Upcoming
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2009
November
Aloha
State Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
10/10/09
NAGA
Hawaii
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Hawaii, Tentative)
August
Hawaiian
Open Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
6/27-28/09
OTM's 2009
Pac Sub
(Gi & No-Gi competition)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/6/09
Quest for Champions 2009 Tournament
(Sport Pankration, Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS Gym)
6/4/09 - 6/7/09
World
JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA)
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
15th Grapplers Quest Las Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Las Vegas, NV)
5/2/09
Uprising MMA
(MMA)
(Maui)
May 2009
Abu Dhabi World Submission Wrestling Championships
(Sub Grappling)
(Tentative)
4/18/08
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)
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)
|
|
March
2009 News Part 3
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
nights with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday and Thursday with
Kaleo Kwan & Chris Slavens!
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
In
Memory of Lars Chase
Rest in peace my brother
March 10, 1979 - April 2, 2008 |
Looking
for a hotel room on Oahu?
Check out this reasonably priced, quality hotel in Waikiki!
For
the special Onzuka.com price, click banner above! |
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Fighters'
Club TV
The Toughest Show
On Teleivision
Tuesdays
at 8:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
|
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to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
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O2
Martial Arts Academy Day Classes Start May 2!
Women & Kids Kickboxing Class starts May 4!
Click here for pricing and more
information!
O2MAA Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Day Classes will be held on Monday,
Wednesday, and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and will be taught
by one of Relson Gracie's first black belts, Sam Mahi!
We will be starting a Womens and Kids kickboxing class on Sunday
afternoons from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The class will be taught
by none other than O2's Kaleo Kwan! It will be a non-competitive,
fun atmosphere and allow the ladies and kids to get in a quick
workout and learn some legitimate kickboxing technique before
the long work week starts.
New
O2MAA Kid's Jiu-Jitsu Class Starts Friday, December 5 from 5:30
to 6:30 PM!
Adult Wrestling Class Starts Starts Friday, December 5 from 8:30
to 9:30 PM!
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Quote
of the Day
“The
greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion
of knowledge.”
Daniel J. Boorstin
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
52
NEW TIME of 8:00 PM!
Don't miss
another exciting, or at least semi-exciting episode of Fighters'
Club TV.
Please
spread the word!
|
X1
Temple of Boom V
April 11, 2009
Palolo Hongwanji
Pro
Boxing
135
- Isaac Arasato (Palolo BC) vs Ricky Thompson (Florida)
140
- Van Oscar Penovaroff (Kona BC) vs Mike Maley (Indiana)
126
- Thaddine Johnson (New York) vs Tracey Stevens (Canada)
145
- Richard Barnard (Waianae BC) vs Dimitris Labatos (Florida)
140
- Nui Wheeler (Maili Soljahs) vs Keith Kelly (Montana)
MMA
170
- Kolo Koka (MMAD) vs Michael Brightmon (Gorilla House)
170 - David Kahanui (Da Hui) vs Kona Ke (Gods Army)
135
- Julio Moreno (Bullspen) vs Jared Iha (No Remorse)
145
- Steve Albanese (M.C.O.A) vs Colin Mackenzie (Gods Army)
155
- Cordel Knapp (558 MP) vs Angel Garza (Chris Leben)
155 - Steve Farmer (Universal Combat) vs Ben Santiago (Gods Army)
170 - Keoki Silva (Freelance) vs Joe Palimoo (HMC)
185
- Kaipo Cayetano (Bullspen) vs Frankie Ruiz (Freelance)
185 - Akoni Sexton (Freelance) vs Derrick Wright (Freelance)
205 - Mikey (Freelance) vs Ashton Visoria (Team Devastation) |
PENN
VS FLORIAN SET FOR UFC 101 IN PHILADELPHIA
The
anticipated showdown between UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn
and number one contender Kenny Florian will finally take place.
A blog post on Penn's official website stated that Florian has
already signed his bout agreement and "as for B.J., we received
the bout agreement (Friday) afternoon and plan on making this
fight happen."
The
post states the bout will headline UFC 101 on Aug. 8 in Philadelphia.
The
bout will be Penn's first defense of his lightweight title since
defeating Sean Sherk at UFC 84 in May of last year. It will also
mark his first action in the Octagon since a loss to UFC welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 in January, which has been
mired in controversy over accusations of improper usage of Vaseline
by St. Pierre's camp.
"I
look forward to the challenge," Penn stated about the defense.
Florian
earned his title shot – the second of his UFC career –
by building a current six-fight winning streak, which includes
back-to-back victories over Joe Stevenson and Roger Huerta in
his most recent fights. He has been waiting for this opportunity
for nearly a year while the Penn vs. St. Pierre mega-fight ran
its course.
Earlier
this week, Florian stated, "It has been a long road back
and I am very grateful for the opportunity. Rarely does one get
the chance to fight for a championship belt in the UFC and it's
even more infrequent to fight a legend.
"B.J.
Penn has been someone I have looked up to for a long time. He
has accomplished many amazing things. So I am looking forward
to testing myself against one of the greatest if not the greatest
lightweight fighter in the world."
The
bout and event have yet to be officially announced by the Ultimate
Fighting Championship, but several sources had already indicated
the likelihood of UFC 101 taking place in Philadelphia instead
of Portland, Ore., as first thought.
Source: MMA Weekly |
GAMBURYAN
VS. FRANCHI AGREED TO FOR WEC 41
A featherweight contest between Manny Gamburyan and John Franchi
is nearly a done deal, with verbal agreements in place for WEC
41 on June 7.
MMAMadness
was the first to report the proposed bout, and MMAWeekly.com
subsequently confirmed it with sources close to the negotiations.
Bout agreements should be signed in the coming days.
The
fight is Gamburyan’s debut at featherweight after serving
the bulk of his career at lightweight. A second consecutive loss
to Thiago Tavares at UFC 94 sealed his move, one suggested to
him as early as last summer by UFC owners Frank and Lorenzo Ferttita.
In
an interview announcing the change, Gamburyan said it had been
10 years since he had fought at 145 pounds, but felt his five-foot-five-inch,
160-pound frame would not be the issue it was in the UFC, where
his opponents often outweighed him by 15 pounds on fight night.
The
27-year-old North Hollywood resident carries a professional record
of 8-4.
His
opponent, John Franchi, will look to make his name against “The
Ultimate Fighter” alum, extending his undefeated record
to 6-0. The upstate New York resident made a successful WEC debut
earlier this month, decisioning Mike Budnik at WEC 39. Franchi
currently trains at Team Bomb Squad alongside UFC prospect Jon
Jones.
Source: MMA Weekly |
JEFF
CURRAN READY FOR NEXT STEP TO TORRES
It’s been nearly 10 months since Jeff Curran last fought.
For some fighters, that would be a normal period of time between
fights. For Curran it seemed like an eternity. The “Big
Frog” is eager to get back on track since losing featherweight
bouts to Urijah Faber and Mike Brown. This time the Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt looks to make an impact with a move down
to the bantamweight division.
“I
had a boxing offer for a fight at 135 and it just so happened
we were talking about moving down to that weight class, so I
figured I would test the waters with the weight cut; see how
I liked being down at that weight before I made it official for
Dec. 3. I ended up fighting and breaking my hand. Immediately
after the fight, I knew I had a broken hand, but I went and saw
a specialist and he told me that I didn’t. I said ‘well
if it’s not broke, I’m going to train on it.’
Spent a few weeks training, I went back and said, ‘I can’t
move my hand,’ and he said it was broken in three spots.
“I
had to pull from the Dec. 3 card and it was a huge setback. If
I would have just taken that extra five weeks to heal, I would
have had plenty of time to prepare. Come April 5, it’s going
to be over 10 months that I’ve been sitting. I decided to
move down a weight class for a number of reasons. It’s my
debut at 135 and I’m hoping for it to be everything I expect
out of it and more.”
Jeff
Curran is one of the most experienced fighters in MMA today.
He’s been fighting since 1998 and amassed 40 fights under
his belt. He kept to a busy schedule for most of his career.
Since returning to the WEC, he has not been able to duplicate
the same level of activity as he would like.
“I’m
used to fighting every other month at least and that’s been
the past decade of my life. For the most part I was fighting
six times a year. When the WEC came about, Monte Cox (his manager)
said, ‘Jeff you’re not going to be as active. They
don’t have as many shows and they don’t have as many
match-ups for you right off the bat. It’ll get better.'
“I’m
getting a little older, I want to slow down; I want to take quality
over quantity. Next thing you know, I’m calling Monte, I’m
calling Joe Silva; I’m begging everybody ‘come on I
want to stay busy.’ That was a hard adjustment for me and
it still is. As a fighter, you want to stay active. Thankfully
I’ve got so much going on that I respect the time after
preparing for a fight to focus on other endeavors.”
A
move down to 135 pounds was a strategic decision for Curran.
He needed a change of pace and wanted to test the waters in a
new division.
“I
felt like it was going to be a really long road back to another
title shot. I didn’t know if I was mentally ready for it,”
revealed the Illinois resident. “I’m going to put myself
with a whole new class of fighters that I’ve never crossed
paths with or even thought about fighting because they were in
a different weight class. It’s a way of starting completely
fresh and feeling like it’s a real true chance of reinventing
myself.
“I
never moved down in weight thinking, ‘oh this is going to
be easier for me.’ It’s not like that. I think that
the lighter you get, the faster and more technical guys get.
I’m not a big guy. I’m not going to go to 135 and be
dominating all the people. Overall, it was the mindset that I
needed to start fresh.”
The
fresh start is good for Curran in many ways. Not only did his
pas couple of fights not go the way he wanted, there have been
some other untimely events occurring around him outside of the
cage as well.
Fans
were shocked with the untimely death of Tapout co-founder Charles
Lewis. The man better known as “Mask” lost his life
after a violent car accident in Newport Beach earlier this month.
The MMA community lost a friend and a pioneer with his passing.
“We’ve
been friends for the past decade. He’s always been there
for me and I always try to represent when I can,” said Curran.
“We had a pretty close relationship, closer than most people
in business, I guess you can say. He was one of a kind.
“It
sucks man. This past year sucked; so many crazy things happening.
Justin Eilers was a friend of mine. I wasn’t friends with
Evan Tanner, but I definitely looked up to him and respected
him. It’s been a sad year overall.”
All
the more reason that Curran has been training so hard for his
upcoming fight. He has been working extensively on his wrestling
while sharpening his striking and Jiu-Jitsu. In preparation for
his bantamweight debut, he enlisted the help of American Top
Team and spent a week with the Florida-based crew.
“It
really is something I’m excited about. This is kind of my
trial run. I don’t know if it’s the best time to do
it. I definitely don’t think I can go wrong going out to
ATT and getting a good week of Jiu-Jitsu with some high quality
guys,” commented Curran before his visit. “I’m
going there and hopefully it’ll be the start of a new family,
a new friendship, and a new alliance for some of my fighters.
We’ll see what happens.”
Since
announcing his move to bantamweight, Curran made it well known
that his main goal was to challenge Miguel Torres for the 135-pound
title.
“I
know that I match well with Miguel Torres. He definitely has
a formula to beat me, the potential to beat me. He doesn’t
have anything that stands out that makes him so much better than
me that I don’t have a chance.
“Miguel
and I have competitive blood through our veins and he’s
got something I want. The closer that this fight becomes a reality…
it’s not about like or dislike. We both are competitive.
I think the curiosity is lurking in us both to see who really
wins that fight. We’ve been trying to set it up for years.
We have respect for each other. After the fight and leading up
to the fight, we’re still friends and acquaintances.”
In
what could be a foreshadowing of a future match-up with Torres,
Curran shares the spotlight with his fellow hometown favorite
at WEC 40. Torres will defend his bantamweight title in the main
event against Top 10 ranked Takeya Mizugaki, while Curran takes
on Joseph Benavidez. A win for would put Curran one step closer
to a shot at the champ.
“If
he was some guy squeaking by against nobodies, there would be
no desire to fight him just to have a belt. I’ve got a handful
of belts from beating some pretty tough guys. Those fights mean
something to me because of where and when they were. It would
not mean anything to me to be labeled as a world champ if I’m
fighting some amateur ranked guy. It’s definitely motivation
to fight a guy like Miguel, who’s kicking everyone’s
ass and has all the tools to beat anyone in the division.”
On
April 5, Curran will face a tough prospect in Benavidez. The
Urijah Faber protégé successfully made his WEC
debut back in December of last year and has yet to taste defeat
in his young career. He poses a formidable threat to all fighters
in his weight division and is the type of opponent that Curran
personally requested for his 135-pound debut.
“Joseph
is undefeated; he’s got nine good wins. He’s got nothing
to lose fighting me. I get to fight this young prospect who is
undefeated that’s definitely a contender in the bantamweight
division. It makes for a great match-up.”
A
consummate athlete, Jeff Curran has dedicated his life to mixed
martial arts. He has worked hard to be where he is today and
continues to move towards his ultimate goal of winning WEC gold.
Win or lose, the “Big Frog” will always be involved
in this sport.
“I’m
a sponge, I love learning. I’m in mixed martial arts because
I love it. I’m not in it for money; I’m not in it for
fame. I got into it because I like it and because I had a passion
for it. If the money stopped and the big show died, I’d
still fight.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Carlos
Newton wins by TKO at 'W1: Inception'
Former UFC welterweight champion Carlos Newton picked up his
first win ever in Canada on Saturday at "W1: Inception"
in Gatineau, Quebec.
Headlining
the event, Newton defeated Nabil Khatib via via first-round TKO
with punches in the mount.
Newton,
32, was fighting in his home country for the first time since
his MMA debut on April 26, 1996, when Newton was a 19-year-old
taking on a super-heavyweight.
Newton
avoided slipping under the .500 mark and snapped a three-fight
losing streak. Newton's record now stands at 14-13.
Newton,
who still teaches at the Warrior Martial Arts Centre in Newmarket,
Ontario, last competed in October 2007 at a K-1 Hero's event
in Japan.
Source: MMA Fighting |
Q&A:
Ricardo Almeida on the importance of team
Anyone who has ever watched Ricardo Almeida compete, whether
in a jiu jitsu tournament or an MMA fight, knows one thing for
sure: the guy has some outstanding Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills.
After all, Almeida owns a 9-3 overall MMA record with four submission
victories to his credit and numerous grappling and submission
fighting titles. What’s more, he possesses wins over tough
fighters like Nate Marquardt, Kazuo Misaki, Ikuhiso Minowa, and
Ryo Chonan, and after a near-four year layoff managed to promptly
enter UFC 81 and dispose of Rob Yundt by first round guillotine
choke like there had been no intermission.
But
when you get the chance to talk to him, you almost immediately
pick up two more things about him. First, he’s quite intelligent.
Second, the word “team”— in this case Team Renzo
Gracie— means a lot to him.
Speaking
of teams, both Almeida and his upcoming Fight Night 18 opponent
Matt Horwich both come from good ones. Along with this, MMAFighting.com’s
Robert Rousseau was lucky enough to get the chance to talk to
Almeida regarding Horwich and more.
MMAFighting.com:
How’s training been going?
Ricardo
Almeida: Training’s going really good. The hard work’s
over, now’s the fun time.
MMAFighting.com:
Have you had anyone special in to train with at your school?
Did you do any traveling getting ready for Matt Horwich or anything
like that?
Ricardo
Almeida: Just the guys that I always get ready with, like some
of the guys who are in the UFC like Frankie Edgar and Andre Gusmao.
A couple of the black belts from Renzo’s. Oh, actually two
weeks ago I went to train in the city to take a class at Renzo’s
school and just work with John Danaher. Georges St. Pierre was
(also) there. So we got to train a little bit, but nothing too
big. Just training with our guys. We always train together, you
know?
MMAFighting.com:
What do you think of your upcoming opponent, Matt Horwich?
Ricardo
Almeida: Matt is a tough guy to prepare for. He’s very unorthodox.
It looks like he tries to mimic Lindland’s game a little
bit with the body locks and keeps coming forward at all times.
I definitely think that his strength is on the ground, that’s
where he finishes most of his fights, you know? I’m looking
forward to a good jiu jitsu battle. It should be good.
MMAFighting.com:
He’s known for his cardio and desire to kind of wear down
opponents, like you were saying. Because of that style, has cardio
and conditioning been an even bigger part of your training leading
into this fight than it might normally be?
Ricardo
Almeida: Yeah, definitely. You fight a guy that pushes forward
the whole time, you want to make sure that conditioning is not
the reason why you lose. If I’m gonna lose, I want to get
knocked out; I want to get submitted. I’m not just going
to lose because I couldn’t keep up with the guy fighting.
MMAFighting.com:
You’re the first American student that was awarded a black
belt from Renzo Gracie. Obviously, it’s an unbelievable
honor. You’ve also won and placed in numerous submission
and grappling tournaments. I’m kind of curious, do you prefer
one to the other (grappling and submission fighting versus MMA)?
Ricardo
Almeida: I think that at the time when I was only doing grappling,
that was all I was doing. I was putting everything into it. Now
I’m in MMA and that’s all I’m doing. I’m
putting everything into it, 100% of (my) focus. I don’t
really prefer one to the other. But I see it as an evolution.
When you go from competing in submission grappling into MMA,
your game has to evolve. . . I’m not saying that one is
harder than the other or deserves more merit than the other.
For sure, the guys who are like Abu Dhabi champions and the guys
who are like Olympic wrestling champions, they have their merit.
But I see MMA as an evolution from just being a specialist in
your martial art or combat sport to becoming a mixed martial
artist.
MMAFighting.com:
What’s Renzo Gracie like?
Ricardo
Almeida: (Laughing) I don’t know what he’s like to
everyone. I think that he’s very well respected among all
the fighters. Everyone loves Renzo, he’s super nice and
always has a big smile on his face. But to me he’s like
a half older brother, half father almost. Since I moved to the
U.S. and lived at his home he’s definitely taken a role
of guiding me through a lot of the major things I’ve done
in my life, whether it was in the ring or off the mats as well.
He’s been a tremendous influence in my adult life since
I moved away from Brazil and from my parents.
MMAFighting.com:
He looks like a real fun guy, actually.
Ricardo
Almeida: For sure.
MMAFighting.com:
Being that you’re so close with Renzo, did you know Helio
Gracie?
Ricardo
Almeida: Yes, I met Master Helio a few times. In 2001, I was
back in Brazil visiting my family and I had the chance to go
the valley, he had his house up in the mountains. I had a chance
to spend a whole day with him at his ranch that he had there
with the horses. He made a grilled cheese and he cooked Acai
with cheese for us. . . He actually put the gi on and he got
on the mats with us. It was a very inspiring time. For sure,
it’s a tremendous loss for jiu jitsu (Helio’s recent
death) and for sure (he was) one of the guys that started mixed
martial arts.
MMAFighting.com:
You had an almost four year layoff from MMA when you came back
to the UFC and defeated Rob Yundt. Other people have had some
difficulty coming back to the sport after long layoffs. Were
you concerned about that coming into that fight?
Ricardo
Almeida: I saw all the guys coming back from Japan and getting
their butts kicked. And these were guys that weren’t even
coming off a layoff like I did. Everyone knows the difference
between fighting in Japan and other places and fighting in the
UFC. Not that the fighters are better. But there’s definitely
a bigger amount of pressure to perform in the UFC. So coming
back my main concern was just to be ready and at the same time
be loose. Just trying to fight how I would normally fight if
it was a wrestling tournament or if it was a mixed martial arts
tournament back in the day. It felt pretty good my first fight
back, very loose. I knew exactly what I needed to do to win and
things ended up going my way.
MMAFighting.com:
You’re in the middleweight division, obviously, and defeated
Nate Marquardt by guillotine several years ago. Right now he’s
kind of near the top of the list when it comes to the middleweight
division in terms of contending in the UFC for Anderson Silva’s
title. From what you see, how much has he changed since you fought
him?
Ricardo
Almeida: I think the biggest thing with Nate, when I fought him
I think he was pretty much out in Colorado training by himself.
I think he was always a very talented fighter. He had very good
jiu jitsu. When I fought him he had great stand up, good wrestling,
but perhaps the first time we fought he didn’t have the
training partners. Now he’s training at Greg Jackson’s.
He’s training with Rashad and all those guys. . . Day in,
day out, when guys are pushing you it’s gonna show when
you step out there. . .I think it’s a big luxury to be a
part of a strong camp.
Look
at Team Renzo. Look at Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes (event). We’ve
got Frankie Edgar on that card; we’ve got Dan Miller on
that card; we’ve got Andre Gusmao. So on that card we’ve
got like four Renzo guys. Not necessarily (do) we train week
in, week out, because we are like two- three hours apart. But
we do get together and we try to share.
MMAFighting.com:
All those guys, that’s got to push you right?
Ricardo
Almeida: For sure.
MMAFighting.com:
Also in the middleweight division is a fighter by the name of
Demian Maia, with a great BJJ background similar to you. I know
you’re totally focused on Matt Horwich, but would that be
a future fight that you’d be interested in? I think it has
the potential to be a pretty special grappling encounter.
Ricardo
Almeida: You know to be honest, I don’t really think about,
I would like to fight this guy or I would like to fight that
guy, unless they are the champion. You know what I mean? Everyone
who’s in the UFC, if they don’t have the goal of becoming
a champion someday they don’t belong… It’s so
competitive, if you don’t have the will or the drive you’re
going to get sort of pushed to the sidelines a little bit.
But
yeah, if the fight ever comes. . . I think that for me, it’s
always going to feel a little strange to fight another jiu jitsu
guy. I almost going feel like I’m doing something that my
parents told me not to do (laughing). . . Demian is phenomenal.
I love watching him fight. I love how he uses his jiu jitsu so
effortlessly. He’s just been dominating guys. It’s
great to watch. It’s nothing I really think about like,
I want to fight Demian Maia to see who’s the better jiu
jitsu guy. I try to stay focused on what I need to do and my
goal is to fight for the title. So whatever gets me there.
MMAFighting.com:
What motivates you to fight and to compete in the UFC?
