will not shy away from trading shots with the American
Top Team welterweight.
"I'm
not afraid of him standing up, I'm not afraid of him anywhere,"
said St. Pierre. "I just acknowledge his strength, and I
know what he's good at, but I'm not afraid of it. Either standing
up, on the ground, anywhere."
Never
one for insulting his opponents, St. Pierre says that it doesn't
have to be personal for him to want to destroy Thiago Alves,
because at the end of the day he is gunning for his title, and
that's not something he is willing to hand over to anybody.
"People
can talk as much as they want, talking doesn't help. It’s
the fighting that's going to do the job in the Octagon,"
St. Pierre stated. "Thiago Alves is a great fighter, and
he doesn't have to talk bad to make himself confident. He's a
confident guy by himself, so that's what makes him even more
dangerous than B.J. Penn."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
COLE
MILLER PLANS TO BUILD OFF ESCUDERO'S BACK
Cole
Miller has had five fights in the UFC since stepping off of the
cast of the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter. His only misstep
has been late second-round TKO loss to Jeremy Stephens, outside
of that he has won all four of his other UFC bouts, including
Andy Wang, Leonard Garcia, Jorge Gurgel, and, most recently,
attention magnet Junie Browning.
"I
think he was the worst guy that I've fought in the UFC, but I
got to do it on TV," Miller told MMAWeekly.com recently.
Of
course, doing it on TV is the key for Miller. Since exiting The
Ultimate Fighter, he has steadily built a name for himself in
the Octagon and television is a huge catalyst for any fighter
that's working his way up the ladder.
At
UFC 103 on Sept. 19 in Dallas, he hopes to take big next step
up that contender's ladder when he faces off with Efrain Escudero,
who won the eight season of The Ultimate Fighter. Besides defeating
Phillipe Nover – the fighter UFC president Dana White had
anointed as possibly the 155-pound Anderson Silva – in the
finale, Escudero brings with him a spotless 11-0 professional
record.
At
15-3, Miller will have the definite advantage in experience,
but he expects a tough, but clean fight out of Escudero.
"That
last fight, I got a little bit extra in Junie, but there's no
bad blood between me and Efrain," said Miller, but added
that won't distract from his objectives. "I hope to finish
him, but I expect him to be training hard... I want to be showcasing
the skills that I have and I need to fight guys like Efrain to
show that I belong fighting those next level guys."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
An
agressive Leonardo Santos at Sengoku
With
five consecutive victories in the Brazilian MMA, Léo Santos
had the chance to return to the Japanese rings, and came back
to Brazil with a controversial loss in the split decision, against
Kazunori Yokota. Back to the trainings in Nova União,
the lightweight spoke about the return to the Sengoku, promising
news for the next challenge, still with no date set yet. "I
dominated four minutes and, with one minute to end (the rounds),
he came like a crazy guy, made things to impress the judges.
I have to become smarter, I can’t accept his game, I have
to impose my own, be more aggressive and go over them",
said the black belt, waiting for a call of the event to fight
this year.
"I'm
waiting for the next event. If I win my next fight, is the chance
for me to fight for the belt. The future belongs to God. I‘ll
train and be well prepared for what comes", said Santos,
who believes he won the fight against Yokota. "I don’t
know if I felt a little the time zone, but I think I won the
fight... I lost the first round, but won the last two, but that
defeat was good for me to see that I have a few flaws in my game,
and one of them is be more aggressive and fight under the rules",
complains, helping the team fellows and returning to the trainings
in Rio de Janeiro. "The training doesn’t stop at the
Nova União. We have guys fighting all the time, then I'm
helping, giving some tips to them, who always helps me too. I’m
just maintaining, I’m not forcing anything, and trying to
correct some basic things".
THE
LIGHTWEIGHTS IN THE BJJ WORLDS 2009
Considered
for many years the number one in the lightweights in Jiu-Jitsu,
the Nova União athlete commented the battles of the 2009
Worlds, which happened at June in California, USA, and crowned
Michael Langhi. "The light category was always with epic
battles, only had tough guys... What happens, today, is that
everybody is very level and Michael Langhi is with a good tactic
and a good game, he highlights on it. He’s with a very good
team, which gives him the ideas, and he’s smarter",
praises Santos, recalling the times in which he competed with
kimono. "It isn’t like old times. The tops were tops,
ran over, but Langhi is making the difference in this details.
I saw him fighting, he has a great guard, but what is making
the difference is that, details”, analyzed the black belt.
Source:
Tatame
|
The
UFC’s greatest feuds
One
of the things that marks mixed martial arts fighters is the respect
they almost always show for each other and for the sport. They
frequently thank their opponents for taking the fight and often
express that they feel it is an honor to meet a particular fighter.
But
every now and then, in a combat sport, feelings get heated and
it leads to feuds. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has had
a series of memorable feuds which the men settled in the cage.
No
feud ever had the heat that the one between veteran Ken Shamrock
and Tito Ortiz brought. Shamrock was a former WWF wrestling star,
but his dislike for Ortiz was very real.
Shamrock,
one of the earliest UFC stars, felt Ortiz had disrespected two
of his Lion’s Den fighters, Jerry Bohlander and Guy Mezger,
after Ortiz had beaten them. After knocking out Mezger at UFC
19 on March 5, 1999, Ortiz pretended to dig a grave in the center
of the cage.
That
infuriated Shamrock, who had to be restrained from going after
Ortiz.
When
casino moguls Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and partner Dana White
bought the UFC in 2001, one of the first things they did was
to attempt to put on a Shamrock-Ortiz fight.
They
met for the first of three times at UFC 40 on Nov. 22, 2002,
at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas in what was the first mega-event
in company history.
Each
of their fights was a major event and it was clear it was the
top feud in UFC history. The Yahoo! Sports MMA staff unanimously
voted it the promotion’s top feud.
List
compiled by Kevin Iole, Dave Meltzer and Dave Doyle. Only numbered
major UFC events were considered for this list. Thus, Ultimate
Fight Night and Ultmate Fighter Finale events were not considered.
1.
Ken Shamrock-Tito Ortiz: Prior to their first fight at UFC 40,
Shamrock became so enraged at something Ortiz said at a news
conference that he hurled a chair at him. They had to be kept
apart by security because neither man would back off. Ortiz stopped
Shamrock in the third round at UFC 40. They then coached against
each other on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” setting
the stage for a bout at UFC 61. Referee Herb Dean stopped that
bout in the first round as Ortiz cracked Shamrock with an elbow.
That enraged the crowd, so White ordered a rematch and the men
met again on an Ultimate Fight Night card. Ortiz again dominated
and stopped Shamrock in the first, putting an end to their bitter
rivalry.
2.
Chuck Liddell-Tito Ortiz: Ortiz won the UFC’s light heavyweight
championship and was gaining acclaim as a star as the UFC moved
into its modern era. Liddell was one of his training partners
and wanted a fight against the champion. Ortiz said no and said
the two were friends and had an agreement they’d never fight.
Liddell insisted it wasn’t the case. They met twice, at
UFC 47 and UFC 66, with Liddell dominating each time. He stopped
Ortiz in the second round at UFC 47 and in the third at UFC 66,
which became the first event to exceed a million pay-per-view
buys.
3.
Ken Shamrock-Royce Gracie: Gracie was the 175-pound Brazilian
whose jiu-jitsu expertise made him the biggest star of the UFC’s
early days. Shamrock was the only man in those days who seemed
to have any clue how to fight a jiu-jitsu fighter. But Gracie,
en route to the UFC 1 tournament title, choked out Shamrock with
the Gi. Shamrock, a fierce competitor, demanded a rematch and
got it in a Super Fight at UFC 5, but they fought to a time-limit
draw.
4.
Matt Hughes-Matt Serra: Each man held the welterweight title,
but it was Hughes’ reaction to Serra’s title-winning
knockout of Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69 that set off their rivalry.
Hughes was to fight the winner, which was expected to be St.
Pierre, and was seated at ringside to watch. But when Serra landed
a big punch and became the most improbable champion in UFC history
when he knocked St. Pierre out, the cameras turned to Hughes
for his reaction. He grinned and Serra took it as an insult.
They coached against each other on Season 6 of “The Ultimate
Fighter” and Serra continually jabbed at Hughes with verbal
assaults, frequently referring to him with a derogatory term
that describes the male anatomy. They eventually met at UFC 98
in a much-delayed bout and Hughes eked out a disputed split decision
victory.
5.
Matt Hughes-Frank Trigg: After a successful stint in the now-defunct
World Fighting Alliance, Trigg signed with the UFC and immediately
got a shot at the title, then held by Matt Hughes. Hughes retained
the belt, winning by rear naked choke at UFC 45. But Trigg, who
would become a TV broadcaster and Internet personality, kept
insisting he was the better fighter. Hughes didn’t feel
he had anything to gain by fighting Trigg again, but they finally
hooked up at UFC 52. In one of the great fights in UFC history,
Hughes broke free of a rear naked choke, carried Trigg across
the cage and slammed him violently to the mat. The crowd erupted,
Hughes pounded on the ground and finished with a choke of his
own.
Honorable
mention: B.J. Penn-Jens Pulver, Wanderlei Silva- Quinton Jackson,
Frank Shamrock-Tito Ortiz.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Dana
White: ‘Nobody wants this [expletive] job’
By
now you’d think Dana White was over this stuff, but the
truth is if he ever was, if critics big or small didn’t
still agitate and motivate, then he wouldn’t be Dana White
at all.
And
if there’s no Dana White, is there an Ultimate Fighting
Championship that went from a bumbling $2 million organization
to an estimated $1 billion company in eight years, grows its
fan base by the day or is about to celebrate its 100th show July
11 in Las Vegas?
Dana
White is Dana White. Always has been; probably always will be.
He acts unlike any other president of a major sports organization.
He
swears like a [expletive] sailor, never wears a tie and when
people said he shouldn’t be running the UFC back in the
day, he told them, “[expletive] you.”
When
they said he was doing it all wrong, he said, “[expletive]
you.”
And
now, when ESPN on its “E:60” program suggested that
his brash style might not be right for continued growth, well,
you can imagine the response.
“The
whole ESPN thing, ‘Can the UFC go where it needs to go with
Dana White?’ Shut the [expletive] up. Who’s going to
do it? I’m the one who’s been doing it. Now someone
else is going to come in and take things over?”
By
White’s standards, that’s a tame response. He didn’t
even rant on his video blog about it. Maybe he’s mellowing
after all.
In
the past he’s gone crazier. Often it’s against “media”
targets, rival promoters or fighters who aren’t even worth
responding in the first place. And that doesn’t count anonymous
message board posters.
“Instead
of being one of these guys that ignores everything that is being
said, sometimes you get on my nerves and sometimes you get me
to the point where I blow,” White said.
Roger
Goodell or Bud Selig he’s not.
Then
again, neither of those guys is White. And it’s unlikely
either of them would have turned the UFC into what it is today.
There’s
a theory that White was lucky to be the right man at the right
time for mixed martial arts because the sport was set to blow
up, no matter who was running it.
More
accurately, White remains the only guy at any time to make this
sport work on a major level in America. That he did it without
a formal education and a style more suited for a street fight
than a boardroom is probably the secret to the success.
“It
took somebody like Dana who’s got street smarts, who doesn’t
pull punches, who speaks his mind, who never [expletive], to
do this,” Lorenzo Fertitta, one of UFC’s co-owners,
told Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole. “At the end of the
day, if we had taken a Harvard MBA and hired him in 2001 to run
this company, we’d probably be bankrupt right now. There
are so many things that are unconventional about this business.
This isn’t something you can read about and learn in a textbook.
I truly believe that Dana was put on the Earth to run the UFC.”
White,
39, infuriates some fans, although it is probably just a vocal
minority. Most appreciate the product he’s delivered. That
he’s a huge star in his own right, though, rankles some.
Strangely, his harshest critics are generally hardcore fans you’d
think would appreciate his unquestioned dedication to the sport
and ability to take it from back alleys to mainstream.
White
doesn’t deny he’s brash, at times cocky and always
impatient. He also notes he’s far from perfect. He laughs
about it though. He’s true to himself and that’s what
it took.
So
he battled with more than a few fighters, agents, writers, promoters
and politicians?
This
is cage fighting, after all. Are you supposed to be polite when
you’re kicking down doors to open up worlds?
“Smart
guys with a lot of money are out there trying to make this work
and they aren’t,” White said, laughing that a lot of
rich, learned people have failed where a guy whose formal education
consists of dropping out before completing one semester at UMass-Boston
and doing a brief stint at a community college.
“This
wasn’t a conventional business and I didn’t go by the
business school books on how this should be built.”
He
looks back on his first days with the UFC. It was just White
and a woman who worked for him in the gym business in Vegas.
He was fresh off stints as a boxercise instructor, hotel bell
hop and small boxing gym owner.
Brothers
Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta were two of White’s high school
friends whose family owned a number of businesses, including
Station Casinos. They had taken the gamble on the UFC, which
lacked regulation (in most states), publicity or profitability,
and on White, who lacked any known qualifications. Lorenzo saw
“great instincts” and a deep hunger.
They
started with UFC 30 and planned on running five shows a year.
It drew a crowd of 3,000 to an Atlantic City casino, and since
mixed martial arts was banned by nearly all cable pay-per-view
outlets, there was little revenue coming from there.
“We
were the red-headed stepchild of the Fertitta’s businesses,”
White said. “Everybody hated that I talked them into buying
this thing. It was going to lose all this money. This model would
never work. They hated us.
“Now
every one of them wishes they had put some money into it.”
Who
can blame him for laughing? UFC 100 – with three main events,
including two title fights – is expected to do an estimated
1.3 million pay-per-view buys, a company record. The 12,000-seat
Mandalay Bay Events Center sold out in one day. The online secondary
market is asking up to $10,000 for an octagon-side ticket.
From
the start White saw the UFC as something others didn’t.
They saw a more gruesome form of boxing, he saw a fledgling sports
league, something that could be run more like the WWE, or even
better, the NFL or NBA.
By
getting the fighters to work under the company’s umbrella
and believe in the benefits of cooperation and long-term growth,
he’s delivered a monthly dose of mega-fights, a top reality
show and hours of quality programming for basic cable audiences.
It
hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been without headaches.
It has worked though, even if critics have harped on nearly every
decision. Consider the UFC making fighters agree to merchandising
deals (which include video games and action figures), something
that would never wash in boxing.
The
reaction and accusations were intense and, White mocks, completely
ignorant.
“We’ve
created a business where 15 years from now Chuck Liddell can
still be making money on royalty checks,” White said.
“I
can tell you this right now; Leon Spinks isn’t collecting
any checks right now. He’s not collecting royalties because
he once boxed on a Don King or a Bob Arum card.”
Still
White can’t get the ESPN thing out of his head. The show
aired in May. He’s still talking about it in July. It was
mostly a throw-away line in a positive piece but the theory was
that while White got the sport to this level perhaps the UFC
needs a more polished suit, one of those Harvard MBA’s,
to take it to the next level.
A
cussing, brawling, fighting CEO can only do so much; even if
he’s done more than anyone imagined.
“Idiotic,”
he said. “Nobody wants this [expletive] job, believe me.
You better love this job to do it.”
He
sighs and pauses for a second. He’s been beating the critics
for nearly a decade, why would one more matter now?
“Here’s
what I believe,” he said. “I’m the guy with the
road map. I’m the guy who knows where I want to go with
this thing. I know what my end game is. I know where it is.
“When
this thing is a sport, all over the entire world, and you can
take the UFC to any city in any country, just like soccer, then
I did it. I did what I set out to do. That’s why I was put
on this planet. That’s my job, my destiny, whatever the
[expletive] you want to call it.”
Here
comes Dana White with UFC 100 … and counting.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Don't
be misled by early odds for UFC 100
Las
Vegas is going to be on fire next week for UFC 100 when it comes
to betting the fights. In the past, most sportsbooks have shied
away from booking MMA events. It's still viewed as a risky proposition
by most Sin City sportsbooks, especially when it comes to accepting
bets on fights four-through-10 on any given card. The limits
are also very low.
UFC
100 may change that with so much money on hand in two weeks.
If people are willing to pay $400-$500 for the worst seats at
the Mandalay Bay Events Center, it's likely those same people
will want to pluck down a few bucks on the fights.
But
they're also the same people who make it easier for the astute
sports bettor to make a few bucks. It's similar to what happens
in the major sports. Every sport has its public teams. Those
are the squads that public will pound in spite of the fact that
the value in the odds disappears at a certain point. In the NFL,
it's the Patriot. The Yankees are still the team in baseball.
Bettors love the Lakers in the NBA and schools like USC, Oklahoma
and Florida are slammed regardless of the number in college football.
At
UFC 100, Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre represent the hack's
chalk plays. If you look at the odds for the top three fights
at UFC 100, it appears the card actually sucks. It's built around
three blowout fights with the smallest favorite being St. Pierre
2-to-1. Dan Henderson is 3-to-1 and Lesnar is 2 1/2-to-1. But
don't fooled, there could be value in all three underdogs. The
sportsbooks' job isn't to predict a winner, it's to predict where
the betting dollars will land and try to make sure an equal amount
of money is bet on both sides. Right now, all three of these
fights might be 20 or 30 cents too high on the favorite.
Early
odds for UFC 100 (Venetian Resort Hotel Casino):
Brock
Lesnar (-250) v. Frank Mir (+200)
Georges St. Pierre (-200) v. Thiago Alves (+170)
Dan Henderson (-300) v. Michael Bisping (+220)
Jon Jones (-400) v. Jake O'Brien (+300)
Sportsbooks
are also getting more aggressive with prop bets. Frank Mir by
five round decision is 10-to-1. You can also bet round-by-round
on the two title fights. We've also never seen a prop like this:
UFC
Fighter with the fastest win at UFC 100:
Brock
Lesnar 3-to-1
Frank Mir 5-1
Jon Jones 9-2
Georges St. Pierre 8-1
Stephan Bonnar 8-1
Jon Fitch 10-1
Thiago Alves 12-1
Dan Henderson 12-1
Michael Bisping 12-1
Yoshihiro Akiyama 12-1
Alan Belcher 15-1
Jim Miller 15-1
Mac Danzig 20-1
Paulo Thiago 35-1
Mark Coleman 25-1
FIELD (all fighters not listed) 9-2
Remember
this isn't boxing, so you're not necessarily looking for one-punch
knockout power. There's some value here with guys like Thiago
(pictured knocking out Josh Koscheck at UFC 95), Belcher, Coleman
and Danzig. Check out the fastest winners at the last five UFC
events:
TUF
9 FINALE: Nick Osipczak over Frank Lester in 3:40
UFC 99: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic over Mostapha Al-Turk
in 3:06
UFC 98: Drew McFedries over Xavier Foupa-Pokam in 0:37
UFC 97: Nate Quarry over Jason MacDonald in 2:27
Ultimate Fight Night 18: Rob Kimmons over Joe Vedepo in 1:34
Aside
from Cro Cop, would any of the other guys have gone off as a
favorite to finish their the fight the fastest at that particular
event? They probably all would've been at least 8-to-1. So pick
your fastest fight winner wisely for UFC 100.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
GSP
camp talks strategy in battling 'one-dimensional' Alves
The
Georges St. Pierre-Thiago Alves fight is a bit overshadowed right
now by Brock Lesnar-Frank Mir in the lead up to UFC 100. It was
bound to happen. The trash talk between the two Americans is
hard to compete with and there's a lure about 250-260 beasts
going at it. But the GSP-Alves UFC welterweight title fight will
probably turn out to be a better, more technical fight. Fox Fight
Game's Mike Straka does a great job, in videos with both GSP
trainers Greg Jackson and Firas Zahabi, of getting the juices
flowing with some strategy breakdown.
Casual
and non-MMA fights should watch these conversations to get a
little more knowledge of how technical the sport can be. Jackson
is the master of the gameplan but he says that you can't enter
the Octagon with an inflexible blue print (2:16 mark):
"We
have a structure. These are things you want to do, these are
the things you don't want to do. Within that structure the artist
has to work."
Artist?
Isn't this human cockfighting? Artists don't barroom brawl.
Jackson
used the B.J. Penn fight at UFC 94 as an example where the gameplan
was to fire away at what the Hawaiian thought was his advantage,
his kickboxing. Jackson said when Penn realized he couldn't win
the fight with any style, he mentally broke.
Jackson
calls it finding and attacking the opponent's safety zone. What
does Alves fall back on when things are starting to crack? Jackson
turned down the chance to pinpoint Alves' safety zone, but he
did say GSP and company think that Alves' left hook and left
knee are the biggest things to stay away from. Those are his
fight changers.
Zahabi,
who anchors the training in Montreal at Tristar Gym, is not one
who lacks for confidence. He talked a lot of trash before the
Penn fight during the UFC 94 Countdown mini-series. In the second
video, it sounds like Zahabi is questioning the acumen of the
opposing gameplanners, American Top Team.
He
says Alves only presents one challenge and that's on the feet
with his kickboxing. GSP comes at you with several attacks (1:30
mark):
"That's
our strength that we do everything. I always tell George, the
day a guy can predict what we're going to do is the day we're
going to lose. He's gotta be like that ball on the roulette table,
no one knows where it's going to land."
Alves
may be the most powerfully built 170-pounder in the world, so
St. Pierre is going to let the Brazilian use his bulk against
himself (2:40 mark):
"There
are ways to fight strong, explosive guys. If we take him down,
we're going to allow gravity to do the work. We're not going
to go force to force. We're going to allow our body weight to
drain Thiago's energy. Any good jiu-jitsu guy is not going to
use force to force. We're going to be laying on him, forcing
him to use lots of energy to get up. Once he realizes he can't
get up it's going to break his will."
Zahabi
says Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes never saw the Alves' kick
and knee game coming and that they didn't train against enough
muay thai specialists.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
One
knockout led to two divergent careers for Mir and Sims
At
UFC 46, Frank Mir and Wes Sims faced off in a rematch of their
bout at UFC 43 that ended in disqualification when Sims stomped
Mir on the head. This fight, a Yahoo! Sports KO of the Week,
has Mir -- already sick from the flu -- looking woozy in the
second round. However, he put together a series of knees and
punches that finished Sims off.
After
this fight, Sims and Mir's careers took a very different path.
Mir went onto win the UFC heavyweight championship in his very
next fight, snapping Tim Sylvia's arm in the process. He then
was in a motorcycle accident that kept him from fighting for
nearly two years, and when he returned, lost to Brandon Vera
and Marcio Cruz. Things were looking grim for Mir until he put
together a string of three wins over Antoni Hardonk, Brock Lesnar
and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Mir has found success not just
in fighting, but as an announcer for World Extreme Cagefighting.
Sims,
too, has faced adversity. He fought Mike Kyle at UFC 47, and
was knocked out in the first round. In total, he is 16-9 since
fighting Mir, losing to some of the very same fighters that Mir
beat, like Hardonk and Sylvia.
Now,
the two are again at a turning point in their career. Mir, currently
the UFC interim heavyweight champion, is fighting in the main
event at the UFC's biggest event to date, UFC 100. Sims, on the
other hand, is on the outside looking in, clawing his way back
to the Octagon as a cast member of "The Ultimate Fighter,"
season 10. Now living in the TUF house, Sims must look at Mir
and wonder, "How did I get here?"
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Quote
of the Day
"We
tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting
something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating
what we do have."
Frederic
Keonig
|
New
Fighters' Club TV Episode Tonight!
Channel 52
Tuesday, 8:00 PM
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 63 is finally cut and submitted to Olelo Programming.
I
will air in our normal time slot; Tuesday night, 8pm on Olelo
Oahu Channel 52--or can be viewed via stream at Olelo.org at
the same time of it's scheduled airing.
Episode
63 features:
Mike
and Mark back in action from the 1st Jewel of Romolo's Triple
Crown of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
-interviews and footage of Rylan Lizares vs Jair Muniz
KINGDOM
MMA
-Andy "Danger" Cohea vs LJ Borges
-Dejuan Hathaway vs Tommy Tuiloma +intvw w/ Dejuan (featuring
our special guest interviewer!)
|
USA
WEST SECURES FIRST M-1 PLAYOFF SPOT
USA West became the first team from the 2009 "M-1 Challenge
Presented by Affliction" season to clinch a semifinal final
playoff berth on Saturday night. The post-season berth was locked
down after taking first place in Group B by defeating the defending
2008 M-1 Challenge Champions, Team Russia Imperial.
While
family and friends celebrate the Fourth of July at home in America,
USA West held a celebration of its own in Seoul after recording
its second 5-0 shutout of the season by sweeping Imperial. The
statement victory allowed the Americans to finish the regular
season with an unblemished 3-0 challenge record and a remarkable
13-2 record in individual fights.
During
the dominating performance, both David Jansen and Shane Del Rosario
of USA West preserved their undefeated records in professional
MMA. Jansen, a product of Matt Lindland's Team Quest, moved to
11-0 following a guillotine submission victory via submission
just 22 seconds into his encounter against Imperial's Amirkhan
Mazikov.
Del
Rosario, an EliteXC veteran, bested Jansen's time by one second
following his TKO at 0:21 over Maksim Grishin. The heavyweight
improved to 7-0 with all seven fights having ended inside the
distance and six of them ending in round 1.
Team
South Korea also competed on its home turf for the second time
in two years on Saturday. Facing Group B rival Brazil Naja in
a best-of-five series televised live on SBS, the Koreans fell
one victory short of sending its countrymen and women home happy.
In
the opener, Brazilian lightweight Hacran Dias was handed the
first defeat of his career after dropping a unanimous decision
to Korea's Nam Yui Chul. With the loss, Dias still maintains
an impressive record of 11-1-1 and while Chul is now 9-2.
During
the most anticipated bout of the evening, Brazil's Eduardo Pamplona
finished the M-1 Challenge regular season with a perfect 3-0
record after winning a decision over Doh Hyung Kim at 2:59 of
round three due to a cut. Soon after both fighters made their
respective charismatic entrances, Kim sustained a wound that
opened up during the course of the fight.
When
medical officials examined Kim in round three and decided to
call a premature end to the bout, the outcome of the fight reverted
to the scorecards of the judges. The judges ruled that Pamplona,
11-2, won the fight in unanimous fashion. The encounter between
the two welterweights lived up to the hype, with both Kim and
Pamplona earning unofficial "Fight of the Night" honors.
Following
Korean middleweight Jae Young Kim's two-round majority decision
loss against Daniel Acacio, Brazilian light heavyweight Alexander
Machado clinched the team victory for Naja after submitting Dool
Hee Lee with a rear naked choke at 3:26 of round 2.
Despite
losing in front of their home fans, Team South Korea still gave
everyone watching live in the arena and at home something to
celebrate when Hae Joon Yang recorded the unofficial "Knockout
of the Night" after sending Brazilian heavyweight Joaquim
"Mamute" Ferreira sprawling to the canvas in a short
but highly enthralling brawl. Needing just 14 seconds to take
out Ferreira, Yang improved to 3-0 in his professional career
with all three victories coming via first round (T)KO.
During
the night's team challenge opener, Finland improved to 2-1 in
Group B with an impressive 4-1 victory over Bulgaria. Competing
without its top fighter, middleweight Lucio Linhares, Finland
kept its playoff hopes alive by dominating the Bulgarians.
With Linhares focused on training for his Affliction and M-1
debut on pay-per-view on Aug. 1, lightweight Niko Puhakka, light
heavyweight Marcus Vanttinen, heavyweight Toni Valtonen, and
welterweight Janne Tulirinta, who recently received his brown
belt from Linhares, all stepped up. With the exception of Linhares'
replacement, Mikko Suvanto, every other Finnish fighter not only
won but stopped their respective opponent within the distance.
If
Group C leader USA East loses on Aug. 15 in Amsterdam, Finland
still has a mathematical chance to supplant the Americans. However,
the Fins' chances of making the playoffs still remain slim, as
USA East would not only have to lose but fail to win two bouts
during its head-to-head series vs. Team Benelux.
With
its sixth edition now in the books, the seventh edition of the
'09 M-1 Challenge is scheduled to take place during a two-day
MMA festival in Amsterdam from Aug. 15-16. In addition to USA
East and Benelux, teams from Japan, France, Spain, and England
will also all be in action. Additional information concerning
the event will be released on www.M-1Global.com later this week.
Official
results from today's event are listed below:
Bulgaria
vs. Finland -
1.
Lightweight (-70 kg/154 lbs.) - Niko Puhakka (FIN) def. Yanko
Yanev (BUL) via TKO (strikes) at 2:16 of round 1
2. Welterweight (-76 kg/167.2 lbs.) - Janne Tulirinta (FIN) def.
Ivan Ivanov (BUL) via TKO (strikes) at 3:44 of round 1
3. Middleweight (-84 kg/184.8 lbs.) - Rosen Dmitirov (BUL) def.
Mikko Suvanto (FIN) via majority decision
4. Light Heavyweight (-93 kg/204.6 lbs.) - Marcus Vanttinen (FIN)
vs. Emil Samoilov (BUL) via submission (verbal) at 3:42 of round
3
5. Heavyweight (+93 kg/+ 204.6 lbs.) - Toni Valtonen (FIN) def.
Nikola Dipchkov (BUL) via submission (triangle) at 4:49 of round
1
Finland
defeats Bulgaria 4-1
USA
West vs. Russia Imperial -
6.
Lightweight (-70 kg/154 lbs.) - Dave Jansen (USA) def. Amirkhan
Mazikhov (RUS) via submission (guillotine) at 0:22 of round 1
7. Welterweight (-76 kg/167.2 lbs.) - Fabio "Negao"
Nascimento (USA) def. Marat Ilaev (RUS) via submission (armbar)
at 2:13 of round 2
8. Middleweight (-84 kg/184.8 lbs.) - Giva Santana (USA) def.
Radmir Gabdulin (RUS) via submission (arm triangle) at 3:47 of
round 1
9. Light Heavyweight (-93 kg/204.6 lbs.) - Tony Lopez (USA) def.
Viktor Nemkov (RUS) via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:06
of round 2
10. Heavyweight (+93 kg/+ 204.6 lbs.) - Shane Del Rosario (USA)
def. Maksim Grishin (RUS) via TKO (strikes) at 0:21 of round
1
USA
West defeats Russia Imperial 5-0
South
Korea vs. Brazil -
11.
Lightweight (-70 kg/154 lbs.) - Nam Yui Chul (KOR) def. Hacran
Dias (BRA) via three round unanimous decision
12. Welterweight (-76 kg/167.2 lbs.) - Eduardo Pamplona (BRA)
def. Do Hyung Kim (KOR) via unanimous decision
13. Middleweight (-84 kg/184.8 lbs.) - Daniel Acacio (BRA) def.
Jae Young Kim (KOR) via two-round majority decision
14. Light Heavyweight (-93 kg/204.6 lbs.) - Alexander Machado
(BRA) def. Dool Hee Lee (KOR) via submission (rear naked choke)
at 3:26 of round 2
15. Heavyweight (+93 kg/+ 204.6 lbs.) - Hae Joon Yang def. Joaquim
"Mamute" Ferreira (BRA ) def. via knockout at 0:14
of round 1
Brazil
defeats South Korea 3-2
Source: MMA Weekly
|
HENDERSON
PLANS TO SILENCE CRITICS AND BISPING
One of the living legends of mixed martial arts, Dan Henderson,
will do battle once again on July 11 on a UFC 100 fight card
that is truly of historic origins, much like “Hendo”
himself.
Making
a name overseas, the Team Quest co-founder has accomplished things
that most fighters could only dream of.
A
who’s who of MMA’s finest; Henderson has left no stone
unturned when it comes to facing more than worthy opponents including
the Nogueira brothers, Murilo Bustamante, Kazuo Misaki, Vitor
Belfort and a stunning knockout of than Pride Middleweight Champion
Wanderlei Silva, while fighting in Japan. He would make his return
to the UFC after nearly 10 years, winning the UFC 17 Middleweight
Tournament, eliminating Carlos Newton and Allan Goes to retain
the title during his initial stint in the promotion.
Along
with his long list of accomplishments and accolades in wrestling,
which included stints on the '92 and '96 Olympic Greco-Roman
wrestling teams, what he is most recognized for is for holding
two titles in two different weight classes simultaneously for
the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships, a feat that has
since been unattainable in a promotion of that stature.
He
was unsuccessful in his first two outings back with the big show,
both title unification bouts to declare the absolute champion
in each weight class, unifying the Pride and UFC’s middleweight
and light heavyweight titles against Anderson Silva and Quinton
Jackson (respectively).
“Hendo”
has since rebounded with two consecutive wins, against submission
whiz Rousimar Palhares and former middleweight champ Rich Franklin,
a win that guaranteed his spot not only as the U.S. coach of
Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter, but a chance to face off against
the face of the U.K. MMA scene, Michael Bisping.
Steadfast,
with just under a week remaining till the fight, Henderson is
ready to go.
“Trainings
been going good, body feels good, so right on track to kick some
ass,” he told MMAWeekly Radio.
Bisping,
being notorious for his outspokenness and antics, it would lead
some to believe that the former Pride Champion may have been
phased by the ruckus... but not in the slightest.
“No
I don’t believe he got under my skin at all. I’m pretty
hard to get riled up. It doesn’t really bother me; it doesn’t
matter what he says. It’s just a matter of what he can and
can’t do out there in the fight and I know what I’m
going to be doing to him.”
In
his last fight, “The Count” fought former Team Quest
affiliate Chris Leben, headlining UFC 89 in Birmingham, England.
Displaying a safe approach to the fight, staying outside of “The
Crippler’s” range to land his signature left hook,
Bisping was able to implement a stick and move tactic and it
is that same gameplan that Henderson believes he will employ
in their upcoming fight, just with a different intended result.
“I’m
sure he’s going to fight me similar to how he fought Leben,
just kind of outpoint me and move around more and I’m going
to have to do the opposite. I’m going have to outpoint him
and beat him up.”
Though
obviously a talented fighter, Bisping may be more infamously
known for his fight against fellow Ultimate Fighter competitor
of the same season Matt Hamill. A fight billed as the true Ultimate
Fighter bout saw Bisping earn a highly disputed split decision
over Hamill. Henderson certainly doesn’t want to suffer
the same fate.
“It
gives me a little more motivation to finish the fight and not
let any judge’s screw anything up this time. Then again,
I try to finish every fight,” said the California native.
With
the days, hours and minutes winding down, Henderson has everything
to gain from this fight. Another win would move him a step closer
to another shot against Anderson Silva, a fight where Henderson
would like to redeem himself from his previous performance. Of
course a win over the brash and talented U.K. star wouldn’t
be so bad either.
Now
after all the talk, the time has come for Henderson to silence
his critics and his opponent.
“I
think it’s the power on my feet combined with my wrestling,
it’s going to keep him guessing where I’m going to
attack next, and he’s just never fought anybody like me,"
he assessed, before adding, "I don’t think that’s
going to be 100 percent possible no matter how badly I beat him
up. It won’t shut him up completely, but I will do my best
to at least shut him up for a few days.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SPIKE
TV TO COUNTDOWN UFC'S ULTIMATE 100
In celebration of UFC 100, Spike TV will present a 5-part special,
“UFC’s Ultimate 100: Greatest Fights” highlighting
the best 100 bouts in UFC history, as voted on by the fans.
Each
episode of “UFC’s Ultimate 100: Greatest Fights”
will count down the top 100 with action-packed moments from each
contest. The first one-hour installment will premiere Sunday,
July 5 at 9:00pm ET/PT, with the next three episodes airing Monday
July 6-Wednesday, July 8 at 9:00pm ET/PT. The final episode airs
Saturday, July 11 at 9:00pm ET/PT which will conclude a re-broadcast
of the entire voted UFC bout.
UFC
100 will air Saturday, July 11 at 10pm live on pay-per-view from
the Mandalay Bay Events Center, in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Wanderlei
brings hope to young Americans
The
small town of Pensacola, Florida, United States, will make party
to welcome the Brazilian fighter Wanderlei Silva. Eternal idol
of Pride and one of the biggest names of the MMA world, Silva
will participate of a lecture, on July 16, for young and teenagers
local people, telling a little of his life and determination
to overcome obstacles inside and outside the rings, serving of
inspiration for young people. After the lecture, the Brazilian
will receive, from the hands of the mayor Mike Wiggins, the key
of the city.
Source: Tatame |
TATAME
#161: Eight times Roger Gracie
Devoted
in the last World Cup as the biggest competitor in the history
of the Jiu-Jitsu - its eight world titles (six in weight and
two in the open class) - Roger is, actually, the biggest bastion
of efficiency of the traditional Jiu-Jitsu. The biggest proof
of this is the way he won his last nine fights in the last World
Cup performed in California: passing, mounting and submitting
all opponents with one of the first techniques taught in Jiu-Jitsu,
the choke from the mount. In the cover report of this edition,
our editor Eduardo Ferreira, with the help of the corresponding
Monte Massey and Samira Bomfim, brought us from Long Beach all
the details of the most devoted victory of basic Jiu-Jitsu and
efficient of Roger, who left perplexed all that accompanied the
tournament.
This,
of course, not forgetting to also valorize "the exquisite
dishes”, which each year increase the excitement of the
disputes in each category. As the 50-50 guard of Guilherme Mendes
(champion in the featherweight), the insurmountable guard of
Michael Langhi (champion of the lightweight), the return of the
genius Jiu-Jitsu of Marcelo Garcia (who closed the middleweight
with Sérgio Moraes) and the indefensible triangles of
Rômulo Barral and Bráulio Estima. After all, it’s
thanks to this mix of styles and constant comparison of techniques
that the Jiu-Jitsu implanted in Brazil by Roger’s family
became the most complex and efficient technique of Grappling
in the planet.
But
it wasn’t just in Jiu-Jitsu that our team was careful to
try to show the technical diversity of our fighters, in MMA too.
We enjoyed the trip to California to visit the Black House, headquarters
of training of Anderson Silva, Rodrigo Minotauro, Rafael Feijão
and André Galvão, which on the day of our visit
also received the honorable visit of Gesias Cavalcante. And,
of course, the result of this real training of dreams, recorded
exclusively by TATAME, you accompany in the pages of the edition
of July. Talking about MMA, we bring all the details of the last
defeat of Wanderlei Silva, to Rich Franklin, at the UFC. Despite
the controversy, the decision was well digested by the Brazilian
idol, who, for relief of the fans, guaranteed that is new and
don’t even think about retirement.
To
complete, the TATAME #161 still brings an exclusive Paredão
with Royce Gracie. The precursor of MMA chatted with us about
his life inside and outside the rings, analyzed the new representatives
of the MMA in Brazil, the success of Anderson and Lyoto in the
UFC, recalled the historical battles that he disputed in his
career and more. Stay tuned and ensure your TATAME Magazine,
which will be in all newsstands through the country this Friday.
If you want to combine comfort and information, click here and
sign the best fight magazine of the country, receiving exclusive
material every month about everything that happens in the world
of fight.
Source: Tatame
|
Arona
vs Eastman at Bitetti Combat
Black belt excited to fight in Brazil
The
organizers of Bitetti Combat, an event promising to bring major
names from World MMA to Brazil on September 12, in the Maracanazinho
gymnasium, have announced the first match-ups. Beyond the preliminary
bout between Glover Teixeira and Leonardo Chocolate, Luciano
Azevedo against Milton Vieira, Ricardo Arona’s opponent
has been named. “These are the bouts and fighters already
confirmed and, barring something unexpected, guaranteed. The
rest are being negotiated and there may still be changes,”
Fernando Miranda, Amaury Bitetti and Andre Bottino, the show’s
promoters, announce.
Not
having stepped in a ring for two years, black belt Ricardo Arona
will face American Marvin Eastman, a fighter who has been through
the UFC and fought the likes of Quinton Jackson.
“I
found out about my opponent just recently. I have yet to watch
one of his fights, but I know of his quality and that makes me
more concerned with putting on a good show. I’ll watch his
videos to put together a good strategy and have the best appearance
I can, starting my life in fighting over again,” said Arona.
Removed
from the ring, during a period he considered important to regroup
himself and come back better than ever, the Carioca is counting
the days till his return to action and to repeat the performances
that put him amongst the best in the world.
“I’m
really anxious, which is normal, especially since my return will
be here in Brazil. I’m using that in my favor to train a
lot and concentrate. It really is a great opportunity being able
to fight here in Brazil. Even though I’ve been out of action
for two years, I’ll prepare myself physically and mentally
to have a great fight come September 12,” he remarked.
Furthermore,
Arona praises the event’s initiative and is thankful for
the chance to fight MMA in his country for the first time.
“An
event of this scale in Brazil is very valuable to us fighters
and to me, mainly because I’ve never fought MMA here, as
well as for having a chance to make my comeback. I’ll fight
for my crowd, who cheered for me when I was abroad. I’m
really optimistic right now, mainly because the time was ripe
for something like this, at a time when MMA is growing throughout
the world. I hope to make a big comeback and that everyone participates
and fills the Maracanazinho and sticks to the rules so the big
investors will wake up to MMA and make it possible for more events
like this one to follow,” he finished.
Check
out the official card below:
Ricardo
Arona vs Marvin Eastman
Glover Teixeira vs Leonardo Chocolate
Luciano Azevedo vs Milton Vieira
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC
100 FLASHBACK: KATHY LONG
It’s simple mathematics to say that there would be no UFC
100 without a UFC 1.
In
celebration of the promotion’s milestone event, MMAWeekly.com
decided to go back to the beginning with someone who was there
at the start, and can also add a uniquely feminine view of the
proceedings, UFC 1 commentator Kathy Long.
Long,
a five-time world kickboxing champion and former pro boxer, achieved
a level of mainstream breakthrough success in the early 90’s,
making her an obvious choice for a new fighting event eager for
exposure.
“Someone
called wanting to know if I wanted to color commentate this event,
they were calling it the Ultimate Fighting Championship,”
said Long. “At the time I was just retiring, so it was an
opportunity to get behind the scenes instead of being in the
fight, so I thought, ‘What the heck?’”
When
asked if she had any idea of what the event was going to be prior
to it actually happening, Long replied, “No, we really had
no clue. That seemed to be the theme throughout the entire evening;
no one had a clue.
“It
certainly made for an exciting event, though.”
Long
expanded on the notion that uncertainty was not only a concept
for the action within the cage itself, but also behind the scenes
as well.
“The
massive confusion in the rules meeting and in the dressing rooms
was very apparent,” she commented. No one quite knew what
was going on. There was a strong debate on whether or not to
use gloves, boxing gloves, no gloves or hand-wraps only.
“No
one quite knew what should be done, could be done, and there
was quite a bit of confusion in that rule meeting. The event
went off, and I think people were really excited with what went
on, but confused at the same time.”
The
thing that most sticks out in Long’s mind was not so much
about the evening’s outcome, but more so something that
happened while cage side.
“A
tooth flying by me was probably one of the most memorable moments,”
she recalled. “I don’t know who got hit, but they got
hit pretty squarely in the face and his tooth literally flew
right past me.”
Having
watched the evolution of the UFC from spectacle to sport, Long
is most impressed by the athletes themselves during the transition.
“I
watched it grow and become something really complex, but amazing
to watch,” she said. “As the fighters got better and
learned more, and brought that into the art and evolved as it
did; the amount of knowledge a fighter has to have to do well
and compete in it is astounding, really.”
Shifting
focus from the UFC, to the female side of the sport, Long was
asked about the fact that for the first time in MMA history,
a female MMA title fight would be headlining a major event when
Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos meet for a Strikeforce
title on Aug. 15.
“As
a woman, and an athlete, I’m incredibly grateful, especially
to see it in my lifetime,” she responded. “I have been
the main on an all-male card out in France, but to see it now,
especially on major television, I feel is finally about time.
“Thanks
to Strikeforce, and other organizations like them, it looks like
we’ll finally have our day; and it looks like (that day
is) Aug. 15 on Showtime.”
Having
conquered the ring as both a kickboxer and boxer, Long herself
has made the transition to MMA, and on the same evening Carano
and Santos make history, Long will be starting the next chapter
of her fighting career at the Call to Arms II event.
“I’m
very humbled with the thought of competing in this very complex
and at times complicated sport,” she stated. “I really
hope I do well in it. I know there’s a lot I have to learn,
but I’m excited and I’m ready.
“If
I can be a good representative, if I can get back into the limelight
– especially in the media – and fight well, it’s
only going to help women all the way around and the sport all
around. I hope I can do it justice.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“The
rule of my life is to make business a pleasure and pleasure my
business.”
Aaron Burr
|
UFC
100 FLASHBACK: DAN 'THE BEAST' SEVERN
To celebrate the upcoming UFC 100, MMAWeekly.com spoke to one
of the promotion’s first big stars and innovators, Dan “The
Beast” Severn.
Severn,
who captured three UFC titles – two eight-man tournaments
and a superfight crown – ushered in the era of the wrestler,
establishing it as the premier discipline for many years to come,
earning a spot in the company’s Hall of Fame.
The
man nicknamed The Beast by NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim
Brown, due to his ferocity in the cage, spoke about the early
days of the UFC, how it changes his life and what he hopes the
promotion does to preserve and celebrate its history.
MMAWeekly:
To start off, Dan, tell us how you first became aware of the
UFC.
Dan
Severn: When the UFC first emerged I was living in Cold Water,
Mich., at the time and they did not have pay-per-view capabilities,
and so I did not know about it until a friend of mine out of
Detroit showed me the first two UFCs on tape.
Watching
people getting kicked in the face, kneed – these aren’t
exactly skills I possessed. But my friend was pointing out Royce
Gracie and how jiu-jitsu looked like wrestling to him; so I figured
if I could get close enough to a guy to punch him and close the
distance without getting struck, I could get them in clinch and
welcome them to my world.
MMAWeekly:
What was it like the first time you stepped into the cage, and
how did things change for you afterwards?
Dan
Severn: Only a couple people knew I was going to do my first
UFC. I told not a single family member. I did not want them to
be nervous. I said, “Well if things go wrong, I’ll
tap out or verbally tell the referee to put an end to the fight.
I’m an adult, and I’ll make my own decision on this
one.” But I didn’t want anyone to worry about me. Things
did go well for me, other than I was a runner-up the first time
out.
Of
course things changed for me, because of the exposure of going
in there and doing the things I was doing. They’d never
seen one person launch another human being like I did –
they thought I was going to break a guy’s neck. They had
just not seen the things I could do, the way I was kind of mauling
people with great ferocity and that. It brought a lot of attention
to me – both good and bad – with people wanting to
cash in on you or things of that nature.
MMAWeekly:
During the early days of the sport, when it was not regulated
by state athletic commissions, how real was the threat of being
seriously injured or death?
Dan
Severn: The first time I signed the contract, I saw in black
and white, printed on the contract, “In the event of your
accidental death,” I was thinking, “Wow, as long as
he doesn’t bite me or stick his finger in my eye –
which were the only two rules – he could pretty much do
anything else he wanted to.” I was thinking that there were
a lot of ugly things I could do to an individual, and take his
life, if I so desired.
I
actually had one particular match against Oleg Taktarov (at UFC
5) where I had him pinned up against the cage wall, and I’m
raining down with knees and I had split him all open. He had
so much blood running off his forehead that it had filled up
his eye wells that he couldn’t even see me.
He
eventually turned his head to the side and I thought if I throw
a knee now right into his temple, with my power and strength
level, using my body weight and mechanical leverage, I could
have hurt him really bad. I could have crushed his skull and
killed him, but that’s not why I’m out there. I’m
looking to secure victory the nicest way possible in a not so
nice sport.
MMAWeekly:
When it all started, did you ever think you’d become so
revered and eventually end up in the UFC Hall of Fame?
Dan
Severn: Well, no, it never crossed my mind. You’re just
out there doing your thing, try to win, protect yourself and
so forth. It feels great to be recognized by your peers, the
fans and be voted into the Hall of Fame. It shows no matter how
old you get, you still have that as a title, and it walks with
you.
MMAWeekly:
The UFC is having their 100 show upcoming, and in retrospect,
what are some of the moments or fighters that stick out to you
during the promotion’s history?
Dan
Severn: (Fighters such as) Keith Hackney, “The Giant Killer,"
and how he got his nickname because of a particular match (against
Emanuel Yarborough at UFC 3). The tournament format and Marco
Ruas basically chopping down big Paul Varelens (at UFC 7) with
these vicious leg kicks, or Don Frye winning the “David
versus Goliath” tournament down in Puerto Rico. You have
Jerry Bohlander, who weighed like 180 pounds, takes on 300-pound
Scott Ferrozzo (at UFC 8), and chokes him out by using his garment
against him.