Ricardo
Almeida: There are a couple of things. . . Being an instructor,
one of them is knowledge. I want to make sure that my students
coming up and my son and Renzo’s kids and all the guys in
our camp get more knowledge and more understanding of what’s
going on than I ever did. A big motivation for me is the knowledge
I’ll gain from it to pass onto the students.
The
second is representing Team Renzo and representing jiu jitsu
in a way. Being out there, being known as a Renzo Gracie black
belt, and being known as a jiu jitsu guy. And trying to be a
positive influence, not only in MMA, but in the jiu jitsu community.
And
thirdly, I’m a pretty competitive guy. I love competing.
I love measuring yourself, seeing how good you could be. Getting
up there and beating guys. When you lose, let the scorecards
show what happened. Just don’t sit on the sidelines and
be watching TV and saying, I could do this, I could do that,
instead of just being there, regardless of the outcome.
MMAFighting.com:
That’s a great answer. Do you have a prediction for the
fight?
Ricardo
Almeida: If I was good at predictions, I’d be betting and
not fighting, you know (laughing)? . . . He’s very good
on the ground. I’m predicting this to be a really good ground
fight. (We’ll) see what happens.
MMAFighting.com:
Thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me. I know
you’re extremely busy.
Ricardo
Almeida: No problem, Bob.
MMAFighting.com:
Good luck in the fight.
Ricardo
Almeida: Thank you very much. You have a great day.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Ladies
celebrate their champions
Find out who were the winners of the women’s division
Super
featherweight
Claudia
Martinez (Pinnacle JJ) derrotou Dawn Miller (North County BJJ)
Featherweight
Fabiana
Borges (Gracie Barra) submitted Michelle Nicolini (Drysdale JJ)
with a footlock
Lightweight
Ana
Carolina Vidal (Gracie Humaitá) defeated Kyra Gracie (Gracie
Barra) by 7 to 0
Medium-heavyweight
Ana
Laura Cordeiro (Gracie Barra) defeated Penny Thomas (Gracie Humaitá) by 4 to 0
Heavyweight
Luka
Dias (Gracie Humaitá) submitted Katrina Weilbache (Alliance)
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Paulo
Filho: “I’m more focused now”
Phenomenon
in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, Paulo Filho was unanimity in middleweight
rankings, which showed him as the second best athlete in the
division. Coming undefeated to WEC, the black belt won the belt
of the category, but several problems outside the ring resulted
in his first defeat and his release from the organization. After
several months of treatment, Filho is back to the trainings and
spoke to TATAME.com.
"I’m
100%, training hard with the Master Distak, who is giving a great
base, and the Master Oswaldo Alves, who has helped me on the
ground, a totally different vision of Jiu-Jitsu. I found a cool
girl that gives me support. My father is in good health, everything
is perfect for me. I think this is the best stage of my life",
said Paulo, who doesn’t want to choose which event he’ll
fight. "I'll go to the event that pays better... Give me
the money and fuck the rest (laughs)", joked.
In
exclusive interview to the TATAME, Paulão talked about
his treatment, the victory of Demian Maia over his tormentor,
Chael Sonnen, the trainings with Arona and how would it be if
his friend was in the UFC, Wanderlei Silva change of category
and said about the cover report from the TATAME Magazine of March,
which married his fights with Shogun and Anderson. "Against
Shogun, I think I win with calm. He is a good athlete, has enough
force, it is intense, stripped, invents, do his game ",
says.
Paulo Filho
Phenomenon
in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, Paulo Filho was unanimity in middleweight
rankings, which showed him as the second best athlete in the
division. Coming undefeated to WEC, the black belt won the belt
of the category, but several problems outside the ring resulted
in his first defeat and his release from the organization. After
several months of treatment, Filho is back to the trainings.
In exclusive interview to the TATAME, Paulão talked about
his treatment, the victory of Demian Maia over his tormentor,
Chael Sonnen, the trainings with Arona and how would it be if
his friend was in the UFC, Wanderlei Silva change of category
and said about the cover report from the TATAME Magazine March
issue, which put his fights with Shogun and Anderson.
How
was your return to the trainings?
I’m
100%, training hard with the Master Distak, who is giving me
a sensational base, and the Master Oswaldo Alves, a vision totally
different of the Jiu-Jitsu. Thanks God I’m more focused,
recovered from the problems I had. I met a cool girl that supports
me. My father is in good health, everything is perfect for me.
I think this is the best stage of my life.
You’re
also training with Anderson and Minotauro in Rio?
No.
I didn’t go to the X-Gym for personal reasons. I’m
doing some training at Tonico Jr. academy.
I
spoke with your manager and he said you were next to close with
the Bellator, but it didn’t work. How is your head to return
to the fights?
I’ll
go to the event that pays me better... Give me the money and
fuck the rest (laughs).
How
was your treatment?
I
was very well received by the doctor, treated my depression,
I’m cured, beyond the other problems that I also had and
that can happen to any athlete. Since I left the clinic, I’m
strong, very well. People will have a big surprise to see Paulo
Filho back.
What
did you think of Demian’s victory against Chael Sonnen?
First,
I would like to congratulate Demian, who is showing the best
ground of MMA, undoubtedly. Sonnen is a very hard guy and he
won him easily. He is doing a great job raising the flag, I was
very happy, really. He showed to Sonnen that the Jiu-Jitsu is
the most complete martial art.
In
the March edition of TATAME, we made a card with ten dream fights,
and you appear in two of them: against Maurício Shogun
and Anderson Silva. How do you think would be a fight between
you?
Against
Shogun, I think I win, easily. He is a good athlete, has enough
force, it’s intense, stripped, invents, shows the game,
but I think he has gaps and with my force and well trained, I
can stop his game, even because I’m physically stronger
than him. But Anderson is a guy that I wouldn’t fight at
all. We have the same manager, are friends and I think it has
space for everybody. With Shogun would be a matter of honor,
I believe that the Chute Boxe, today, is the former Luta Livre,
then have a romantic motive in this fight, but Anderson is out
of the question.
Speaking
about Chute Boxe, what did you think of the losses of athletes
like Wanderlei, Shogun, Ninja, and Rafael Cordeiro going to the
United States?
Just
as the Chute Boxe formed Shogun, Wanderlei, Anderson Silva, Ninja
and many others, will make even more. Rudimar is a pioneer guy,
Rafael Cordeiro too, they are able to restart, is a matter of
time. It’s more than proof that they have one of the strongest
schools in the world. They’re groundwork has been done and
they could make athletes even better?
Have
you already trained with Arona in your return?
I
have been training again, we talk a lot. He is my soul mate,
think as I think, has the same principle of honor and justice,
defend the Jiu-Jitsu, lover of nature and sports. I think he
has everything to return and, in my opinion, is the number one
at light heavyweight, he just needs to work hard that he has
no opponent in that category.
How
do you think Arona would be at the UFC now?
Arona
has lots of quality and a sensational star, is one of the bravest
guys I know, is the stronger guy of the category and is from
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is the guy who won Fedor, so there are
no comments for him. He is more mature, with 30 years old, working
hard in silence.
After
the defeat to Quinton Rampage, Wanderlei went down to the middleweight.
How do you think he will fight in this category?
Wanderlei
is a strong guy. I’m a guy who always weight 204lbs training
and in good shape, but now, for example, I’m with 205lbs,
and have difficulties. He is heavier than me, he will feel a
lot and will lose much of that power. And as he is an athlete
who doesn’t have the greatest technical part, if he gets
a good Wrestler, gets more complicated. He will make the experience
at 185lbs and then go up. A council from who knows, he will feel
it, for sure.
He
will face Rich Franklin, the former middleweight champion. How
do you think the fight will be?
At
205lbs I don’t see much problem, but at middleweight I don’t
guarantee. Rich already fought many times in this category, he’s
used to, I don’t know... I cheer for him, his Brazilian,
but I think he will fell a little difficulty.
Source: Tatame |
BONJASKY
DEFEATS OVEREEM AT K-1 WORLD GP
Tournament reserve fighter Keijiro Maeda was supposed to be a
footnote to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Yokohama. Instead,
the Japanese kickboxer caught a lucky break then scored a couple
of major upsets bouts to emerge as the evening's hero -- and
the new K-1 Heavyweight Champion.
The
K-1 Heavyweight Title Tournament was a four-man elimination,
fought in a 100kg/220lbs weight class, for the K-1 Heavyweight
Belt. A pair of semifinals went up early on the Yokohama card,
the two winners met in the final later in the evening.
The
22 year-old Maeda, whose green mohawk and rust starfish hairstyle
suggests a Salvador Dali painting, was parachuted into the tournament
when scheduled fighter Chalid De Faust could not make the trip
to Japan.
Maeda
took on Melvin Manhoef of Holland in the first semifinal. Given
that Maeda was a late substitute who in the 48 hours preceding
the bout had repeatedly told the press he was "scared of
Manhoef" -- few afforded him much of a chance here.
But
he did have a chance, and he made the most of it. Curiously,
the heavily-favored Manhoef was so absorbed in hamstring stretching
that he let the opening bell sound unheeded, and had to be called
into the center of the ring by the referee. Hardly the explosive
start expected from the Dutch dynamo. Cautious sparring in the
early going, before Manhoef landed a left to put Maeda off balance.
However, as will happen in K-1, everything then changed in the
blink of an eye. With Manhoef closing, Maeda tossed a right.
It was an innocent-looking punch, but it caught Manhoef going
the wrong way, caught him on the chin, and caught him hard. And
Manhoef went to the canvas. With the count on, the floundering
fighter tried and tried again, but couldn't find his feet. A
tremendous KO upset, putting Maeda into the finals.
The
second semi of the K-1 Heavyweight Title Tournament saw Tyrone
Spong of Suriname, making his K-1 debut, take on Gokhan Saki
of Turkey.
Fast
and technical action in the first, Spong balanced well, both
fighters landing low kicks but blocking the more dangerous stuff
to go to the second tied on all cards. Here punches were exchanged,
Spong setting well and controlling the distance, closing with
the knee; Saki circling and darting in with punches, Sprong countering
well to keep all the scorecards even. The third saw Spong closing
with the hook but Saki holding his ground and picking his spots
nicely on counters, sailing a kick just high. No advantage after
three and so the judges called for a tiebreaker.
Spong
pounded in the body blows through the fourth to put up points.
Saki meanwhile was patient, before finding the finish with a
right hook on a counter. The punch came down hard on Spong's
nose, sending him to the mat. Spong struggled to stand but was
too wobbly for the ref's liking, and Saki had the KO win and
a date with Maeda in the final.
Maeda
and Saki took to the ring in a final matchup few would have predicted,
but the boys made a great go of it. This was a technical bout,
neither giving the other much to hit, but in the end a couple
of mistakes by Saki proved the difference.
Through
the first Maeda punched into his opponent's guard repeatedly,
while Saki had the more balanced attacks, and made sound contact
with a little deke and jab late in the round. Much of the same
in the second, Saki positioning well and controlling the distance
with front kicks, but not using his speed to get inside and hurt
Maeda. The Japanese fighter meanwhile scored with a right straight
and powered a kick in to the midsection.
Saki
got his own middle kicks going in the third, and rattled Maeda
with a left on a counter. Saki was planting himself solidly now,
and had more behind his low kicks, but Maeda wisely kept his
fists moving to catch a break when his opponent dropped the left
to throw. In an instant, Maeda landed a right hook that was the
strike of the fight. Judges had it even on all cards and the
bout went to a tiebreaker round.
Maeda
was the more aggressive fighter when it mattered, making contact
again with the right. His evasions were now near-perfect, as
Saki looked increasingly wild. The Japanese fighter's punches
may not have caused much damage, but there were enough of them
to sway the judges. A promising Saki rally at the clapped proved
too little too late, as Maeda took the win by majority decision.
"I
won!" spouted a loquacious Maeda in his post-event interview.
"I went from fighting a reserve fight to being in the tournament.
It was tough, but I won. Melvin was…scary! Really scary!
I was worried. I was heavily attacked by several fighters in
the past and didn’t want it to happen again. I fought more
aggressively than usual and it paid off!"
"Until
now I've been scared to let my hands go, but I went for it tonight.
In tournaments I usually do little in the first round, but tonight
I was thinking of the baseball player Ichiro, and I just went
for it. I had to be careful all night with distancing and just
countered when I was hit. In the second fight, Gokhan's punches
didn’t really scare me, so I decided to fight a fight that
I would be satisfied with!"
"I
am the champion! But I don't think I can beat Badr Hari, that's
impossible. This is me, remember, so I'd like to avoid that fight
if I can! I just want to be on TV!. Also, I finally have some
money, so I can afford to buy some juice tonight. I am still
working part-time, three nights a week, for 1,000 yen an hour,
but now I think I can cut it to twice a week! I a masochist type,
so I want to slowly change to become a little more sadistic if
I can!"
Tonight's
12-bout extravaganza opened K-1's 17th season. Aside from the
K-1 Heavyweight one-day tournament, there were also five Superfights
and three undercard bouts.
In
the Main Event, three-time and defending World GP Champion Remy
Bonjasky met Alistair Overeem -- the Dutch MMA fighter who shocked
K-1 fans with a dramatic KO victory over Badr Hari last New Year's
Eve. Bonjasky had been cast in the role of avenger here, with
the reputation of K-1 fighters on the line. So gravely was the
test regarded that K-1 Event Producer Sadaharu Tanikawa said
a Bonjasky loss tonight could amount to "the end of K-1."
A
study in contrasts -- Bonjasky the finesse fighter; Overeem the
brawler. There was none of the customary glove-touching to start
this showdown. Overeem barreled in from the bell with a flying
knee attempt that made decent contact -- and how delightful the
irony for Overeem had Bonjasky gone down on the wrong end of
one of his signature moves. But that was not to happen. Bonjasky
countered with low kicks, which Overeem grabbed as part of an
apparent strategy to neutralize and manhandle his opponent. The
fighters exchanged words in the clinch here, and one can guess
they weren't cordial.
Overeem
surprised Bonjasky with a front kick to the face early in the
second. Bonjasky brought one-two combinations and some body blows
but spent too much of the second with his guard high and close,
apparently waiting for his opponent to close. A risky strategy
as Overeem brought a mess of raw aggression to the clashes --
landing a right uppercut from close and throwing Bonjasky several
times. Although he landed his hard low kicks, Bonjasky was taking
more than he gave. Had the brutish Overeem clipped the Flying
Gentleman's wings? Bonjasky was lucky to get out of the round
even on all cards.
In
the third again Overeem was nasty, seizing the kicking leg, delivering
a face wash, and repeatedly kicking at Bonjasky's knee and throwing
him to the mat. Although Bonjasky low kicks, Overeem did well
inside with an uppercut. The fight was entering its final minute
when Bonjasky finally saw the opening he wanted -- threading
in a right straight punch on an out-of-position Overeem to send
him down. To get back into it, Overeem needed to make some noise
late, but could not, and Bonjasky took the victory by a comfortable
unanimous decision.
In
the aftermath, Bonjasky attempted return an "Oscar"
that Overeem's team had presented him at the press conference
a day earlier, "because we respect Remy's acting in the
ring," but the statuette was swatted away by a humorless
cornerman.
"My
performance today was not my best," said Bonjasky afterward.
"Honestly, on Thursday when I was asked by a fan for a photo
while having dinner, and I stood up and twisted my knee. I wanted
to cancel the fight, but after discussing it with K-1 and a doctor,
we decided to continue. This is why I couldn’t do my usual
flying knees and running around, so I apologize for that. It
seems like I partially tore my meniscus, it was incredibly painful."
"To
defend the name of K-1 was a lot of pressure, but it felt good
to knock Alistair down. If I didn’t get the down it would
have seemed like a draw. I wanted to finish him but my coach
told me to not take any risks, and just take the win."
"He
said that I'm an actor and that I didn’t deserve the belt,
so I wanted to give him the 'Oscar' back. I wanted to show I
was not an actor and that I'm a real fighter. I also wanted to
say 'Hey, I told you so!' but I have respect for him. If you
look at his MMA record, he has lost almost half of his fights,
yet after beating Badr Hari he suddenly felt he could fly. You
need to do more than win one fight before you can fly!"
Not
surprisingly, Overeem had a different take on the events: "I
think the fight went as planned. I was dominating the fight as
planned, but regrettably I went down in the third. I thought
I had the first two rounds, so it might go for an extra round,
but it didn’t happen. Remy is a great fighter, but I have
never been impressed with his technique, and I think that showed
during the fight tonight."
The
card's penultimate match featured another Dutchman, K-1 superstar
Peter Aerts, fighting Errol Zimmerman, a 22 year-old kickboxer
from the Netherlands Antilles island of Curaçao.
This
was a quintessential K-1 fight, awesome non-stop action from
start to finish. Zimmerman set the pace early with aggressive
right straight punches, Aerts blocking perfectly, weathering
those that got through before countering with straight punches
of his own. The tempo through the first and second was frenetic,
Zimmerman, his guard high and close, powering in the punches;
Aerts refusing to retreat, stepping up and picking his spots
with combinations.
Zimmerman's
power punches had him up on two cards coming into the third,
where he lapsed some into defense, always however explosive with
counters. Aerts showed excellent stamina, and landed a couple
of smashing right straight punches in the final frame to tie
it up. An extra round was prescribed, and here Aerts got through
early with a punishing Right straight punch. Zimmerman stayed
on his feet, but never fully recovered from the blow. Aerts continued
pressing to the final bell -- at one point electing not to strike
a vulnerable, doubled over Zimmerman, who could well have been
assessed a standing count. In the final analysis, it was poise
and precision that carried the 38 year-old Dutch Lumberjack to
a well-earned unanimous decision. The fight of the night.
Said
Aerts afterward: "I just spoke to my wife, and she's very
happy. My kids are also saying 'My daddy is the best!' It's great;
otherwise I couldn’t go home! I trained hard, I have a very
good doctor and trainer, and I needed this to get ready for this
fight because Errol has a big heart, he's a strong fighter and
was in good condition. I also really want to wish Nobu Hayashi
all the best. He has leukemia, I want to see him get better soon."
A
three-time World GP Champ and reigning K-1 Super Heavyweight
Champion, Semmy Schilt of Holland stepped in against 28 year-old
Egyptian Hesdy Gerges in a Superfight.
Standing
200cm/6'7", Gerges is likely accustomed to facing shorter
opponents. Schilt, however, tops the Egyptian by a full 12cm/4",
and Gerges could not overcome the height disadvantage. Schilt
just did what he does best -- putting the left jab out to control
the distance, firing in the right when his opponent closed, and
meeting any heroic incursions with the big knee. This stood the
behemoth in good stead, and a down courtesy a right had Schilt
well up on all cards going into the third. To his credit, Gerges
fought on to the bitter end, but Schilt proven game plan made
the win look easy.
"The
fight was taken on very short notice, but I think I had a good
fight," commented Schilt. "I think my opponent was
a good fighter, and he took many punches. I think he also had
a good fight. I have been focusing on MMA recently, though I
have continued my stand up training too. I did have to re-focus
on pure stand up just a few days ago though."
French
slugger Jerome LeBanner represented old-school K-1 against explosive
young kyokushin fighter Ewerton Teixeira of Brazil in another
Superfight.
LeBanner
the southpaw kept his right low and loose and stepped in with
the left through the early going; while Teixeira brought long
right kicks round to the midsection. In the second Teixeira threw
the low and middle kicks with more gusto, prompting LeBanner
to answer in kind. Teixeira took more of the ring as the fight
progressed, and was speedy with his counters, landing a right
hook midway through the second to bring a points lead into the
third. Here, however, LeBanner showed good stamina, closing repeatedly
with the punches, while Teixeira delivered a number of punishing
kicks to the legs and midsection, tagging, as he had in the first,
LeBanner's left arm with some of the blows. A draw on all cards
prompting a tiebreaker round.
In
the extra frame Teixeira again fired the right kicks, while LeBanner
responded aggressively, scoring late with straight punches. The
Frenchman thought he had the win, and did get the nod from one
judge -- but the others called it a draw. In the fifth round,
an indefatigable Teixeira again went with right kicks, while
LeBanner fought past the blows to send fists to the face. Good
effort from both fighter, a rare split decision going to Teixeira.
"My
arm and ankle are a little sore, but no more than after any other
fight," said Teixeira in the winner's circle. "I planned
to move to my right and kick to the body as much as possible.
If I aimed for his arm, then I could hurt his body at the same
time. The fight went pretty much as I expected, though I didn't
think it needed to go to an extra round. When LeBanner made a
scene after the first extra round, it was the judges' decision
that got him upset, it had nothing to do with me. LeBanner's
punches are very strong, and they get no weaker as he tires.
He's a dangerous fighter!"
Brazilian
kyokushin star Glaube Feitosa met spirited Japanese kickboxer
Junichi Sawayashiki in a thriller. The start was all speed and
aggression, Sawayashiki in with the punches, Feitosa firing kicks
galore. Wide-open action through the first frame, Feitosa's experience
trumping the reckless Sawayashiki, as a left straight punch got
through the guard to score a down. Sawayashiki beat the count
but was shaken, and Feitosa soon scored a second down, this time
with a right straight.
Sawayashiki
was saved by the bell, but in the second the Japanese fighter's
go-to style was his undoing against Feitosa's superior positioning
and timing. It was a Feitosa left straight punch, a repeat of
the first down, that proved the decisive blow. Sawayashiki went
to the mat, and wanted to get up, but his corner wisely threw
the towel. A dominating performance by Feitosa for the KO win.
"It
was a great fight," said Feitosa in his post-bout interview.
"At first it was tough to find my distance, but once I did
the result was perfect. Sawayashiki is a young guy, but still
has experience. I think he has a bright future if his team chooses
his opponents. I want to say one more thing. I want to show my
appreciation to my family, friends, kyokushin, Francisco Filho
and my boxing gym for in Brazil for helping me come back successfully
this year after losing twice and having a tough time last year.
Thank you!"