There
are some incredible things that need to be brought back to life
and shown. I hope that they would do that, and bring back some
of the guys that actually helped to lay down the groundwork for
all of it.
MMAWeekly:
Those are some memorable moments, for sure. Thanks for taking
time out for us, Dan. Is there anything you’d like to say
to the fans in conclusion?
Dan
Severn: If (anyone) has interest in whatever I’m up to,
since there’s too much to mention, go to my website DanSevern.com.
If they want, we have a 10,000 square foot training facility
in Cold Water, with ongoing classes from amateur wrestling to
professional wrestling, mixed martial arts and kids classes.
I work a lot, but I enjoy what I do.
The
greatest test is the test of time. Some people may only remember
me from what I did in the UFC, some people may only remember
me from what I did in pro wrestling, and some people may even
remember what I did in my amateur wrestling days. I won my first
national title in 1972, so when I say I’ve been terrorizing
athletes for decades, oh, I literally mean it.
I
don’t look my age or act my age. There are those in life
who will sit on the sidelines and watch life pass them by, and
there are those who engage the game, and I’m an engager.
The biggest rush I get in competition is when the fans start
chanting, “Beast, Beast!” That’s the biggest vitamin-b
shot you can ever have. When you get into that third round and
start wearing down, literally hearing them helps me dig a little
deeper and put in more effort on top of it all.
Source: MMA Weekly |
WINNING
MIR OVER 1 HR A DAY, HAHN LIFTS HIM UP
Getting Frank Mir to listen is no easy task. If you don’t
have an intelligent argument, you’re not getting anywhere.
The
current interim heavyweight champion had been in the game five
years when he found Ken Hahn. He had settled into a routine:
train for fights when they were booked, work the Spearmint Rhino
at night, read a lot, hang out.
It
wasn’t serving him well. He had made it back from the motorcycle
accident that threatened his career, but after several lackluster
performances in the Octagon, fans were ready to write his talent
off as a casualty of inactivity.
“I
think after the accident I got back in the gym, and the people
around me were all about making money and showing up for fights
just to get in shape, and I kind of approached it that way, and
obviously, with not very successful results,” said Mir on
a Thursday teleconference promoting his rematch with Brock Lesnar
at UFC 100 next Saturday.
“I
would never be in the gym learning anything extra, or improving
on anything, it was just like you have a fight in eight weeks,
you have to show up for this many hours and this is what’s
required of you. It’s very monotonous and very much like
a job and I lost my enthusiasm for training.”
Hahn
had eight weeks with Mir before his fight with Antoni Hardonk
at UFC 74. First on his agenda was to change Mir’s mindset
about fighting. That would require some convincing.
“I
told him if you’re a martial artist, you always talked about
how you had a school and you did karate when you were younger,”
Hahn told MMAWeekly.com. “Do you consider yourself a martial
artist? ‘Yes.’ Okay, then you have to be one.
“‘What
do you mean?’ Well, right now you’re living like a
fighter. You’re not living like a martial artist. You work
at the nightclub so you can work minimally doing things that
you don’t have to stress your body out. You make a lot of
money so you don’t have to earn as much. But what are you
really doing now? You’re a vampire. You’re the club
life guy, putting yourself in harm’s way because people
are drunk and you have to help them out the door. Two, you’re
in an environment where everyone’s always smoking, so that’s
not good for you. If the UFC pays you a certain amount of money
so you don’t have to do anything but train, that’s
what you should do.”
But
it wasn’t going to be that easy.
“He’s
like, ‘well, I don’t feel motivated to train,’”
continued Hahn. “Why aren’t you motivated to train?
It’s because you’re not learning anything new. You’re
not being pushed in the right direction. So, when people are
tired, the last thing they want is to be yelled at, ‘you’re
tired.’ So why don’t we change the environment you’re
in, so instead of going for time, let’s just go for however
long we can go. Instead of putting a five minute timer on and
going as hard as you can and trying to survive that five minutes,
let’s just spar for however long we can spar for, so that
eventually, it wasn’t like, ‘how much time do I have
left.’
Hahn’s
goal was to get Mir sparring an hour straight.
“Everybody
says his cardio is bad; that’s because whenever he got tired,
people would yell at him and beat him up,” said Hahn. “If
you’re always going to have negative reinforcement, you’re
going to go into a survival mode of thinking. You’re gonna
do the bare minimum and conserve your energy so you can go five
minutes, so that at the end of the day, you’re coach is
saying ‘he’s getting better, because he’s lasting.’
No, he’s not. He’s learning to conserve his energy
so that in the last thirty seconds, he can show him something,
so he won’t get yelled at.”
Training
at Hahn’s level of commitment meant Mir had to train year-round.
If he wanted to compete at the highest level, he couldn’t
just show up eight weeks prior to a fight and hope to be his
best.
“Once
he realized that he could go longer and put it all on the table
and I will recover, he trained harder,” said Hahn. "Before
I got him he was going on talent alone. Now he’s 30 years
old – there’s no more talent. You have to actually
train your body.”
Mir
started to win again, and convincingly. He railroaded Hardonk,
came from behind to defeat Lesnar, and out-struck idol Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira. Equally important, he was back in the gym when
he wasn’t booked.
"I
went back the following Monday and was training again,”
said Mir. “Not at the same intensity as you would before
a fight; just back at the gym moving around, holding pads for
the other guys, shadowboxing, and constantly keeping that flow
going. That’s not something I would have done had I not
met Ken.”
Hahn
continues to believe Lesnar’s relative lack of experience
will once again be his undoing next Saturday.
“I
think the best thing for Brock would be get as crazy as possible
and come out of the box like that,” said Hahn. “That’s
how he’s going to beat Frank. If he tries to get technical
and try to play the striking game, he’ll get crushed. If
he tries to do the jiu-jitsu game, he’ll get crushed. He
hasn’t been training long enough. How can somebody get better
in six months?
“One,
you have to have a really good instructor. Two, you have to have
a bunch of really good guys that are willing to work with you
at your level. If you go to Couture’s gym, there’s
so many guys that are high level and famous, that they’re
fighting each other for spots. Are they really trying to help
you? No, they’re just waiting for someone to get hurt so
they can slide into the spotlight.”
Like
the few others that have faced Lesnar, Mir has been doing his
best to find training partners who replicate the former pro wrestler’s
size. It is, as he says, an almost impossible task. Too tall
or too heavy – it’s one or the other.
Hahn
says the key to a successful rematch is keeping Mir focused on
the gameplan. The good thing is, he doesn’t have to argue
as much to do so.
“We’re
not gonna throw kicks like we did in the first fight,” he
said. “In the first fight, he was still a little anxious
with me and wanted to show he had learned. It’s a beginner’s
mistake; why are you gonna throw a kick in the open field? This
time, I think he’s going to feel him out, box him, frustrate
him, because I think Brock’s going to throw hands and try
to knock him out and I don’t see how that’s going to
happen. Brock has no kicks, so we’re not worried about his
kicks or knees. It will probably be a boxing match, then Brock
will get hit with something, and get submitted or knocked out.
Then in the third or fourth round, here come the low kicks, so
we can further frustrate him. The biggest thing is if Frank stays
relaxed and moves laterally, you’ll see a seminar.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
FABER
HEALING, MAKING PUSH FOR WEC & NEW DEAL
In his rematch last month with Mike Brown, Urijah Faber once
again ended up on the wrong end of the fight with American Top
Team fighter. The two went five rounds with Faber losing a unanimous
decision.
That
doesn't sound so out of the ordinary, until you realize that
Faber broke his right hand in the first round then injured his
left in the third, yet he still managed to finish the fight.
"It
was during the first round. I hit him right on top of the head,"
he said of the injury that required surgery and the insertion
of metal plates. "It wasn't until the third round that I
hurt my left hand, though."
Many
fighters would have cashed it in soon after the broken hand in
the opening round, but not the former WEC featherweight champion.
"I
just went back to the corner and told Master Thong, who is my
Muay Thai trainer, 'my hand is broke, my hand is broke.' He told
me to shut up, and he said, 'you're a champion,' and hit me in
the heart. I wasn't planning on quitting, but it was heavy on
my mind. When push came to shove, I don't have any quit in me."
The
injury to his right hand was severe.
"The
fourth and the fifth metacarpal were completely snapped. The
fourth one was completely displaced. The fifth one... I could
feel the bones grind together, so what was happening is it was
splintering away," he recounted. "They basically put
in some steel plates and some screws (to help the healing process)."
With
one fight left on his WEC contract, Faber isn't wasting any time
sitting back and waiting for his hand to heal up on its own.
He's gone to great lengths to move the process along.
"I'm
a proactive person... I'm trying to do all sorts of unconventional
things and stuff that is gonna stimulate it. I'm getting the
cast off early even though the bone's not gonna be healed, I'm
gonna get a removal cast so I can start moving my hand and getting
it better."
And
when he is healed up, he wants to get right back into action.
Of course, with one fight left on his contract, that's one more
thing for him to focus on while he is healing up. But not only
is Faber looking to extend his contract with the promotion he
has helped build, he is pushing for WEC parent company Zuffa
to start putting more focus on the UFC's sibling.
"What
we have is a company that's growing right now; they're kind of
putting that on the shoulders of some of the people. I feel like
we should be looked at as investments," he commented. "If
they're not making money right now, they're spending money on
a lot of other stuff to help build their business and the fighters
are part of that.
"I'd
like a little bit more attention, money put into the WEC brand.
It doesn't grow overnight, but they really should be making a
big push. We've got a lot of guys that are extremely marketable.
We've got the most exciting fights in the world for sure.
"I
feel like I'm making a pretty good name for myself and I'd like
to be compensated for this. I don't feel like being someone that
is gonna build up something and not reap the rewards, but in
all honesty, they do have the fighters interests in mind."
Faber
isn't saying he wants to go elsewhere. Why would he? He's logged
many hours building not only himself, but the WEC brand. Plus,
he's got unfinished business with Mike Brown that he would eventually
like to attend to.
"I
think there's a future fight between us. I have a good shot at
getting a title shot real soon down the road," he told MMAWeekly.com.
"So
I'm hoping that we can reach a great agreement and I can keep
fighting with the WEC because I love it there."
Source: MMA Weekly |
Gesias
at Dream 11, but not against Alvarez
After
the rumors about a possible fight between Gesias Cavalcante and
Eddie Alvarez at Dream 11th edition, which is scheduled for September
23 in Japan, we went after the Brazilian to know more about the
confrontation. Gesias guaranteed that will be on Dream 11’s
card, but his opponent won’t be Alvarez. "They offered
me Eddie Alvarez and I was excited, but it seems that he’s
injured or had some other problem and won’t be able to fight
in the event. I’m confirmed in Dream 11, but I still have
no opponent", said JZ. Stay tuned in TATAME site for more
news about the Dream 11.
Source: Tatame |
José
Aldo
With
five knockouts in five fights in WEC’s octagon, José
Aldo is close to the featherweight belt. Eyeing Mike Brown, the
champion, the Nova União fighter spoke with TATAME.com
and said that he hopes that his next challenge is for the belt.
"We’re waiting for the belt all the time... I made
five fights there and won all of them well, so I think I’ll
have the opportunity. If they give me, I’ll train very hard
and focused for the fight", revealed Aldo, who commented
the possibility of facing Miguel Torres, the WEC bantamweight
champion, and the success that he’s doing at the American
event with his team mate Wagnney Fabiano.
Do
you already know when you return to WEC?
I
think I’ll return in September or October... It’s in
Dedé's (André Pederneiras) hand, he’s the
manager, he decides everything and signs my fight, then I’ll
train to go inside one more time there. I’m just training
a light Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, only waiting to return to the octagon.
Do
you think that you’ll fight for the belt or will do one
more fight before that?
We’re
waiting for the belt all the time... I made five fights there
and won all of them well, so I think I'll have the opportunity.
If they give me, I’ll train very hard and focused for the
fight.
Your
last knockout was a beautiful knee. Do you train this too much?
Yes,
I train... I already won by knockout like that last year, at
Shooto Brazil, and I’m able to use that in my fights. When
we face a Wrestler we always wait for this, when he tries a takedown…
Beyond
the knockout of the night bonus, what did the guys from WEC and
the fans said about your victory?
The
fans are excited... Every fight that I do there, we’re gaining
more and more fans. I like it a lot! The guys love my aggressive
style, we get there and try to do the best for the public.
I
heard that you could drop weight to fight against Miguel Torres.
Did you receive this proposal? Is it of your interest?
In
the past he came here and said that we had no 60kg fighter to
fight with him, and I fought in that category in the past and,
if I could, I would fight him. But, now, I prefer to take the
belt of my category, earn it, and then yes (I’d fight him).
If I’m well and with the belt, I’d go fight with him.
So
facing him is a personal desire? How do you think the fight would
be?
Sure.
Not only mine, but his too. He already said he wanted to fight
with me... I have nothing against him, but I think it would be
a good fight. I would look for the standing fight and, if it
goes to the ground, I would show my Jiu-Jitsu. He has a good
Jiu-Jitsu too, but I guarantee myself in mine.
And
the fight against Mike Brown?
It’s
just talk with Dedé and creates a strategy, but I won’t
run away from my features, I try to always practice the standing
part, the takedowns, defense, and also the ground game, where
I come from. I’ll get there well focused and with the right
tactic, standing or on the ground.
The
Nova União wants to dominate this category, with you and
Wagnney?
For
sure, we’re getting there slowly... I got there first, then
Wagnney and, both of us, who fights for the belt, will dominate
the category. Who wins this belt, will dominate for a long time.
If he disputes the belt before me, I don’t mind, I'm his
fan. He saw me grow up in the gym, he deserves to fight the belt
and I'll help him.
Source: Tatame |
Cro
Cop and the UFC, the soap-opera continues
Croatian would have been given cannot-refuse UFC offer
Although
UFC president Dana White had made a point of showing his irritation
at Mirko Cro Cop’s decision to leave the organization for
Dream, the relationship between the Croatian and the American
organization may not be over just yet. According to information
released on the Index.hr website, Lorenzo Fertitta, one of the
owners of the UFC, had flown to Zagreb to negotiate Cro Cop’s
possible return to the octagon.
Also
according to Index.hr, Fertitta left the meeting apparently satisfied,
stating Cro Cop had been given an offer he cannot refuse.”
So
far no official statement has been announced by either the fighter
or the UFC.
Further
information is likely to arise during the week, as Cro Cop is
due to face Mighty Mo at the July 20 Dream show.
Source: Gracie Magazine |
LAWLOR
READY FOR MIDDLEWEIGHT MOVE AT UFC 100
A natural athlete, Tom Lawlor first made himself known to mixed
martial arts fans around the world with his stint on Season 8
of The Ultimate Fighter. Part of Team Mir, Lawlor won his preliminary
fight against Ryan Lopez via rear naked choke, allowing him to
continue in the competition and make his way into one of the
most controversial seasons of said show.
Though
he would eventually lose in the quarterfinals to light heavyweight
winner Ryan Bader, Lawlor left a lot to be remembered.
More
infamously known for ‘tainted’ fruits and a highlight
reel knockout of good friend, teammate, and lightweight competitor
Dave Kaplan, who claimed he couldn’t be knocked out, after
a drunken debauchery filled rant.
Proving
his worth, the Massachusetts native was invited on the undercard
of the season eight finale this past December against fellow
TUF veteran Kyle Kingsbury. Proving why he was a three-time NCWA
(National Collegiate Wrestling Association) champion for the
University of Central Florida, he earned the judges' nod by defeating
Team Nogueira’s unofficial leader via unanimous decision.
Making
the move to the middleweight division, “The Filthy Mauler”
will look to impress once again when he takes on fellow wrestling
and Ultimate Fighter standout C.B. Dollaway at the historic UFC
100 event on July 11 in Las Vegas.
While
a guest on the MMAWeekly.com radio show, the always-colorful
Lawlor shared his thoughts on the decision to move to the middleweight
division and how his time spent on the Ultimate Fighter hindered
the movement.
“I
learned it real early on in the season. When we got in the house
and all the other guys, as most of you saw, were eating my food
and I started looking around and I’m thinking ‘man,
I really want to go after these guys and beat the crap out of
them,'" explained Lawlor.
“But
Junie (Browning) had already push-kicked me to the ground; he
was a 155’er. I didn’t feel like picking a fight with
these guys that were 225 and cutting to 205, so I’m like,
Junie's at 155, I’m scared to go down to that weight, those
guys have good push kicks. These 205’ers are pretty big,
so I think I’ll settle in between."
A
bout pitting two Ultimate Fighter veterans of adjacent seasons,
the highly touted collegiate wrestlers at first glance appear
to have all the makings of an exciting wrestling affair. While
Dollaway presents several skills and attributes going into the
fight, Lawlor could not ask for a better opponent... sort of.
“Honestly,
I couldn’t have asked for a better – well, I could
have asked for a better match-up. I could have asked to fight
like a 145’er or something, or 135, but even than victory
is not guaranteed,” he joked.
“I’m
real happy with the match-up. Stylistically, I think it works
out well. Obviously we both come from a wrestling background.
He’s a little more of a decorated wrestler than I am, but
MMA wrestling is a little bit more different than amateur wrestling,
scholastic wrestling. I think his offense, his wrestling offense,
may not translate as well into MMA as some of the other guys
that are a little bit more powerful. He comes straight forward."
While
Lawlor's drop in weight could be the equalizer, as he may very
well be the stronger and bigger of the two, what he is counting
on is the precision and technique that he has undoubtedly been
able to hone with time spent in the world renowned American Top
Team camp alongside Thiago Alves, who is set to co-headline the
card against Georges St. Pierre.
“In
his fights, if you look, Jesse Taylor was able to take him down.
Technically, he’s a better wrestler than Jesse Taylor. He
was able to outwork Mike Massenzio, but Massenzio’s leg
was busted up. I’m not saying that’s the reason C.B.
beat him, but I’m sure it helped a little bit. I really
think it’s a good match-up for me. He comes forward a lot
and I think I’ll be able to exploit that a little bit."
His
own worst critic, Lawlor felt that his first fight in the UFC
was of no indication of his talent or ability and looks at his
upcoming bout with “The Doberman” as a chance to redeem
some fan fair.
“If
anybody even saw the (Kyle) Kingsbury fight, they would think
that I am not the real deal. I would rather poke my eyes out
with needles or wipe my butt with a cheese grater than watch
that Kingsbury fight if I was a fan."
Now
with his last week of training winding down and time dwindling
towards the fight, the now-Florida resident looks forward to
a bout of epic proportions, both adorning his rightful spot on
the UFC 100 card and a chance to make a name of his own in a
crowded middleweight division.
“I
promise to go out there and make this fight more exciting, put
on a better show for the fans, for myself, for my family. I do
it for the kids. I’m going to go out there and put on a
better fight for the kids who are out there watching. It’s
going to help me to go out there against somebody who was in
the finals of The Ultimate Fighter, definitely.
“Definitely
in this fight against C.B., he has a little bit more name recognition
than I do, but I’m going to go out there and take it to
him. I’m ready to fight.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"Dream
as big as you can dream, and anything is possible."
Michael Phelps
|
Complete
lineup for UFC 102 'Couture vs. Nogueira'
The UFC 102 card in Portland has been completed with the addition
of a preliminary bout between heavyweights Todd Duffee and Mike
Russow.
UFC 102 is headlined by former champions Randy Couture vs. Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira and takes place Saturday, August 29 at the Rose
Garden.
Russow
(11-1) is a Chicago police officer and one-time PRIDE competitor
who recently signed a a four-fight deal with the UFC. Russow
fought twice last year for his manager's Adrenaline MMA promotion
and won both fights with choke holds.
Duffee
(4-0) of the American Top Team was lined up to face Mostapha
Al Turk at UFC 99 on June 13 before he was shelved to allow Mirko
Cro Cop to make his promotional return. Duffee established himself
as an up and comer to watch last September when he TKO'd PRIDE
and UFC veteran Assuerio Silva in Brazil.
FIGHT
CARD:
Pay-Per-View
Bouts:
Randy
Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
Nate Marquardt vs Demian Maia
Matt Hamill vs. Brandon Vera
Preliminary Bouts:
Gabriel
Gonzaga Vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Wilson Gouveia vs. James Irvin
Junior Dos Santos vs. Justin McCully
Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee
Nick Catone vs. Mark Munoz
Matt Veach vs. Evan Dunham
Source: MMA Fighting
|
GSP
SAYS FLORIAN WILL BE A GREAT CHAMPION
by Damon Martin
On Aug. 8, Kenny Florian will take a second crack at the UFC
lightweight title, this time battling current champion B.J. Penn
at UFC 101, and while the Boston native has always had a top-notch
camp, he decided to venture out this time for some extra support.
The
extra support comes in the form of UFC welterweight champion
Georges St. Pierre, the only fighter to have two wins over Penn,
and who himself is in final preparations for his UFC 100 bout
against Thiago Alves.
St.
Pierre spoke to MMAWeekly Radio recently about the work he did
with Florian in Montreal, and says that it's a good bet that
it's "Ken-Flo" who will leave Philadelphia with the
championship around his waist.
"I've
trained with him two times and he looked really sharp. I put
my money on him against B.J. Penn," St. Pierre stated.
The
Canadian has put together some of the most legendary camps to
prepare for his title fights, so his physical and mental strategy
could be a key edge that Florian will carry into the fight in
August.
St.
Pierre complemented Florian for the work they did together while
in Montreal, and he's confident that Penn will have no answer
for what Florian will bring into the title fight.
"Kenny
Florian is a great training partner, and is going to be a great
champion, and he's also a greater person and human being (than
B.J. Penn)," said St. Pierre.
Much
like his own strategy and gameplan, he wouldn't let anything
out of the bag as to what Florian will do to beat Penn, but he
is boastful that it will happen.
"A
lot of things, but they are part of his gameplan so I can't talk
too much about it," St. Pierre commented about what Florian
will bring into the fight against Penn. "It basically consists
of using his strength and putting it against his opponent's weaknesses."
Following
his upcoming title fight against Alves, St. Pierre will then
head straight back into camp to help his friend and training
partner Nate Marquardt get ready for his September fight against
Demian Maia.
Still,
if time permits, he says he'd love to be in Philadelphia to sit
front row for Kenny Florian vs. B.J. Penn.
"I
would like to see that," St. Pierre said in closing about
Florian winning the title.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Carwin-Velazquez
Likely for UFC 104
by Greg Savage
Shane Carwin announced via Twitter that he would be returning
to action in October at UFC 104. Sherdog.com has since confirmed
that his likely opponent will be Cain Velasquez.
Though
no contracts have been signed yet, Carwin has verbally agreed
to the match according to a source close to the 11-0 heavyweight
prospect.
Carwin
recently returned to training after reconstructive surgery to
repair a severely broken nose suffered in his knockout win over
Gabriel Gonzaga in March of this year. Carwin showed himself
to be a contender after escaping off his back and knocking Gonzaga,
a former UFC title contender, unconscious with a vicious right
hand.
Velasquez
(6-0) is coming off a devastating three-round dismantling of
Cheick Kongo last month. The highly touted prospect displayed
a dominating ground arsenal in the win, but also showed he needs
a little more polish in the stand-up game. Kongo dropped him
to open the first and second rounds before Velasquez put him
on his back and hammered away en route to the unanimous decision
victory.
The
winner of the bout would surely be in line for a shot at the
UFC heavyweight crown, likely in early 2010.
Source: Sherdog
|
Bustamante
on super project in USA
Fighter comments on life in States
Carlos Ozorio / Portal das Lutas
Commander of Brazilian Top Team (BTT), Murilo Bustamante is already
getting used to life in the United States. In California, the
black belt has been working on expanding the team in two academies,
one of which promises to be the biggest martial arts academy
in the world. Check out the conversation Portal das Lutas, GRACIEMAG.com
partner website, had with the seasoned veteran.
Portal
das Lutas – How’s everything going in the United States?
Murilo
Bustamante – Life here’s really great and I’m
already training in two academies. I’m divulging the BTT’s
teaching system, both for Jiu-Jitsu and for MMA, at Bodies and
Motion, in Los Angeles, and at No Limits. They are BTT affiliates
and I’ll be showing our work here.
PDL
– But are the academies really BTT affiliates? What’s
this project like?