In
undercard action, Mitsugu Noda took a decision over Yang Rae
Yoo; Takumi Sato thrice downed Hiraku Hori in the third for a
victory; and big Yutaka Sakuma made short work of Takashi Tachikawa,
winning by KO just 29 seconds into the first.
All
bouts were conducted under K-1 Official Rules -- 3Min. x 3R;
Ext.2R (Ext. 1R in the tournament semifinals).
The
K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 in Yokohama attracted 10,328 fans to
the Yokohama Arena.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“What
is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step
to something better.”
Wendell Phillips
|
Another
historic Pan Saturday
In
the fullest Jiu-Jitsu tournament ever in California, the mood
in the Cal State Dominguez Hills gymnasium couldn’t have
been better.
Rickson
Gracie, with son Kron nearby, talks surf with Fabio Gurgel and
Kid Peligro. A curious bystander asks the Gracie whether he’s
enjoying the matches in the 2009 Jiu-Jitsu Pan, and the automatic
answer “Not yet.”
Rickson
goes on to explain: “Enjoyment needs to involve a certain
dispute of sentiments, adrenaline, a state of spirit I’m
not in yet. Tomorrow, yes,” he concluded in the presence
of his middleweight black belt son Kron.
The
purple belt category is going off in the gymnasium. The absolute
kicks off and Rickson watches on. Fabio Gurgel does an overall
survey of the main competitors, and then smiles at the reporter:
“Can you imagine a final between Romulo Barral and Cobrinha?”It
was left for the imagination, unfortunately. Having impeccable
campaigns, those to “steal the scene” were Antonio
Braga Neto (Gordo JJ) and Otavio Sousa (Gracie Barra-PE), who
face off today for the absolute gold.
Suffering
the flu, Braga Neto kicked off his campaign submitting the much
lighter Paulo Ledesma (Gracie Barra) with a calf crunch. Ledesma
would eliminate Wellington Megaton and used the guard to bravely
fend off Neto. “I tapped the moment he sunk the hold, otherwise
he’d hurt me for his weight,” said Ledesmo.
Medium
heavyweight Otavio Sousa choked out Oka Kouchiroi, beat Adriano
Silva on the scorecards and won a war against Lucas Leite, with
two sweeps. Meanwhile, Neto went past Rodrigo Cavaca with two
advantages, playing on top the whole time. The semifinal against
Romulo Barral, one of the favorites for the title, would also
be that way. Romulo’s powerful guard against the top game
of the fighter from Amazonas, and not the slightest bit inclined
to stalling, despite the 0 to 0 score, would end withreferee
Muzio de Angelis raising Braga Neto’s arm. “What did
I think of the matches? Mine were horrible. I had the flu, I
couldn’t breathe through my nose, tomorrow I’ll be
better,” said a stuffy-nosed Neto.
At
the other end of the bracket, Rubens “Cobrinha” Alliance
would submit Abmar Barbosa (Drysdale) and sweep Rafael Lovato
Jr., in the first match to bring the gymnasium to its feet. Against
Otavio Sousa, more noise, but the brave featherweight’s
adventure in the absolute would end there. The Ze Radiola student
started off winning by an advantage when ending up n top after
both pulled guard, and Cobrinha held on waiting for a chance
to sweep. The match was at a standstill, with Cobrinha pulling
on Sousa’s gi by the lapel after being inactive for some
time. A minute and a half to go, Rubens swept and set the gymnasium
alight. But…
With
only seconds left on the clock, Otavio maneuvered and went for
all or nothing. Cobrinha’s hand was inside the pant leg
and referee Augusto Tanquinho warned him, slapping the hand of
the three-time world champion, who let go. Otavio concluded his
sweep and captured his place in Sunday’s final.
“You
shouldn’t have stopped there,” Fabio Gurgel taught.
How will Rubens Charles react to defeat when in the featherweight
category, today? The answer next chapter, at GRACIEMAG.com.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
For
Bader, wrestling and MMA a team effort
When
Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Ryan Bader takes his first trip back
into the octagon since winning the reality show competition,
the situation will take him back about three years.
Bader’s
trip to Nashville for the UFC’s first card in Tennessee
on Wednesday harkens back to his days wrestling at Arizona State
University, when he and his most successful teammates were preparing
for the NCAA wrestling tournament.
Bader,
a three-time Pac-10 champion and two-time All-American wrestler,
is one of four fighters from the Arizona Combat Sports camp appearing
on the live special on Spike TV. Bader will face Carmello Marrero,
best known for outwrestling heavyweight contender Cheick Kongo
to a decision win in 2006.
Teammate
Carlos Condit, coming over from World Extreme Cagefighting –
where he was the last welterweight champion – debuts in
UFC against Martin Kampmann, cutting down from middleweight,
in the main event.
Aaron
Simpson, an assistant coach at Arizona State when Bader was there
and a wrestler with international credentials, debuts against
WEC transplant Tim McKenzie. A fourth teammate, Steve Steinbeiss,
also debuts on the UFC stage in a prelim fight against Ryan Jensen.
The
team atmosphere heading into Wednesday’s card rekindles
the vibe from his college wrestling days.
“It’s
nice to go there and feel like you’re part of a team,”
said the 25-year-old Bader, whose camp also included roommate
and college teammate C.B. Dollaway, who fights Tom Lawlor at
UFC 100 on July 11. “If you aren’t motivated, you have
three or four other guys in the room going through the same thing
and you see them training as hard or harder.”
Marrero
makes an interesting first big-stage opponent for Bader, who
knocked out Vinny Magalhaes in 2:18 on Dec. 13 in Las Vegas to
win the TUF 8 light heavyweight tournament. Marrero (10-2 with
one no-contest), who trains with the American Top Team, decisioned
Steinbeiss in his most recent fight on Nov. 5 on a WEC show in
Sunrise, Fla.
“He’s
a wrestler and a great athlete, but I think I’m a little
better athlete,” Bader said. “I saw him in WEC when
he fought Steinbeiss. He’s a step up in competition, and
Steinbeiss has helped me on this. It’s two wrestlers, so
it should be an exciting and fast-paced fight.”
Bader
said this fight differs from his last match with Magalhaes, a
world-class jujitsu practitioner.
“In
that fight, the game plan was not to go to the ground,”
he said. “In this fight, there is no game plan. Wherever
the fight goes is fine.”
He
noted his stand-up has improved in the past three-plus months,
and that the previous fight gave him confidence that he doesn’t
have to take his opponent down.
But
it’s a shot back at the big time for Marrero, 28. After
beating Kongo, the Philadelphia native lost by submission against
Gabriel Gonzaga. He then dropped to light heavyweight, lost to
Wilson Gouveia, and was cut from the company. He worked his way
back with four wins outside the UFC.
Bader
looks to break something of a drought for the reality show that
launched the career of stars such as light heavyweight champion
Rashad Evans, former champion Forrest Griffin and the United
Kingdom’s Michael Bisping. It’s really been a few years
since the show has produced a genuine championship contender.
“The
pluses of the show was getting so many fights in a short period
of time; you get a lot of ring experience,” said Bader (9-0).
“Another big plus was getting coaching from Nogueira, Anderson
Silva and Lyoto Machida. I made some great contacts and I still
stay in touch with them.
“The
negative is the boredom of it all. There’s no TV, no radio,
no books or magazines. After you’ve told everyone your best
stories three times, there’s not a lot to do. By four or
five weeks, you just can’t wait to get out of there. But
I’d do it again if I had the choice.”
The
season was best remembered for some gross pranks, but Bader said
he wasn’t bothered by them and felt it wasn’t much
different than being on a wrestling team – though he admitted
being tricked into eating the fruit laced with urine was something
different. He said the pranks broke up the monotony of all the
down time in the house, and that there was an agreement not to
cross a certain line.
It
was also a weird time for him, as Arizona State – probably
the strongest wrestling program in the West – canceled the
sport for budgetary reasons just as he was going into the TUF
house. Bader, who graduated in 2006, was still involved with
the program. While he had no connection to the outside world,
a big fight to try and save the program went down.
The
program was saved by an extensive fund-raising campaign –
though the caveat is that money must be raised to fund it every
year now.
Bader
remains in close contact with the wrestling team. Perhaps the
most talked-about story of last week’s NCAA tournament was
Sun Devils wrestler Anthony Robles, born with no right leg, placing
fourth in the 125-pound weight class.
“I
train there (with ASU wrestlers) as often as I can,” Bader
said. “If I didn’t have the fight coming up, I probably
would have gone to the tournament. If you’re ever out there
feeling sorry for yourself, when you see (Robles), it gets you
motivated.”
Bader
noted that there is a mountain that all the ASU wrestlers run,
and Robles goes out there, on crutches, and runs up the mountain
just like everyone else. Robles garnered national publicity as
a prep wrestler, but there were a lot of questions about whether
he could be successful at the collegiate level.
Arizona
State has also likely produced more UFC fighters than any other
school. When Bader was in college, the top of the order was Dollaway
at 184, himself at 197, and Cain Velasquez as a heavyweight –
all of whom earned All-American status. Simpson, who placed in
the U.S. Olympic team trials in 2000 and 2004, was an assistant
coach. Kyle Kingsbury played on the football team at the same
time.
In
addition, three of the sports’ legends were on the wrestling
team in the ’80s: Dan Severn, Don Frye and Dan Henderson.
“I
don’t know if it’s a style or why,” Bader said
about so many being able to make the successful transition. “A
lot of wrestlers can be successful at this sport, but there are
Division I national champions who don’t make it. A lot of
us came up together. A week after nationals, Cain went down to
Mexico for his first fight, although his opponent canceled out.
We (Bader and Dollaway) got into it later, and Simpson came after
us.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Simpson
has been blessed multiple times
Aaron
Simpson had always a lot to be thankful for in his life.
He
had been one of the great wrestlers in Arizona State University
history. He was a two-time All-American, was the outstanding
wrestler in the Pac-10 in 1997 and twice advanced to the U.S.
Olympic Trials, finishing fifth and fourth.
His
academic achievements at ASU surpassed the greatness he displayed
on the mats. He was a 4.0 student and earned a degree in broadcast
journalism and then a master’s in higher education.
He’d
spent 10 fulfilling years as an assistant wrestling coach, nine
of them at his alma mater, where he said he forged incredibly
close relationships.
In
high school, he was 142-1 as a wrestler, was all-state as a football
player and won the state title in the triple jump in track.
He
and his wife, Kendra Sirignano, had opened their home to a teenaged
girl who had been in and out of foster homes. After three years
of treating Claire as a member of their family, they adopted
her and made it official.
Some
of the wrestlers he coached had gotten into mixed martial arts
and Simpson slowly gravitated toward the sport. In less than
two years, he’s made it to the sport’s highest level
and will make his debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship
on April 1 when he meets Tim McKenize at Ultimate Fight Night
on Spike TV at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Still,
despite everything that was good in his life, there was one huge,
gaping hole.
“We
wanted children,” Simpson said. “We tried so hard,
but no matter what we did, it wasn’t working.”
Simpson
and Sirignano saw a fertility specialist and tried in vitro fertilization
treatments, which he said cost $10,000-15,000 each, which weren’t
working.
“It
was the hardest thing to be so hopeful and then to get the negative
test,” Simpson said. “We did it three times, and each
time, we were hoping it would be the one. You’d just hope
this one would be it. You’d wait the 10 days and they’d
call you up and say, ‘No. Sorry.’ We were in shock
each time. I can’t describe how much it hurt. My wife was
beside herself.”
They
were crushed, as were their families. They began to consider
the real possibility of life without babies. They would talk
to each other about the things they could do, the freedom they
would have, without babies.
Each,
though, knew the other was just attempting to spin a bad situation.
“We
thought about traveling the world and getting Claire into college
and then enjoying our lives without children,” he said.
“It was a very hard thing to have to accept.”
Sirignano’s
mother, Crystal, was as crushed as the rest of the family. She
was 51 and ran a health and fitness center.
She
approached Aaron and Kendra with a proposition: What if I would
be your child’s surrogate mother?
The
young couple was hopeful it could be the answer to their prayers,
but they had more questions than answers, most of them centering
on Crystal’s age. But Crystal Sirignano’s doctor said
she was in phenomenal health and there was no reason she couldn’t
do it.
So,
Simpson’s semen and Kendra Sirignano’s eggs were placed
together to create an embryo, which was then placed inside of
the surrogate mother.
On
June 18, 2008, by Caesarian section, 52-year-old Crystal Sirignano
gave birth to her twin grandchildren, Domenico and Mia.
“When
she said she’d carry for us, we were blown away,” Simpson
said. “It was one of the most gracious things anyone could
do. It was so selfless. And when we got the call that she was
pregnant, you can’t even imagine what it was like.”
It
hardly seemed real to Simpson, who admitted to more than a few
doubts along the way.
He
had been blessed with many gifts in his life, but he was uncertain
about this one.
“I
don’t know that I really knew for sure that this was happening
until I was in the delivery room and they were doing a C-section
and pulled two little babies out,” he said. “That’s
when it really hit. I was like, ‘Holy crap! This is real.
We really have our babies here.’ It was a happy time around
our house, you might imagine.”
The
year 2008 was a banner year in many ways for the couple. Aaron
established himself as a legitimate mixed martial artist, winning
all three of his matches and earning a contract in the UFC.
He
taken a fight in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion against
black belt David Avellan in September on just two weeks notice,
which he knew would be a dangerous proposition.
As
had been the case throughout his magical year, he got a break.
Hurricane Ike forced a two-month postponement of the card. Simpson
got a full training camp as a result and wound up knocking out
Avellan in 18 seconds.
It
was that kind of year. Even their adventures turned out wildly
successful. They decided to try out to appear on the NBC series,
“The American Gladiators” and were shocked to be selected.
In
a curious twist, Kendra would up facing women’s MMA star
Gina Carano – also known as the Gladiator “Crush”
– in a variation of a wrestling match.
Simpson
gleefully recounted his experience of playing basketball 30 feet
in the air as men the size of small pickup trucks tried to knock
him to the ground.
He’s
hoping his luck hasn’t run out in 2009, though since he
gets to see his children every day, he said it’s already
a success no matter what happens in the fight.
He
knows McKenzie will present serious problems, but he’s eager
for the fight.
“I
know he’s going to throw a lot of punches, a lot of hard
punches, and I want to see how I’ll react,” he said.
“I train with a lot of beasts and I feel I’m prepared.
I feel comfortable standing in the pocket.”
He’s
34 and only has two years of experience training in MMA. He is
fully aware of his limitations and what he’ll be up against.
But
he also believes in his competitiveness and his athletic ability.
And he also understands that MMA is generally kind to wrestlers
and is forgiving of age.
He’s
sparred with some of the game’s best – UFC fighters
Ryan Bader and C.B. Dollaway are his regular training partners
and he’s also worked with Thales Leites and Joe Riggs –
and thinks he can become a significant force at 185 pounds.
“Stick
me in the cage with Anderson Silva right now and it’s going
to be ugly,” Simpson said. “There are aspects of it
… well, he’s far and away better than most anybody.
The guy is the best fighter in the world in any weight class.
“I
feel I have the potential to be great in this sport. … Maybe
I’m crazy, but I just believe I’m young enough, I’m
healthy enough and I’m athletic enough to pick a lot of
aspects in this sport and really become an exciting fighter.”
The
odds are against it, but it’s been like Simpson has been
walking around with a gold light shining upon his head.
Given
how things have gone for him in the last year, it might not be
the wisest move to bet against him.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
STRIKEFORCE
MAKES ROGERS VS HUMPHREY OFFICIAL
Heavyweight mixed martial arts forces Brett “The Grim”
Rogers (8-0) and Ron “Abongo” Humphrey (12-0) will
put their unbeaten records on the line when they face off on
the live SHOWTIME televised portion of Strikeforce’s “Shamrock
vs. Diaz” mega-fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
on Saturday, April 11.
“I
feel like a new and improved person who’s not just in the
sport to be in the sport. I’m in this to take it all the
way,” said the 28-year-old Rogers, a 6-foot-5-inch, 265-pound
human weapon, whose aggressive, unforgiving style of cage combat
has ended each of his eight fights in the first round.
“There’s
certain things in that first minute of the fight that people
do and they do the same thing in every fight. The last couple
of fights, I knew what my opponent was going to do and I just
waited for him to do it,” explained Rogers of his calculated
approach. “For the most part, I try to be as smart a fighter
as I can.”
The
majority of fans are familiar with Rogers’s kickboxing and
Jiu-Jitsu skills, but what they have not yet seen put into play
by the Minneapolis native is his background in Wing Chun, a Chinese
martial art known for its aggressive striking techniques in close
quarter combat.
“The
way I see it, I just got to get to the point where I feel comfortable
enough to use it,” said Rogers of his Wing Chun skill set.
“I don’t know if I’m going to use it this time
around but, once I do, it’s gonna be on.”
Humphrey,
who hails from Atlanta, Ga., introduced himself to a national
audience last year as a contestant on BET’s MMA reality
series “Iron Ring” where he was a member of a fight
team coached by MMA star “Mr. International” Shonie
Carter, and managed by hip-hop artist and producer Lil’
Jon.
“Some
people are under the impression that most of the fighters on
the show were pushovers, but I fought and defeated some pretty
well-known contenders,” said the 31-year-old Humphrey, who
stands 5 feet 11 inches and weighs approximately 245 pounds.
Amongst
the fighters Humphrey defeated during his stint on “Iron
Ring” were former K-1 USA contender Jeff “Big Diesel”
Ford and Carlos Moreno, who Humphrey knocked out with a head
kick.
“I
move more like a 205-pounder than I do a 245. I bring a lot of
athleticism and skill into the cage,” Humphrey asserted.
While
his birth name is “Ronald,” Humphrey prefers to be
addressed as “Abongo,” the name of an African warrior
spirit believed to protect a village located in The Republic
of Ghana. The moniker was bestowed upon him two and a half years
ago after he endured a series of mentally and physically grueling
tasks during a rites of passage trip to Africa.
Humphrey’s
experience there inspired him to establish a non-profit organization
that allows him to introduce other African-Americans to their
heritage by bringing them to Africa.
“There’s
certain things that are lacking in the black community here and
one of them has to do with cultural identity,” explained
Humphrey. “Fighting and doing the community work in Africa
is something that really drives me and motivates me in life.”
The
“Shamrock vs. Diaz” event represents the dawn of a
new age for Strikeforce, as it will be the first one under the
world championship MMA promotion’s new television agreement
with Showtime Networks Inc. The live telecast will feature five
fights including a thrilling main event between four-time world
champion and MMA legend Frank Shamrock (24-9-1) and fellow knockout
artist Nick Diaz (18-7, 1 NC), contested at a catchweight of
179 pounds.
Strikeforce
World Lightweight Champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson
(16-2) and superstar “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (14-2)
will revisit their classic five-round battle when they collide
in a rematch for the coveted 155-pound title.
Middleweight
(185-pound limit) sluggers Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith
(16-5, 1 NC) and Benji “Razor” Radach (19-4) will also
meet in a featured contest.
Women’s
MMA powerhouses Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos (6-1) and
Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano (14-5) will slug it
out in a 145-pound showdown.
Strikeforce
“Shamrock vs. Diaz” will air live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m.
ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) on Saturday, April 11.
Tickets
for “Shamrock vs. Diaz,” priced from $30, are available
for purchase at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as
well as at all Ticketmaster locations (408-998-TIXS), Ticketmaster
online (www.ticketmaster.com), and Strikeforce’s official
website (www.strikeforce.com).
UPDATED
"SHAMROCK VS DIAZ" FIGHT CARD
Strikeforce on Friday released the final fight card for its "Shamrock
vs. Diaz" event. The April 11 show at the HP Pavilion in
San Jose, Calif., will serve as the debut event for Strikeforce's
new partnership with Showtime.
Headlined
by Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz and a lightweight championship
rematch between titleholder Josh Thompson and Gilbert Melendez,
the event will air live at 10 p.m. ET, but be delayed on the
West Coast in the United States.
Main
Card Bouts (on Showtime):
-Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz
-Josh Thomson (#9 Lightweight in the World)* vs. Gilbert Melendez
-Christiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Hitomi Akano
-Benji Radach vs. Scott Smith
-Brett Rogers vs. Ron Humphries
Preliminary
Card Bouts (Non-televside):
-Luke Rockhold vs. Buck Meredith
-Eric Lawson vs. Waylon Kennell
-Raul Castillo vs. Brandon Michaels
-James Terry vs. Zak Bucia
-Jeremy Tavares vs. Shingo Kohara
Main
card will air live on Showtime in the United States at 10:00
PM (ET/PT), delayed on the West Coast
*
Based on MMAWeekly World MMA Rankings
Source: MMA Weekly
|
RYAN
BADER READY TO ROLL INTO UFC WITH A WIN
Ryan Bader will make his long awaited debut in the Ultimate Fighting
Championship on April 1 at Ultimate Fight Night 18, when he will
take on Carmelo Marrero. Coming into the fight with an impressive
8-0 record, he wants to make his first official fight in the
Octagon a victory.
Bader
was a product of The Ultimate Fighter season 8, becoming the
winner of the light heavyweight class. He impressed on the show
with his excellent wrestling and dominating ground game.
Bader
will be facing a similar type of fighter in Marrero, who is known
for his slick jiu-jitsu skills. The Arizona native knew Marrero’s
name fairly well considering his training partner had just fought
him.
“I
knew his name because one of my teammates fought him, Steve Steinbeiss,
and I watched him live,” said Bader recently in an interview
with MMAWeekly Radio. “That was his last fight and Steve's
last fight. I got to watch him live and go to a split decision
with my training partner. That was nice to see that live and
kind of take away what Steve had to say about him.
"I
think it's a good match up for me. Obviously, he's a really tough
fighter and it will be a tough fight, but I'm happy with the
match-up for sure.”
After
watching that fight, Bader gained a little more knowledge of
his opponent’s movements and skills to look out for.
“I
know that Carmelo took that on short notice, but I heard he was
training for another fight. So it's good to hear what Steve had
to say,” he commented. “Steve took him down and he
didn't have much from his back and whatnot and Steve ended up
sweeping him. You can play the whole game where you gauge yourself
on another mutual guy, but it doesn't work out like that. I'm
definitely not taking him lightly.”
It
seems that more often than not when two ground fighters end up
tangling, many times it can turn into a stand-up affair. However,
Bader knows where his strength lies and realizes that while the
stand-up might be exciting, his job is to win. “You see
a lot of these wrestlers go in and have success in the stand-up
like Koscheck, but then get knocked out. You're playing with
fire there. You could be good, but at the same time, it's not
as developed as if you came up as a striker. You're a wrestler
first and foremost. I'm going to play the game where I want to
be exciting, but I want to get the win and get paid.”
In
fact, Bader has an excellent prognostication of how he sees this
fight playing out. “I see the fight coming out and doing
a little exchange on the feet and eventually every fight I've
seen, he goes in for the shot with a trip. I see me stuffing
that shot and putting him on his back or going in there and taking
him down. You put a wrestler on his back and it's a different
world, so I'm just going to go in there and fight. I feel comfortable
on the ground. I feel comfortable on the feet or wherever the
fight goes really.”
Time
and time again there have been fighters who step into the Octagon
and can’t wait to get their title shot as soon as possible.
Bader isn’t in any rush to get a title shot and has a rather
honest assessment of where he feels he is in his career.
“I
think I got to work my way up,” he stated. “I'd like
to take the Rashad-Forrest route. I feel I need more experience.
Whether that's fighting lower tier guys, that's fine with me.
I wanna get in there and get the cage time and go from there.
I'm not really looking like I want to get a title shot in this
many years or anything like that. I just want to win against
anyone they put in front of me.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DIN
THOMAS HAPPY AT 145, READY TO KNOCK HEADS
Following a loss to Josh Neer in April 2008, veteran fighter
Din Thomas exited the UFC and soon announced his move to the
ever-growing featherweight division. Since that time, the former
"Ultimate Fighter" participant has gone 2-0 while also
signing a new deal to fight under the Affliction banner starting
in 2009.
Thomas
picked up his most recent win at Roy Jones Jr.'s "March
Badness" card last weekend where he defeated former Strikeforce
lightweight Gabe Lemley with a devastating knee strike knockout
in the first round.
The
move to 145 pounds seems to fit Thomas, who enjoys not giving
up as much size as he was forced to when competing against lightweights
in the past.
"I
feel really good at 145 now and the best part about it is the
guys I'm fighting are smaller, so I think that is the real key
for me," said Thomas. "When I fought Josh Neer, I just
told myself I can't keep fighting these bigger guys. I'm training
with the 155-pounders on my team and these guys are just a little
too big for me."
After
leaving the UFC, most believed he would land with Zuffa's other
promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting, which boasts an impressive
list of featherweights, but the Florida based fighter said the
call never came.
"I
felt like Vincent Chase on the last couple episodes of 'Entourage.'
People just didn't want to see me and I was like 'dang, nobody
really wants to give me a deal' and nobody was really looking
out," Thomas commented. "So Affliction came along and
they reached out and I was like 'alright, I appreciate it.' So
I ended up signing with them."
Focused
on making the featherweight division take notice, Thomas is now
waiting for Affliction to make the call to put him in his first
fight for that promotion, and he's ready to take on any opponent
willing to step in the ring with him.
"When
Affliction calls me, when they call me with an opponent, as long
as I'm 100% healthy, I'm going to be in there," he said.
"It really don't even matter who the opponent is. Anybody.
I'm going to be in there and see if I can't rack up another W,
knock somebody's teeth in the back of their throat."
Thomas
will head back into training with his teammates at American Top
Team while waiting for his next bout in 2009.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Jacaré
back in action at Dream 9
Few
months after the middleweight tournament, Ronaldo “Jacaré”
Souza will be back in action at Dream. According to the fighter,
he’ll fight at Dream 9, which takes place in Japan on May
26th. “I’ll fight at Dream 9, but I still don’t
know the name of my opponent”, said the two times BJJ world
openweight champion, training hard at Rio de Janeiro for the
fight. “The training here are strong. Josuel Distak is taking
care of the MMA part, Rogério Camões does the physical
training and Daniel helps me with the Muay Thai”.
Training
with André Galvão, who debuts in the weiterweight
tournament on Dream 8, Jacaré is confident in his success.
“He is training hard and did all the training religiously,
I just think he trained a little too much (laughs). I’m
sure he’ll step up the ring and make everyone happy with
his performance. He’ll do great, for sure”, bets. On
the same edition, Ronaldo’s last opponent will make his
first fight at light heavyweight division after winning the middleweight
GP, and the Brazilian thinks he’ll do great against Thierry
Sokoudjou. “He (Gegard Mousasi) is a great athlete and will
do fine in this new division”.
Source: Tatame
|
UFC
wants event in Brazil, but not now
With
a lot of Brazilian athletes doing great fights in the UFC, the
biggest MMA event in the world is turning its eyes to the Brazilian
market, analyzing the possibility of hosting an event in the
country. President of the organization, Dana White is excited
to bring the show to the Brazilian’s lands again.
"We
are already with some plans underway in Brazil, inclusive. But
it is true that a live event in the country would generate high
visibility for the UFC. We are always looking for good opportunities
to achieve this. We are making the UFC a global event and we
would love to take it to Brazil. We are only studying the economic
issues for this", said Dana, to the UOL website.
On
the other hand, Lorenzo Fertitta, owner of the organization next
to the brother, Frank, is more cautious when talking about the
plans for Brazil, in an exclusive interview published in the
TATAME Magazine February issue. "I would love to do an event
in Brazil, but, at this moment, our focus is on Europe and, for
sure, we will be doing many fights in England, as we have already
done in the past, and we’ll do an event in Germany this
year. I also want to take some fights to Italy, Spain and some
of these areas and then focus Brazil, South America and Asia”,
detailed Lorenzo.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
you greatly desire something, have the guts to stake everything
on obtaining it."
Brendan Francis
|
Florian:
I will be fighting Penn later this summer
Kenny Florian (11-3) will soon begin formal preparations for
his lightweight title fight against champion BJ Penn (13-5-1)
this summer.
In his newsletter sent out Thursday morning, Florian said he's
looking forward to challenging an opponent whom he considers
a legend in the sport.
"I
am very excited to let you know that while I don't have a definite
date yet, I will be fighting BJ Penn for the Lightweight UFC
title later this summer," Florian said. "It has been
a long road back and I am very grateful for the opportunity.
Rarely does one get the chance to fight for a championship belt
in the UFC and it's even more infrequent to fight a legend.
"BJ
Penn has been someone I have looked up to for a long time. He
has accomplished
many amazing things. So I am looking forward to testing myself
against one of the
greatest if not the greatest lightweight fighter in the world."
UFC
co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta has said that the UFC is working on
signing the fight for UFC 101 on August 8 in Philadelphia. After
clinching a title shot with a win last November over Joe Stevenson
at UFC 91, Florian waited on the sidelines as Penn set his sights
on the January 31 welterweight title bout against Georges St-Pierre.
If Penn vs. Florian happens in August, Florian would be fighting
on a nine-month hiatus.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
CSAC
puts a stop to Pankration Tournaments
By Zach Arnold
Got
this note from Grappling X:
The
California State athletic Commission just called us and said
that no one can do Pankration Tournaments anymore. We will be
switching the San Bernardino event on April 18th to a Gi and
No-Gi tournament.
We will keep everyone updated as we get more info.
Thank
you for you support.
GX
Update
(3/25): Grappling X sent out this mailer:
Email
from William Douglas Asst Exec Director of the CSAC
All,
Your
concerns are being addressed on the issue of Pankration. Let
me update you on where we are at this point in time.
A
legal opinion has apparently been drafted in regard to Pankration
as a sport in the State of California
I, on behalf of the CSAC, have requested a copy of that legal
opinion for immediate review
Interested parties in this matter as well as interested parties
related to amateur mma will be invited to the first Amateur Mixed
Martial Arts Committee meeting - date and location TBD
Pankration, as a sport in California, is going to be placed on
the agenda for the June meeting of the California State Athletic
Commission
Stakeholders and interested parties will have the opportunity
to speak to the Commission at the June meeting during the public
comment period on the subject matter
Pankration competitions will continue in California at this time
as long as the rules of Pankration are adhered to and do not
use the term “Pankration” as a mask to hide behind
the fact that the event is really “unregulated mixed martial
arts”
California State Athletic Commission Inspectors will now be attending
Pankration events in the State of California to observe the event
and ensure that the rules are being adhered to
CSAC Inspectors will have the ability to issue a cease and desist
letter on the spot during an event if at any time the event begins
to turn into mixed martial arts
Event coordinators for the Pankration events will now be required
between now and the June Commission meeting to contact CSAC about
the event so that CSAC staff may attend the event to “observe”
Information relayed via telephone by CSAC staff is consistent
with the message that Pankration is being observed at this point
for a decision in the future on whether the sport remains as
it is or shall fall under the jurisdiction of the California
State Athletic Commission as a regulated sport
Qualified data needs to be gathered before a blanket decision
to “wipe out” a sport is levied
CSAC may issue a cease and desist letter to any “Pankration”
event that is not forwarded to CSAC so that Inspectors may attend
the event to “observe” the rules being implemented
during the competition
I hope this communication clarifies the issue moving forward.
It
is not the intention of the Commission to senselessly bring an
end to grappling sports in the State of California. However,
we will shut down events that are hiding behind the mask of Pankration
when in reality the event itself is unregulated mixed martial
arts.
Thank
you.
Bill
Douglas
Assistant Executive Officer
California State Athletic Commission
2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 2010
Sacramento, CA 95815
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Senate
Bill 688 to “Ban Mixed Martial Arts” in New Mexico
is DEAD
Fans
of Combat Sports in New Mexico can breathe a little easier this
week knowing the Legislative Session is over!!! As of noon Saturday
(March 21st) the session ended and the bill to ban Mixed Martial
Arts here in New Mexico, which was stuck in the Senate Corporations
& Transportation Committee, has DIED with the end of the
session. From what NMCS has learned this bill is dead all together
and will not be heard in the future unless it is introduced at
the next legislative session. This seems unlikely due to the
fact the bill never made it onto the Senate Floor to be even
heard.
Source: New Mexico Combat Sports
|
Belfort’s
money on Lyoto
‘I know he’ll get the belt’
Carlos Osorio / PortaldasLutas.com
Vitor
Belfort has been around Lyoto Machida in Belem and worked with
the karateka in his preparations to face Rashad Evans at UFC
98, on May 23, in Las Vegas. Up for grabs in the fight will be
the organization’s light heavyweight belt, a title that
has not been held by a Brazilian since Belfort lost it to Randy
Couture.
“I’ve
been hired by an event called Iron Fight. Lyoto is a great friend
of mine; I hold him in high esteem. Whenever we’re together,
we train. I learned a lot from him, we swap info and it’s
been cool. I got to see his father’s academy, which is a
traditional karate school and is now geared towards all fighting
styles. We have a common friend, Bony, who’s a big acai
producer. It’s been marvelous, we had some great moments
and I can’t even describe how well I’ve been treated,”
remarked Vitor to Portal das Lutas, GRACIEMAG.com partner site.
On
Lyoto’s upcoming title challenge against Rashad Evens, Belfort
has no doubt in his mind: I have 100% in my friend, who’s
undefeated in MMA with 14 fights.
“I
don’t think, I know. I know Lyoto. I don’t think he’ll
win, I know he’ll win. He has everything it takes to bring
this belt back to Brazil. The light heavyweight belt hasn’t
been held by a Brazilian since I won it, and I’m really
happy because I’m sure Lyoto will bring it back. It will
be a little taste of victory for me and everyone who likes fights
here in Brazil. We will be able to say the country has another
champion at that weight,” he said in closing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
MIGUEL
TORRES WANTS TO CEMENT HIS LEGACY
by Damon Martin
There's little argument when talking about the best bantamweight
in the world.
The
list starts and stops with WEC champion Miguel Torres, who next
defends his title on April 5 against Japanese fighter Takeya
Mizugaki. While Torres is focused on the task at hand, he admits
he's looking to the future as well.
The
future for Miguel Torres may very well take him out of the 135-pound
weight class he lords over currently. According to a recent interview
on MMAWeekly Radio, he is looking to cement a legacy in the sport.
"I
do want to get up just to challenge myself in general. To fight
a Mike Brown or Urijah Faber, or even at 55 in the UFC, has been
a dream of mine since I first started doing this sport,"
Torres commented. "That was my goal when I first started
out. I think to be a champion you always have to change. If your
goal is to be a champ, a real champ, and you don't have any more
goals, you're pretty much stuck in a rut."
The
bantamweight king also alluded to the possibility of competing
for only a few more years, although he has a lot of goals left
to achieve before he leaves the sport.
"I'm
always trying to achieve new things, and strive for bigger things,
and I think I can stay at 35 and dominate for a while, but I
don’t want to fight forever," stated Torres. "I
don’t want to be a Randy Couture and fight until I'm 44,
45 years old. I want to fight 3 to 5 (more) years.
"I
think once I've had my run at 35, I want to go up. I owe it to
myself and to my fans. I'm no longer just a fighter or a champion;
I'm an entertainer. I get a ton of e-mails and tons of responses
of people who'd love to see me go up."
Torres
has been running roughshod over some very good competition in
the WEC's bantamweight division. While he admits that challengers
like Brian Bowles, Jeff Curran, and Joseph Benavidez definitely
hold intrigue; he understands the challenges of conquering other
weight classes as well.
The
current WEC champion and East Chicago, Ind., native is confident
in what he could bring to any weight class he competes in. He
admits that he may give up some size, but he'll make up the difference
with his skill.
"I
thought about it. I wouldn't even try to put on a bunch of weight.
I'd walk in at 155 or whatever I walk around at to get it,"
Torres admitted. "I wouldn't try to put a bunch of weight
on."
Admitting
that his job at 135 pounds isn't quite finished yet, Torres hopes
to get a few more fights in and then head into the deep waters
of the higher weight classes.
"I
want to stay where I'm at, make a living, make a legacy, and
then I want to go up in weight and I want to test myself,"
he stated.
Miguel
Torres will try to build on that legacy in his next title defense
when he takes on Top 10 ranked bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki on
April 5 at WEC 40 in Chicago.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Silva
Fixing ‘Defects,’ Still Aiming to Entertain
by Gleidson Venga
Wanderlei Silva has lost four of his last five fights, and you
wouldn’t have wanted to miss a single one of them.
The
Axe Murderer’s dominant days are done, but he still brings
it in the cage. His most recent performance wasn’t one of
his best. It ended decisively, like most of his matches win or
lose, when Quinton Jackson knocked him out 3:21 into the first
round of their Dec. 27 bout at UFC 92.
“I
lost my last fight by a technical error, an error that I’ve
committed for a long time,” Silva said. “I paid so
much for it. I lost six months of work due to throwing open punches
and took a punch on the chin.”
To
correct the error, Silva, 32, has returned to the basics. He
has worked on his jab, footwork and takedowns.
“On
top of that base, I hope to get rid of some defects, such as
exposing myself too much,” he said. “Sometimes I fight
with my heart, then I open myself way too much. I'm trying to
fix this and be aggressive in the same way, but in a more technical
and more secure way. They are vices that I have had for too long
and are not easy to correct. Because when the adrenaline hits
and you start to give and take punches, you go on instinct. So,
where possible, I'm structuring myself to leave these vices and
acquire a new and more refined technique, to adapt to this new
time of MMA and head back to the top because this is what I want.
I’ll really show a different game now in the next fight.”
The
next fight for Silva is June 13 in Cologne, Germany. He’ll
meet Rich Franklin in the UFC 99 main event.
Wanderlei
Silva respects Rich Franklin's ability.“The fights I had
seen of his before were only against Anderson Silva, and he could
not show much because Anderson dominated him completely. But
now I have the other fights to study and saw that he is a complete
fighter who knows how to take down, fight standing on the feet,
has good takedown defense and is well rounded in submissions.
I think he's a great opponent. He’s a tough guy, and I’m
training a lot, everyday, sparring.”
Franklin
is yet another quality opponent for Silva, who’s fought
only top-notch opposition since his return to the Octagon. His
stint so far has included Jackson, Keith Jardine and Chuck Liddell.
At that level of competition, you’re going to lose some
fights. Losing or winning, however, isn’t everything to
Silva.
“I
want to be tested until my limit,” he said. “I want
to face the best and always provide a good show for my fans.
Sometimes I am criticized because of this. Of course we always
want to win, and train for it, but I also care about the quality
of my performance. I want to provide a great spectacle for those
who are at home. A lot of people came and said, especially after
that last fight, that I must retire. I am very young and I still
have something to show. I listen to people, [when] I enter the
Octagon, saying, ‘We will watch this because this will be
a good fight.’ While people keep saying that, I will continue
fighting.”
Delivering
a quality show would seem to be of particular importance against
Franklin. The fight is the marquee bout in the UFC’s first
foray into Germany.
“I
will not do bad. I know my responsibility,” Silva said.
“They gave me a good guy with an aggressive style of fighting,
who likes to go forward. I do not run away from the challenge,
do not run away from the game. I get it. I’ll show all my
heart, all my technique and make a great show for everybody.
I will be there to knock out or be knocked out.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Complete
15-Fight Line-up Set for M-1 Bulgaria
Press Release
Amsterdam,
Holland - There are just several days remaining until the second
stop of the 2009 "M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction"
touches down in Bourgas, Bulgaria. A total of 30 fighters representing
six teams are now in transit to Bourgas in anticipation of this
weekend's M-1 Challenge event.
On
Saturday, March 28, Turkey, The World Team, Germany, Team Russian
Legion, Team North America, and the host Bulgarian team will
all make their 2009 M-1 Challenge season debuts at the Mladost
Sports Hall, located just minutes from the sunny beach resorts
of Bourgas.
Complete
lineups for the three head-to-head team matchups are set with
local fans in attendance in store for a full night of action
featuring a total of 15 fights. While some might be surprised
to see a major MMA event scheduled for Bulgaria, M-1 Global officials
deemed it a tremendous location for its second '09 event due
to the increased growth of the sport of MMA in the country.
One
of the forefathers of MMA's growth in Bulgaria is its most well-known
fighter, former Bulgarian Olympic wrestler Jordan Radev. The
32-year old Plovdiv native has gone 7-0 since leaving the UFC
and currently boasts an MMA record of 18-3.
Radev
will be leading Team Bulgaria against Team North America and
will be matched up in a middleweight encounter against former
NFL running back Herbert "Whisper" Goodman.
Goodman,
an elite athlete who played two seasons for the Green Bay Packers
as a backup to former Pro Bowl running back Ahman Green, has
made tremendous recent progress as a fighter despite his late
entry into the sport.
An
interesting subplot to watch will be the debut of a revamped
German roster. Last year's German team was eliminated from the
2008 M-1 Challenge early due to overwhelming defeats. However,
a new roster of German fighters led by a new coaching staff will
look to redeem their nation when it faces Turkey.
For
those unable to attend this weekend's M-1 Challenge event in
Bourgas, complete coverage will be available at M-1Global.com
throughout the weekend including weigh-in results and any last
minute lineup changes; a live play-by-play blog; as well as a
post-fight recap with photos.
With
the exception of an injury to Turkish middleweight Kamil Uygun,
the entire card for Saturday is now available below (local start
time of 9 p.m.):
Team
Matchup Number One: Turkey vs. Germany -
1.
Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Akin (Turkey) vs. Franco de Leonardis
(Germany)
2. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./- 76 kg): Faith Dogan (Turkey) vs.
Daniel Weichel (Germany)
3. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): TBA (Turkey) vs. Gregor
Herb (Germany)
4. Light Heavyweight (204.6 lbs./-93 kg): Samy Turky (Turkey)
vs. Martin Zawada (Germany)
5. Heavyweight (204.7-plus lbs./+93 kg): Tugrul Okay (Turkey)
vs. David Baziak (Germany)
Team
Matchup Number Two: Russian Legion vs. World Team -
6.
Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Yuri Ivies (Russian Legion) vs.
Romano De Los Reyes (World Team)
7. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./- 76 kg): Magomed Shihshabekov (Russian
Legion) vs. Jason Ponet (World Team)
8. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Sergey Kornev (Russian Legion)
vs. Nathan Schouten (World Team)
9. Light Heavyweight (204.6 lbs./-93 kg): Gadzimyrat Omarov (Russian
Legion) vs. Joaquin Mamute (World Team)
10. Heavyweight (204.7-plus lbs./+93 kg): Akhmed Sultanov (Russian
Legion) vs. Michael Kitta (World Team)
Team
Matchup Number Three: Bulgaria vs. Team North America (a.k.a.
Team USA North) -
11.
Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Yanko Yankev (Bulgaria) vs. Renato
Migliaccio (North America)
12. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./- 76 kg): Ivan Ivanov (Bulgaria)
vs. Steve Carl (North America)
13. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Jordan Radev (Bulgaria)
vs. Herbert Goodman (North America)
14. Light Heavyweight (204.6 lbs./-93 kg): Atanas Dzhambazov
(Bulgaria) vs. Charles Grigsby (North America)
15. Heavyweight (204.7-plus lbs./+93 kg): Veselin Bojinov (Bulgaria)
vs. Lloyd Marshbanks (North America)
Source: The Fight Network
|
UFC
Fight Night 18: Condit vs. Kampmann Preview
by Robert Rousseau
UFC Fight Night 18: Condit vs Kampmann will come to us all live
on April 1 from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee. That’s
right: the UFC is coming to Tennessee. And as far as Fight Night’s
go, this one should be as good as they come because of the main
event between former WEC Champion Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann.
Talk about two guys with a future in the sport!
Get ready, get set, go!
Carlos
Condit (23-4) vs. Martin Kampmann (14-2): Condit comes over to
the UFC as the former WEC Welterweight Champion for a reason.
In sum, “The Natural Born Killer” has outstanding submission
skills in that he can take you out from his back or the top position.
What’s more, his striking is technically strong and diverse.