MB
– I have a partnership with No Limits, which will launch
the coming 6th, in Irvine, an academy of over six thousand square
meters. It will be the biggest martial arts academy in the world,
with three official boxing rings, an octagon, mats, shops, weight
lifting, sauna… It’s out of this world, it has everything.
I’ll show you if you come here. It will be a complete training
facility where we’ll hold camps for professional fighters.
PDL
– Is the fact you’re in the United States also a strategy
for you to return to fighting?
MB
– Truth is I’m not yet thinking about fighting. My
head’s on my project, which is to get in tune with life
here. I’m setting up an apartment, changing my routine and
it’s been great. After July, when everything’s in place,
I’ll start looking for a fight, because I want to fight
more. I’ll put my old bones on the line for a while yet.
I want to have some fun and not just watch my fighters having
fun.
PDL
– Will the academies there also serve as headquarters for
the other BTT athletes in Brazil?
MB
– For sure. This is an entry way for BTT athletes and my
coming here is meant to help open the way for them too. That’s
my plan, but I could only do that after establishing the team
in Brazil.
PDL
– And how is BTT in Brazil going after your departure for
the United States?
MB
– I really felt the gym was going along on its own and that
Eraldo (Paes) and (Sergio) Babu were ready to assume the responsibility
for BTT in Brazil. Thank God I have trustworthy and capable people
to do such a great job as they are doing. Now we need to move
forth with the project of expanding BTT.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Conan
wants ATT party at Shine Fights
By Guilherme Cruz
One
of the leaders and coaches of the American Top Team, one of the
biggest MMA teams in the world, which concentrates a legion of
Brazilians in the United States, Conan Silveira is anxious for
July 25th. In the second edition of "Shine Fights - ATT
vs. The World", the team will have many athletes in action
in the octagon, as Roan Jucão, Luiz Firmino and Micah
Miller, and the coach is excited, especially after winning six
victories in the last weekend.
"I'm
suspect to say, even because, in a weekend that the team as ATT
won six victories, not mentioning (Gleison) Tibau’s robbed
loss, it would be 7X0... I'm not saying that will be the same,
but the risk of happening the same result is big", pronounces
the red and black belt of Jiu-Jistu, who saw his athletes winning
in events such as Bellator, where the Cuban Hector Lombard earned
the middleweight GP and took the belt for American Top Team.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject changes):
Shine
MMA 2
Miami, United States
Saturday, July 25th of 2009
-
Roan “Jucão” Carneiro vs. Jorge Patino “Macaco”;
-
Ryan Healy vs. Luiz “Buscapé” Firmino;
-
Jean Silva vs. Flavio Álvaro;
-
Milton Viera vs. Carlo Prater;
-
Kyle Watson vs. Junior Assunção;
-
Micah Miller vs. Anthony Morrison;
-
Vanessa Porto vs. Ediene Gomes;
-
Fabiano Capoani vs. Dave Branch;
-
Kami Barzini vs. TBA.
Source: Tatame
|
Mark
Kerr to fight at King of the Cage 'Capital Excailbur'
Mark Kerr will aim to snap a four-fight losing streak when he
competes at King of the Cage "Capital Excalibur" on
July 18 in Canada.
Kerr will be taking on Penner, a 29-year-old who has fought mostly
locally in Alberta, Canada. In his second pro fight, Penner scored
a first round submission via strikes victory over Butterbean.
His lone loss was against Jimmy Ambriz via unanimous decision.
Kerr
will always be remembered for his early UFC tournament wins,
at UFC 14 and 15, as well as his dominance in the early PRIDEs,
but since 2000, he has lost ten of 14 fights.
Kerr's
battle with painkiller addiction was well documented in the HBO
documentary "The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of
Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr" in 2003. After the release of
the film, he fought once more for PRIDE and then began his current
comeback in November 2006 for the IFL.
"Capital
Excalibur" will be headlined by a welterweight bout between
Shannon Ritch and Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Sobral
Will Be Mousasi's Toughest Test at Affliction III
SEAL BEACH, California (July 1, 2009) — Gegard Mousasi has
declared his fight against Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion,
Renato “Babalu” Sobral an all-out war. “Sobral
is so tough. When he comes, he comes to fight,” says Mousasi,
as he trains for one of the biggest challenges of his career.
Babalu Sobral ranks in the top ten of light heavyweights and
has been training since Mousasi was a newborn. Besides the ten
years difference in age and experience, Mousasi will have to
contend with Sobral’s explosiveness and dangerous Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu skills in the ring.
Sobral, on the other hand, prepares for the power and athleticism
that comes with Mousasi’s youth. Although Babalu is well
aware of the dangers Mousasi presents, he fully intends on continuing
his current winning streak. “On the ground,” Babalu
contemplates his possible advantage over Mousasi, “…probably
that’s where I can take advantage (of him). Whatever it
takes.”
“It will be a good test for me,” asserts Mousasi. “With
Sobral, I will try to fight (a) stand up game. If it goes to
the ground, I will take top position and work him over with my
ground and pound. Sobral will have to watch out for my elbows;
I want to use them in this fight. If I end up on my back, I can
defend myself and eventually we will stand back up again.”
Although he has other plans for the fight’s outcome, Babalu
is ready for Mousasi to try to keep the fight on his feet and
to adapt to whatever the fight may bring. Sobral (32-8), enters
the bout as one of the division's most compelling fighters, with
five consecutive wins and notable victories over Jeremy Horn,
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, “Shogun” Rua, Trevor Prangley, and
Maurice Smith.
Babalu is always ready to fight, saying he is “on the top
of the wave” right now “waiting to drop.” And
although he won’t reveal it in interviews, he has some tricks
up his sleeve for his upcoming bout with Gegard “The Dreamcatcher”
Mousasi, who made the majority of last year’s “Fighter
of the Year” lists. But the seasoned Sobral is ready, bringing
to the bout the same passion and ferocity he brings to all his
fights, along with a tried and true game plan. “Whenever
I see a space, I’m gonna push the fight,” Sobral states.
“When he makes a mistake, then I’m going to finish.”
The Affliction M-1 Global “Trilogy” card, promoted
by Golden Boy Promotions and presented by Affliction and M-1
Global, in association with Donald J. Trump, has been separated
into two live broadcasts on the same night. A one-hour special
will air on HDNet starting at 7:30 PM/ET (4:30 PM/PT), followed
by the sensational Pay-Per-View event, “Trilogy,” commencing
at 9 PM/ET (6 PM/PT).
Tickets for Affliction M-1 Global’s “Trilogy,”
ranging between $50.00 and $600.00, go on sale June 8th at Honda
Center Box Office (1.714.704.2500), and also online at Ticketmaster.com
and at all Ticket Master outlets (1.714.740.2000).
Affliction
Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands,
A-listers and the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing's ability
to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection's
indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark
series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. (www.afflictionclothing.com)
M-1 Global and M-1 Challenge
M-1 Global has been one of the leading mixed martial arts (MMA)
organizations in the world for over a decade. International MMA
stars who have fought under the M-1 banner have included Fedor
Emelianenko, Andrei Arlovski, Aleksander Emelianenko, Keith Jardine,
Alistair Overeem, Yushin Okami, Ben Rothwell, Mike Pyle, Melvin
Manhoef, Roman Zenstov, Denis Kang, Martin Kampmann, Omar Suloev,
and Chalid Arrab, to name a few. (www.m1mixfight.com)
The Trump Organization
The Trump Organization encompasses global real estate development
and global licensing, sales and marketing, property management,
golf course development, entertainment, entertainment and product
licensing, brand development as well as restaurants and event
planning. Donald J. Trump is the Chairman and President of the
Trump Organization, a privately held company in New York. (www.Trump.com)
Golden Boy Promotions
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2002
by Oscar de la Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing
promotional company. Golden Boy Promotions currently has over
60 fighters under contract, from future hall of famers Bernard
Hopkins, Sugar Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez, to current
world champions Ricky Hatton, David Haye, Joel Casamayor, Israel
Vazquez and Gerry Peñalosa. Also included on the company’s
roster are top contenders Jeff Lacy, Juan Diaz, Daniel Ponce
De Leon, Jhonny Gonzalez, Librado Andrade, Rocky Juarez and Rey
Bautista; 2004 Olympians Abner Mares, Vicente Escobedo and Rock
Allen; and highly regarded prospects Danny Garcia, Jermell Charlo,
Hylon Williams and Carlos and Juan Velasquez. (www.goldenboypromotions.com)
Source: The Fight Network
|
Misaki
Will Fight But Won't Be Paid
by Jordan Breen
Kazuo Misaki will get his August bout with Kazuhiro Nakamura,
but with none of the expected perks.
World
Victory Road director Takahiro Kokuho announced Thursday that
Sengoku's Aug. 2 "Ninth Battle" card at the Saitama
Super Arena will still feature a bout between Misaki and Kazuhiro
Nakamura. However, the legally embattled "Grabaka Hitman"
will not receive his fight purse and, immediately following the
bout, will face an indefinite suspension from Sengoku competition.
Misaki
had pled guilty in the Tokyo District Court to obstruction of
justice on June 25. The plea was in regard to a March 19 incident
in which the former Pride grand prix champion sped away from
a police officer who had attempted to cite him for talking on
his cell phone while driving. Misaki was given a three-year suspended
sentence following his plea, and Kokuho announced the following
day that World Victory Road's commission would convene in the
coming days to decide on an appropriate course of action.
"Some
[of the commission] felt that that we should make the suspension
immediate," Kokuho said of the commission's decision to
suspend Misaki following the bout. "However, it is not our
intention to punish the other parties concerned: his opponent
and the fans looking forward to this fight."
The
Misaki-Nakamura bout was originally slated to be a title eliminator,
with the winner earning a rematch with Sengoku 183-pound champion
Jorge Santiago later this year. Santiago defeated Nakamura in
the finals of Sengoku's middleweight grand prix last November,
and pulled off a sensational come-from-behind fifth-round submission
over Misaki to claim the vacant Sengoku title this past January.
Misaki's
confiscated fight purse will be donated to Japan Foundation for
AIDS Prevention and other charities to be decided upon.
"It
is not about whether Misaki wins or loses," concluded Kokuho,
"but showing a great performance and making those who see
the fight into voices for his return."
Source: Sherdog
|
Four
grappling superfights set for UFC 100 Fan Expo
UFC competitors Joe Stevenson and Vinicius "Pezao"
Magalhaes, WEC featherweight Fredson Paixao and Shooto legend
Rumina Sato are among the competitors set to compete in grappling
matches at the UFC 100 Fan Expo on Friday, June 9 and Saturday,
June 10 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The matchups are Rumina Sato vs. Ulysses Gomez and Vinicius "Pezao"
Magalhaes vs. TBA on Friday and Joe Stevenson vs. Bill Cooper
and Jeff Glover vs. Fredson Paixao on Saturday.
Rumina
Sato (24-14-2 MMA), a Japanese future Hall of Famer, has been
fighting MMA since November 2004 but never in the continental
US. He makes his rare appearance in America against an up and
comer in Palace Fighting Championship veteran and Cobra Kai grappling
instructor Ulysses Gomez (3-1).
Vinicius
"Pezao" Magalhaes (2-4) of "The Ultimate Fighter
8" and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor at the new TapouT
training center in Las Vegas will compete against an opponent
to be announced.
Fredson
Paixao (8-3), coming off a loss in his WEC debut to the highly
regarded Wagnney Fabiano, will hit the mats against 22-time Grapplers
Quest champion Jeff Glover (0-0).
Joe
Stevenson (30-10), who recently outpointed Nate Diaz at "The
Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale," will face Bill Cooper (0-0),
who two years ago at the age of 22, earned his black belt in
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
These
four grappling superfights will take place during the Grapplers
Quest grappling tournament happening at the UFC Fan Expo weekend.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Nine
times Roger Gracie
GRACIEMAG 149 brings you all the wins of the biggest name at
the Worlds
No
less than eight photographers were on hand to capture every detail
of the greatest Jiu-Jitsu fest on the planet. From the 4th to
the 7th of June the GRACIEMAG team set up shop at the CSU Long
Beach Pyramid and witnessed the gentle art spectacle. And the
biggest star of the show ended up being Roger Gracie.
The
black belt took his weight group and the absolute, finishing
in splendid fashion no less than nine adversaries. Some folks
may even have lost count, so for them to witness the champion’s
trajectory, GRACIEMAG.com put together a special gallery of Roger’s
nine matches.
http://www.graciemag.com/news/151/ARTICLE/14829/2009-07-02.html
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Thiago
cheering for Shogun against Lyoto
By Guilherme Cruz
Ex-partner
of Maurício "Shogun" at Chute Boxe academy,
Thiago Silva, who now represents the American Top Team, is cheering
for Shogun in his next challenge, which will be against Lyoto
Machida for the UFC's belt. Knowing very well both fighters,
having trained with Shogun and faced Lyoto, Thiago talked about
the title fight. "I think they are both very good athletes,
Shogun is very well physically and technically, but I already
fought with Lyoto and know how it is", said Thiago, pointing
the secrets of the Karate fighter.
"His
(Lyoto’s) differential is psychological, the patience...
He knows the time to go. The secret is there. If Shogun knows
how to administrate the patience, he can get it, but Lyoto is
in a great time", says Silva. After the fight against Lyoto,
Thiago revealed that, with only a minute of fight, “was
already pulling out the hairs". And he gives the tone for
his friend: " Lyoto doesn’t change the strategy, is
always the same, fighting in the opponent's mistake, then the
patience is the key. If Shogun has patience, he may surprise",
said the fighter, betting on Rua. "I put (my money) in Shogun…
He’s my friend, I cheer a lot for him", finished.
Source: Tatame
|
Kazuo
Misaki, Sengoku holds apology press conference
By Zach
Arnold
When
it rains, it pours. Kazuo Misaki was found guilty of fleeing
police during a traffic stop on March 19th.
There
are pictures and lots more coverage of this story on the major
Japanese news sites: here and here.
Update
(7/02): Sengoku announced that Misaki vs. Nakamura is still on
for 8/2 in Saitama. If Nakamura wins, he will face Jorge Santiago
for a title shot. If Misaki wins, he gets nothing. He will be
‘indefinitely suspended’ after the 8/2 Saitama event.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
|
7/4/09
Happy 4th of July! |
Quote
of the Day
"You
should treat all disasters as if they were trivialities but
never treat a triviality as if it were a disaster."
Quentin Crisp
|
Mark
Hominick vs. Deividas Taurosevicius at Affliction 3
Mark Hominick will take on Deividas Taurosevicius at Affliction
3 "Trilogy" on August 1 in Anaheim, according to Between
Rounds Radio.
Hominick (16-8) is returning to Affliction after a bout with
pneumonia that pulled him away from a fight against LC Davis
at "Day of Reckoning" in January. Hominick last July
at "Banned" had submitted Savant Young with an armbar.
Taurosevicius
(10-3) is a former IFL fighter who has not competed since the
team MMA league closed its doors. His last fight was in May 2008
when his six-fight win streak was snapped by Ryan Schultz in
a decision loss in an IFL lightweight title bout.
FIGHT
CARD:
Pay-Per-View
Bouts (9:00 p.m. ET):
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett (WAMMA Heavyweight Title)
Gegard Mousasi vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral
Vitor Belfort vs. Jorge Santiago
Paul Buentello vs. Gilbert Yvel
Paul "Semtex" Daley vs. Jay Hieron
HDNet Bouts (7:30 p.m. ET):
Chris
Horodecki vs. Dan Lauzon
Ben Rothwell vs. Chase Gormley
Deividas Taurosevicius vs. Mark Hominick
Akbarh Arreola vs. TBA
Untelevised Bouts:
Rob Broughton vs. Jessie Gibbs
Lucio Linhares vs. Mikhail Zayats
Source: MMA Fighting
|
15
Questions for Royler Gracie
by Marcelo Alonso
Considered by many the best tactical and technical jiu-jitsu
competitor in history, Royler Gracie recently relocated to San
Diego.
The
three-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and three-time
Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships
winner sat down with Sherdog.com for an exclusive interview.
Sherdog:
You had the opportunity to move to the US right after your brother,
Royce, won the first UFC in 1993. Why did you decide to move
there now?
Gracie: I’m probably the last of the Mohicans to leave Brazil.
Actually, 10 years ago, I lived in L.A. I stayed one year there,
but I didn’t like the lifestyle, so I decided to return
to Rio de Janeiro. Last year, I decided to move to San Diego,
which is more like Rio. I’m living in La Jola, which is
an amazing place very close to the beach.
Sherdog:
What was behind your decision?
Gracie: Actually, it was for two reasons. First, I was kind of
fed up being the head of the Gracie Academy for almost 25 years
-- taking care of every single detail, from the classes to the
lamps, cleaning up the place and everything. I was getting tired
of it, so I decided to take a break. Actually, I didn’t
come to America to open a jiu-jitsu academy. I can change my
mind, but for now, I’m just planning seminars around the
world. My working papers are fine, so it’s been a great
experience. I don’t know how long it’s going to last.
Maybe one day I’ll change my mind and return to teaching
classes and spending my day inside an academy. For now, I’m
just planning to travel and give seminars, something that I really
like to do; they normally happen on weekends, so I have the whole
week to stay at home with my family, go to the beach or surf.
The second reason is that I was so overloaded in Brazil that
I didn’t have time to put on a gi and train. I had to change
my whole schedule to be able to surf. Here in San Diego, I totally
changed my lifestyle. This week, I was cycling with my daughter
in the middle of the week, something I couldn’t do for a
long time in Rio. Last week, I was surfing on Wednesday. My lifestyle
improved a lot. I’m taking care of myself, which is something
I couldn’t do in Brazil. My plan now is to just return to
Rio on vacation.
Sherdog:
When you want to train in the US, where do you go?
Gracie: My training center is at the University of Jiu-Jitsu,
with Saulo and Xande Ribeiro in San Diego. When we have important
competitions, I go there to lead the training, but it’s
important to make it clear that I don’t teach there. Me
and Saulo have an excellent relationship; sometimes he sends
a private student to me. I have built a nice dojo in the garage
of my house, and it’s a nice area where I receive friends
and give private classes. But Saulo’s academy is definitely
my headquarters in US.
Sherdog:
Where do you give seminars, and how can people who are interested
contact you?
Gracie: I have given a lot of seminars since I came to the US
-- in Colorado, Miami, Canada, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia.
I’m very impressed that, even with all these world crises,
the invitations for seminars didn’t decrease. [Contact info
for seminars: seminars@roylergracie.com and (858)344-6797]
Sherdog:
How did your father react when you told him that you decided
to come to the US?
Gracie: The crisis had just started. I went to talk to him, to
tell him I had made that decision, and went to ask him what he
thought about the crisis. He said “The crisis has existed
as long as the world has existed. Every 10 years, the world passes
through a big crisis, not only the world but all the families
and people pass through natural crises that are naturally overcome.
Go there. I’m sure you are going to do great.” Unfortunately,
three months later, he died.
Sherdog:
How do you compare jiu-jitsu today to your time?
Gracie: In competition, I believe it will always be evolving
because today you have the technology, something we didn’t
have 20 years ago. On the other hand, the jiu-jitsu game is getting
more tied down, but I believe a good competitor has to know how
to study the opponent, not just think about submissions. He must
know how to win using advantages, points and, of course, submissions.
The competitor must know how to play with the crowd, with referees
in mind, and make the audience support him. There are a lot of
things nobody taught me that I just learned competing.
Sherdog:
How do you compare the growth of jiu-jitsu to the growth of MMA?
Gracie: I believe jiu-jitsu is going to be much bigger around
the world than MMA. Actually, it already is because MMA fighters
are restricted, between 18 and 35 years old. In jiu-jitsu, you
start training when you are 3 years old, and you can train until
you’re 80 years old, so it’s a much bigger range. I’m
sure there are many more people practicing jiu-jitsu than MMA
around the world.
Sherdog:
How do you view the jiu-jitsu representatives in MMA?
Gracie: We are very well represented. We have Demian Maia, who
is probably the number one representative of jiu-jitsu in MMA
after Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Actually, I met Rodrigo last
week, and he is an amazing person. That’s what the sport
needs -- good examples of idols. I don’t have too much contact
with Anderson Silva, but he also looks like a nice person, and,
for me, he also represents jiu-jitsu, even as a striker. When
he’s fighting on the ground, he never disappoints me. We
also have Thales Leites, who is doing a nice job in the Octagon.
Roger Gracie also had a nice beginning, and we have Xande Ribeiro
and Rolles Gracie coming.
Sherdog: During your career, which competitions impacted you
the most in jiu-jitsu and MMA?
Gracie: In jiu-jitsu, I think the world championships in 1997
will always be remembered. I had seven fights -- in my weight
category and in the absolute division. In my category, I defeated
Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, in the final. He was a 17-year-old
boy who came in hungry, and I was 35 years old. Actually, I could
have been his father and that was a landmark moment for me. I
got the third place in absolute, even though I weighed 65 kilograms.
I remember that I was on the same podium with Fabio Gurgel, Amaury
Bitetti and Mario Sperry. Right after that, I was champion in
Abu Dhabi, so 1997 was a very important year for me.
Sherdog:
What about in MMA? Which fight impacted you the most?
Gracie: The fight against Kazushi Sakuraba. He was much heavier
than I was and was also in the prime of his career, beating a
lot of top guys. Actually, I didn’t go in presuming I’d
beat him. I just wanted to know how he could beat me; that’s
all I wanted to know. I was the sniper. I thought if he made
some mistakes, I would catch him. He had the right game plan;
he avoided the ground. I have no doubt that he was clearly superior
in both the first and second rounds, but I never ran from the
fight. He wanted to fight standing up, and I stood up and fought
with him, but what affected me was the referee’s attitude
of stopping the fight. In the contract, they said unless there
was a knockout or submission, the fight would be declared draw,
but the Japanese fans wanted to see him fight against Rickson
Gracie. Nobody knows how our fight would have ended, if he would
have broken my arm, if I would have tapped or if it would have
finished in a draw.
Sherdog:
Your fans can see you fighting again. Is there any possibility
of it happening?
Gracie: I don’t know; I’m not worried about that. In
jiu-jitsu, I’m more focused on being a coach. I’m not
planning to compete anymore, unless there is a good proposal
in ADCC. As far as MMA goes, I would like to have a retirement
fight. My last fight against Hideo Tokoro was very nice, but,
unfortunately, the referees judged him the winner. I thought
it was a really even fight. If it had been in Brazil, I probably
would have won, but since it happened in Japan, I can’t
complain.
Sherdog:
Have you put together a video in which you teach your best techniques?
Gracie: That’s true, and I’m very happy with the result.
In this video, I teach some important techniques that I used
in competitions. The video shows the fights, and after each one,
I teach exactly the same position in a studio.
Sherdog:
What’s the secret to your staying young?
Gracie: I keep following the Gracie diet. Even when I travel,
I try to eat fruits and keep doing the right things. The secret
to everything is what my father used to say: “If you put
old gasoline in your car, it will break down.” The human
body is just like a car. My father always said, “You are
what you eat.”
Sherdog:
How do you feel about the recognition of the Gracie name in the
US?
Gracie: In Brazil, everybody knows me, but here in America, I
have to say I’m impressed by how many times people stop
me on the street. Even though my face is not shown anywhere on
TV or the Internet, when it appears in MMA or jiu-jitsu magazines,
I’m really impressed by that. I think when people recognize
me it’s because of the years of hard work from my dad, my
uncle, my brothers and all the practitioners of jiu-jitsu.
Sherdog:
How do you view the importance of your father and uncle in the
history of MMA?
Gracie: Without them, we wouldn’t be here in China doing
an interview. The world wouldn’t be practicing jiu-jitsu
and MMA. We have to thank that skinny man who must be over there
looking down on us, the great master Helio Gracie and his brother,
Carlos. They planted the seeds that we are all reaping nowadays.
Source: Sherdog
|
ADCC
adds divisions for 2010
Traditional grappling tourney to have 10 weight divisions
Considered one of the world’s main submission wrestling
tournaments, the ADCC’s next installment is set for September,
in Spain. Nevertheless, the organizers are already looking ahead
to next year, when the qualifiers for the 2011 installment will
be held.
The
latest novelty is the ADCC committee’s decision to include
new weight categories. Up until this year there have been six
divisions (66kg, 77kg, 88kg, 99kg, over 99kg and open weight).