Though he doesn’t hit extremely hard, his power can certainly
do the job.
Not
to mention he’s tough as nails and has the cardio to go
wherever the fight takes him.
Kampmann
is an outstanding kickboxer with enough power to go around. What’s
more, his ground game, including wrestling, is somewhat underrated.
After all, this is a guy with five submission victories to his
credit. When Kampmann has lost it’s been by knockout. But
that’s only been twice in a 16 fight career.
Prediction:
This is as good a fight as you’ll get on a Fight Night card.
If the battle hits the ground, both guys are good but Condit
would seem to be on another level with his submissions. If the
fight stays standing, Kampmann should have a slight advantage,
though to rule Condit out there may be a mistake.
Will
Condit overpower Kampmann like Nate Marquardt recently did? No.
But can he get this fight to the ground and do enough damage
on his feet (and damage control) to weather the storm?
Figure
on yes.
Carlos
Condit wins by way of second round submission.
Ryan
Bader (9-0) vs. Carmelo Marrero (10-2-1): Bader, a TUF winner,
is a powerhouse wrestler. In other words, he hits like a truck
and has excellent takedowns, takedown defense, and ground control
skills. His submission game and defense is still in the beginning
stages, however. But he’s got a good camp behind him.
Marrero
is a also very good wrestler that sports a win over Cheick Kongo.
He’s improved his submissions as well, and isn’t bad
defensively on his feet.
Prediction:
Marrero is a very good wrestler, as is his opponent. However,
he doesn’t appear to be as physically gifted as Bader is.
Since neither guy is likely to win this fight way of their Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu capabilities—Marrero has gotten pretty good with
submissions, but that’s not necessarily his forte—
guess is that Bader’s power and athleticism will win out.
Ryan
Bader wins by way of third round TKO.
Tyson
Griffin (12-2) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (11-3): Tyson Griffin has
an unbelievable motor, outstanding wrestling skills, and better
than average technical stand up. Even his submissions and submission
defense are solid. Beyond being a very well-rounded fighter,
his fights always tend to be exciting, which is a good thing.
Dos
Anjos is a strong submission fighter with good overall skills.
But he’s coming off of a devastating KO loss to Jeremy Stephens,
which is never easy to come back from. And that was in his only
UFC fight.
Prediction:
Tyson Griffin wins via unanimous decision (lots of ground and
pound and winning the striking battle)
The
Rest of Fight Night
Junie
Browning (3-1) vs. Cole Miller (14-3): Browning looked awesome
in his last fight on his feet. But Miller has a lot more experience
and has the length to give him trouble. What’s more, his
BJJ is very strong.
Cole
Miller wins by way of decision.
Gleison
Tibau (28-5) vs. Jeremy Stephens (16-4): Tibau is the better
ground fighter. Of course, Stephens hits like a truck. So who
will win out, the striker or grappler?
Jeremy
Stephens wins by way of second round TKO.
Ricardo
Almeida (9-3) vs. Matt Horwich (24-10-1): This is one heckuva
fight for an undercard. Almeida has some of the best Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu skills in the world. Matt Horwich is an excellent wrestler
with strong dirty boxing skills and a never quit motor. But he
has lost by submission before and fell to the last submission
guy (Dan Miller) that he faced via decision.
Ricardo
Almeida wins by way of second round submission.
Brock
Larson (25-2) vs. Jesse Sanders (24-1): Sanders is an excellent
submission fighter that has competed on smaller venues. Expect
him to be blinded by the lights some when he goes up against
an awesome ground and pound/ top position guy in Larson.
Brock
Larson wins by way of first round TKO.
Tim
Credeur (12-4) vs. Nick Catone (7-0): Catone may be able to control
Credeur.
Nick
Catone wins by way of unanimous decision.
Jorge
Rivera (15-7) vs. Nissen Osterneck (5-1): Osterneck looked good
up until he lost to Jake Rosholt in his last fight. But Rivera
is a better striker and should be able to win out there.
Jorge
Rivera wins by way of second round TKO.
Rob
Kimmons (21-4) vs. Joe Vedepo (9-2): Both guys had a tough time
in their last UFC encounter.
Rob
Kimmons wins by way of second round TKO.
Tim
McKenzie (12-5) vs. Aaron Simpson (4-0): Simpson likes to knock
people out.
Aaron
Simpson wins via first round KO.
Steve
Steinbeiss (4-2) vs. Ryan Jensen (13-5): A toss up.
Steve
Steinbeiss wins by way of a decision.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
K-1
March 2009 event notes
By Zach Arnold
Some
fights announced for K-1’s World GP event in Yokohama (3/28
Yokohama Arena):
Remy
Bonjasky vs. Alistair Overeem
Badr Hari vs. Errol Zimmerman
Jerome Le Banner vs. Ewerton Teixeira
Glaube Feitosa vs. Jun’ichi Sawayashiki
K-1 Heavyweight Tournament match: Melvin Manhoef vs. Chalid “Die
Faust” Arrab
K-1 Heavyweight Tournament match: Ruslan Karaev vs. Gokhan Saki
Tournament winners face each other later in the night
Source: Fight Opinion
|
This
Day in MMA History: March 27
Shockwaves reverberated for months.
Casino
magnates Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, having revitalized the Ultimate
Fighting Championship, landed on Japanese soil on March 27, 2007,
and announced Zuffa LLC’s purchase of Pride Fighting Championships
from Dream Stage Entertainment at Roppongi Hills Arena in Tokyo.
Some $70 million reportedly changed hands.
“We
have been talking to Pride for probably about 11 months,”
said Lorenzo Fertitta, according to an Associated Press report.
“It’s been a long, drawn-out process, but we finally
were able to put the two brands together.”
The
deal between the two mixed martial arts superpowers was supposed
to usher in an unprecedented era of matchmaking. Talk of mega-bouts
featuring standouts from the rival promotions spread like wildfire.
The possibilities seemed endless. Fertitta even spoke of turning
MMA into a global sport on par with baseball and soccer.
“This
is really going to change the face of MMA -- literally creating
a sport that could be as big around the world as soccer,”
he said. “I liken it somewhat to when the [NFL] and [AFL]
came together to create the NFL [of today].”
Dana
White spoke at the press conference.Something went wrong during
their walk down the aisle, however. The plan to allow Pride to
exist autonomously soon unraveled amid contract disputes and
a Japanese market that was notoriously unkind to foreign promoters.
Zuffa was not welcome.
Pride
cornerstones like Fedor Emelianenko and Takanori Gomi became
free agents and, to this day, have never appeared inside the
Octagon. Others, like Hayato Sakurai, Shinya Aoki and Tatsuya
Kawajiri elected to stay close to home. To worsen matters for
UFC President Dana White and Company, the international stars
the UFC did manage to lure away -- most notably 2006 Pride Open
Weight grand prix winner Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
-- fell far short of expectations. Even Brazilian legend Wanderlei
Silva struggled with the transition, as he dropped three of his
first four fights inside the UFC.
The
proverbial writing was on the wall, and some six months after
the purchase was announced, Jamie Pollack -- the Zuffa LLC lawyer
overseeing operations at the Pride office -- informed remaining
Pride employees that they had been terminated. During the Oct.
4 conference call, Pollack reportedly instructed staffers to
immediately turn over their personal computers and cell phones
and exit the building. According to an anonymous employee, Pollack
informed those on the call that he would not answer any personal
questions from staff members and directed them to his e-mail
if they had any issues they wished to address.
The
entire conference call lasted 10 minutes, and with that, Pride
was no more.
Source: Sherdog
|
John
Alessio Signs with MFC; Set for MFC 22 in July
Fight Network Staff
In
an effort to bolster the welterweight division, the MFC re-signed
the British Columbia talent John Alessio to a new contract this
week. While the full terms of the deal have not been disclosed,
Alessio is guaranteed to fight on May 15th at MFC 21: Hard Knocks
and may participate at MFC 22 in July at the option of MFC management.
Alessio
(24-12) last saw competition at MFC 19 when he fell to potent
striker Paul Daley in the second round via strikes. The loss
ended a two-fight win streak in which he had defeated two former
UFC veterans in Pete Spratt and Gideon Ray.
The
fight against Daley also highlighted the fact that, at 29, and
despite having nearly 40 fights under his belt, Alessio is still
developing and maturing as a fighter.
Source: The Fight Network
|
JESSE
TAYLOR EYES GOLD, RETURN TO BIG SHOW
by Damon Martin
While the "Ultimate Fighter" can be the perfect platform
for many fighters to get their name recognized in the sport of
MMA, Jesse Taylor is working very hard to get past the lasting
image he left on the show that cut him out of the final fight,
and out of the Ultimate Fighting Championship one fight later.
The
Team Quest fighter is now 3-0 since leaving the UFC fighting
at 170 pounds, but on Saturday night Taylor will head back up
to middleweight for a shot at title gold against Chris Camozzi
at "King of Champions" in Denver, Colo.
Taylor
explained to MMAWeekly Radio that the move back up to middleweight
isn't permanent, and in the long run, he can see himself competing
in multiple weight classes.
"I'm
just at a state right now where I can keep busy, keep fighting.
I'm pretty much fighting once a month, but an awesome opportunity
and a good opponent for me to fight, and it's for a belt, and
I've never got a belt back in my old weight class. It's a really
good opportunity for me and I couldn't say no to it," Taylor
explained about the decision to face Camozzi.
"I
really feel comfortable at both weights. Of course at 170 I'm
a lot bigger and stronger than a lot of the guys, but at 185
I feel just as strong. I'm giving up some size, but it's my natural
weight."
While
Taylor admits that he is absolutely focused on Camozzi in the
upcoming fight, he readily states that he's keeping as busy as
he is until he gets called back to the "big show."
"I
want to – knock on wood – stay healthy, stay this active
and the most important thing is to keep on winning," he
said. "Once I get that call to get to a big show again,
we're in talks with some people, but Strikeforce, Japan or UFC,
one of those three, and then I'll slow down a little."
The
former Ultimate Fighter contender will be happy with wherever
he lands, but Taylor says there is one certain promotion he will
always call home if they make the offer to bring him back.
"In
the long run, the UFC's the place to be," said Taylor. "I
know Strikeforce and those other places have tough guys, but
the UFC's got so many guys, so many tough guys that I couldn't
say no to the UFC."
Jesse
Taylor will face Chris Camozzi on Saturday night at the "King
of Champions" in Denver.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Nick
Lembo makes the right call
By Zach Arnold
MMA Weekly reports that the Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer boxing
fight scheduled in a couple of months has been canceled.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
"Seize
the moment of excited curiosity on any subject to solve your
doubts;
for if you let it pass, the desire may never return, and you
may remain in ignorance."
William Wirt
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 8: Way of the Warrior
Today!
Tickets
will be sold tomorrow at the following outlets:
Pono
Market- Kapaa
City Liquor -Lihue
Deli and Bread- Kukui Grove
Meyvn- Kukui Grove
Skapa - Hanamaulu
Kauai Harley- Puhi
Sweet and Sassy- Eleele
Wongs Rest- Hanapepe
Aloha Rainbow Screening- Waimea
Hair Razors- Lihue- VIP tickets
Be
apart of the Largest MMA show in Hawaii per Captia
Source:
Event Promoter
|
Fertitta:
Couture-Nogueira, Penn-Florian in August
Randy Couture vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and BJ Penn vs. Kenny
Florian are among the big fights in the works for August, says
UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta.
Fertitta
fielded questions from fans on the Underground Forum and hinted
at the heavyweight fight for UFC 102, scheduled for the Rose
Garden in Portland, Oregon.
"Looks
like Portland's favorite son in a megafight with a Brazilian
legend who spent [most of] his career in Japan," Fertitta
wrote, referring to Couture vs. Nogueira.
Fertitta
also said he's working on Penn vs. Kenny Florian at UFC 101 on
August 8 in Philadelphia, but "not quite done yet!"
As
for his comment on the Greasegate controversy between Penn and
Georges St-Pierre, Fertitta said, "I just want greasegate
to be over! I love both guys and they have a dispute period.
No disrespect to anyone but it needs to be over!"
Source: MMA Fighting
|
BROWN
VS. FABER 2 SET FOR WEC 41 ON JUNE 7
In a recent trip to Corpus Christi, Texas, World Extreme Cagefighting
Vice President Peter Dropick hinted that a rematch between WEC
featherweight champion Mike Brown and former champ Urijah Faber
was all but a done deal. Well, now it's a done deal.
The
bout, set to headline WEC 41, was confirmed by Ariel Helwani,
the MMA blogger for the promotion's television partner Versus,
on Thursday.
Brown
took the title from Faber last November on Brown's home turf
in Florida. Faber will now have a shot at redemption in front
of his hometown crowd at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif.,
on June 7.
Despite
rumors that the event might take place on pay-per-view, Helwani
says that a decision was made late last week to air WEC 41 on
Versus for free.
Since
their bout at WEC 36 in November, both fighters have fought just
once more. Faber quickly submitted Jens Pulver in January at
WEC 38, putting himself back in queue for a title shot. Brown
made the first successful defense of his title on March 1 in
Corpus Christi, defeating top challenger Leonard Garcia with
a dominating two-minute performance.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Manny
Pacquiao Named Best Boxer of 2008
Press Release
NEW
YORK (AP) - Manny Pacquiao has been voted fighter of the year
by the Boxing Writers Association of America after a dominating
win over Oscar De La Hoya.
Joe
Calzaghe was runner-up, but voted manager of the year Tuesday
for guiding his own career. The undefeated former super middleweight
champion recently retired.
Pacquiao
won three times in 2008, highlighted by his stoppage of De La
Hoya. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, was a voted trainer
of the year, the third time he has won the award.
The
super batamweight rubber match between Israel Vazquez and Rafael
Marquez was chosen fight of the year. Vazquez won the fight by
split decision.
The
awards will be presented at the annual BWAA dinner June 12 in
New York.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Silva
Primes for Leites, Talks GSP & Fedor
by Marcelo Alonso
Middleweight champion Anderson Silva will defend his crown for
the fifth time when he collides with countryman Thales Leites
in the featured bout at UFC 97 “Redemption” on April
18 at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Silva
(23-4) realizes Leites presents many dangers, and he has enlisted
the assistance of Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstars Ronaldo “Jacare”
Souza and Andre Galvao, among others, as he prepares for his
latest test inside the Octagon.
Based
out of the Nova Uniao camp, the 27-year-old Leites (14-1) has
never been finished in 15 career fights and has enjoyed a relatively
stealth rise up the middleweight ladder.
“Thales
is a new kid who’s just starting out, but he’s already
proven that he deserves this opportunity,” Silva told Sherdog.com
in an exclusive video interview. “He’s a dangerous
opponent, just like all the others I’ve faced. He has this
opportunity to fight for the title because he impressed the promoters
enough to get this chance. The only thing I can say for sure
is that, no matter who wins, the belt will stay in Brazil.”
Anderson
Silva trains for UFC 97.Currently tied with hall of famer Royce
Gracie and welterweight contender Jon Fitch for the most consecutive
UFC victories (eight), Silva last appeared in October when he
retained his belt with a bittersweet technical knockout against
Patrick Cote. The match ended prematurely when Cote went down
with a non-contact knee injury in the third round and could not
continue.
Recently,
talk has swirled regarding Silva’s plans to retire once
he fulfills his current contract with the UFC. He remains elusive
on the topic.
“I’m
still focused on MMA, until my contract ends,” Silva said.
“I have four more fights after Thales.”
Check
out Marcelo Alonso’s complete interview with Silva and see
how he feels about potential super fights with UFC welterweight
champion Georges St. Pierre, former Pride Fight Championships
heavyweight titleholder Fedor Emelianenko and boxing legend Roy
Jones Jr.
Source: Sherdog
|
The
value of Gina Carano
By Zach Arnold
Sam Caplan says she’s worth $100,000USD a fight. He uses
the examples of the paychecks UFC gave to Brandon Vera and Fabricio
Werdum to support this opinion.
Two
wrongs don’t make a right.
The
market will support whatever promoters feel fit Gina is worth.
Dana White is not interested in women’s MMA, so the value
of Gina in the marketplace automatically goes down.
So,
the next question to ask — is Gina worth $100,000USD per
fight for Strikeforce or Affliction? How do you determine her
value? For starters, can she sell $100,000USD worth of tickets
or PPV buys for a promoter? Nobody knows. She certainly has mainstream
star crossover appeal, but that doesn’t mean that she can
attract the big money as a fighter.
Then
there is this argument:
If
ProElite was willing to pay Antonio Silva $200,000 and Kimbo
Slice at least $500,000 for his last fight, then Gina should
be worth 100K.
There’s
a reason why Pro Elite lost $55M USD in under two years. This
had something to do with it. Telling promoters to pay Gina $100k
a fight because others did and are out of business is purely
an emotional, not logical business argument at this point. Gina
needs the exposure more than Strikeforce needs the exposure in
terms of generating revenue as a fighter in-and-out of the ring.
Showtime and CBS is a platform for her to do it on. If Strikeforce
can give her that platform and she can make ancillary revenue
from it, why should they pay her $100k per fight? Doesn’t
mean that I don’t enjoy watching her fight or that I don’t
think she’s a star — but put yourself in the shoes
of a promoter right now trying to compete in a UFC-dominated
marketplace where everyone is basically losing their ass financially.
The
reality of women’s MMA right now is that until Dana White
is willing to make an investment in it, it’s going to be
a very steep, uphill climb for the girls in the MMA industry
to get paid on a big scale outside of Zuffa.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Arona
planning return before September
By Guilherme Cruz
Without
fighting since 2007, Ricardo Arona meet his friends Rogério
“Minotouro” Nogueira and Vitor Belfort and a seminar
yesterday, and spoke with TATAME Magazine about his plans to
MMA in 2009. With ADCC’s postponement, the fighter plans
on back fighting before September, and commented his Pride opponents
future fights, Shogun Rua against Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei
Silva with Forrest Griffin.
"I
think Shogun is more complete than Liddell in terms of ground,
movement, but Chuck Liddell is a very tough guy, very experienced.
Anyone can fall down, for sure", said Arona, to, after,
analyze the bout between Wanderlei and Franklin, after his decision
to drop to middleweight. "Look, he has in his favor a whole
life where he fought heavier guys, had athletes much more powerful
against him... But he is taking a category that has much speed,
much spin and that requires much physical condition", analyzes
Ricardo, who spoke about his plans for the MMA, the seminar,
the reunion with Minotouro and Belfort, ADCC and his relationship
with the BTT.
Source: Tatame
|
Ninja,
Monson and Kharitanov in Dream
Organization announces updated April 5 card
Dream’s
organizers today announced some of the names to make up the Dream
8 event to take place April 5th. Besides Brazilian Murilo Ninja,
previously announced by Portal das Lutas and GRACIEMAG.com, heavyweights
Sergei Kharitanov, a former pride star, and Jeff Monson, best
known for his days in the UFC, were also confirmed. Monson and
Kharitanov will face off in the evening’s main event.
Murilo
Ninja’s adversary will be South Korean Dong Sik Yoon, in
the middleweight category.
The
other Brazilian confirmed in a superfight is Andrews Nakahara,
who will face off against Shungo Oyama, who is coming in for
injured Zelg Galesic.
Dream
8 will also mark the opening round of the Middleweight GP, in
which Andre Galvao will face John Alessio.
Check
out the updated card for Dream 8 and stay tuned to GRACIEMAG.com
for further information on the event:
Shinya
Aoki vs Hayato Sakurai*
Ikuhisa Minowa vs Katsuyori Shibata
Hideo Tokoro vs DJ.taiki
Yuya Shirai vs Jason High*
Marius Zaromskis vs Seichi Ikemoto*
Andre Galvao vs John Alessio*
Murilo Ninja Rua vs Dong Sik Yoon
Andrews Nakahara vs Shungo Oyama
Sergey Kharitonov vs Jeff Monson
*
Middleweight GP fights
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Andrei
Arlovski pulls out of April 11 boxing debut
Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has pulled out
of his pro boxing debut due to a mild back strain, reports ESPN.com.
Arlovski was scheduled to fight on April 11 in Las Vegas on the
undercard of Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright event promoted by
Golden Boy.
"Although
Andrei is healing fine and would be ready for April 11, I decided
that there is no point in rushing his recovery, so I pulled him,"
manager Billy Keane told ESPN.com. "The hope is to see him
in action in May or June at the latest."
Arlovski
trains boxing with Mike Garcia of JABB in Chicago and also flies
out to California to train with Freddie Roach.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Why
has UFC had so many problems with corporate sponsors?
By Zach Arnold
A
company that clearly dominates it sector in the sport of MMA
has had a volatile record over the past several years with corporate
sponsors. From the whole Xyience debacle, to Amp’d Mobile
going out to business, to Mickey’s (the official malt liquor
of UFC, at one time anyways), to Affliction which has led to
the war between the two camps, and to now having problems with
Full Tilt Poker.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Johnson:
‘No Limit For Me’
by Brian Knapp
Anthony Johnson has some choice words for John Howard.
One
of the welterweight division’s fastest-rising stars, Johnson
was scheduled to lock horns with Howard at “The Ultimate
Fighter 9” Finale on June 20 at the Palms Casino Resort
in Las Vegas. Howard, however, recently excused himself from
the bout and left Johnson without a dance partner.
“I’m
supposed to fight June 20,” Johnson told the Sherdog Radio
Network’s Savage Dog Show last week. “I don’t
know what his deal is [with Howard]. At first, I heard it was
about money, and then I heard he got hurt, so I don’t know
what excuse he’s going to use to get out of it. If he doesn’t
want to fight me, he doesn’t want to fight me.”
MMAWeekly.com
reported Wednesday that Johnson would fight Matt Brown instead
at the June 20 event. Johnson shrugged off Howard’s decision
to withdraw from their showdown and reaffirmed his willingness
to meet the Boston native inside the Octagon at a later date.
“Him
backing out didn’t affect me at all,” Johnson said.
“Everybody knows me. I’ll take a fight on short notice.
I don’t need any preparation time to get mentally ready.
I’ll beat him up -- a day’s notice or a month’s
notice or even a year’s notice.”
Johnson,
a Georgia native who wrestled collegiately, has aligned himself
with Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le in San Jose, Calif.
Meanwhile, Strikeforce lightweight titleholder and UFC veteran
Josh Thomson has also taken an interest in Johnson’s progression
from prospect to contender.
Many
view the 25-year-old as a champion in waiting. Just nine fights
into his professional career, he has wowed crowds with raw athleticism
and knockout power in his hands and feet. Johnson has delivered
all four of his wins inside the UFC by KO or technical knockout.
American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti became his latest victim
when he succumbed to strikes at UFC Fight Night 17 in February.
Anthony
"Rumble" Johnson exclusive interview.“If I just
keep going and doing what I need to do, there’s no limit
for me or anyone else,” Johnson said. “I don’t
think you should set a limit for yourself. When you set limits,
that’s when you’re basically holding yourself back
-- you have doubts and stuff. I don’t have any doubt in
myself at all. I think I can go to the top and even further one
day.”
Involved
in one of the most controversial bouts of 2008, Johnson also
weighed in on the subject of officiating in mixed martial arts.
In the third round of his first match with Kevin Burns at UFC
Fight Night 14 in July, Johnson went down after being poked inadvertently
in the eye. Referee Steve Mazzagatti, his vision shielded, believed
a punch had leveled Johnson and stepped in to award Burns the
TKO victory. Johnson later underwent surgery to correct damage
to his eye.
“The
refs have a really hard job,” Johnson said. “A lot
of people don’t realize how stressful it is for refs. You’ve
got to be at the right angle at the right time to see certain
things. The first four times Kevin poked me in the eye, I figured
Mazzagatti would say something. Now that’s his fault for
just not paying attention. The last time, when Kevin got me good,
Mazzagatti was just at a bad angle. He thought Kevin caught me
with an uppercut after that bootleg jab he did. It wasn’t
Mazzagatti’s fault.”
Johnson
prefers experienced officials in the cage.
“Whoever’s
going to ref me, I want them to be a veteran,” Johnson said.
“I don’t want these new guys in there. Nobody’s
perfect. I just want these same guys who have been in the game
a long time and know what to look for to continue refereeing
my fights.”
Johnson
avenged his disputed loss to Burns five months later when he
knocked out the former Victory Fighting Championships titleholder
with a highlight reel head kick at “The Ultimate Fighter
8” Finale in December. He has shown no lingering affects
from the eye injury he sustained the first time the two welterweights
met.
“It’s
100 percent ready to go,” Johnson said. “I can actually
see better since I got poked in the eye, so Kevin actually helped
me out. Kevin is my best friend. He helped my popularity get
up there. He also gave me a good fight and gave me the opportunity
to knock him out.”
Source: Sherdog
|
James
Thompson Confirms Sengoku Return in August
Ariel Shnerer
World
Victory Road will give British heavyweight veteran James "The
Colossus" Thompson a chance to redeem himself following
an unsuccessful promotional debut at "Sengoku: Seventh Battle"
on March 20.
According
to the 14-10 Team Trojan product, he will return to the Japanese-based
promotion in August at the unannounced "Sengoku: Ninth Battle"
event.
Thompson
has already targeted an opponent for the bout.
"I
hope it's Kazuyuki Fujita," Thompson told The Fight Network
on Tuesday.
Thompson
first crossed paths with Fujita at PRIDE: Total Elimination Absolute
in May 2006, where the 15-7 Japanese veteran dealt him a KO loss
at 8:25 of the first round.
This
time around the British export wants revenge.
Competing
as a professional since 2003, Thompson has defeated veterans
like Dan Severn, Hidehiko Yoshida and Don Frye.
Throughout
stints with the PRIDE Fighting Championships, EliteXC and Cage
Rage, Thompson has dropped bouts to Aleksander Emelianenko, Eric
"Butterbean" Esch, Neil Grove and Brett Rogers.
Now
on a four-fight losing streak, Thompson hopes to turn things
around following a first-round knockout loss to Jim York at "Sengoku:
Seventh Battle" earlier this month.
Thompson
is best known for a third-round TKO setback against Kevin "Kimbo
Slice" Ferguson on the CBS broadcast of EliteXC: Primetime
last May. Despite being stopped in the third round, Thompson
had Ferguson on the brink of defeat in the second stanza, nearly
becoming the first man to vanquish the Internet street fighting
sensation. Moreover, Thompson now holds the accolade of participating
in the most-watched fight in MMA history.
Prior
to facing York on March 20, Thompson battled popular French-Canadian
prospect Steve Bosse to a no contest at the first (and last)
Titans Fighting event in Montreal on February 6. Confusion about
rules for the show led to fans throwing debris into the ring
once Thompson took Bosse to the ground. Fans, unknowing to the
fact they were watching a sanctioned MMA fight as opposed to
a modified kickboxing-rules contest, responded by throwing bottles,
cans and other items into the cage in support of the local hero
Bosse.
Thompson
also told The Fight Network that his contract was one of 42 different
EliteXC fighter contracts acquired by Strikeforce in the ProElite
acquisition earlier this year.
"I
am waiting to hear from Strikeforce," said Thompson, who
hopes to compete for the California-based promotion on a future
card televised on Showtime. For the time being, however, he appears
to be having no trouble securing fights in the "Land of
the Rising Sun."
Throughout
his nine-year career, Fujita has recorded wins over Mark Kerr,
Ken Shamrock, Gilbert Yvel and Bob Sapp.
Fujita
has notable career losses against world-class competition such
as Mark Coleman, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (twice),
Fedor Emelianenko, Wanderlei Silva and Jeff Monson.
Fujita
is coming off a first-round knockout loss to former YAMMA Pit
Fighting tournament winner and UFC veteran Travis Wiuff at "Sengoku:
Third Battle" in June 2008.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Caio
Terra grateful for Pan return
Black belt cleared by doctor and on his way
By Carlos Osorio
Caio
Terra is another beast guaranteed to participate at the coming
Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American this weekend in California. The current
roosterweight world champion recently said he would not be at
the event, due to injury. But a stop in at the doctor changed
the black belt’s destiny.
“I’m
going to compete at the Pan. I didn’t say anything early
because I just signed up at the last minute. I really wasn’t
going to fight, but I was cleared by the doctor and I hate being
left out of championships (laughs),” he said. “I couldn’t
wait to get back to competing, and after I found out how many
people were in it, I went back to the doctor to see what could
be done. I’m really happy.”
“I
was in no condition to train combat because any little thing
could worsen my fracture, but the important thing is that I never
stopped training techniques ever day, repeating positions, defending,
doing the greatest number of variations possible, and all at
full speed and with as much timing as possible. My physical conditioning
coach Matt Smith is the one who takes care of my aerobic and
anaerobic shape. Ken Tali is my nutritionist, who takes care
of my diet,” Caio remarked.
Caio
recently qualified for the Abu Dhabi Pro tournament at the trials
in the United States in the 65kg category. Despite being world
champion as a roosterweight, the fighter will compete as a super
featherweight at the Pan.
I
would have liked to have gone in as a featherweight, as it’s
been the toughest category at black belt. Every match is a final,
because most of them are top guys and those who aren’t,
are at least really tough. But being as I am and being much lighter
than the other competitors, I didn’t consider myself ready
to do three or four finals on the same day. When the Pan’s
over I want to lock myself in a “cage” and only open
it for the Worlds. I want to go out there like a wild boar and
throw my weight around. That’s when I think I’ll be
ready. At roosterweight there’s a teacher of mine, Felipe
Costa, so I decided to go in at super featherweight,” said
the fighter in finishing.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Water
cooler talk for March Madness ‘09 weekend
By Zach Arnold
Here’s
what you might be reading about today and discussing amongst
fellow friends who follow MMA:
Sherdog:
BJ Penn, attorney vow to fight on
“As
an attorney, it’s about fact-finding,” he said. “As
a commission member, as an executive director, you would think
that his purpose is a fact-finding mission to obtain all the
facts, all the evidence and to make an educated legal judgment
upon the commission as to your determination. Do I feel he did
that? Not at all.”
The
Canadian Press: BJ Penn’s camp will not give up
“Not
at all. This is just the beginning for our side,” Raffi
Nahabedian, Penn’s lawyer, told The Canadian Press.
“And
I think that other commissions that are going to be watching
this or reading about this are going to be, in my opinion, appalled
at the almost lackadaisical attitude taken by (Nevada commission
executive director Keith Kizer) Mr. Kizer.”
Matt
Serra’s opinion-editorial in today’s New York Newsday:
Fighting for MMA in New York
The
students at my schools understand that mixed martial arts is
a sport based on respect, strategy and skill. That’s also
the view held by the leadership of the UFC. Zuffa, the company
that bought UFC in 2001, has reinvented the league by instituting
strict safety standards to protect its athletes.
Not
the Zuffa myth again…
New
York Daily News (Tim Smith): Roy Jones Jr. tried to match boxing
with MMA in hometown show
This
is a marriage that is doomed from the start. It just won’t
work. The two sports are completely different. And the fans are
completely different because they have different expectations
of what their sport is supposed to deliver.
Michael
David Smith: An interview with WEC boss Peter Dropick
‘Putting
a show on pay-per-view is one of our goals, and it’s a necessity.
We’re still going to deliver quality fight cards on Versus.
We think we’re very deep, across all our weight classes
and we put on some of the most exciting fights out there. We
need more fights. Our fighters are starting to get backed up
a little bit and we need to get them more fights. So our matchmakers
would love it if we did two shows in a row, and we think there’s
enough talent for Versus to be happy and for us to do a good
show on pay-per-view.’
The
Associated Press: Bill seeks regulation of MMA in the state of
Maine
Williams,
however, called the activity “bloody, brutal and potentially
deadly.” He asked the committee to shun “the type of
vicious events that are contemplated in the bill.”
Williams,
saying “I appear to be the underdog today” as the only
opponent to speak, added that the department has no expertise
in regulating sports, and raised concern that the bill includes
no protections for children or criteria for referees.
The
Portland Press Herald (Maine): Barbaric to be sure, but a sport
There’s
room under sport’s big tent for mixed martial arts. It has
its rules, its code of conduct and, surprise, its respect for
each other.
You
would have to watch and listen to understand.
Metro
Vancouver: Council set to debate cage fighting next week in Vancouver
In
the report, the Vancouver Police Department warns that banning
MMA outright could result in more underground events with no
“controlling force” in place to monitor them.
Setanta
Sports (UK): The death of jiu-jitsu in UFC?
Jiu
Jitsu’s influence in The Octagon, despite the lack of its
most potent techniques (submissions), is still strong if not
stronger than ever. Before we herald its death we should note
that three of the five UFC champions are Jiu Jitsu Black Belts.
Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre and BJ Penn each hold the fabled
rank and the respective straps at their weight. Does a Muay Thai
machine like Silva need it? When he beat Nate Marquardt and Travis
Lutter it certainly didn’t work against him!
Source: Fight Opinion
|
DANILLO
VILLEFORT VS JESSE LENNOX AT UFC 101
by Damon Martin
In a battle of former WEC welterweights now moving to the UFC,
American Top Team submission specialist, Danillo Villefort, will
take on Miletich fighter, Jesse Lennox, in a scheduled undercard
bout for UFC 101 tentatively scheduled for Aug 8 in Philadelphia.
The
bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Thursday by sources close
to the fight.
Villefort
makes his UFC debut just 1 fight after making his WEC debut back
in January winning by TKO over popular Northeast fighter, Mike
Campbell.
The
former IFL fighter is currently riding a 5 fight win streak and
also holds a submission win over UFC fighter, Mike Massenzio,
who he fought in May 2008.
His
opponent, Jesse Lennox, also makes the move to the UFC after
only 1 WEC contest in which he picked up a KO over Blas Avena.
Lennox,
who trains with Pat Miletich and his team in Iowa, suffered his
only loss while competing in the IFL in 2008, but has since reeled
off 3 straight wins including the fight in the WEC.
Villefort
and Lennox, along with a number of other WEC welterweights will
make the move the UFC after the promotion did away with the weight
class just last month.
UFC
101 is yet to be announced by the promotion, but the card is
expected to feature a lightweight title bout between champion,
B.J. Penn, and top contender, Kenny Florian, as the headliner.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"A
cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past,
he is one who is prematurely disappointed in the future."
Sidney J. Harris
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 8: Way of the Warrior
March 28th
Tomorrow!
Tickets
will be sold tomorrow at the following outlets:
Pono
Market- Kapaa
City Liquor -Lihue
Deli and Bread- Kukui Grove
Meyvn- Kukui Grove
Skapa - Hanamaulu
Kauai Harley- Puhi
Sweet and Sassy- Eleele
Wongs Rest- Hanapepe
Aloha Rainbow Screening- Waimea
Hair Razors- Lihue- VIP tickets
Be
apart of the Largest MMA show in Hawaii per Captia
Source:
Event Promoter
|
KJ
Noons loses in boxing return
Former EliteXC lightweight champion KJ Noons dropped a six-round
decision to James Countryman in a middleweight bout Saturday
at TKO Boxing Promotions' "3 The Hard Way" at the US
Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The judges scored it 59-55, 58-56 and 58-56.
Noons's
boxing record fell to 8-2, while Countryman improved to 14-1.
Noons,
7-2 in MMA, was offered a title shot against Strikeforce lightweight
champion Josh Thomson at Strikeforce "Shamrock vs. Diaz"
on April 11 but turned down the fight to concentrate on his boxing
career.
Noons
is also scheduled to box on April 18 against Matt Vanda (39-9)
at "Fight Night at Target Center" in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Koscheck
vs. Wilson Confirmed for UFC 98
Taylor to Face Sobotta in June
By FCF Staff
Josh
Koscheck will continue to keep a busy schedule, as the Ultimate
Fighting Championship has confirmed that the American Kickboxing
Academy welterweight will fight fellow veteran Chris Wilson on
May 23rd. The bout will take place at UFC 98, which will be hosted
by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The
fight will be Koscheck’s (12-4) fourth in just seven months,
as during that time the accomplished wrestler has knocked out
Yoshiyuki Yoshida, while losing to number one contender Thiago
Alves, and most recently, Paulo Thiago, who stopped 31 year-old
at UFC 95 in February.
Wilson
(14-5) has gone 1-2 since signing with the UFC. The IFL veteran
is coming off a Split Decision loss to John Howard in December,
in a bout which earned “Fight of the Night” honors
at UFC 94. In his two fights prior, Wilson worked his way to
a Unanimous Decision win over Steve Bruno at UFC 87 in August,
and in his Octagon debut last March, Wilson lost by Unanimous
Decision to Koscheck’s training partner Jon Fitch.
The
UFC has also confirmed that Britain’s Paul Taylor (9-4-1)
will fight German, UFC newcomer Peter Sobotta (8-1) at the promotion’s
upcoming June 13th card in Cologne, Germany. Taylor is coming
off a Unanimous Decision loss to the veteran Chris Lytle at UFC
89 in October, while Sobotta earned his fourth consecutive victory
in September, stopping Kerim Abzailov at a KSW event in Poland.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Drug-related
MMA suspensions
By Zach Arnold
Put
yourself in the shoes of Keith Kizer. You, in this hypothetical
scenario, run the Nevada State Athletic Commission. You have
three fighters fail drug tests - one for pain killers, one for
marijuana, and one for anabolic steroids.
Do
you fine each fighter the same amount of money for failing the
drug test? If you propose different fines for each offense, what
is your benchmark and judging criteria?
Example: Ken Shamrock was fined $2,500 by the California State
AthletiC Commission for failing a drug test, while Karo Parisyan
was fined over $30,000 for failing a Nevada State Athletic Commission
drug test for pain killers.
Do
you suspend each fighter for the same period of time or do you
have different suspension timelines for each case based on the
drug the fighter is accused of taking?
Should the legality or illegality of a substance taken by a fighter
that resulted in the failed drug test have any sort of mitigating
factor in terms of the punishment issued to the fighter?
Extra round of questions: Give me an estimation of what percentage
of MMA fighters use the following substances - a) marijuana,
b) pain killers, c) steroids/growth hormone. Give me a % estimate
for each drug. (E.G. 50% use marijuana, 60% use pain killers,
60% use steroids/growth hormone.) I want to see what the feeling
is amongst dedicated MMA fans in regards to drug usage in the
sport right now.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
France's
Top MMA Fighter Signs with M-1
Press Release
Amsterdam,
Holland - An impressive 2008 campaign during the M-1 Challenge
has landed French welterweight phenom Karl "Psycho"
Amoussou a coveted managerial contract with M-1 Global.
For
Amoussou, fighting in his his blood, as he is the younger brother
of former PRIDE veteran Bertrand Amoussou. Utilizing an array
of explosive striking skills, the younger Amoussou went 4-1 last
year while competing for Team France in the M-1 Challenge.
"We
have been following Karl for several years now and always saw
his great potential," M-1 Global officials announced soon
after finalizing Amoussou's new contract. "The first time
he fought for M-1 WAS three years ago and we've supported him
ever since. We are very proud to welcome him in the M-1 family."
Based
on his rapid progress, Amoussou has graduated from the M-1 Challenge
and will now fight under the M-1 Global banner for major promotions
all over the world. While not official, Amoussou's first fight
under the management of M-1 could take place at DEEP 41 in Japan
on April 16 against an unnamed opponent.
Despite
having only competed for three years, Amoussou has amassed an
impressive 9-2-1 lifetime record as a pro. He made his debut
in grand style, going to a draw against noted jiu-jitsu black
belt and former International Fight League veteran Marcello Salazar.
In
addition to his draw against Salazar, Amoussou also holds notable
wins over Dmitry Samoylov, Min Suk Heo, and season seven veteran
of The Ultimate Fighter, Mike Dolce.
His
last fight took place on January 10 during the first-ever sanctioned
mixed martial arts event in France's history. Facing Gregory
Babene during the card's main event, Amoussou was victorious
in front of his home country after securing an armbar submission
at 3:05 of round 2.
Source: The Fight Network
|
Wagnney
vs Fredson
What awaits April 5th in the WEC
With
all the buzz surrounding Anderson Silva’s upcoming headliner
with Thales Leites, another all-Brazilian bout on the cards for
this April seems to be getting overlooked: the WEC match-up pitting
Wagnney Fabiano against three-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion Fredson
Paixao. Whereas much of the excitement stemming from the long-standing
UFC middleweight champion’s title defense against the young
Nova Uniao product has to do with the always-intriguing classic
clash of styles, the Fabiano/Paixao WEC undercard match catches
the imagination for precisely the similarity of their weapons.
In contemplating the approaching bout between two Jiu-Jitsu exponents
of the highest order, GRACIEMAG.com caught up with the first
and final featherweight champion of the now-defunct International
Fight League, Wagnney Fabiano, to find out his views on what
awaits him come April 5th.
Aside
from their penchant for snagging stray limbs and necks throughout
their MMA careers, Wagnney and Paixao share a rough upbringing
on the mean streets of suburban Rio de Janeiro and Manaus, respectively.
This shared struggle in life seems to be the only misgiving the
first grand Jiu-Jitsu champion to come out of the suburban wing
of team Nova Uniao has going into the fight, as “I just
wish I didn’t have to fight another Brazilian,” was
his empathetic response to being asked whether he wouldn’t
rather fight someone of a different martial arts background.
The two also share devout Christian beliefs and their opting
for the Brazilian ex-patriot way of life, as Paixao has been
full time in the United States for the last three years and Wagnney,
although currently in Rio, has since 1998 made a home for himself
in Canada, his daughter’s birthplace, to where he will soon
return, now his residency papers have finally come through. However,
their initiation in the martial arts couldn’t be more different.
While
the Manauara (native of the city of Manaus) only discovered his
phenomenal talent for Jiu-Jitsu at age 15 by chance, at a gig
painting and cleaning a Jiu-Jitsu academy, Wagnney first came
face to face with the gentle art at the tender age o 3, when
his cousin, and Nova Uniao team co-founder, Wendell Alexander
started bringing him to the gym. Not only did he start early,
but Fabiano comes from a tradition in the martial arts spanning
three generations of aunt and uncle black belts, and even world
champion brother in Leo Santos and a red-and-black belt great
uncle to boot. Besides the unlike origins they share in the art,
the MMA credentials they carry too are notably different.
With
Wagnney Fabiano, at 11 and 1 in MMA, having last fought and defeated
former Shooto featherweight champion Akitoshi Tamura in his December
WEC debut, bringing with him the distinction of having a featherweight
division created just for him so he would have the ideal conditions
to perform in the International Fight League, his former employer,
he would seem to have an apparent advantage over Paixao’s
eight wins, two losses and two-year lay-off, despite his main
weapon in MMA being the same one that etched Paixao’s name
into the annals of Jiu-Jitsu history, having been crowned world
champion of the art on three separate occasions. Going into the
fight, however, the two seem to diverge on how they feel this
difference in baggage will play out in their fight.
Although
in a recent article on the WEC website Fredson’s camp voiced
the opinion the match-up with Santos is better for him than the
Jose Aldo fight that slipped through his fingers, saying his
grappling prowess outmatches his opponent’s, Wagnney disagrees:
“I don't think so at all. We're both good on the ground,”
without bringing up his own conquest of the Brazilian Nationals
and third-place at the Worlds of 1998, the year he left Brazil
for Canada, thus distancing from the burgeoning Jiu-Jitsu scene.
Surprisingly, though, it is not his adversary’s greatest
weapon that most concerns Fabiano, but the overall MMA game where
most would feel the Nova Uniao fighter holds a distinct advantage.
“Fredson could be a very different fighter now,” Wagnney
began, when GRACIEMAG.com asked whether he felt he had the upper
hand for his famed wrestling and the caliber of standup sparring
he has in fellow WEC featherweight Jose Aldo, and went on to
explain, “Fredson has been in the States for the last three
years and hasn’t fought in two. In this time he could be
a whole different fighter, there’s no telling how far his
boxing and wrestling have come.” Faced with such unknowns,
the Carioca suggests he’s just going about his business
as usual, unlike teammate Jose Aldo who, when training for his
fight with Paixao that never materialized, took to training in
the gi, to prepare himself for his compatriots grappling pedigree.