According
to information provided by Wagner Gomes, general secretary of
ADCC Brazil, starting next year the weight divisions will be
as follows:
Male:
60 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 76 kg, 83 kg, 91 kg, 100 kg, +100 kg
Female: 55 kg, 60 kg, + 60 kg
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
NY
MMA NEWS
Despite a Floundering MMA Bill, New York Underground Fight Shows
Live On
By Jim Genia
This
time it was a boxing gym in the heart of Brooklyn, nestled deep
within one of the city’s worst neighborhoods but packed
with cheering fans, all of them gathered together for a Saturday
afternoon of unsanctioned exhibition MMA bouts in a state seemingly
forever on the cusp of legalizing the sport. In the ring for
this event dubbed “Martial Arts Madness”, a 250-pound
Muay Thai practitioner named Dale squares off against a 240-pound
wrestler nicknamed “The Savage”. They wear shin pads
and headgear, a nod to the exhibition-nature of the fights, but
none of that matters in the roughly six seconds Dale needs to
plant his shin against the Savage’s head and send him tumbling
to the canvas. The wrestler lies there facedown for a while before
the ringside medical attendant (really, one of the judges who’s
a black belt in kung fu) can help him to his feet. The audience
applauds, appreciative of what the promoter (who shall remain
nameless) has orchestrated for their viewing pleasure. Then two
more fighters enter the ring.
Meanwhile,
hundreds of miles away in Albany, the State Senate has convened
at the behest of Governor David Paterson. A senatorial coup weeks
before has divided the legislative body along party lines, sending
all pending bills into a frustrating kind of suspended animation
where laws on taxes and gay marriage are frozen in time. A kind
of suspended animation where the bill that would’ve allowed
professional MMA back into New York State and brought the UFC
to Madison Square Garden in early 2010 is now a bad case of “Crap,
we were so damn close”.
And
it was close. Just a month ago the MMA bill passed by a vote
of 14-6 through the Assembly’s Tourism, Arts and Sports
Development committee, where it had stalled last year. That hurdle
was supposed to be the most daunting one, and once overcome,
it should’ve been only a matter of getting a few more procedural
thumbs-up in the Assembly and the Senate before the governor
affixed his stamp of approval. Now, politics have turned the
process on its head, with the stalemate in the Senate paralyzing
everything. Time has run out on the legislative session.
“I’m
hearing all kinds of things but the thoughts are that it’s
unlikely to happen at this time and will have to wait until either
September or, sadly, 2010,” said New York State Athletic
Commission Chairwoman Melvina Lathan. “I’m not giving
up,” she added – sentiments shared by some familiar
with the machinations of Albany and confident that emergency
sessions will have the errant legislators reconvening to actually
get work done.
Ashley
Pillsbury, the legislative director for the Office of Assemblyman
Andrew Hevesi, a supporter of the Assembly’s version of
the bill, was less optimistic. “The bill is currently pending
in the Assembly Ways and Means committee, as well as in the Cultural
Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation committee in the Senate,”
she said. “Because we have adjourned our legislative session
for this year, this bill will not be taken up until January of
next year. I am hopeful that this bill can be passed at that
time.”
Meanwhile,
back in Brooklyn, a fighter with the moniker “Blackie Chan”
earns a decision over a jiu-jitsu representative called “Chaos”.
Plates of arroz con pollo are doled out during an intermission,
and when the action resumes, a 145-pound warrior employs a pinpoint-accurate
head-kick to send his now-unconscious opponent sailing through
the ropes. The crowd cheers, and cheers some more when the fallen
fighter returns to consciousness with a smile.
“We
are the next generation of fighters, the next generation of promoters,”
the man behind Martial Arts Madness says when he addresses the
audience, and if the Senatorial mess in the State’s Capitol
is of any indication, he’s correct. Within the next 30 days,
two more unsanctioned events are scheduled to play out on Long
Island, both unconnected to this one and with varying degrees
of talent and success. But Albany is to thank for that. For New
Yorkers hungry for homegrown MMA, the menu will consist of underground
shows for quite some time.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Demian
talks Wanderlei’s loss to Franklin
By Guilherme Cruz
Every
time that Demian Maia goes to the United States, he chooses Las
Vegas as his destiny, to train with Wanderlei Silva. Earlier
this month, the Axe Murderer faced his third loss in the UFC
octagon, against Rich Franklin at UFC 99. After Wanderlei recognizes
the overtraining for the bout, Demian, who also trains with Rafael
Alejarra, commented the fight.
“Alejarra
spoke with me that he was trying to hold him, but he probably
overtrained a little. It’s bad, of course. The fight has
many factors and, if you change it, it puts you in a bad situation”,
commented the black belt, commenting, also, the polemical result
of the fight. “It’s hard for the UFC to set a draw,
but they could have make (Silva vs. Franklin) a draw. Maybe Franklin’s
knockdown on Wanderlei decided it, but I think it could have
been a draw. It was a great fight, I think Wanderlei was better
technically, all closed. Now is time to adapt to the weight”.
Source: Tatame
|
ALAN
BELCHER AIN'T NO STEPPIN' STONE
by Steven Marrocco
Alan Belcher (14-5) is all about shortcuts.
The
middleweight is perfectly positioned to make an early statement
against Japanese import Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100, the talented,
if flawed, superstar who made headlines by bolting stateside.
He’s first on the card – that’s the rumor, he
says – and gets the chance to make the first impression
on what could be hundreds of thousands of fresh eyeballs.
A
win over Akiyama, quite simply, means bigger paydays and an invitation
to the realm of contenders.
“We
thought that it would give me a shortcut to the top,” Belcher
said about taking the fight. “This is one where I can really
show myself to a lot of new fans, and show people that think
I’m the top contender that I really am.”
The
Biloxi, Miss., resident has always been confident of his abilities,
but that confidence has sometimes led him to be shortsighted.
Like many fighters who enter the UFC with standout skills in
one realm of fighting, Belcher has lived through a reality check:
you can never underestimate an opponent, or think you’ll
be carried by one part of your game.
“I
always look at the pros and cons of every situation; I don’t
like to make the mistakes I have in the past and try and get
confident over one little thing,” he said. “I know
my advantages, but I think they’re kind of slim, and I’m
going to have to work hard and especially to win the way I want
to. I want to make a statement.”
That
statement, of course, is a knockout, the pot of gold to every
striker’s rainbow. Belcher expects Akiyama to stand and
trade. On paper, he thinks he comes out on top.
“I’ll
throw straight, crisp, technical strikes, and he’s kind
of wide,” said Belcher. “He’s also going to have
trouble reaching me. But I’m expecting him to be really
tough. I’m also expecting him to be as strong as me or stronger,
so I’m not really looking at the size. Also, he doesn’t
have to cut weight probably, and I do.”
But
that would be getting ahead of himself. Along with champion kickboxer
Duke Roufus, he has pinning machine Ben Askren for wrestling
and Eric “Red” Schafer for jiu-jitsu, guys who helped
engineer his guillotine victory over another Japanese import
– by way of Canada and Korea – Denis Kang, at UFC 93.
If
the action hits the mat, he won’t just hold for a stand-up.
“I’m
getting offensive with my jiu-jitsu,” he said. “The
Kang fight was probably the first time that I felt comfortable
in attacking and not trying to stand up, so it gave me a lot
of confidence to know where I’m at on the ground.”
With
most of the division’s top middleweights crossed off by
champion Anderson Silva, the time is now. Losing to an import
is not an option.
“I
still don’t think I’ve hit my full potential, and I
think this could be my breakthrough fight,” he said. “Every
time I’m getting more aggressive and letting it go, so I’m
going to try to finish him and be really mean and aggressive.
“I’m
definitely not going down as someone’s stepping stone."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Gilbert
Yvel vs. Paul Buentello at Affliction 3
Gilbert Yvel will replace Tim Sylvia against Paul Buentello at
Affliction 3 "Trilogy" on August 1 in Anaheim.
Yvel (36-13-1) earned the gig with his knockout win over former
UFC title challenger Pedro Rizzo on Saturday at "Ultimate
Chaos" in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Sylvia
was removed from the fight following his nine-second loss to
Ray Mercer this month at Adrenaline 3.
Atencio
likes to leave fighters coming off a recent loss for a future
card. Another fighter a casualty of accepting a fight and losing
prior to the August 1 Affliction card is Brett Cooper, who was
knocked out at "Ultimate Chaos" by Waachim Spiritwolf.
Nick Thompson and Gabe Ruediger are among the fighters campaigning
to fill in for Cooper against Akbarh Arreola (14-4-1).
Buentello
(27-10) will look to remain undefeated with Affliction. The four-time
UFC competitor defeated Gary Goodridge and Kirill "Baby
Fedor" Sidelnikov at the first two Affliction events.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
M-1
Global Negotiating for Lashley's Next Fight
John Pollock
Don Frye stated Tuesday on Fight Network Radio that he is in
negotiations with M-1 Global to fight Bobby Lashley on August
29th in Los Angeles, California.
Lashley's
management team has since denied that any talks of a bout against
Frye have ever taken place.
Frye's
management clarified that talks are premature involving their
client.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Arona
excited for MMA debut in Brazil
By Guilherme Cruz
One of the greatest representatives of the Brazilian MMA, Ricardo
Arona made his debut in the professional rings in 2000, but never
fought in Brazil. Nine years later, Arona will do, on Bitetti
Combat 4, his first fight "at home", and is excited
for the challenge at returning to the rings. "I'm training
every day, dedicated, concerned about the return... I’m
just waiting for Amaury Bitetti to give me the details, present
the opponent", said the fighter. "It’s very exciting
to fight for our public for the first time... It’s a great
honor to represent the country in Brazil, which is something
I didn’t do yet".
In
an exclusive interview, that yuo can read here, the ex-fighter
of Pride talked about the trainings and the possibility to prepare
for the fight at the team of Rodrigo Minotauro. "I'm training
at home and I'm receiving important people to train with me,
good coaches. And I also have free access to train at the Minotauro
Team, with Minotauro. I was there twice this month. We are united
to train together, the doors are open between us, we have direct
links in training", said the fighter, who spoke about the
expectation to fight weight and open class in ADCC in 2009, which
happens 15 days after the Bitetti Combat, analyzed the next battles
in the UFC, the Wanderlei Silva’s decision to drop to middleweight
division and more.
Source: Tatame
|
Greg
Sirb’s Pennsylvania commission and how he behaves in MMA
circles
By Zach
Arnold
I’ve
illustrated in the past on this web site discussions about Greg
Sirb and his affairs previously in boxing. Sirb’s got quite
a background.
It’s
a background that MMA blogs need to stop ignoring and start paying
close attention to. Want some details? Read Charles Jay’s
series on Sirb right here. Read the companion transcript about
Greg Page at ESPN. Read it all.
Sirb
has already quite a reputation, especially if you were an wrestling
fan in the 90s and saw the Pennsylvania athletic commission up
close and personal.
So,
Mike Chiappetta’s report today, Is Cops vs. Cons MMA event
a good idea in newly regulated state?, should raise some eyebrows.
This
clearly isn’t the best way to market a still-growing sport
in a state that just recently ratified it. Pennsylvania is one
of the most recent states to regulate MMA, so this is going to
be one of the first sanctioned local cards its residents hear
about. There are still so many misconceptions about MMA and the
supposed “bloodlust” of its fans. As a growing sport,
MMA still needs to put its best foot forward as often as possible.
In
June, it was Sirb and the ABC that issued a press release titled:
Association of Boxing Commissions, Greg Sirb prevent a possible
tragedy in the ring. It was about Sirb getting the Tim Sylvia/Ray
Mercer boxing match cancelled in favor of an MMA fight where
both men stood up.
So,
Greg Sirb’s pounding his chest in a press release about
stopping ‘a tragedy’ but a “Cops vs. Cons”
MMA show gets the green light?
Here’s
another headline Greg probably isn’t too thrilled with:
Pennsylvania boxing commissioner Greg Sirb sued for malfeasance
Want
a recent article about Sirb and his antics in MMA circles? Read
this and cringe.
In
a small, dimly-lit room backstage at Wisehaven, Sirb sat at a
table with all his paperwork. He called in the first fighter.
After that, it was his voice booming, “Next fighter!”
Each fighter heard the same line, “Take off your hat, sit
down!”
When
fighter Kevin Flinchbaugh gave Sirb his MMA identification, Sirb
took a look at it, looked at Kevin and said, “You look just
like your picture, ugly as sin.”
Fighter
Keith McDonald didn’t have a copy of his ID, but Sirb did.
Sirb gave the paper to McDonald to make a copy from, and told
him to bring the original back, “If you don’t, you’ll
have a fight before you have a fight.”
The
more the general public learns of Greg Sirb’s behavior,
the more they will start having flashbacks to Armando Garcia
and how he acted as a commissioner with certain rules and antics
in California. Coincidentally, Armando Garcia was also aligned
in the past with the Association of Boxing Commissions.
Let’s
see if some MMA writers have the gumption to criticize Sirb like
some in the boxing writing community have in the past.
There’s
Greg Sirb and then there’s Nick Lembo. Quite a difference.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Varner:
Interim Title Is ‘Glorified Second Place’
by Danny Acosta
Donald Cerrone will meet Benson Henderson for the interim WEC
lightweight championship at WEC 43, but current titleholder Jamie
Varner says the gold they’re fighting for is “garbage.”
“It’s
funny; it’s like the interim belt is a glorified second
place,” Varner told Sherdog.com. “To me, I think that’s
bulls--t. The interim belt doesn’t mean anything. They have
a belt, but they don't have the belt. It’s garbage.”
The
interim title fight between Cerrone and Henderson will take place
Sept. 2 at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.
“I
really like Ben,” Cerrone said. “We came up in Ring
of Fire together. I have nothing bad to say about him at all.
He’s a real good guy.”
Henderson
(9-1) expressed excitement about the opportunity to fight for
the interim belt and similar sentiments about his showdown with
Cerrone. Though fighting someone with whom he rose through the
ranks was not his first choice, the two lightweights are professionals
and “it is what it is.”
Cerrone
(10-1, 1 NC) -- who lost an abrupt five-round split decision
to current titleholder Jaime Varner in January after an illegal
knee halted their bout -- was not so kind in addressing the still-injured
WEC 155-pound kingpin.
“B---h
a-- Varner,” he said. “When he’s talking behind
a computer or his phone, he’ll talk like hell, but when
push comes to shove, he ain’t gonna do nothing. He’s
scared.”
Varner,
aware of the accusations, asserts, “That’s definitely
not the case.”
A
broken hand suffered during the Cerrone fight has become a frustrating
roadblock for the champion. The Arizona Combat Sports representative
recently returned to the gym but was quickly brought back to
reality.
“My
strength is coming back,” Varner said. “It’s just
the doctor won’t release me. To fight or to do anything,
I need him release me in order to be ready for that fight in
September.”
WEC
General Manager Reed Harris confirmed Varner had accepted Cerrone’s
challenge after “Cowboy” defeated James Krause at WEC
41 on June 7. In addition, Cerrone caught wind of Twitter posts
from Varner, which hinted at a return. The combination tested
Cerrone’s patience.
“Dude,
figure it out,” he said. “It doesn’t take nine
months for your hand to heal. You’re punching walls? I don’t
know what you do.”
Cerrone
and Henderson agree they will not be true champions until they
dethrone Varner.
“I
think it’s just a step [to become] number one contender,”
Henderson said. “It’s for a chance to step in the ring
with Varner, so that’s what we’re both looking forward
[to].”
Cerrone
wants a rematch with Varner.
“I
don’t want like a fast knockout or fast submission,”
he said, noting he prefers to fight people he dislikes. “I
just wanna haul his a-- up and down the mat for five rounds."
Varner
would be happy with a Cerrone win, so he can “shut him up.”
If Henderson wins, it could clear the way for a unification bout
in Varner’s home state of Arizona. He aims for a December
return.
Varner
plans to compete in triathlons to stay in shape while he rehabilitates
his hand. An appearance on TLC’s reality program “L.A.
Ink” is also on deck. He claims a loss of respect for Cerrone
-- whom he believes lacks class in interviews, he claims -- will
keep him motivated through the long layoff.
“I’m
really looking forward to a rematch,” Varner said, “but
he’s got a real tough fight on his hands with Benson Henderson,
so he needs to not worry about me and focus on that.”
Aware
of the deepening war of words between Varner and Cerrone, Henderson
admits being caught in the crossfire makes him feel like a “third
wheel.” He focuses on the competitive aspect of the sport.
“I’m
not that popular or whatever,” he said, “but I just
want to say give me a chance. Watch this fight against Cerrone.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"I
have dreams, and I have nightmares. I overcame the nightmares
because of my dreams."
Jonas Salk
|
BROCK
LESNAR RESPONDS TO FRANK MIR'S CRITIQUE
by Steven Marrocco
In a May interview with MMAWeekly.com, UFC interim heavyweight
champion Frank Mir said Brock Lesnar was just doing it for the
money.
“I’m
a martial artist; he’s a professional fighter,” said
Mir. “He fights because he gets paid to fight. If the UFC
were to go bankrupt tomorrow, a month later I would still be
in some small organization fighting. Not because I need to; my
house is paid off, my cars are paid; I don’t need the money
as far as desperately.
“I
fight because I enjoy fighting. I enjoy the preparation and the
training and the mindset, everything that goes behind it. I don’t
know if we can say the same about Lesnar. If Lesnar was making
$10,000, would he show up to fight?”
On
a Wednesday teleconference promoting Mir's title unification
rematch with Lesnar at UFC 100, Lesnar told reporters that, yes,
it’s about the money. But it’s no less about the love.
“(He
has) desires to fight, and I’ve got mine,” said Lesnar.
“I truly love what I’m doing, and it just so happens
that I get paid a lot more money than he does. So, at the end
of the day, whoever’s happy, that’s his prerogative.
I’m happy with the way I’m doing it, and hopefully
he’s happy the way he’s doing it.
“At
the end of the day, you’ve gotta be able to provide for
your family. This is a business for me and it just so happens
I enjoy getting up every day and going to work. When this is
all said and done and everything’s over with, and there’s
no money in the bank, I don’t know, to me, it just seems
like nowadays, especially with the way the economy is, I want
to live comfortably when this is all said and done.
“You
put your body and your mind through so much discipline and, no,
I can honestly say I wouldn’t fight for peanuts. That’s
just who I am. I’ve been there. I’ve wrestled, blood,
sweat, and tears for 18 years. I’ve got a lot of time in
the gym and got paid zilch. So now, here’s my opportunity.
This is prize fighting for me. You look at it any other way,
you might as well just go fight in the underground, bare knuckle,
or fight in the streets, as far as I’m concerned.”
Lesnar
says he’s most certainly not doing it for the fame. Since
leaving the WWE, and later the NFL, he’s had his fill of
being recognized at gas stations. He rarely does interviews and
conducts his training camps in seclusion from the outside world.
“That’s
why I live a simple life,” said Lesnar. “I’ve
already been through that, I’ve already made a lot of money,
and now it’s just a matter of staying grounded, being close
to my family, and being happy. If you’re not happy, life
can be pretty damn miserable. And I wasn’t very happy as
a professional wrestler. Now I’m happy; life is pretty enjoyable.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Month
in Review: June’s Good, Bad and Ugly
by Danny Acosta
Like virtually anything else in life, mixed martial arts has
its yin and its yang. The sport’s ever-changing landscape
offers fighters, fans and frenzied media monthly talking points.
In June, there was plenty about which to be upset and enough
to feed the optimists, too. Here’s a look at the good, the
bad and the ugly.
The
Good
UFC
Expands Markets, Wallets: The UFC’s global domination plot
puts Pinky and the Brain to shame. The Las Vegas-based organization’s
30-day calendar never has an empty space, but in a one-week span,
it broke ground in Deutschland (June 13) and strengthened its
footing in the UK (June 20). Despite German opposition, Zuffa
LLC delivered a stellar card at UFC 99, headlined by Wanderlei
Silva’s valiant decision loss to Rich Franklin. With that,
the UFC put down roots in another major European market. One
week later, it crowned two new “The Ultimate Fighter”
winners from the UK in James Wilks and Ross Pearson. Their rise
to reality television stardom only boosts the UFC’s position
overseas. In addition, the UFC handed out three “Fight of
the Night” bonuses for the first time in its history at
“The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale. Nate Diaz, Joe Stevenson,
Kevin Burns, Chris Lytle, Clay Guida and Diego Sanchez all pocketed
an extra $25,000. Not a bad start to summer.
Fifteen
Minutes for Females: Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker knew it, as
did fighters and hardcore fans: women can fight for 15 minutes
-- or more. Gina Carano’s stock skyrocketed and with it
went the popularity of female MMA. Bantamweight Sarah Kaufman
scored a decision victory against Miesha Tate in a bout contested
over three three-minute rounds at ShoMMA “Strikeforce Challenge
Series 1” on May 15 in Fresno, Calif. The non-stop action
the match featured served as a tipping point. At the second ShoMMA
installment just a month later, Strikeforce featured female MMA’s
first major 15-minute match between Kaufman and Shayna Baszler.
The unbeaten Kaufman again won by unanimous decision. Coker has
the commissions in Washington and California on board. A long-awaited
super fight pitting Carano against Cristiane “Cyborg”
Santos will crown the first Strikeforce women’s champion
on Aug. 15. The historic headliner -- which should only further
the female fight cause -- has been scheduled for five five-minute
rounds.
Trench
Battles: When there are major shows every weekend, barnburners
are bound to surface. World Extreme Cagefighting kicked off the
month with a five-round war, as featherweight champion Mike Thomas
Brown bested injured hometown hero Urijah Faber at WEC 42 on
June 7 in Sacramento, Calif. … Razor-thin decisions were
abundant at UFC 99 on June 13, none more emotionally riveting
than a catchweight main event between former UFC middleweight
king Rich Franklin and longtime Pride Fighting Championships
titleholder Wanderlei Silva … Strikeforce picked up where
Zuffa LLC left off, as Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jorge Gurgel
slugged his way to victory against Conor Heun and the Greg Jackson-trained
Joey Villasenor earned a split decision against Evangelista “Cyborg”
Santos at ShoMMA “Strikeforce Challenger Series 2”
on June 19 … The UFC closed the curtains on its month on
June 20 with “The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale, which
featured three “Fights of the Night,” including a memorable
main event battle between lightweights Diego Sanchez and Clay
Guida.
Tim
Kennedy and the Prospects: In what proved to be a savvy free
agent signing, Strikeforce picked up middleweight Tim Kennedy
and placed him against massive welterweight Nick Thompson at
ShoMMA “Strikeforce Challenger Series 2.” Kennedy struck
Thompson into submission in his first bout as a full-time fighter.
While not exactly a traditional prospect, the former Army Ranger
-- a natural ambassador for the sport -- has been a solid middleweight
for years, and his undivided attention to the sport all but promises
a transformation into a contender. The same card featured guerilla
jiu-jitsu brown belt Luke Rockhold, who made an emphatic statement
with a 30-second victory against Cory Devela. Lyle Beerbohm emerged,
too. A former methamphetamine addict, Beerbohm literally went
from prison to the gym and picked up the best win of his young
career against UFC veteran and 2002 K-1 USA Max winner Duane
Ludwig … The month started with Seth Dikun pulling a flying
triangle choke against Rolando Perez at WEC 41 -- a surefire
way to leave one’s mark in MMA. Josh Grispi graduated from
prospect to contender by submitting one-time UFC lightweight
champion Jens Pulver … Meanwhile, featherweight Joe Soto,
lightweight Eddie Alvarez, welterweight Lyman Good and middleweight
Hector Lombard cashed in $175,000 in their Bellator Fighting
Championships tournament wins, adding their names to smart money’s
watch list.
***
The
Bad
New
York: It seems UFC fighters will only compete in Madison Square
Garden in “UFC 2009 Undisputed 2009” -- for now. A
bill to regulate MMA in the Empire State crumbled during an emergency
session by the Tourism, Arts and Sports Committee. MMA optimists
in New York hoped to see a UFC show there in December or early
2010; now, they will have to set a new target date a full year
behind schedule. Anti-MMA Assemblyman Bob Reilly gets his way
again but only seems to be prolonging the inevitable, as success
in Pennsylvania comes in August with a visit from the UFC and
will continue in other established markets like California, Texas
and abroad. Somewhere, New York MMA crusader Matt Serra is drowning
his justified sorrows in a bowl of pasta.
Banned
Sponsors: A FiveOuncesofPain.com report revealed Dethrone, One
More Round and Rolling Stone magazine as the latest sponsors
to join Affliction on the UFC’s banned list. There may be
a method to Zuffa’s madness. However, constricting blood
flow to companies that support fighters -- who more often than
not rely on sponsorships to pay the bills -- seems absurd. It
impacts more than the fighters, too. Popular UFC cutman Jacob
“Stitch” Duran was sponsored by One More Round. Is
there a brand with a more fitting name for the 60-second healer?
This move was nothing new for the sport. The Rolling Stone ban
was striking, though. French heavyweight Cheick Kongo entered
the Octagon to Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” at
UFC 99, and the surreal nature of seeing one of America’s
most important cultural touchstones supporting a mixed martial
artist must not be ignored.
Bellator
vs. WEC: Consensus top featherweight Mike Thomas Brown only made
a reported $25,256, including a win bonus, for besting Urijah
Faber in a five-round scrap that also earned him a $10,000 “Fight
of the Night” bonus. The WEC’s bonuses and overall
salaries are stacked lower than the UFC’s despite both companies
being owned by Zuffa LLC. UFC transplant Manny Gamburyan made
more in disclosed pay in his WEC debut than Brown, though the
Armenian-born judoka did carry his UFC contract into the WEC.
Fighter pay remains a contentious an issue in the sport, but
something seems wrong about Brown, the best 145-pounder in the
world, missing out on larger paydays because of his weight class.
The WEC provides the greatest platform the lighter divisions
have ever enjoyed, but more progress needs to be made. That the
upstart Bellator Fighting Championship promotion handed $175,000
to featherweight tournament winner Joe Soto served as a small
reminder.
Referring,
Judging: Wanderlei Silva, Mustapha al Turk, Marcus Davis, Gleison
Tibau, Edgar Garcia and Nick Thompson all had trouble with referees,
judges or both during the month of June. With such a representative
sample of fighters speaking out about the same issue in a 30-day
span, fans, promoters and commissions should take notice. Enough
red tape exists to deter anyone from tackling the issue, but
there are tough people involved in MMA. The sport made it this
far. No sense in succumbing to complacency.
***
The
Ugly
Mercer
Crumples Sylvia: Washed-up professional boxer Ray Mercer, a 1988
Olympic gold medalist, knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion
Tim Sylvia in nine seconds at Adrenaline MMA 3 on June 13 in
Birmingham, Ala. Mere facts do no do the ugliness of the KO justice.
Source: Sherdog
|
Curran
Surprised but Eager to Fight Mizugaki
By Kelsey Mowatt
Since making his WEC debut in August, 2007, a successful one,
a Unanimous Decision victory over Stephen Ledbetter, it’s
been a tough and bumpy ride through the promotion for Jeff “Big
Frog” Curran. The highly regarded veteran went on to face
two of the world’s very best at 145lbs. in Urijah Faber
and Mike Brown, and then, after Curran made the decision to drop
down to bantamweight, rising prospect Joseph Benavidez was there
to greet the former Pride competitor.
Although
the three fight losing streak has likely been a tough pill to
swallow for Curran, especially for a fighter who lost just twice
from 2004 through almost all of 2007, the accomplished veteran
arrived in the WEC looking to fight the world’s best. Up
next, Curran will once again take on one of the promotion’s
toughest in Takeya Mizugaki, the man who pushed WEC Bantamweight
Champion Miguel Torres to his limits back in April.
“My
initial reaction was I was just glad to get a shot,” Curran
told FCF, when asked about how the August 9th bout came together.
“I know I’ve had really good fights and I’m fighting
the top guys but I’m still coming off three losses. I was
a little shocked that they were giving me such a high level fight
but at the same time, after talking about it with them, I’m
on a higher pay scale; I’m one of the higher level guys
in the organization so they need to use me for high level fights.
I’m excited.”
“He
proved himself with Torres you know?” Curran added while
commenting on Mizugaki. “Some people thought that was his
fight. The earlier part of the fight was his. Torres won the
later part of the fight; somewhere in the middle the pace changed,
but a lot of people think he won that fight.”
Mizugaki,
who made is WEC debut as a replacement for the injured Brian
Bowles, had won 5 straight fights competing in Japan, before
surprising many around the MMA world with his memorable performance
against Torres.
“I
had heard about him but I didn’t know much about him,”
Curran conceded when asked about whether or not he was surprised
by Mizugaki that night. “Once I saw that he was fighting
Torres I started researching it. Once I started researching it
I realized I had heard his name before.”
“I
honestly think he’s well balanced, he matches up well with
me all around,” Curran said while assessing the Japanese
bantamweight’s abilities. “He’s really composed.
He’s not a wild guy, and he’s going to box with me
if I want to box with him, which I think plays a little bit into
my favor, especially if I can get into that groove where I’m
boxing with him. I definitely think I have the advantage on the
ground, so my biggest intention is to try to get a hold of him
and try to school him in that department.”
When
Curran announced that he was dropping down to 135, immediately
discussions pertaining to a possible bout between him and the
champion Torres, (who also lives and trains in the Chicago area)
began circulating around the internet.
“I
was always focused on Benavidez when the talk about Torres started,”
said Curran, who now holds a professional record of 29-11-1.
“When the talk about Miguel started the only reason that
I really brought it up and played into it was because the fight
was taking place on the local level. I felt like it brought that
into it, so I’m not looking past Mizugaki, just like I didn’t
look past Benavidez, but I definitely want to fight Torres. I’d
like to fight him whether or not he’s champion. I just want
to get a shot at him, and quite honestly, I’d like to get
another shot at Urijah Faber. If I can get a on a winning streak
I’d like to fight him at 135 or 145 it doesn’t matter.
I definitely would like another shot at him.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Bitetti
and Nogueira’s training for Couture
By Guilherme Cruz
Two
times open class world champion of Jiu-Jitsu, Amaury Bitetti
is excited for the next fight of Rodrigo "Minotauro"
in the UFC. Responsible for the ground trainings of the former
champion, Bitetti talked with TATAME about the preparation of
the heavyweight for the fight against Randy Couture, in UFC 102.
"I
arrived here in the United States now and Minotauro called me
saying that will train in the mountains (Colorado), then he’ll
returns to California, in Black House. The expectation is big,
he is excited, training hard, and has already done all the exams...
He is ready", says Amaury, eyeing, also, at the fight between
Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir, on August 11 (UFC 100).
"This
combat will be a tough fight to Frank Mir, because Lesnar developed
a lot, is training with (Rodrigo) Comprido and other good coaches,
and has a strong gripping. It will be a great fight", analyzes
the black belt, seeing no favoritism to either side. "Mir
isn’t fool... He can catch some submission, but, if he tries
to strike, Lesnar knocks him out".
Source: Tatame
|
10
July Tussles Worth Watching
by Tim Leidecker
One might think -- and rightfully so -- that UFC 100 on July
11 in Las Vegas obscures and eclipses all other mixed martial
arts action this month. Sadly, it’s not much of a stretch.
Besides the always-industrious Japanese promoters and the odd
regional U.S. show with a compelling main event, July represents
a summer break for the sport.
Still,
Sherdog.com managed to compile a rundown of 10 worthy tussles
for July.
As
always, this list does not focus on the major bouts you already
know to watch but rather on fights from all over the planet that
are worth seeing.
10.
Robert Westermann vs. Ric Schreiter
Fight Club Vogtland, July 4 -- Plauen, Germany
Westermann
and Schreiter are two of the true pioneers of German MMA. Their
bout serves as a rematch from their first encounter five years
ago, when Schreiter won by first-round submission. The loss has
long haunted Westermann, considered one of the premier German
grapplers at his weight. Schreiter, on the other hand, remains
one of the country’s most decorated wrestlers, with more
than 500 amateur matches under his belt. Can Westermann overcome
the weight difference and avenge an earlier defeat?
9.
Alavutdin Gadjiev vs. Kazuhiro Hamanaka
Cage Force & Valkyrie, July 12 -- Tokyo
Two
athletes who have fought on some of the biggest stages in the
world find themselves on the undercard of a women’s MMA
main event. Russian sambo stylist Gadjiev was a hot property
early last summer until he accepted and lost a short-notice bout
against Ralek Gracie, a man who outweighed him by 15 pounds.
Meanwhile, Kazushi Sakuraba student Hamanaka’s fall from
grace has been a long and painful one. Will the 30-year-old professional
wrestler regain the form that once made him one of the most promising
Japanese talents at 205 pounds?
8.
Gan McGee vs. Ruben Villareal
Pure Combat 9 “Home Turf,” July 25 -- Visalia, Calif.
Six-foot-10
giant McGee was once a sought-after American heavyweight. After
wins against Paul Buentello and Pedro Rizzo, he even challenged
for the UFC crown in 2003, falling to Tim Sylvia. Following three
straight defeats, he left the game for more than four years.
Ruben Villareal has also fought a couple of notable names but
for all the wrong reasons; “Warpath” has always earned
high-profile fights by accepting them as a last-minute substitute.
7.
Andrew Fisher vs. Martin Stapleton
Strike & Submit 11, July 5 -- Dunston, England
With
Strike & Submit British lightweight champion Ross Pearson
unable to defend his title because of his win on Season 9 of
“The Ultimate Fighter,” the promotion has put his strap
up for grabs. Fellow TUF alumnus Stapleton will duke it out with
another promising prospect, Fisher, for the vacant title. Fisher,
a 23-year-old submission expert and former middleweight, had
won four in a row prior to his defeat to Paul Sass in October.
James
Edson Berto returns
to his hometown promotion.6. James Edson Berto vs. Jason Ball
Real Fighting Championships 18 “Pride,” July 24 --
Tampa, Fla.
Leglock
master Berto, who traded leather with Karl James Noons and Yves
Edwards during his stint in EliteXC, returns to his hometown
promotion, RFC, for the second time this year. Ball, an experienced
and well-rounded Englishman, will meet him in the middle. The
Cage Warriors veteran became only the second fighter top stop
durable Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Alexandre Izidro this
spring and also holds notable wins against Leslee Ojugbana and
Aidan Marron.
5.
Ricco Rodriguez vs. Mario Rinaldi
World Fighting Championships “Battle of the Bay 8,”
July 10 -- Tampa, Fla.
Another
of Florida’s many local promotions returns with arguably
its strongest effort to date. Former UFC heavyweight champion
Rodriguez will headline the 11-fight card, as he takes on American
Top Team’s Rinaldi. Their career paths have intersected
at the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships, where
Rodriguez has medaled four times and Rinaldi reached the quarter-finals
in 2007.
4.
Hacran Dias vs. Ui Cheol Nam
M-1 Challenge 17, July 4 -- Seoul, South Korea
Nova
Uniao has slowly but surely established itself as the number
one fight team in Brazil and has positioned its top talent in
the biggest promotions in the world. Dias, an undefeated prospect,
wants to be the next to make the jump. The 25-year-old Brazilian
jiu-jitsu brown belt, having risen from the Complexo do Alemao
favela, the most violent slum in Rio de Janeiro, will take on
Spirit Martial Challenge veteran Nam. The 27-year-old submission
wrestler went 8-0 in Korea’s most prominent organization
and wants nothing more than to chalk up his first win on the
M-1 Challenge circuit in front of his fellow countrymen.
3.
Masakatsu Ueda vs. Eduardo Dantas
Shooto, July 19 -- Tokyo
Nova
Uniao’s 20-year-old Shooto South American champion, “Dudu”
Dantas, will challenge Ueda for the promotion’s 132-pound
world title. The 31-year-old Ueda will defend the belt for the
third time since he captured it against then undefeated Koetsu
Okazaki in March 2008. Dantas will undoubtedly look for some
valuable tips from teammate Marcos Galvao, who fought Ueda to
a draw in September. Can “Dudu” accomplish what “Louro”
could not?
2.
Shinya Aoki vs. Vitor Ribeiro
Dream 10, July 20 -- Saitama, Japan
Although
he recently relocated to New York, former Shooto welterweight
champion Ribeiro remains a Novo Uniao product and one of the
finest students of legendary black belt Andre Pederneiras. “Shaolin”
returned from an 18-month injury layoff in April, as he stopped
Japanese Olympic wrestler Katsuhiko Nagata on first-round strikes.
He now faces the current poster child of Japanese MMA, Aoki,
in one of the summer’s most-anticipated showdowns. Which
BJJ style will prove more advanced, the one Pederneiras taught
Ribeiro or the one Aoki learned from his master, Yuki Nakai?
1.
Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves
UFC 100, July 11 -- Las Vegas
Technically
the co-headliner to Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir 2, St. Pierre’s
welterweight title defense against the powerful Brazilian ranks
as every purist’s main event of the summer. With both fighters
well-rounded, well-conditioned and finely tuned, the matchup
boils down to the champion’s game plan. Unlikely to stand
and trade with the dangerous muay Thai specialist, it seems like
a good bet to expect St. Pierre to take the conservative route
and try to control Alves on the ground.
Source: Sherdog
|
Rolles
back at Art of War
Event in China set for July 18
The
makers of Chinese event Art of War released the following information
regarding their upcoming July 18 show:
ART
OF WAR 13: RISING FORCE
Since
2005, the Art of War Fighting Championship® has strived to
establish itself as China's premier mixed martial arts organization.
Featuring China's best martial arts athletes, the Art of War®
is recognized by fans and industry experts as the pioneer and
leader of China's mixed martial arts revolution. The Art of War
Fighting Championship® 13 - "Rising Force" returns
to the National Olympic Sports Center on July 18, 2009 with 12
action-packed mixed martial arts fights for your entertainment
pleasure.
Under
Card:
84 kg - Xu Chao (China) versus Yoann Gouaida (France)
90 kg - Luo Qiang (China) versus Dorjderem Munkhayasgalan (Mongolia)
78 kg - Kim Dong Hyung (Korea) versus Lubomir Guedjev (Bulgaria)
66 kg - Ning Guang You (China) versus Kang Kyung Ho (Korea)
72 kg - Bernueng Sakhomsin (Thailand) versus Jadambaa Narantungalag
(Mongolia)
Main
Card:
72 kg - Yu Woo Sung (Korea) versus Egon Racz (Slovakia)
72 kg - Wu Hao Tian (China) versus Shukhrat Minavarov (Uzbekistan)
96+ kg - Katsuhisa Fujii (Japan) versus Rodney Glunder (Holland)
72 kg - Dai Shuang Hai (China) versus Marcin Pionke (Poland)
96+ kg - Rolles Gracie (Brazil) versus Yim Joon Soo (Korea)
78 kg - Wang Sai (China) versus Claes Beverlov (Sweden)
*Fight
card subject to change
Let's
take a look at the main card...
72
kg match
The main card will feature up-and-coming Korean fighter, Yu Woo
Sung "Bronco" (10-3), who was the 2006 Spirit MC Welterweight
Tournament Finalist. His opponent is the always tough and durable,
Egon Racz (1-2) of Slovakia, who is returning to the Art of War
ring after a one year absence. Bronco is a very strong wrestler
who will look to bring the fight to the ground where his powerful
ground and pound skills give him a big advantage. Racz is an
expert striker with over 100 matches to his credit and also the
2006 European open Muay Thai champion, and the 2005 European
kickboxing champion. No doubt he will be looking to stop Bronco
with a powerful knockout.
72
kg match
After dominating his opponent in AOW12, Chinese fighter, Wu Hao
Tian (6-0), will be returning to face his toughest challenge
yet in Shukhrat Minavarov of Uzbekistan. Minavarov is a 3x Central
Asia kickboxing champion and 2007 World Kickboxing Federation
world champion. Wu Hao Tian will have to display perfect grappling
skills if he is to get Minavarov to the ground and force the
submission. Minavarov is also an expert in combat sambo and claims
to be unafraid of Wu Hao Tian's ground skills.
96+
kg match
Katsuhisa Fujii (9-17) of Japan will face the very dangerous
Rodney Glunder (25-18) of Holland. Fujii is an expert grappler
and is a disciple of famous Pride veteran, Kazuyuki Fujita. His
opponent, Rodney Glunder, has wins over Melvin Manhoef, Cheik
Congo, Valentijn Overeem, and Cyrille Diabate. Fujii is coming
off a tough loss to Korean MMA superstar Choi Mu Bae and wants
to get back on the winning side.
72
kg match
Dai Shuang Hai (8-0-3) "The Wolf" of China will face
undefeated Polish superstar, Marcin Pionke (6-0), who is a disciple
of Olympic Judo Champion, Pawel Nastula. Both are expert grapplers
and strikers. Will youth and power prevail over technique and
experience?
96+
kg match
Rolles Gracie (2-0) of Brazil will be facing Korean fighter Yim
Joon Soo (5-5). Rolles Gracie is coming off a submission victory
over Baga Agaev in Art of War 12 while Yim Joon Soo is coming
off a KO victory over Yang Cheng in Art of War 11. Will Gracie
be able to take the fight to the ground? Yim Joon Soo has devastating
power in his hands and has proven it in previous MMA bouts. Will
he be able to keep the fight standing and KO Gracie?
78
kg match
In the main event, up and coming Chinese fighter Wang Sai (2-0)
will be facing Swedish newcomer, Claes Beverlov (5-2). Wang Sai
will be facing a much more experienced opponent, but he has proven
that he can remain calm under pressure. Beverlov is a product
of the famous Legacy Gym under the leadership of Ole Baguio Larsen.
This is a match up of the young guns and will no doubt end in
knock out or submission.
The
undercard will feature the return of WMC 70 kg world champion
Bernueng Sahkomsin verus Jadambaa Narantungalag of Mongolia,
who is a K1 veteran having faced such great fighters as Kid Yamamoto
and Buakaw Por Pramuk. Also, Ning Guang You "The Tank"
will fight Kang Kyung Ho, who is a veteran of Korea's Spirit
MC and also the winner of Go! Super Korean Season 3, an MMA reality
show.
What:
Art of War 13 - Rising Force
When: Saturday, July 18, 2009
Where: National Olympic Sports Center
Time: 2:00 pm (doors open) 4:00 pm (event starts)
Tickets: http://www.piao.com.cn or call 400-810-3721
Information: http://www.mmachina.com or call 010-5129-5028
The
Art of War Fighting Championship® can be seen on Inner Mongolia
Satellite TV (NMTV) from within China every SUNDAY afternoon
from 12:40 pm - 1:30 pm.
Visit
our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/artofwarfc.
For more information, please visit our website at http://www.mmachina.com.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Drew
Fickett inebriated, fails pre-fight physical
Former top ranked welterweight Drew Fickett failed his pre-fight
physical and was not allowed to compete this past Saturday at
Rage in the Cage 129 in Glove, Arizona.
Fickett was scheduled to take on one-time PRIDE competitor Shannon
"The Cannon" Ritch but the featured bout was canceled
when Fickett showed up inebriated for his physical.
According
to Ritch, Fickett submitted to a Breathalizer test and was considered
legally drunk.
Attempts
to secure a replacement were unsuccessful, but Ritch was paid
his fight purse in full.
Fickett
in 2005 was considered one of the best welterweights in the world
and last year was close to fighting Jake Shields for the EliteXC
belt. From April 1999 through June 2008, Fickett's MMA record
was 34-5 with victories over Josh Koscheck, Josh Neer, Kurt Pellegrino
and Kenny Florian. He has since lost seven of his last nine fights.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Behind
a Successful Man is a Great Manon
MFC Staff Keith Grienke
A successful MMA fighter needs a great cornerman. The corner
influences strategy, supports, and instructs their fighter. Not
only does the corner celebrate their fighter's victory, but they
are also there when the opponent’s hand is raised. The corner
rarely gets the spotlight, but they are always in close proximity
to the action. A successful promoter needs a great cornerman
as well. Mark Pavelich's corner is covered by his wife, Manon
Pavelich. Mark Pavelich has received many accolades as the President
of Maximum Fighting Championship and he is the first one to say
that a major reason for this success is his cornerman, or rather
cornerwoman, Manon Pavelich.
Fans know all about the MFC president and are getting more familiar
with his son, HeatXC frontman, Dave Pavelich – but what
about Manon? Manon is modest and does not boast about all she
has helped her husband to accomplish. After overcoming her initial
reluctance to talk about herself, one is amazed by how outgoing
she becomes as she discusses, in her charming French-Croatian
accent, her business, her friends, and most importantly, her
family.
Manon
and Mark Pavelich have been married twenty-three years. They
first met in Montreal at a restaurant at a time when Manon had
yet to learn English. Their language barrier did not stop the
couple from falling in love and marrying. Together they have
gone on to proudly raise two children, Dave and Kayla. Their
collaboration has also produced the number one MMA promotion
in Canada.
Initially, the two opened a successful entertainment business,
but then Mark was bitten by the MMA bug. Together they opened
a gym and launched the MFC. “I did not like all the fighting
at first and would watch movies in my room when Mark watched
early UFCs,” admits Manon. “I watched Mark teach at
the gym and became fascinated by the sport once I knew the work
ethic and amazing techniques that are behind the fight, but I
still do not like the blood,” she laughs.
"I'm
nobody", she modestly states. "I'm just a behind-the-scenes
girl". Her husband, and number one fan, disagrees vehemently
"Manon is 100% the reason why MFC is the number one show
in Canada. She worked out how to make money at mixed martial
arts". Ten years ago, Manon and Mark had to take a hiatus
from MFC. “MMA was foreign to people and was a difficult
business,” says Mark, “We needed to make some money,
so we went back to the entertainment business.”
So how did Mark resurrect his faltering MMA promotion? Mark points
to his wife, “Manon figured it out! She knew I loved MMA
and my passion was dying due to the early failures of MFC.”
Manon came to his office one day and declared that she knew how
to make money at mixed martial arts. Her strategy? “Right
now MFC spends 95% of its time on fighters and 5% on sponsors.
If we spend 95% of our time on sponsors, we will be the biggest
Canadian show in three years and in ten years we could be top
five in the world.” She was right. As Mark treated each
MFC event “like a professional sporting event, like an Oiler
game” and worked the phones for sponsors everyday, Maximum
Fighting Championship gradually became the biggest Canadian show.
Manon, who in addition to raising her family, created a ticket
network that sells out every MFC show. She is involved in most
aspects of the business. She believes in personal service and
delivers many of the tickets herself. “I love to socialize
with people even if it is only five minutes. People are special
to me!” “We have 1800 seats for MFC and Manon has 1800
friends!” claims her proud husband. She is also a task master
and once in a while brings out the whip. When she heard her husband
and son were on MMA forums all day she told them, “Don’t
go on there with negative people. You should be phoning people.”
Manon knows that her husband and her son do their best work when
they are talking with their fans, sponsors, and fighters.
One of the dreams of her childhood was to create her own brand
– a perfume, a fashion, a car dealership – something
with her name on it and she has proudly accomplished this dream
with her family. “I want my kids to be proud and I want
to leave a legacy for them to take over.” Would the MFC
have been successful if it was not a family business? “No
way, I am the only one who understands Mark. People think he
is arrogant but he really is just a perfectionist who loves what
he does. No one but his family could care as much about this
business as he does. Employees cannot care as much as we do.”
For all the work she does, how does the president of the MFC
compensate this remarkable lady? Manon laughs easily, “Take
me out to eat. I hate cooking!” Then she adds, “I don’t
get paid, but I live well. If my kids are happy and healthy and
my husband is happy and healthy, then I am very happy!”
Everyman could use a woman like Manon Pavelich in their corner!
Source: The Fight Network
|
Silva
training with the heavyweights for Keith
By Guilherme Cruz
After
13 victories in the career, being ten by knockout, Thiago Silva
was defeated for the first time in the MMA career, but is getting
prepared to return to the UFC octagon, on August 29 (UFC 102).
For the bout against Keith Jardine, the athlete of the American
Top Team is training with the heavyweights of the team.
"I'm
doing my training here in the ATT with the heavyweights. I'm
doing my training with (Antônio Silva) Bigfoot, Todd (Duffee)
and everybody here. The training is strong as always, I'm training
a lot. Now I’m with the help of Katel Kubis, who came here
and is giving me a Muay Thai training", says the fighter,
commenting about the last fight of his opponent, against Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson. "I thought it was very good.
Both have a very high level, but I'm prepared and well trained.