“I take all my opponents seriously and don’t do anything
differently for any of them; I train hard at all aspects of the
game no matter what,” said the word-frugal Wagnney. As for
his expectations for the match, a typically laconic reply: “The
better man on the day will win. We’ll see.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
PETTIS
OUT; PALASZEWSKI STEPS IN TO FACE NJOKUANI
by Damon Martin
A change has been made to the upcoming WEC 40 card in Chicago
as lightweight Anthony Pettis has been forced out of his scheduled
fight against Anthony Njokuani with an undisclosed injury. Stepping
into replace Pettis will be Bart Palaszewski, who accepted the
fight on just over one week's notice.
The
bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Thursday by sources close
to the fight.
Palaszewski
last fought on the WEC show in early March dropping a unanimous
decision to newcomer Ricardo Lamas. Now the former IFL fighter
is looking to get back on track stepping in on short notice to
take on Anthony Njokuani.
Njokuani
returns to the WEC after losing his initial fight in the promotion
against Ben Henderson in January and has no easy task facing
a veteran like Palaszewski.
The
bout between Njokuani and Palaszewski will remain on the untelevised
portion of the undercard for the WEC's debut show in Chicago.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Fred
Ettish: Where Is He Now?
by Brian Knapp
Fred Ettish spent more than his share of time on hell’s
doorstep. The product of a broken home, he suffered through persistent
taunts from his peers because of his slight build, endured unspeakable
mental and physical abuse from his stepfather as a teenager and
lost a son, only minutes old, back in 1996.
Toughness
was not developed in him so much as it was forced upon him. Life
can be a ruthless teacher.
For
many longtime mixed martial arts diehards, Ettish will be forever
associated with his ill-fated appearance at UFC 2 on March 11,
1994, when he entered the cage on a moment’s notice to fight
Johnny Rhodes -- a man physically superior to him in virtually
every way imaginable. Three minutes and seven seconds later,
after being momentarily blinded and cut by a bare-knuckle punch,
Ettish succumbed to a rear-naked choke. He was not afforded the
opportunity to return the Octagon to right his wrongs, and his
life was never the same.
The
Good Life
Now
53, Ettish resides in Kansas City, Mo., where he runs a martial
arts gym affiliated with the Miletich Fighting Systems camp.
He had the chance to train with MMA pioneer Pat Miletich on several
occasions, and the relationship between them strengthened over
time. When the MFS founder made known his plans to open a satellite
in the Kansas City area, Ettish capitalized on proxy and made
use of his connection.
“I’ve
known Pat for a number of years,” he said. “I saw him
at a few shows and had the chance to go to the Bettendorf, Iowa,
facility once a year to train. I found out he was starting a
chain of affiliates and planned for one in Kansas City, so I
picked up the phone and called him. He asked me if I’d be
interested in being involved, and I jumped at the opportunity.”
Ettish
has roughly 20 students under his wing at the Damaibushi Martial
Arts academy, where he spends some 20 hours a week teaching and
20 more tending to the headaches that come with operating a business.
Expansion remains a goal, but Ettish still keeps odd jobs in
order to pay the bills and stay afloat in an uncertain economy.
Love,
however, not the prospect of teaching martial arts, brought the
divorced father to Kansas City from Minnesota.
“A
lot of things in my life changed,” Ettish said. “I
met a woman who lived down here, and I was commuting back and
forth. The relationship was going well. I was actually headed
for Key West, but this is as far as I got.”
He
married his second wife, Pam, in 2005 after mutual tragedy brought
them together.
“As
with most things in my life,” Ettish said, “there’s
an interesting story behind it.”
Fred
Ettish teaches at a Miletich Fighting Systems affiliate near
Kansas City, Mo. He enlisted in the United States Marines straight
out of high school and made lasting friendships in his four years
of service. One of those relationships laid the foundation for
future happiness.
“I
graduated high school and joined the Marine Corps with her oldest
brother,” Ettish said. “She was about four and a half
years younger, but I knew her. Her brother died in 2003, and
I went to the funeral. I hadn’t seen him since our Marine
Corps days. I got re-introduced to Pam there.”
Amid
tears and heartache, plans were hatched, unbeknownst to Ettish
or his future bride.
“His
widow and her mother sent me a thank you note and put Pam’s
number in there and said she wanted to talk to me about her brother,”
Ettish said. “We didn’t have a clue. We got a big kick
out of it. We also recognized that her brother would have gotten
a big kick out of it. Somewhere, he’s laughing.”
Unfortunate
Beginnings
Ettish’s
childhood was no laughing matter. He was the son of European
immigrants who met in Switzerland after World War II. His father,
Peter, left the Old Continent in 1952 after surviving forced
labor camps in Nazi Germany -- according to Ettish, “his
heritage had a lot of Jewish blood in it” -- and pursued
the American dream as an electrical engineer. Once Peter had
a financial foothold, he sent for his wife, Dorothy, who was
already pregnant with their first child, a daughter. Fred Ettish
came along a few years later.
“My
dad was an incredible man,” Ettish said. “He came from
nothing and worked his way up.”
Raised
in Norwalk, Conn., a city home to the nation’s largest oyster
company, he bounced between his home state and Montana before
putting down roots in Minnesota. His mother and father separated
when he was 11, and their divorce touched off a downward spiral
in his life. Once his mother remarried, a more brutal reality
took hold.
“I
had an abusive stepfather,” Ettish said. “It was rough.
I put up with quite a bit. It affected me in every possible way
you could imagine. It colored everything about my personality,
some things for the better, some things for the worse. It was
the number one reason I turned to martial arts. I hated being
weak. I hated being the victim.”
He
found refuge through an unexpected source. One of his friend’s
parents, made aware of what he was up against at home, threw
him a lifeline and offered him place to crash, warm meals and
the structure he so desperately needed. Another in a string of
violent incidents spurred his decision to accept their offer.
“My
stepfather burned our house down in a drunken rage the same night
he chased us with a loaded rifle and tried to run me over with
his truck,” Ettish said. “One of my classmates had
told me, ‘If it gets too bad, my parents will let you stay
with us.’ I went to school and asked him if the offer still
stood. That’s the way it went. They never blinked.”
Stable and content for the first time in years, Ettish completed
high school and joined the military. For four years in the mid
1970s, he ate, drank and slept the Marines.
“It
was a good time,” he said. “Those were four good years.”
Still,
the decision to leave home was not easy to make.
“I
was 17 years old, had just graduated high school and was living
with a foster family,” Ettish said. “I lived on a farm.
I thought it was heaven. I wasn’t getting beaten. I wasn’t
being told I was stupid. All I had to do was milk cows and do
my chores.”
Into
the Fire
Ettish’s
long love affair with martial arts dates back to 1969 and led
him down a road to Mammoth Gardens in Denver -- site of UFC 2
“No Way Out.” Dissatisfied with the state of tournament
point fighting, the Matsumura Kenpo Karate disciple sought new
challenges and sent a letter to Art Davie, founder of the Ultimate
Fighting Championship, pleading to be included on the card.
“He
sent a letter back telling me there was no room on the card and,
basically, ‘Don’t call us. We’ll call you,’”
Ettish said. “I got a phone call about Ken Shamrock breaking
his hand and them having to move an alternate up to fill his
spot. They wanted me to come in to replace the alternate, and
I told them I’d definitely like to take the opportunity.
This was less than two weeks before the show.”
Ettish
packed his bags for the Mile High City and an event that featured
UFC 1 winner Royce Gracie, a man against whom everyone -- including
Ettish -- wanted a shot. Competing seemed like a long shot, however.
“I
asked under what circumstances would I fight and they said only
if someone doesn’t show up, gets sick or injured,”
Ettish said. “I asked to fight the other alternate, but
they told me since it was a 16-man tournament, there wasn’t
time. They let me know everybody was there and told me they’d
definitely get me on the next UFC or the one after.”
Promoters
found other uses for Ettish on site. They needed manpower.
“It
was chaos,” Ettish said. “They asked me if I could
help out. I was basically a fight wrangler, bringing fighters
up to the staging area.”
Fate
had other plans. Sambo stylist Frank Hamaker, a submission winner
over Thaddeus Luster in the opening round of the UFC 2 tournament,
withdrew from the competition with a hand injury. Suddenly, a
quarter-final slot was open.
“I’d
just brought up [Minoki] Ichihara, the guy who fought Royce in
the first round,” Ettish said. “I was going downstairs
to find the next fighter at the same time Rorion Gracie was coming
up the stairs. He grabbed me by the arm and asked, ‘Are
you ready to fight?’ I had to make a quick decision. I had
to go find my guys in the crowd, drag them backstage, get my
gear, stretch and try to get myself prepared. This all happened
in about a 10-minute window, and I was headed out to the Octagon.”
Fred
Ettish and Sean Sherk. Though he tried, Ettish could not flip
the switch, and he was not prepared for the spectacle he faced
when he emerged from the dressing room.
“I
wasn’t able to get my mind right,” he said. “I
checked out psychologically.”
Shortly
after the fight began, Rhodes clipped Ettish with a pair of thudding
right hands that sent him tumbling to the canvas. Blood poured
from his face. Rhodes was relentless with his follow-up attack,
and his heavy blows forced the prone Ettish to cover up.
“I
got hit pretty hard, and my eye went white,” Ettish said.
“For at least two hours after the fight, I couldn’t
see anything. Johnny Rhodes is a tough guy. He gave me a good
whipping.”
The
physical beating took its toll, but it paled in comparison to
what confronted Ettish afterward. Met by an avalanche of ridicule,
Web sites -- most notably the Fred Ettish Fetal Fighting Online
Dojo -- sprang up and mocked his legitimacy as a martial artist.
Hate-filled e-mails and handwritten letters came, too. To this
day, Ettish still fields his share of jokes.
“It
was incredibly difficult,” Ettish said. “I’ve
been judged and ridiculed based on three minutes and some odd
seconds. The severity of it and the depth of it went way over
the line. Nobody wants to be ridiculed like that. I think that’s
unfair, but at the same time, I’ve had to suck it up and
put my big boy pants on.”
‘Disgustingly
Healthy’
Life
after his failed appearance at UFC 2 did not revolve around martial
arts, as Ettish performed valuable works outside the sport.
“I
did a variety of things,” he said. “I started in an
adult residential facility, where we provided a structured living
facility for them. I started as a line worker and moved my way
up to the director of the facility. For a time, I got involved
in children and adolescents. I got burned out.”
Burnout
brought him back to his roots, and Ettish learned to deal with
his demons. He now leads a fulfilling life as a family man, father
to a 27-year-old son in North Dakota, and has returned to active
service in MMA, having served as a judge and referee in Minnesota
alongside close friend and former World Extreme Cagefighting
welterweight title contender Brock Larson. Training now consumes
most of his free time.
“I’m
up at 6:30, take care of some things around the house and head
to the gym for some workouts,” he said. “I teach classes
in the daytime and evening. I get home between 8:30 and 9:30
at night, grab a bite to eat and reintroduce myself to my wife.”
In
prime physical condition for a man in his 50s, Ettish recently
took part in a 62-mile bike race around Kansas City to benefit
brain disease.
“I
saw an ad,” Ettish said. “You could choose your distance
-- between 10 and 62 miles. I’m not the brightest guy. I
always like challenging myself. I’m fighting Father Time,
but I’m not going to tap out.
“I’m
in excellent health,” he added. “I’m so disgustingly
healthy it makes people sick to look at me. I can run a 5K race,
race in a 62-mile bicycle race without any training and swim
a mile in 30 minutes.”
Still,
one wound remains that time cannot heal. He struggles daily with
the unexplained death of his newborn baby 13 years ago.
“I
had to bury a son,” Ettish said. “There’s nothing
like burying one of your children. I never got over it. There
are still times when I break down in tears. He was born and died
within minutes after a perfect pregnancy. I lost my father at
an early age, lost one of my young students and buried my Okinawan
teacher, but nothing compared to that.
“My
ex-wife did everything right. We never found out why he died,”
he added. “I’d go back and relive UFC 2 every day --
I’d take that beating a hundred million times -- if I could
have my son back.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Strikeforce,
Others Scouting Lashley
by Lotfi Sariahmed
After only two pro fights, the vultures have started to circle,
or at least inquire about former pro wrestler Bobby Lashley.
Promoters
are on the hunt for the next Brock Lesnar, which is understandable.
The former WWE heavyweight champion’s three UFC pay-per-view
appearances have drawn between 650,000 and 1 million reported
buys –- a surge that indicates pro wrestling fans are also
tuning in.
A
self-professed free agent, Lashley told the Sherdog Radio Network’s
“Beatdown Show” on Monday that he’s already been
in contact with the Palace Fighting Championships, Xtreme Fighting
Championships and certain unnamed promotions in Japan. Then there’s
Strikeforce, of course, which recently inked a multi-year deal
to air their events on Showtime.
“We’ve
talked to [Strikeforce],” said Lashley. “The guys out
there, with Scott Coker, we’ve talked to. I think they have
a great organization. I think the thing about them is that they
have a quality show and they earned the respect of all the MMA
people out there. That’s one thing we’ve been talking
about with them.”
Lashley
said he’s been impressed by Coker and the Strikeforce team’s
business acumen.
“A
lot of guys go out there and feel like they need to take on the
UFC and I know that’s not what Scott Coker is about,”
said the three-time college wrestling champion. “He’s
about putting on great shows for the people and if it builds,
it builds, and if it doesn’t build up to the UFC quality
level at least you’re still putting on quality shows out
there with quality fights.”
Lashley,
32, graced the sport for a second time in Pensacola, Fla., last
Saturday in a hybrid MMA-boxing event promoted by aging star
Roy Jones Jr.
Bobby
Lashley exclusive interview.Originally set to face Ken Shamrock
before he was suspended for steroid use in California, the 6-foot-3,
265-pound Lashley went the distance with journeyman light heavyweight
Jason Guida (17-20), who gave the Armed Forces champion problems
at certain moments before and during the fight. In the third
round, Guida latched on a guillotine choke, but was unable to
finish the persistent Lashley.
“I
think I went to sleep and then came back to,” Lashley said.
“The guillotine was tight, I’ll tell you that for truth
… . I had friends and family watching back home and my fiancée
had said something. She said that Bobby would rather die than
tap. And at that point that’s what was going through my
head. At that point I think a lot of people in my situation would
have tapped too. I told myself, ‘At this point if I’m
going out, I’m going out.’ I pulled my head out after
that and I finished it.”
Eager
to learn, Lashley noted what he gleaned both in and out of the
ring.
“Everything
from the beginning of the fight and the press conference where
things got a little heated, maybe he was trying to get me out
of my game and being a relatively new fighter, he got to me a
little bit,” he said. “Those are some of things I have
to work on so I can stay focused for my match.”
Despite
his stumbles against Guida, Lashley emphasized the bigger picture
when it comes to his development.
“There
are more pros than cons in this fight,” said Lashley, who
has trained in two to three intervals with the noted American
Top Team. “Going three rounds, knowing that I can go three
rounds. My shape is great, but when I went out there I didn’t
really push the action like I should’ve. I haven’t
really taken any time off from training. I’m training as
early as today. Let’s go hit some mitts and I’m working
with my boxing coach to help develop my boxing. I’m going
to hit some cardio and we’re going to do some training today.
I’m getting right back into it and hopefully we can get
another fight in the next four, five, six weeks.”
Source: Sherdog
|
ESPN:
Floyd Mayweather vs. UFC 100 head-to-head on 7/11?
By Zach Arnold
Floyd
Mayweather Jr. reportedly wants to return to boxing on HBO’s
July 11th broadcast. UFC 100 with Mir vs. Lesnar II and GSP vs.
Alves on PPV versus Mayweather on HBO… and Affliction reportedly
wants to run on this same? Suicidal.
What
would happen if HBO ran Mayweather’s return on PPV? Dualing
PPVs? Thomas Hauser has more details on the bargaining unfolding
between Mayweather and his advisor(s).
Is
a fight between Mayweather and Shane Mosley in the works? Tim
Starks further pontificates.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Bob
Sapp Heads New Fight Engine Initiative
Press Release
Las Vegas, Nevada (March 23, 2009) – FightEngine.com, featuring
legendary superstar and MMA fighter Bob Sapp as one of its principal
board of advisors, today announced the launching of its state-of-the-art
website, www.fightengine.com, revolutionizing the way mixed-martial-arts
fighters market themselves, promoters and managers scout fighters,
and fans become legitimate matchmakers.
“I’ve
fought around the world and FightEngine.com has been designed
so fighters from any country can register, gain invaluable exposure
and be scouted by top MMA promoters,” Sapp explained. “We
are not a promotional company; fightengine.com is a fighter/promoter’s
promoter, enabling MMA organizations to scout fighters from around
the world without leaving their computer in order to discover
the next great MMA fighter.”
FightEngine.com
is apolitical without any preference to specific promoters. In
fact, FightEngine.com works with promoters and fighters to gain
international notoriety for them through www.fightengine.com.
Any registered fighter, for a nominal fee, may challenge other
registered fighters, allowing each participant to accept or deny
challenges, as well as express their semi-uncensored opinions
about any posted challenges.
FightEngine.com
is non-discriminatory, providing male and female fighters, in
addition to ring girls, opportunities to gain exposure on the
website.
Fans
can get in on the action, for free, simply by registering on
the website to become quasi-matchmakers, picking fighters they’d
like to watch in matches, as well as commenting about fights
other spectators propose.
A
thermometer can be found on the right-hand side of the website,
which will illuminate on a rising basis, according to the amount
of registered fighters, and subsequently fights will be arranged
once the thermometer reaches the apex.
Once
there are enough fighters and fans registered on the website,
hopefully within 90 days, FightEngine.com will serve as a tool
to arrange fights on a super card, guaranteeing purses of $10,000,
$25,000, $50,000 and $100,000.
FREE
OFFER: The first 100 applicants who register on www.fightengine.com
are eligible to receive a complimentary posting of their 5 MB
videos for the first three months.
Future
plans include a “KO the Pro” section where a top level
fighter will be posted while other fighters will vie to be selected
for a “KO the Pro” match-up. “The initial KO The
Pro is me, ‘The Beast,’ and anyone who wants an opportunity
to fight me must submit your videos and let the web-voting audience
decide if you are tough enough to take me on.”
Source: The Fight Network
|
Dana
White responds to reports of Affliction’s plans to counter-program
UFC 100
by Sam Caplan
If Affliction Entertainment is looking to create a sense of panic
from the UFC regarding reported plans to counter-program UFC
100 on July 11, it would appear they will need to do a little
more to rattle the cage of UFC President Dana White.
FiveOuncesOfPain.com
submitted a request for comment to White via text message Sunday
afternoon seeking his response to reports that Affliction is
looking to go head-to-head on July 11 with one of the most historic
cards in UFC history.
White
responded to our request via voicemail and didn’t sound
concerned in the least about Affliction’s plans.
“How
do I feel about them trying to counter-program UFC 100?,”
White began his statement, before continuing, “I love it.
I fucking love it. I love it. I don’t like these guys and
I want to see them spend more of their t-shirt money. What they
should be worrying about is — they’ve already seen
first hand that nobody gives a shit about Affliction MMA —
what they need to starting worrying about is nobody wants to
wear their goofy fucking clothes anymore either. The fad is over
and they better start saving as much of that t-shirt money as
they can.”
Source: Five Ounces of Pain
|
Q&A:
Gilbert Melendez talks Thomson, Strikeforce
by Robert Rousseau
When Gilbert Melendez defeated Tatsuya Kawajiri in PRIDE back
on New Year's Eve 2006, there were two things that were quite
evident. First, he was very talented. Second, he had the heart
of a lion. But the reality is that all fighters have that bad
day, which is often spurred on by a strong opponent. In losing
his Strikeforce Lightweight Championship belt to Josh Thomson
on June 27, 2008, there is no doubt that Melendez experienced
one of those days.
“I just feel like Josh was in better shape, trained harder,
and it just showed out there,” he said. “You know,
maybe that night was his night. I gave it all I could that night,
but I know I usually have more to give.”
So
why didn’t Melendez put it all out on the line with the
same fervor he usually does? First, there was Thomson, who utilized
outstanding striking and strong takedown defense all night long
on his way to a decisive decision victory. But in addition, Melendez
believes that structure was lacking in his training camp leading
up to the bout. “Last time I felt like I was jumping around
from gym to gym and didn’t know exactly what I was doing
that day. Or sometimes practice was just practice, it wasn’t
practice for Gilbert.”
Melendez,
then a top five ranked lightweight in the world, was certainly
upset after the loss. But it didn’t destroy him. “You
know, it sucked,” he said. “(Still) I love my life.
I have great friends and loved ones around me and we get over
it real quick. We have a drink and we just talk crap on Josh,
no big deal.”
On
the flip side, Melendez hasn’t exactly forgotten about the
defeat, either. “Since I lost to Josh, all I’ve been
thinking about in practice is how do I beat a guy like Josh?
He kind of fights like Kenny Florian, stick and move, stick and
move. How do you beat a guy like that? Tall, good range, and
keeps you outside and keeps moving.”
Haunting
him is the notion that he could’ve done so much better the
last time. “I was just a little upset at myself for stepping
into a cage with not that much confidence and training with not
that much motivation. And it showed out there, so that was the
thing that bothered me.”
But
Melendez seems empowered by the knowledge of one thing concerning
his true character. “I know I’m a warrior,” he
said. “I know I’ll be a warrior until the day I retire
from fighting.” Which, by the way, will be no time soon.
“My
goal is to just to really go out there and fight with a lot more
confidence and a lot more heart and a lot more aggression and
just do better than last time.”
And
if he does, that should make for one heckuva fight.
Other
Important News from Gilbert
On
the possibility of continuing to fight for Strikeforce: “In
order for me to do this fight, we talked and we have a verbal
agreement right now. (It’s) still in the works, we’ll
see how it goes. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have
a couple of fights with Strikeforce and renew that contract.