I know his pros and cons, I'm studying with my coaches and you
will see in time, the strategy is always a surprise".
Source: Tatame
|
UFC
gauging how far they can push the envelope
By Zach Arnold
1)
Their new magazine
MMA
Payout notes that UFC’s mailing list, combined with Men’s
Fitness customer database, will be the backbone for launching
and developing a customer list for their own magazine.
Prediction:
UFC will develop a magazine that is oriented for the general
public, not for hardcore fans. The company won’t go after
other magazines who interview fighters since UFC would likely
consider it free PR. As far as whether the magazine makes a profit,
I don’t think it matters — as long as UFC can generate
enough press coverage through their own means without spending
too much money, it’s a win-win situation for them.
2)
Dana White’s on-again, off-again infatuation with Vitor
Belfort
He
said on YouTube the day after he got Kimbo at the TUF 10 tapings
that he was in Los Angeles for a meeting that would change the
world. Then he said on the UFC web site that he wanted Vitor
Belfort, despite Belfort being under contract. Tampering charges?
How reckless was this? White’s now saying publicly that
he has no interest in Belfort.
Prediction:
If Affliction 3 bombs, my opinion is that Atencio considers filing
a lawsuit and ending up with a settlement. This story also illustrates
that not only is White still unfiltered (think: Youtube incident,
Vitor issues, the whole issues with the video game), but that
the company’s legal team doesn’t give a damn. They
don’t exactly have Jerry McDevitt in their corner, however.
The
mood with UFC, as demonstrated with the Jon Fitch video game
situation, does seem reflective on how Lorenzo Fertitta operates
— good and bad — as we’ve seen with the way Station
Casinos was handled when it went from private to public and now
back to private, along with the various union fights that have
existed with SC.
3)
Continuing fights against sponsors
It’s
insanity. No other major league sport has gotten into as many
fights so quickly (as I can recall) than UFC has with sponsors.
As I stated before, all of this reeks of divide-and-conquer politics
at its worst. Why is this penny-wise and pound foolish? What’s
attracting new talent to MMA is money. Fighters are coming in
because they sense they can make a career in this sport. If you
start taking money directly away from fighters because you’re
cheap or because you want 100% control over the athletes, then
guess what will start happening? People will start leaving the
business or not consider getting into it. As we’ve seen
in Japan, when the money dries up so does the big-league talent
pool.
Prediction:
UFC will continue to push away or blacklist sponsors at an alarming
rate. It will not catch up with them right now, but in a couple
of years the organization will find itself developing so many
enemies that UFC will find the people they shunned aligning with
opposition groups. I also predict that if a slowdown in sponsorship
money continues that there will not be as many blue-chip prospects
coming down the road, despite the fact that the reason most people
want to fight in UFC has more to do with fame than money.
UFC
already has the best of all worlds — they have fighters
as independent contractors and not employees, they don’t
pay fighters outside of whenever the athlete fights, and they
approve/disapprove of sponsors. It’s not a crime to make
a profit, but it’s bad business when you become too cheap
and it starts to negatively impact who wants to be in MMA and
who doesn’t. If you assume people make rational economic
decisions in terms of employment, then drying up how much money
a fighter can make certainly will impact who stays and who goes.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Fukuda
Captures Deep Middleweight Title
by Tony Loiseleur
TOKYO -- EliteXC veteran Riki Fukuda captured the Deep middleweight
title from Yuichi Nakanishi in the main event of Deep 42 Impact
on Tuesday at Korakuen Hall.
In
victory Fukuda avenged his decision loss to Nakanichi in May
2008, when Nakanichi originally won the title at Deep 35 Impact's
middleweight tournament.
While
Fukuda took the title by split decision, his performance was
less than convincing. Throughout all three rounds, the southpaw
Fukuda chased Nakanishi and looked to wing big left hands for
the knockout. Nakanishi played a counter game, maintaining distance
to land with counter rights and a myriad of solid kicks to the
body. For every solid left straight that Fukuda stung Nakanishi
with, there were at least two body kicks or a one-two waiting
for him in response.
A
standout wrestler, Fukuda only attempted four takedowns over
the three rounds, opting instead to seek the knockout. While
Nakanishi defended all the takedown attempts and played a smart
counter game, it appeared as if Fukuda's forward momentum and
handful of clean lefts won him the bout on the scorecards of
judges Samio Kimura and Kenichi Serizawa. Only judge Koichi Takemura
ruled the bout for the defending champion, Nakanichi.
Dream
and K-1 Hero's vet Kazuyuki Miyata powered his way to a majority
decision over Dream vet Takeshi Yamazaki in one of the evening's
fight of the night candidates. Though Yamazaki had Miyata in
trouble with a tight kneebar into heel hook combo in the first
period, Miyata evened things up with big punches and top control
over the remaining two rounds. Miyata also soccer kicked Yamazaki
in the head in the first, suplexed him late in the third period
and generally ground him up with punches on the mat to convince
judges Kimura and Serizawa that he deserved the win, though judge
Takemura curiously ruled the bout a draw.
Deep
mainstay Ryuta Sakurai and Japanese MMA veteran Hiromitsu Kanehara
fought to an entertaining draw. After Sakurai controlled with
takedowns, dominant position and kimura attempts in the first
round, Kanehara rebounded in the second period, stuffing takedown
attempts to get takedowns of his own. From top or in riding time,
Kanehara won the second round to even up the fight on Kimura’s
and Umeki's scorecards for the draw, with only judge Takemura
awarding the bout to Kanehara.
Things
could have gone better for Japanese TV personality Bernard Ackah,
who racked up two yellow cards for three low blows on Young “Ryo”
Choi. Ackah's inability to move his head had him eating hard
right hands in the first period, and his multiple infractions
-- including a rope grab that prompted an in-ring conference
by all four referees to decide whether to disqualify Ackah --
didn't seem to do him any favors by the second and final frame.
In spite of Ackah's tenacity, judges Takemura, Serizawa and Umeki
awarded the bout to Choi.
Koji
Kanechika used excellent head movement to weave his way into
range to land vicious overhands on Kazuhisa Tazawa. Though Tazawa
showed a little more energy in pushing a grappling game in the
first period, Kanechika's cumulative damage sapped Tazawa's strength,
gassing him to the point of a yellow card for inactivity. Judges
Umeki, Takemura and Kimura thus gave the nod to Kanechika.
Toshikazu
Iseno took a sound decision over Kleber Koike, using the BJJ
stylist's penchant to pull guard from the clinch to rack up points
by punching from above. This, in addition to the few solid punches
Iseno landed on the feet, proved more worthwhile than Koike's
two guillotine attempts for judges Serizawa, Takemura and Umeki,
who ruled the bout unanimously for “Ise.”
There
didn't seem to be a punch that Myeon Ho Bae could miss, sparking
Yusaku Tsukumo early to pound out a dominant first-round effort.
Bae indulged Tsukumo in some grappling in the second period,
and while Tsukumo could more or less hold his own, Bae still
handily controlled and punched his way to a sound unanimous decision.
Shigetoshi
Iwase dominated Shooto banger Taisuke Okuno with superior wrestling
and grappling over two rounds, racking up points for the unanimous
decision. Okuno made it easy for Iwase by pressing forward and
looking for big punches, but left himself open to takedowns and
counterpunches. Though Okuno typically managed to power out of
bad positions, his lack of control cost him the decision.
Other
Results
Yusuke
Kagiyama def. Yasuhiro Kawasaki -- Unan. Dec. 5:00 R2
Tatsumitsu Wada def. Tatsuya Tsuchida -- Submission (RNC) 2:14
R1
Tomoya Kato def. Motoki Awaji -- TKO (Punches) 1:30 R1
Ryota Uozomi def. Pat Uncangco -- Unan. Dec. 5:00 R2
Tomoya Miyashita def. Hiryu Okamoto -- Submission (Guillotine)
1:34 R1
Hiroki Sato def. Kenji Nagai -- Unan. Dec. 5:00 R2
Source: Sherdog
|
Jorge
Rivera signs four-fight deal with UFC
Jorge Rivera has inked a new four-fight contract with the UFC,
the Boston Herald reports.
Rivera has competed ten times for the UFC since UFC 44 "Undisputed"
in September 2003. In 2006, Rivera signed on with "The Ultimate
Fighter 4: The Comeback" to compete in the show's middleweight
competition.
Rivera
won a split decision in April against former WEC competitor Nissen
Osterneck at UFC Fight Night 18 in Nashville. According to the
Boston Herald, Rivera is hoping for a return in early fall once
he finishes rehabbing an injured left shoulder.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
“No
pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an
uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”
Helen Keller
|
WEC
ANNOUNCES FULL CARD FOR WEC 42
World Extreme Cagefighting on Monday announced the remaining
bouts for WEC 42: Torres vs. Bowles live from The Joint at Hard
Rock Hotel and Casino on Aug. 9.
Tickets
for Torres vs. Bowles are on sale now and priced at $40, $55,
$85, $100, $125, $175, and $225. Torres vs. Bowles will be televised
nationally live on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m.
PT.
In
addition to the bantamweight title bout between champion Miguel
Angel Torres (36-1) and Brian Bowles (7-0), nine other bouts
round out a stacked card in Las Vegas.
With
Torres and Bowles trading leather in the main event to determine
the sport’s best bantamweight, two other top 135-pounders
will meet to determine the next probable title challenger. Sacramento’s
Joseph Benavidez (10-0), a pupil of former featherweight champion
Urijah Faber, brings his exciting style to The Joint at Hard
Rock to face San Diego’s Dominick Cruz (13-1). A speedy,
precision-punching New Mexico native, Benavidez is coming off
the biggest win of his career in April, a unanimous decision
win over Jeff Curran. Now matched with Cruz, Benavidez believes
a win will solidify his spot as the number one contender in the
bantamweight division. Much like his opponent, the 24-year-old
Cruz hopes a win will propel him toward championship glory. Riding
a three-fight winning streak, the hard-hitting Californian promises
fireworks when he goes to battle with Benavidez.
Exciting
lightweights Danny Castillo (7-1) and Ricardo Lamas (6-0) collide
in a battle that will move the winner one step closer to a shot
at the 155-pound title. A member of Urijah Faber’s Team
Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., Castillo is a former two-time
NAIA All American wrestler who boasts excellent grappling. The
San Francisco native, riding a two-fight winning streak in the
WEC, hopes to use his wrestling prowess to overpower the unbeaten
Lamas. Coming off a victory over Bart Palaszewski in March, the
Chicago-based Lamas is explosive and well-rounded. Nicknamed
“The Bully,” Lamas looks to dominate Castillo and push
closer to joining the lightweight elite.
After
engaging in a war with Miguel Angel Torres in a Fight of the
Year candidate in April, Japanese striker Takeya Mizugaki (11-3-2)
returns to the WEC with aims of earning another shot at the champion.
Before he gets a second title opportunity though, the gritty,
crowd-pleasing Mizugaki must first defeat tested veteran Jeff
Curran (31-11-1). At the age of 31, perhaps no fighter has faced
the quality opposition than that of Island Lake, Illinois’
Curran. Over the past two years, Curran has exchanged strikes
with the likes of Urijah Faber, Mike Brown, and Joseph Benavidez.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who has also competed as
a professional boxer, hopes to thwart Mizugaki’s championship
aspirations and paint himself into the bantamweight title picture.
Lubbock,
TX native Leonard Garcia (16-4) looks to get one step closer
to another crack at the featherweight title when he faces Jameel
Massouh (21-5) of Kenosha, Wis. in August. A well-conditioned,
entertaining competitor fighting out of Greg Jackson’s camp
in Albuquerque, NM, Garcia fell short against champion Mike Brown
in his last fight in March, but is determined to get back in
title contention. In order to do so, he’ll need to be prepared
for the versatile Massouh. A great striker with competent ground
skills, the former Pancrase star is seeking his first WEC win
and hopes to do so by defeating Garcia.
Four-time
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Fredson Paixao (8-3) hopes
to get his first WEC win when he takes on four-time NCAA Division
II National wrestling champion Cole Province (6-1) in his adopted
hometown of Las Vegas. Known universally as the “King of
Wristlocks,” the 145-pound Paixao brings his unique, technical
brand of submission fighting to the cage. Originally from Amazonas,
Brazil, the 30-year-old Paixao believes his superior grappling
will guide him to victory. Standing in his way is the powerful
Province. A star wrestler at the University of Central Oklahoma,
the once-beaten Province relies on relentless ground and pound
to best his opponents. The 28-year-old, who fights out of Edmond,
Okla., hopes to score his seventh professional win by defeating
Paxaio on August 9.
Two
of the lightweight division’s most aggressive competitors
will clash when Marcus Hicks (8-2) of Dallas, TX takes on Las
Vegas resident Shane Roller (5-2). Nicknamed “The Wrecking
Ball,” Hicks is a complete fighter, boasting a Golden Gloves
boxing background, as well as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
With three wins inside the WEC cage, Hicks hopes to gain momentum
by defeating three-time NCAA All American wrestler Roller. An
equally balanced fighter, Roller was a top wrestler at Oklahoma
State University before launching an MMA career. With submission
victories over Todd Moore and Mike Budnik in his WEC career,
Roller is out to show that he possesses the pedigree necessary
to one day rule the 155-pound division.
Heavy-handed
Ed Ratcliff (6-1) of San Diego, Calif. returns to the Octagon®
to take on former Marine Phil Cardella (12-3) of Austin, TX in
lightweight action. A black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Ratcliff burst
onto the WEC scene in 2007 with back-to-back knockout wins over
Johnny Sampaio and Alex Karalexis. Ratcliff seeks his third stoppage
victory in the WEC when he faces the submission-savvy Cardella.
A jiu-jitsu black belt under Relson Gracie, Cardella is no slouch
when it comes to the ground game. The versatile 32-year-old looks
to diffuse Ratcliff’s power and earn his first WEC win when
the two lock horns at Hard Rock.
Brazilian
jiu-jitsu ace Rani Yahya (14-4) hopes to earn his fourth WEC
win when he takes on Tokyo, Japan’s Kenji Osawa (15-8-2)
in bantamweight action. Yahya, originally from Brasilia, Brazil
and now fighting out of San Diego, Calif., is a feared grappler
with a record of 3-1 in the WEC. Each of his victories has come
by way of submission, including his last win via choke over former
champion Eddie Wineland in April. He’ll look to use his
dangerous ground skills against seasoned boxer Osawa. A 32-year-old
striker who rose to stardom in Japan’s Shooto organization,
Osawa relies on his heavy hands and slick boxing to overpower
opponents. He is coming off a decision victory over Rafael Rebello
in March and hopes to climb the 135-pound ladder with a win over
Yahya.
It
will be a classic striker vs. grappler matchup when featherweights
Diego Nunes (12-0) and Rafael Dias (13-5-1) collide on Aug. 9.
A former Brazilian Muay Thai champion, the 26-year-old Nunes
of Caxias do Sul, Brazil is a ferocious standup fighter who scored
a unanimous decision win over Cole Province in his WEC debut
last December. He’ll look to keep the action on the feet
when he battles Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Rafael Dias. A
product of the famed American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL,
Dias scored his first WEC win in April via unanimous decision
over Mike Budnik. Holding a three-inch height advantage over
Dias, the Rio de Janeiro-born Dias will look to impose his will
and take another step toward the featherweight title.
Source: MMA Weekly |
BACK
TO THE WALL, IT'S DO OR DIE FOR MAC DANZIG
Coming into season six of The Ultimate Fighter, Mac Danzig was
believed to be one of the most well rounded and respected guys
out of any season. An early favorite to win, he showed the versatility
which would be essential for a fighter exiting TUF and transitioning
into the big show that is the UFC.
Submitting
runner-up Tommy Speer en route to a six-figure contract with
the 800-pound gorilla organization would mark his fourth submission
victory in a row, including his three exhibition bouts during
his time in the house. His exhibition wins included Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu ace Joe Scarolla via triangle choke and the always
tough John Kolosci twice by rear naked choke, none making it
out of the first round.
The
self-proclaimed vegan was successful in his first bout outside
of the TUF banner. On his pay-per-view debut at UFC 83 "St.
Pierre vs. Serra II,” Danzig submitted Mark Bocek in the
third round in front of his fellow Canadians after softening
him up with superior stand-up, using effective knees and boxing
from the outside, changing levels and sticking his jab.
Though
many were optimistic of Danzig’s potential as a true lightweight
contender, he has been on a stroll down ‘bad luck lane,’
unsuccessful in his last two outings, outwrestled by the enigmatic
Clay Guida and than submitted by Miletich product Josh Neer.
There
is no such thing as an easy fight in the UFC.
In
familiar territory, Danzig has been here before. His entrance
into The Ultimate Fighter house came on the heels of two consecutive
losses; a decision loss to Clay French losing his King of the
Cage lightweight title, and in his next fight, a knockout loss
to Japanese star Hayato Sakurai for the now defunct Pride organization.
The
pressures of losing always looming over a fighters head is difficult
in itself, but the Pittsburgh native is faced with a whole new
pressure. Most would say being the winner of any season of The
Ultimate Fighter is almost like walking around with a bulls-eye
on your back and coupled with facing the adversity of new challenges
awaiting him, Danzig is using this fight as motivation in ways
unimaginable.
“I
put a lot of pressure on myself leading up to that Neer fight
and fighters are superstitious. I try not to be too superstitious,
but I can’t help it sometimes, it’s the nature of the
beast. Looking back at it, maybe I shouldn’t have put so
much pressure on myself. Going into this one, let’s face
it, it’s do or die for me.
“I
don’t want to lose my job with the UFC.”
The
newly minted father of a seven-month old baby girl will look
to take on another difficult challenge in opponent Jim Miller,
who is coming off of a loss of his own to Gray Maynard, another
prized lightweight prospect and training partner to Danzig out
of the famed Xtreme Couture camp in Las Vegas.
Always
one to keep his composure, Danzig will need his sense of self
when he faces Miller in what is hyped to be the biggest card
in the company’s history at UFC 100 on July 11 in Las Vegas.
Though most are openly ecstatic at the opportunity, Danzig takes
a different approach to the situation, as a true professional
would.
“It
depends on how you think of it. I try to do my best not to think
of stuff like that because I don’t want to get over excited
or nervous, I just try to stay focused on the task at hand and
I try to treat it just like any other fight and that’s the
best way for me to deal with something like this mentally.
“I’ll
enjoy it more when the fight is done,” he explained.
Though
New Jersey's Miller is an opponent who brings many dangerous
tools into the fight, it’s his name recognition that is
still lacking inside the UFC. He is still looking for a signature
win to make a big impact in his division.
“I’m
facing an extremely tough guy. It’s a tough fight because
he’s one of those guys where he doesn’t really have
a big name in the sport yet because he hasn’t got a chance
to show what he’s all about against guys on a main card.
People from the main stream fans that don’t really follow
the sport closely probably expect me to win and it’s a tough
situation.”
With
fight time nearing and training culminating this week, Danzig
will lay it all on the line once again in order to cement his
job inside the organization where a wayward East to West Coast
trip seven years ago has brought him to today, in this moment.
“What
else can I do but train my ass off and fight? That’s what
I’m gonna do. The pressure is there, but I gotta put that
out of my mind and do my best to beat this guy.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
100: JIM MILLER, "I WANT TOUGH FIGHTS"
Jim Miller seemed to be on the fast track towards a title shot,
since making his long anticipated debut in the big show at UFC
89, when he squared off against the highly touted David Baron.
Baron just had come off the biggest win of his career, submitting
prized Japanese fighter Hayato Sakurai in the first round.
After
handing Baron his first loss in five fights with an impressive
third-round rear naked choke (garnering Submission of the Night),
he followed up the victory with another exciting performance
with a unanimous decision win over Ultimate Fighter veteran Matt
Wiman, who was on a four-fight win streak inside the Octagon.
Now
on the heels of his first loss inside the UFC and only second
overall coming against rising prospect Gray Maynard, the New
Jersey native will look to regain the momentum he lost when he
faces Season Six winner of The Ultimate Fighter, Mac Danzig.
The bout marks one of his sternest tests to date as a professional
fighter and a win would undoubtedly cement his spot back near
the top of the lightweight ladder.
Not
to mention his fight with Danzig is to be on the UFC’s centennial
card, which by no stretch of the matter is a big deal in and
of itself.
“(The
UFC) is going to put on such a big show; that’s so respectful,”
explained one-half of the Miller brothers.
“The
size of the event, I think just all of Vegas, there’s gonna
be a buzz with the UFC itself. It should be great publicity to
be on the card.”
While
Miller garnered his first loss back in 2006, against fellow UFC
fighter and current training partner Frankie Edgar, he is well
aware of how to adapt a loss and turn it into a positive, gaining
the most from the situation in order to continue to improve himself
as a fighter.
“Like
they always say, you learn more from a loss than you do from
a win.”
Though
Danzig has been on a slide as of late, going 0-2 in his two most
recent outings in the UFC against the grizzly Clay Guida and
the always-tough Josh Neer (respectively), Miller chooses to
ignore those performances and judge Danzig as a whole. He recognizes
the talents and the ferocity that Danzig will bring into their
bout when they lock horns on July 11. It's a bout that could
very well be a ‘loser leaves town’ kind of bout.
“I’m
coming off one loss, he’s coming off two. If I was coming
off another loss in a row I’d definitely be really fired
up to go out there and whoop some ass. I’m actually looking
forward to it; I hope he comes after me. I want to be in a fun
fight.”
Always
one to please, Miller is approaching this bout like any other
and is well aware of the dangers of Danzig, knowing full well
that despite the losses, he is as complete a fighter as there
is in the lightweight division, using his stand-up and ground
game effectively in all of his fights. However, it’s the
threat that Danzig brings that excites Miller the most, who constantly
wants to test himself to prove that he belongs amongst the best
in his class.
“I
know he’s dangerous everywhere. He’s probably one of
the better guys everywhere that I’ve fought. He definitely
has a great (submission) game and he’s got very solid hands,
so he’s a threat wherever the fight leads. I just look at
it as I want tough fights. That’s what I want, that’s
why I’m here. The Gray (Maynard) fight was my third fight
in the UFC and I’m fighting a top contender, in a matter
of months. It’s where I think I belong and it’s where
I want to stay.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
AKIHIRO
GONO RETURNS TO JAPAN AT SENGOKU 9
World Victory Road on Tuesday announced the opponent for Akihiro
Gono's return to Japan. He will face Dan Hornbuckle at Sengoku
9 on Aug. 2 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Gono
returns to compete in his home country following an unsuccessful
stint with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States.
He was 1-2 in his three UFC appearances defeating Tamdan McCrory
in his Octagon debut before losing back-to-back bouts to Dan
Hardy and Jon Fitch.
In
his 15th year as a professional mixed martial artist, Gono is
an extremely popular fighter in Japan, having spent the better
part of his career fighting for Shooto, Pancrase, and Pride.
Hornbuckle
is an accomplished fighter from the Midwestern United States.
He has fought once before for World Victory Road, losing to Mike
Pyle at Sengoku 2. He brings with him a 17-2 professional record,
but will be facing his sternest test to date in Gono.
Sengoku
9 features the semi-final and final rounds of the promotion's
Featherweight Grand Prix tournament. The main card will air on
HDNet in the United States.
Source: MMA Weekly |
CERRONE
VS HENDERSON IS FOR THE INTERIM TITLE
World Extreme Cagefighting is heading to Youngstown, Ohio for
WEC 43. Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone is fighting Ben Henderson
in the main event. Current lightweight champion Jamie Varner,
however, is not being stripped of his title.
Cerrone
vs. Henderson is for a title, but it will be an interim lightweight
belt, as MMAWeekly.com first reported late last week.
There
was some confusion surrounding the title designation for the
Cerrone vs. Henderson bout stemming from a report on Vindy.com,
which stated that Varner was going to be stripped of the belt
due to the uncertain time frame for his return from injury.
"I
think there was just some misunderstanding in what I said and
it is an interim belt. It is not a vacant title," WEC General
Manager Reed Harris told MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.
He
added that there are no plans at all to strip Varner of his title.
The interim title fight is just that, an interim championship
to keep the division moving forward while Varner recovers.
"What
we wanted Jamie to do prior to actually scheduling (a rematch
with Cerrone) was to get cleared by his physician and his physician
wouldn't clear him. So what we decided is we need to move the
division forward. Then we decided to do an interim belt,"
explained Harris.
"(Varner's
recovery time) is indefinite and we're going to wait to hear
from Jamie and his physician as far as him being cleared to fight.
As soon as he's cleared to fight, I'd be more than happy to set
up a fight for him."
Until
Varner does return, the WEC will have a new champion come Sept.
2 after the promotion lands in Ohio for the first time in its
history. The interim title bout pits two of the top rising contenders
in lightweight division, and two men that will be counting on
their high-paced styles to bring excitement to the bout, not
the out of the cage war of words surrounding Cerrone and Varner.
“He's
got an awesome ground game and he’s a superior wrestler,”
Cerrone said of Henderson. “The only thing he lacks is his
stand-up. I believe that I have what it takes to become champion.
I know Ben well and like him, but when the cage door closes,
I want to win that belt.”
“There
are guys who get in the cage and you can see in their eyes that
they’re a little bit overwhelmed by the whole thing,”
Henderson said. “I don’t think I’ll be overwhelmed.
I love Cerrone’s game and his ‘Terminator’ style.
He just keeps coming forward. As far as standing up with him
and trading some blows, I’d love to. Let’s go out there
and have fun.”
Cerrone
vs. Henderson will be televised nationally live on the Versus
network.
Source: MMA Weekly |
PAUL
BUENTELLO: "EVERYBODY'S COUNTING ME OUT"
The hype train hasn’t even begun to roll yet, and Paul “The
Headhunter” Buentello (27-10) feels he’s been cast
as the underdog for his fight with Gilbert Yvel at Affliction
"Trilogy." And that’s exciting to him, because
there’s nowhere to go but up.
“Everybody’s
already counting me out. I’ve gotta be able to do this,
and be able to do that, and I love being in that position,”
said Buentello. “I don’t like being in the top position.
I love being counted out.”
The
35-year-old Texan doesn’t name his accusers, and says the
pessimists are "people giving their opinion." He often
takes cues from Internet message boards, and likes to have fun
with the MMA public’s perception of him, frequently enlisting
fans to provide feedback on his career path. Apparently, somebody
out there doesn't like the match-up.
Five
weeks ago, Buentello began training with the knowledge he’d
be back in the ring on Aug. 1, against whom he didn’t know.
Gilbert Yvel emerged as his opponent for Affliction “Trilogy,”
earning a spot on the event’s main card with a blistering
knockout of veteran Pedro Rizzo.
Until
the event, Buentello will reside at American Kickboxing Academy,
getting ready to combat Yvel’s stand-up centered attack.
Buentello
says he hasn’t shot for a takedown once in his career, and
unless Yvel offers him a surefire way to get on top, doesn’t
plan on making an exception.
His
trainer, Bob Cook, says his pay will be earned that night.
“This
is going to be a long night, your cardio has to be really, really
good,” said Buentello.
It’s
safe to say that he will face a far greater challenge than his
last fight, against Kiril “Baby Fedor” Sidelnikov,
who he systematically punished for three rounds before the referee
took mercy on the Russian. Sidelnikov later tested positive for
steroids and was suspended for a year by the California State
Athletic Commission.
Yvel,
now under the tutelage of MMA pioneer John Lewis, appears to
have turned a corner in his training. He's more patient and less
“Hurricane.” Still, he retains the aura of a bully
who’s sudden streaks of violence – whether in or out
of the ring – destroy fighters who let him play his game.
Those who take him to the ground are virtually guaranteed a chance
to be not only competitive, but dominant.
Buentello’s
heavy hands and willingness to engage are his best allies in
the fight.
“Just
try to break that aura,” he said of his model for bullies.
“Stay in their face. Throw as many punches as I can. If
you’ve ever heard that saying, a fighter can never be made,
you’re either born with it or you’re not? Everybody
knows I don’t have the skill. I don’t have that look.
But I guarantee, and everybody knows, if I show up to fight,
I’m gonna bring it. I’m a gamer.
“That’s
one of the things that makes it interesting. He don’t care,
and I’ve been through some really tough fights and I don’t
care what happens. I’m going to let my hands go no matter
what. Yvel’s going to bring it 110 percent and I’m
going to match him every step that he goes.”
Buentello
also carries the belief that fate will decide who shows up that
night; if he’s on his game, if Yvel’s off, or if they’re
both on. Training, dieting, and sleeping – those are the
variables that can be controlled.
“If
I’m on the top of my game and he makes just a couple of
mistakes, and I’m on, I’ll probably be able to stop
him,” Buentello continued. “But if he’s on, and
I’m on, it’s going to be a long fricking night.
“That’s
the thing I love about the sport. Just like Fedor, you can come
in 29-1 and if it’s your day, it’s your day. You don’t
have that choice to pick that... you put in your hard training
and go out there and give it 100 percent.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
VELASQUEZ
VS. CARWIN SET FOR UFC 104
A battle between rising heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Shane
Carwin is set for UFC 104 in October, MMAWeekly has learned.
Fiveouncesofpain
was the first to report the match-up, and it was subsequently
confirmed by sources close to the fight.
Carwin
(11-0) was recently cleared for hard training after suffering
a broken nose at UFC 96 that required surgery. The 34 year-old
Colorado native was going down a hard road with former contender
Gabriel Gonzaga before his right hand stopped the Brazilian in
his tracks. The finish immediately put him on the list of heavyweight
contenders.
Velasquez
(6-0) is coming off an important career victory as well, running
the striking gauntlet of Cheik Kongo to wrestle his way to a
decision victory. The 26 year-old American Kickboxing Academy
product has come up fast in the ranks with his aggressive style
and collegiate wrestling credentials.
As
it stands, the two should be each other's toughest test to date.
Source: MMA Weekly |
JAVIER
VAZQUEZ VS. LC DAVIS FOR AFFLICTION 3
A featherweight bout between LC Davis and Javier Vazquez is set
for Affliction "Trilogy" on Aug. 1 in Anaheim, Calif.
Sherdog.com
was the first to report the match-up, and MMAWeekly.com subsequently
confirmed it with Affliction vice president Tom Atencio. The
bout will take place on the HDNet-televised undercard.
Vazquez
(13-2) encountered controversy last weekend at "Ultimate
Chaos" when a weigh-in snafu forced the cancellation of
his scheduled bout with Din Thomas. The 31-year-old veteran instead
took on local jiu-jitsu specialist Mark Kergosien and submitted
him in 19 seconds. It was his first appearance after multiple
injuries kept him out of action for over a year.
Davis
(13-2) last appeared at Sengoku "Seventh Battle" in
March, losing a unanimous decision to Michihiro Omigawa. Before
that, the 28-year-old Kansas City resident made his Affliction
debut at "Day of Reckoning," grinding out a game Bao
Quach on the January card. Davis almost became a WEC fighter
last August when Cub Swanson injured his hand and was removed
from his bout with Hiroyuki Takaya at WEC 35. The fight was scrapped
when Takaya declined the match-up.
In
other news, Atencio said he could not confirm a reported match-up
between featherweights Mark Hominick and Devidas Taurosevicius
for "Trilogy" and declined to comment on its status.
Source: MMA Weekly |
TITO
ORTIZ CLOSE WITH STRIKEFORCE, WANTS FEDOR
One
time UFC poster boy Tito Ortiz hasn't fought in more than a year.
And it's been nearly three years since he last won a fight.
Plagued
by back problems for several years, his last bout was a loss
to current UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Prior
to that, a draw with former UFC champion Rashad Evans and a loss
to another former UFC champion in Chuck Liddell.
But
following back surgery in October of 2008, Ortiz has recently
been cleared to train full speed ahead.
"My
doctor just released me. I feel great. My cardio is great. I'm
excited to get back in there. I'm 100-percent, no more pain running
down my back."
In
a seemingly revolving door of endless negotiations, the former
UFC champion sounds as if he is nearing the time when he will
set foot back in the cage, once again ready to compete.
"I'm
in negotiations right now with Strikeforce and working with CBS
and Showtime, so all three of us are going back and forth to
make a contract that makes sense to me," he told MMAWeekly.com
recently.
"Hopefully
by October I'll be competing. We're finishing the contract I'd
say with CBS, Showtime, and Strikeforce and making a deal that
UFC can't match."
If
that deal does come to fruition, Ortiz says he's ready and has
his near future already mapped out.
"I
feel sorry for the person they have me fight, but I do need one
warm-up fight," he said. "I managed to come off a huge
back surgery. It's been a year since I've competed. I think one
warm-up fight to get things going."
But
after that, it's full speed ahead, and truly so if the fight
he mentions does end up taking place.
"After
that, I don't want no more warm-up fights. I'm hoping by my fourth
fight, possibly fight Fedor Emelianenko at a catchweight. That'd
be something that I'm looking forward to possibly by the middle
of next year."
Source: MMA Weekly |
AL-HUSSAN
VS. KINGSBERRY AT UFC 104
A light heavyweight contest between Kyle Kingsberry and Razak
Al-Hassan is set to take place at UFC 104 in October, MMAWeekly.com
has learned.
Sources
close to the fight confirmed that both parties have agreed to
the fight and bout agreements are soon to follow.
UFC
104 is set for Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida will make his
first title defense against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Al-Hassan
(6-1) succumbed to a vicious armbar in December UFC debut against
former WEC champion Steve Cantwell at “UFC Fight for the
Troops,” but endeared himself to many fans with a kick-heavy
Tae Kwon Do based style and unwillingness to tap to an obvious
hyper-extension of his right elbow.
Of
course, the injury also kept the Des Moines, Iowa resident out
of action until recently, when he was cleared by doctors to begin
training again.
Kingsberry
(7-2) also fell short in his UFC debut when fellow “TUF”
season eight alum Tom Lawlor out-wrestled him to a unanimous
decision victory. The 27 year-old was eliminated in the reality
show’s first round after winning his preliminary bout. A
mainstay of American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Kingsberry
wrestled and played football before making the transition to
MMA.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“The
whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always
so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.”
Bertrand Russell
|
Second
Jewel of the Triple Crown is Set!
Hawaiian
Open is set for Saturday, September 12 at Kaiser High
|
ATENCIO
TALKS FIGHT, WHITE, GOMI, AND LINDLAND
MMAWeekly.com on Sunday caught up with Affliction promoter and
sometime fighter Tom Atencio as he recovered from his fight with
Randy Hedderick at "Ultimate Chaos" on Saturday in
Biloxi, Miss. Atencio on Monday heads to Germany for Bread and
Butter, a fashion trade show, before heading back to California
to begin work on the company's August event, Affliction "Trilogy."
MMAWeekly:
Congratulations on your fight. You got caught with a pretty big
shot and went down in the first. Was it one of those shots where
you wake up on the canvas?
Atencio:
Dude, I don’t remember (expletive). All I remember was being
on my back and him above me and me kicking away, and just scrambling
to get my wits, just get back in the game.
MMAWeekly:
Were you back mentally in the second?
Atencio:
Oh yeah, second round, I felt fine. Actually, when we got back
up again and started brawling, I was fine. It was just a flash
knockout. I didn’t even know until I watched the video last
night. I saw myself wobble and go down. I literally just remember
being on my back.
MMAWeekly:
Do you remember the rest of the fight?
Atencio:
Yeah, I totally do.
MMAWeekly:
How do you feel about the fight overall and the experience? Is
it true that this is it for you, or are you waiting longer to
get some perspective?
Atencio:
I’m gonna figure out where to go from here. I love this
sport, but I hate this feeling. I feel like a Mack Truck hit
me. My whole body hurts. It’s hard to walk or do anything.
But I just love it. Yeah, it was everything I’ve always
known. It was a war. And there’s nothing better than knowing
he was beating my ass and I came back from a virtual loss. I
don’t know; it’s weird that I love it.
MMAWeekly:
Have you ever been hit that hard before?
Atencio:
When I used to train with Marco Ruas; Marco’s an animal.
I used to spar with Brett Cooper and he’s hit me, actually
broke my nose. JJ Ambrose broke my nose, and dropped me once.
My old best friend Justin Levens dropped me a few times, too.
So I’ve been hit. I knew that he wasn’t going to do
anything that I haven’t experienced, but I gotta say, he
dropped me, man. I wasn’t expecting that.
MMAWeekly:
Do you know why he quit after the second round?
Atencio:
I don’t know why he quit. I don’t know if it was his
cardio... everyone said I broke his nose. I would assume a combination
of the two.
MMAWeekly:
One of your first comments after the fight was addressing Dana
White in a somewhat direct way. Why did you do that?
Atencio:
Because he was just a nice kid. I think to say that he was a
nobody and a nothing is presumptuous, one, and two, I always
say I have a lot of respect for anybody that steps in the cage.
I don’t care if you’ve lost every single fight. At
least you’re the one doing it. For somebody to criticize
that, I just think it’s wrong.
MMAWeekly:
Can you confirm Yvel vs. Buentello at Affliction 3?
Atencio:
Yep, that’s the fight. I feel bad for Pedro. I’d like
to find out how Pedro is doing.
MMAWeekly:
After you get back from Germany, is it full steam ahead with
Trilogy?
Atencio:
Yeah, absolutely. My people are handling Trilogy now, and when
I get back, it’s full swing. And I know people are already
talking about me fighting again, so I have to figure that out.
I don’t know what I’m going to do.
MMAWeekly:
Any word about Gomi? Any progress with him coming to Affliction?
Atencio:
Yeah, we’re still working on it, we’re finalizing everything,
but it looks like it’s gonna go through. I’m not 100-percent
yet, but we’re still working on it for sure.
MMAWeekly:
Any possible opponents?
Atencio:
I don’t want to say because it’s up in the air.
MMAWeekly:
What about Lindland?
Atencio:
Nah, we’re not going to use Matt this fight.
MMAWeekly:
Are you going to use him again or is he done?
Atencio:
Yeah, you know, it’s just like Tim Sylvia. We couldn’t
use him in the second fight because he lost, and for us to bring
him back again, we might as well bring everybody back, and then
no one will show up for the fights. But we have to switch it
up. If somebody wins, yeah, we’ll bring him back, but it’s
only our third fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
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UFC
ANNOUNCES CHINESE TV DEAL
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Monday announced a television
deal with Inner Mongolia Television that will mark the first
time in history UFC will be seen on TV in China, continuing the
promotion's global expansion.
“Obviously
China is a huge market and the Chinese understand the martial
arts probably better than anyone else in the world. It’s
a no brainer that UFC programming will be appreciated in China,
and will become a big hit for the NMTV network,” said Dana
White, UFC President.
Inner
Mongolia Television, known as NMTV, is a network broadcast station
available in 80 million households, with the potential to reach
240 million viewers throughout all the provinces of China. Starting
this month, NMTV will air up to 16 hours of UFC programming per
month, including the trademark shows The Ultimate Fighter, UFC
Unleashed and UFC All Access, with an option to air recent UFC
pay-per-view event telecasts.
With
this deal, NMTV will air between one to four hours of UFC programming
each week on Saturday and Sundays between 1:30 – 5:30pm
local time, broadcast in languages specific to each province.
Source: MMA Weekly
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JEFF
MONSON IN NAAFS MAIN EVENT ON AUGUST 29
The North American Allied Fight Series announced the signing
of Pride, Dream and UFC veteran Jeff “The Snowman”
Monson to compete at its 3rd Annual NAAFS Rock N Rumble event
on Aug. 29 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Monson
(30-8) brings his impressive resume to the NAAFS Pro Series Heavyweight
division. His opponent will be Tony Sylvester (12-1-1, Midwest
Training Center), of Canton, Ohio, now training out of Chicago.
“We
have added depth to our heavyweight division while putting together
a tremendous match up for NAAFS fans,” said NAAFS president
and Pro Series matchmaker Greg Kalikas. “For the past few
years, the NAAFS has been known for creating top MMA prospects,
but now we feel we have the credibility to bring in fighters
the caliber of a Jeff Monson and Tony Sylvester, which will continue
to increase our awareness on a national level.”
Accompanying
Monson for this fight will be none other than former IFL champion
Roy “Big Country” Nelson, who has competed against
some of the top heavyweights in the sport including Monson himself.
In
addition to Sylvester versus Monson, the 3rd Annual Rock N Rumble
will also see many of the top stars in the Pro & National
Amateur Series in action. Already announced is UFC veteran Josh
“Heavy” Hendricks (15-5) taking on former Pro Series
Heavyweight Champion “Cujo” Joe McCall (6-1), plus
fans will witness a Pro Series Middleweight fight as Chris “The
Assassin” Lozano (6-1) of Strong Style Fight Team steps
back in the NAAFS cage with John “The Bullet” Fields
(4-2) of Instigator Fight Team.
Source: MMA Weekly
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SWICK
VS. KAMPMANN IN WORKS FOR UFC 103
A welterweight contest between Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann
is likely for UFC 103, MMAWeekly.com has learned from sources
close to the fight.
While
bout agreements have not been signed, both parties have agreed
to the match-up.
UFC
103 is expected to take place on Sept. 19 at the American Airlines
Center in Dallas, the promotion’s second trip to the Lone
Star State. The event has yet to be announced by the UFC.
Swick
(14-2) is coming off an impressive victory over Ben Saunders
at UFC 99. In a recent interview with Raw Vegas, he hoped for
a bout with former champion Matt Hughes, but said Kampmann was
a likely alternate.
“I
want the Hughes fight, and we’re trying to work it out,
but it doesn’t seem like it’s happening, so it might
be Kampmann,” said Swick.
The
30-year-old American Kickboxing Academy standout said he expected
to be in line for a title shot if he won his next fight.
Kampmann
(15-2) recently dispatched Carlos Condit in the former WEC champion’s
UFC debut in April. The win was his second straight since dropping
a quick TKO loss to Nate Marquardt at UFC 88 last September.
Earlier
this month, the 27-year-old Dane turned down a last-minute offer
to face T.J. Grant at “The Ultimate Fighter” season
nine finale when Rory Markham was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
and Nogueira talks Lyoto’s victory
Lyoto
Machida’s victory at UFC 98 wasn’t celebrated only
in Belém, city where the champion lives in Brazil. The
big stars of the Black House team, Anderson Silva and Rodrigo
“Minotauro” Nogueira celebrated the Brazilian’s
conquest against Rashad Evans, getting one more UFC belt to Brazil.
Former UFC champion, Minotauro praised the compatriot. "This
fight was wonderful, Lyoto was great. He deserved the belt for
a long time, but I think he got it in the right time. His confidence
was 100% after that fight against Tito Ortiz. He always made
great presentations on the UFC, but, this time, he managed to
do even better", celebrates the heavyweight.
And
Anderson, middleweight reigning champion, cheers for Machida
to follow as the champion after the first title defense, against
Maurício “Shogun”, Silva’s former Chute
Boxe partner. "Shogun is a great fighter, just like Lyoto,
but Lyoto and I train together... I have nothing against Shogun,
I have a great affection for him, and I won’t lie. I'm cheering
for Lyoto, I’ll help him if he come to train with us, and
I won’t hide this from anyone... I hope that the best wins.
Shogun has been champion of a great event, Pride, and Lyoto knows
that. We will be cheering for Lyoto, for sure, and it will be
a tough fight, for Lyoto and for Shogun", finished the champion.
Source: Tatame
|
JON
JONES HEADS INTO HIS TITLE FIGHT AT UFC 100
Jon Jones is long removed from his days as a YouTube warrior;
mining the Internet for instructional clips he could incorporate
into his arsenal.
One
of his favorite concepts from his wrestling days was misdirection
– fake one way and go another. Keep your opponent off-balance.
Be unpredictable.
These
days, he travels a great deal around his home state of New York,
still learning to fight, trying to glean as many perspectives
as possible. Now, everything is in real time.
A
year ago, he was a bouncer with a JC wrestling championship under
his belt. MMA was quick money and would support his pregnant
fiancé. But it would also appeal to an unbinding love
for Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali.
“Bruce
Lee’s strategy was, ‘the way is to have no way,’”
he said. “So, basically that’s just being formless,
trying to incorporate as many angles, aspects, and mindsets from
different trainers and cultures.”
It’s
been around a year since he leaped headfirst into the sport,
and has a camp in Team Bomb Squad. Many peg him as the next big
thing in the light heavyweight division. He did it with misdirection
– grab a kick, throw a spinning elbow, stop Joe Silva in
his tracks.
Wise
beyond his 22 years, he’s not ready to fall into the trap
of believing his own hype.
“I
am grateful for all the compliments I get, and it motivates me,”
he told MMAWeekly Radio recently. “The days I don’t
want to get up and go for a run, or I’m starting to feel
sorry for myself and not train as hard, sometimes I think about
all the people who have faith in me and believe I’m going
to be the next champion. I try to carry myself like a championship
mindset, and work like a champion.
“But
at the same time, hearing a lot of those things can really mislead
a younger fighter and make him believe he’s greater than
what he is. Right now I’m just obsessed about my weaknesses
and correcting those, becoming a more aware and alert fighter.”
Jones
uses his idols as reference points for evolving as a fighter.
“My
jiu-jitsu’s not as strong as it needs to be, some of my
defense is not as strong as it needs to be, and I know these
things,” he said. “There’s just so much more that
I need to know. Martial arts is endless, there’s no one
who knows it all. Bruce Lee was great, but did he have takedown
abilities, did he have great jiu-jitsu? No. Right now, I’m
trying to be a true champion, and I want to do the things that
Bruce Lee wasn’t figuring out. I want to be like a Muhammed
Ali that can actually wrestle and do jiu-jitsu. I’m hungry
to be the best. I know there’s a lot of guys out there saying
that, but I truly mean it.”
Jake
O’Brien is next at UFC 100, and there’s not a whole
lot of mystery about the course of the fight. O’Brien likes
to throw hands, and later, shoot. Jones is happy to detail his
plan to counteract that skill set.
“O’Brien
has been shooting that same double leg takedown for the three
or four years he’s been in the UFC, and I’ve prepared
myself to stop his takedowns,” he said. “I’ve
been working submissions from the front headlock position, and
I’m prepared to be there a lot.”
One
of the places he hangs his hat is with the Cornell wrestling
team. Until recently, they were dumping him on his head every
day.
“Those
guys are all heavyweights, and they’ve been shooting on
me a lot,” he continued. “It’s getting to the
point where I’m starting to stuff a lot of those shots.
And I believe that those guys are on a complete different level
of collegiate wrestling than Jake O’Brien. I’m preparing
to push him into deep waters and expose a lot of the things that
maybe a lot of fighters haven’t, except maybe Cain Velasquez.”
O’Brien
is still trying to re-invent himself at light heavyweight after
a failed run as a heavy. At UFC 94, he won a split decision against
Christian Wellisch in a lackluster fight. But on any given day,
he can still dump opponents on their head.
“I
know he knows a lot more, and I’m not going to underestimate
him, at all,” said Jones. “My plan is to go out there
and do what I want to do, and make it my home the very first
round.”
It
doesn’t bother him that old opponent Stephan Bonnar is billed
above him.
“I
wasn’t disappointed at all,” he said. “I’m
just really privileged to be on the card in the first place,
and a lot of my friends had concerns about Bonnar being on the
card, and I tried to explain that Bonnar’s a great guy and
has tons of fans. The UFC’s just doing what’s necessary,
and my time will come.”
If
he’s ready to hype anything, it will be when he grows out
of his young body and gets the “man strength” he’s
waited for. That will take time. The “rookie mistakes”
he says he’s made – that have actually turned into
gifts – will need to be refined.
“I
feel like I have a little momentum going on, but I try not to
focus on the past,” he said. “Muhammed Ali says you
give different strokes for different folks. So I just focus on
Jake O’Brien and I take it one match at a time. Right now,
O’Brien is my title fight, and all my energy and focus on
him.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
X-1
Scuffle On Schofield
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New
Fighters' Club TV Episode Tuesdays!
Channel 52
Tuesday, 8:00 PM
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 63 is finally cut and submitted to Olelo Programming.
I
will air in our normal time slot; Tuesday night, 8pm on Olelo
Oahu Channel 52--or can be viewed via stream at Olelo.org at
the same time of it's scheduled airing.
Episode
63 features:
Mike
and Mark back in action from the 1st Jewel of Romolo's Triple
Crown of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
-interviews and footage of Rylan Lizares vs Jair Muniz
KINGDOM
MMA
-Andy "Danger" Cohea vs LJ Borges
-Dejuan Hathaway vs Tommy Tuiloma +intvw w/ Dejuan (featuring
our special guest interviewer!)
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