I’m pretty happy with it and I’m pretty happy with
Scott Coker and I’m really happy with the exposure we’re
going to get (via Showtime).”
On
whether he would refrain from jumping in with the UFC because
training partner Nate Diaz is currently fighting for them in
the same weight class: “Not at all. I would go fight in
the UFC. That was actually kind of something I was leaning toward
with exposure. Of course, Nate’s my teammate. There’s
plenty of lightweights out there. I think all the Greg Jackson
guys do it no problem. I don’t think Nate and I would have
a problem doing that.”
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
NAM
PHAN SILENCES CRITICS AT SENGOKU 7
by Mick Hammond
Prior to his win on the March 20 Sengoku show, there had been
questions if California standout Nam Phan could win on the big
stage.
Losses
in two Strikeforce events – to Josh Thomson and Billy Evangelista
–sandwiched a defeat at the hands of Gesias “JZ”
Calvancante in the short-lived K-1 Hero’s brand kept Phan
from making the breakout he seemed destined to achieve.
Still,
he refused to let the losses get the best of him and made the
decision to move down to the featherweight division, leading
to his impressive first-round knockout victory of former Shooto
champ Hideki Kadowaki last Friday.
“I’m
feeling great and I’m stoked,” said an elated Phan.
“I feel like I trained really well and for this fight I
was the most calm, focused and ready than in any other fight.”
Surprisingly
the fight turned out to be a slugfest, with Phan landing the
more precise strikes, eventually dropping Kadowaki just after
the three-minute mark.
“That
was my plan,” he stated. “Just try to get in and out,
and knock him out.”
After
disappointments in the lightweight division, Phan now feels that
the move down to 143 pounds was the right decision to make.
“I
feel this is the weight class for me,” he stated. “I
won’t be fighting at 155 (anymore); I’ll be staying
in the featherweight division.
“I
feel faster, the gas is better and I don’t feel like guys
can overwhelm me as much as they did at 155.”
As
Phan puts it, now that he’s at featherweight, the opposition
is going to be hard pressed to get past him.
“In
general I feel (I can hang) with anybody,” he commented.
“Even not within the tournament, I feel like at 143 I can
give anyone a run for their money.”
As
part of Sengoku’s featherweight tournament, he could be
very busy this upcoming year should he remain victorious.
“Right
now, the next round is May 2, and if I advance I’ll fight
again in August,” he said. “They haven’t named
my opponent yet, so I’ll just wait until they call me then
I’ll start training hard and try to show the people what
I’ve got.”
Hoping
to have finally silenced his critics with his recent performance,
Phan can now focus on making his title aspirations come true
in the coming year.
“I’d
like to say thank you to my sponsors: Toe 2 Toe, BudoVideos.com
and Rev Gear,” he concluded. “I want to say thanks
to my family, all the students from the MaDu Academy and Little
Saigon, California. I want to give a shout out to all my old
teammates and teachers from Subfighter, my beautiful girlfriend
and MMAWeekly.
“To
all the fans, keep looking for me and I’m going to do my
best in May.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Sengoku:
Xande to face Yokota
Absolute JJ world champ to fight May 2
Current
absolute world champion of Jiu-Jitsu Xande Ribeiro was officially
confirmed as one of the stars to feature at the May-2 Sengoku
event, in Tokyo. The Gracie Humaita representative will be making
his second professional MMA appearance against veteran Japanese
fighter Kei Yamamiya, with a record of 34 wins, 23 losses and
nine draws.
On
his MMA debut at Sengoku, last September, Xande overcame Takashi
Sugiura by technical knockout in the third round.
At
the same event, two more Brazilians will feature: Leo Santos,
making his Sengoku debut against Kazunori Yokota, and Marlon
Sandro, who went through to the second stage of the featherweight
GP after beating Matt Jaggers last Friday, whose opponent in
the next round has not yet been announced.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
“Any
fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.”
Dale Carnegie
|
WANDERLEI
TALKS RICH FRANKLIN & MOVE TO 195
Wanderlei
Silva was ready to make the move to middleweight when UFC boss
Dana White came with an unexpected surprise.
Rich
Franklin, tapped as Silva’s next opponent in Germany at
UFC 99, didn’t want to go back to the weight class he once
ruled.
“I
met Rich in the middle,” White said of his solution.
The
former champs would fight at a catch weight of 195 pounds, an
unusual occurrence for the promotion, but good news for Silva.
He walks around at 210 pounds – the cut to middleweight
is too much, and he’s undersized against the Griffins, Jacksons,
and Liddells of the division.
It
was such good news that now Silva wants his boss to create a
new division.
“I
think it’s very, very good for me,” Silva told MMAWeekly.com.
“I spoke to Dana (to) open a new division for 195. I think
it’s great, because it’s good for guys like me. I’m
going to push for the idea. (A) new champ every time is good.”
While
getting his wish may be another matter, Silva is already at work
preparing for Franklin, three weeks into camp and walking at
220 pounds.
The
fight is a change of pace for Silva, who’s spent much of
his career fighting guys he doesn’t like. Quinton Jackson
was an easy target for his hate, as was Liddell (Jardine was
admittedly neutral). Franklin is a guy he likes, despite a loss
to the Ohioan in a heated game of rock-paper-scissors.
“I
think it’s a very, very good match, because he likes the
stand-up, he likes the action, and he’s an exciting fighter,”
said Silva. “He’s my friend, he’s a nice guy.
I respect him a lot. It’s a different situation because
it’s better that you fight with the guys you don’t
like. But it’s a job, and it’s a great idea for the
UFC, and I know me and him are going to give a great show.”
The
show is what’s far and away most important to the Brazilian
brawler. UFC 99 is his first main event, and he feels responsibility
to deliver action. The UFC doesn’t have the bells and whistles
that former home Pride FC had. It’s about quality fights
and decisive endings – even if they don’t always happen.
“I
think it’s a presentation,” said Silva. “Of course,
you need to win, and you live with your results. But I like the
emotion; I fight with a lot of my heart. I love the crowd, and
every time I go into the Octagon, like the last time, I fight
Rampage – he’s like a legend here. He’s a great
fighter, he’s an American, and the crowd have more for me.
It’s a lot of emotion. It’s priceless. Every fight
I’m gonna fight is sold out one month or two months before.
My fans know I give my best every time. My fans stay with me
every time, and every time, I’m going to give my best.”
The
fight with Jackson was perhaps the best example of that belief.
When Silva heard the crowd voice its disapproval, he stepped
out of his game plan.
“I
think this is one reason for I lose my last fight, because…
it’s a very nervous fight, because I don’t touch him,
he don’t touch me,” Silva explained. “He give
me one jab, I give him one kick, and it’s very nervous.
My corner talked to me, it’s one minute to finish the round;
I’m thinking, three minutes, we no have action, we don’t
have nothing. And the public is starting to boo. The guy not
going to come in – I come in. I open my guard, and he got
me.”
Win
or lose, Silva knows that it’s a job like any other. Some
days are good, and some – not so much.
“But
I’m not going to change my style,” he said. “I
love to give the show, and every time I fight, I’m going
to give my best. I’m going to cut my faults… to give
the victory to my fans.
“The
UFC gave me a good choice in a hard opponent again, because here,
you have no easy fights,” he said. “First Chuck, after,
Jardine, Rampage, and now, Franklin; just tough guys. But I love
it, because I love to fight with the best guys. I need to know
my limit, and where it’s possible that I’m going. I
give the time to give a lot of shows. I know I’m going to
have a great future.”
And
if he wins on June 13, you can expect more pushing for a “super-middleweight”
class – a belt is a belt, after all.
Source: MMA Weekly |
AFFLICTION
3 ON JULY 11, FEDOR LIKELY
July 11 is shaping up to be a busy night for mixed martial arts
enthusiasts.
Affliction
will counter-program UFC 100 on the summer date with its third
event at a location yet to be determined, according to sources
close to the situation.
The
card is just under a week from the first anniversary of “Banned,”
the clothing company’s initial foray into MMA promotion.
Plans
are to air the event to fans on non-premium cable television,
although sources could not confirm the broadcast platform. Affliction
Entertainment has partnered with Fox Sports Net and HD Net for
the undercards of its first two events, so either would be a
likely candidate for Affliction 3.
Additionally,
WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and Josh Barnett
are expected to fight on the card, but likely not against each
other. According to one source, the cost of the heavily anticipated
fight would be too expensive for a non-pay-per-view broadcast.
Other sources indicate that Affliction is trying to put together
another heavyweight bout, pitting former UFC champion Tim Sylvia
against Paul Buentello, though it has not yet been agreed to.
The
event is a bold move for the MMA startup, which has seen both
of its events shadowed by UFC programming. UFC 100 has long been
touted as a special event in the Las Vegas-based promotion’s
history, and is scheduled to feature two title bouts – a
heavyweight unification bout between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar
and the third title defense of Georges St. Pierre – as well
as “The Ultimate Fighter” season nine battle between
coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping.
As
for speculation that Affliction's third offering will be it's
grand exit from MMA, all sources close to the promotion are in
agreement with Affliction Entertainment COO Michael D. Cohen.
The executive told Versus.com blogger Ariel Helwani, “It’s
absolutely untrue... Trump’s Affliction Entertainment is
going nowhere except to the top, and the company will continue
throughout 2009 and well into 2010."
Source: MMA Weekly |
DANA
WHITE EXCITED ABOUT CONDIT'S UFC DEBUT
At virtually every WEC post fight press conference that involved
welterweight champion Carlos Condit celebrating a win, the inevitable
questions came from the media in attendance.
When
are you going to go to the UFC? How do you think you'd do against
the welterweights there?
The
questions will finally be answered on April 1 as the WEC's final
170-pound champion makes his long awaited UFC debut against Martin
Kampmann to headline UFC Fight Night 18 on Spike TV.
Condit
has been a mainstay in the welterweight rankings for the past
two years. After clearing out the WEC's 170-pound weight class,
the New Mexico native will look to prove why there is so much
hype around the "Natural Born Killer."
UFC
president Dana White commented recently in an interview that
he is looking forward to Condit's move to the Octagon. He's excited
to see what he can do against the best welterweights in the world.
"I
think it's exciting, it's interesting," White commented
to MMAWeekly.com about Condit. "He's been so dominant over
at the WEC in that weight division and it's going to be fun to
see him come into the UFC and that's a free fight on Spike. I'm
actually excited about that fight, a lot of people are pumped
for that."
After
winning the WEC title by defeating John Alessio, Condit went
on to defend his title three times including wins over Brock
Larson, Carlo Prater, and Hiromitsu Miura.
Now
training at Arizona Combat Sports, Condit looks to make the same
impact in the UFC's welterweight division. White believes that
he could be in title contention very soon.
"Definitely,"
the UFC president responded when asked if Condit could get a
title shot in his next few fights. "I think him coming over
as the champ, we'll see how he looks in this fight here, and
I'm excited about him. Excited to see how he does. He's a good
kid and always exciting to watch, too."
First
things first, Condit will lock horns with Martin Kampmann at
UFC Fight Night 18 on April 1 in Nashville, Tenn.
Source: MMA Weekly |
GINA
CARANO SAYS CYBORG FIGHT WILL HAPPEN
Gina
Carano has been enjoying her time away from the spotlight, even
if it’s been harder than ever to stay out of it.
“I’ve
spent a little time by myself, just detoxing,” said Carano.
“I don’t always have to be in the spotlight –
maybe get some other girls out there. I’ve been taking some
time with myself to keep my head straight.”
Keeping
a level head has been a big job in the world of celebrity.
“I
do that,” she said of her relative seclusion. “I disappear
and I do my thing, and that way I can always be humble and have
my head on.”
MMAWeekly.com
caught up with Carano at The Fight Expo in Del Mar, Calif., and
saw a never-ending circle of well-wishers who followed the MMA
star’s every move. She answered every request for a photo
or autograph, smiling as fans sidled up to her.
Lately,
she’s been more a fan of the sport than a practitioner.
She doesn’t miss the action.
“I’m
good,” she said. “It’s nice to be a fan of the
sport and watch and see what’s going on, and step outside
and see that there’s a bigger world out there, and kind
of appreciate it from a different angle. We have a really great
sport here. This is a great thing to be a part of.”
Her
next career move is the big question on fans’ minds. A lot
is riding on her re-emergence. She’s far and away the most
bankable female mixed martial artist in the short history of
the sport, and as proven by her time with EliteXC, the promotion
that airs her fights will see a dramatic increase in viewers.
In
February, her move to Strikeforce seemed a mere formality when
the San Jose promotion purchased her fight contract from the
ailing ProElite. But according to several sources MMAWeekly.com
spoke to, she’ll have to be paid accordingly for her drawing
power, and there’s no guarantee a new deal will be reached.
Carano
maintains a solution will be reached that will put her back in
action in the near future.
“I
just had to weigh some options,” she explained. “I’m
making these decisions, so nobody else is going to make these
decisions for me. I have to make them, and so we’re going
to get something figured out and I’ll be fighting.
“I
pray about it and see what would be a good move for my career,
and I just know that no matter what, any fight from here is going
to be a big fight, and a tough one. Maybe it’s the calm
before the storm.”
The
current storm on the horizon is Christian “Cyborg”
Santos. The fearsome striker made her wish to fight Carano known
again at Strikeforce’s press conference announcing the upcoming
“Shamrock vs. Diaz.” Santos is scheduled for the April
11 card against submission specialist Hitomi Akano, and a win
could position her for a summer showdown with Carano.
“It’s
gonna happen,” said Carano of the much-anticipated fight.
“Actually, the only person I can think about right now.
My focus is on her, and I don’t really want to fight anybody
else but her. Let’s do it.
“Both
of us want to make it happen, and it’s probably going to
happen this year.”
In
the coming months, Carano will return to the gym to work on basics,
slowly turning up her intensity for a possible fight.
She
anticipates a bright year for women’s MMA in 2009.
“I
see it continually blowing up,” she said. “There’s
a lot of talented girls that people haven’t met yet. There’s
so many faces for these people to fall in love with. It’s
exciting, because I gotta be at the beginning when it started
getting popular, and I’m just so blessed. I know so many
girls out there that are good. So I’m just blessed to be
a part of it.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Paulo
Thiago
After
impressing the world with a first round knockout victory against
Josh Koscheck, Paulo Thiago won’t have easy job in his second
UFC fight. After signing the contract to face Jon Fitch at UFC
100, Paulo Thiago spoke with TATAME.com about his preparation
for the fight, his training and his thoughts for the fight. “He
has a solid Wrestling, knows how to fight standing, is good on
takedowns and knows how to fight on the ground, but we’ll
do a good job to annul it. It’ll be a chess fight again”,
said Paulo, who also commented his professional situation, once
that he’s an officer of Brasilia’s special police team
(BOPE), and the upcoming fight between St. Pierre and Thiago
Alves.
What
did you think about your fight against Koscheck?
We’ve
studied his game a lot, we were expecting him to do what he did.
Of course it was a surprise, he’s really a tough guy, but
the team trained a lot for that.
Were
you expecting a knockout that fast?
I
wasn’t expecting that fast, on the first round, but I went
there prepared to the striking and for the fight on the ground.
Wherever the fight goes, I was ready.
Your
next fight will be against Jon Fitch, another top contender.
How do you think will be the fight?
He’s
the third on the welterweight rankings, after Pitbull (Thiago
Alves) and (Georges) St. Pierre, so we’ll do a very good
job for this fight. He has a strong Wrestling, knows to fight
stand, good on takedowns and plays well on the ground, but we’ll
do a good job to annul it. It’ll be a chess match again.
You
just arrived in the UFC and faced a top five and now a top three.
How do you see that?
Thanks
God. I think the promoters liked my fight and I just have to
thank Dana White and Joe Silva for this opportunity, besides
fighting at UFC 100, which will be huge, a great party. Everybody
wants to be there and thanks God I got my spot.
How
is the preparation for the fight?
The
training is hard, the whole team has fights to do, like Rani
(Yahya) at WEC, Alex at Jungle Fight, Gabriel at Shooto Brazil…
The team is working hard here. Another fighters are negotiating
their fights and we’re training hard, everyday is a war.
You’re
a police man from BOPE, the Brazilian special police squad. How
does it help you on training and fighting?
My
superiors are supporting me a lot. They’re happy with my
job, help me in everything that they can. One thing increases
the other, being a MMA fighter makes my work at the police even
bigger and more important. They’re proud of having a police
man representing them, they’re with me and I’m with
them.
Winning
another top welterweight, what else do you wait for you in the
octagon?
Man,
it’s just the beginning of a long walk. I want to set myself
in the UFC, show my job and I’m just an employee. Who else
they put against me, I’ll fight. I don’t have anything
to ask, just to thank. I haven’t done anything yet, I just
did one fight until now, and I’m just thinking in Jon Fitch
now, nothing else.
How
do you think it’ll be Georges St.Pierre’s fight against
Thiago Alves at UFC 100?
I
won’t risk any results, let the best win. Of course I’ll
cheer for the Brazilian, but St. Pierre is a tough opponent and
it’s a high level fight, and I’ll be there watching
to see who’s gonna be the best.
Source: Tatame |
Lyoto
Machida’s secret revealed at TATAME
Undefeated
after 14 fights in the career, Lyoto Machida impresses, and it’s
the result of hard work. After knocking out Thiago Silva and
get his chance for the title against Rashad Evans, the Brazilian
revealed his secrets on the trainings to TATAME Magazine’s
March issue. For those who think that good trainings happen with
academies full of tough fighters, Machida goes for the opposite
way.
“My
training is with my family, our Karate, and it makes it more
easy. If I go out there, maybe I won’t find what I have
in Belém any place in the world. I train with guys who
live there”, tells Lyoto. Besides telling all his preparation
routine, the undefeated fighter revealed a curious tradition
in his family, a secret until then: urine therapy. Once in the
day, he and his family drinks their own urine. “My father
does that for a long time and bring it to us. People think it’s
a joke (laughs). I never said it in the United States because
I don’t know how the fans will react (laughs). I drink my
urine every morning like a natural medicine”, revealed the
fighter.
Source: Tatame |
Vianna
comments BJJ training at Wand Team
With
only one loss in 11 MMA fights, Vitor Vianna is in a great phase
in the MMA competition in the United States, but now he has other
focuses. In charge of the Jiu-Jitsu training at the new Wanderlei
Silva team at Las Vegas, Vianna spoke to TATAME about the training
center. “I received an invitation from Wanderlei and Alejarra
to be part of the team and be the Jiu-Jitsu coach,” Vitor
said. “I’m already living here and I’m also getting
ready for my debut in a good MMA event”.
Six
times Brazilian champion on the mat, the black belt praised the
structure of the training center, and talks about the good sparrings
there. “I’ve traveled for many places in the world
to train, but never saw anything like this new Wand’s team
before. He welcomed me vary well, I was surprised of how he treated
me and everyone around him. He’s a true champion in and
out of the ring. Besides him, we have here with us guys like
Xande Ribeiro, Mike Whitehead, Jorge Sanchez, Kit Kope, Demian
Maia and many others”, said Vianna.
Source: MMA Weekly |
COLE
MILLER EXPECTS TO "RUN THROUGH" BROWNING
When Cole Miller steps into the Ultimate Fighting Championship's
Octagon against Junie Browning on April 1 at the Sommet Center
in Nashville, he's looking to make an example out of the bad
boy from The Ultimate Fighter season 8, and expects to "run
through" the Xtreme Couture trained Browning.
Miller
is 3-1 in the UFC since appearing on season 5 of The Ultimate
Fighter reality show on Spike TV, and it's been eight months
since he last completed due to a knee injury suffered in his
UFC 86 bout with Jorge Gurgel in July of 2008.
"I
had knee surgery. I tore my meniscus in the fight with Jorge
[Gurgel]," Miller explained to MMAWeekly.com. "It will
be eight months when I get back into the cage, but I'm 100-percent
and ready to go now."
The
bout with Browning has turned into a grudge match and an Internet
war of words after statements made by each fighter in recent
interviews. Upset by some comments Browning made about his submission
victory over Gurgel, Miller is channeling his anger into motivation.
"It
certainly bothers me," admitted Miller. "I mean, this
is my life's work, so I put my emotion into it. I put a lot of
hours into it. He pretty much just told me that I sucked."
"He
told me that my wrestling isn't any good. He told me that my
ground game isn't anything spectacular in what he's seen in any
of my fights, and he also told me that my striking isn't any
good. He pretty much said that I sucked as a fighter and that
he's going to whoop my [expletive]," said the angered Miller.
"For him to say something like that is just going to make
me more motivated to whoop his [expletive]."
"If
anything, he helped me out because I was kind of feeling a little
flat going into this fight. I'm fighting a guy that wasn't as
good as going into my last fight."
They're
scheduled to fight on April Fool's Day, but the verbal jabs have
been flying for weeks.
"I
think that he's a huge step down in the caliber of opponent from
Jorge Gurgel, but I was very happy to take a fight like that,"
said the American Top Team trained lightweight. "It was
a good first fight coming back off from my knee surgery, and
a lot of people want to see him fight. It was really important
for me to take a fight like this because he gained so much notoriety
from the show and people were talking about him, so I'm definitely
looking forward to it."
"I
was feeling kind of flat because I was feeling I was taking a
step down in an opponent," added Miller. "For him to
say those things, all that does is motivate me."
"I'm
not really concerned with what my opponent is doing. He should
be concerned with what I'm going to do. I didn't train for him.
He should be training for me. He had a lot of video to look at,
and I hope he spent his time doing it," the Georgia native
continued. "I think I'm just going to go in there and run
through him, but if he can provide a test for me, than I'm more
than willing to accept it.
"He's
a bully. He's that insecure bully on the playground that's pushing
around all the kids and running his mouth. The way that these
guys get away with it is no one stands up to them. He's messing
with the wrong person."
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
“In
attempts to improve your character, know what is in your power
and what is beyond it.”
Francis Thompson |
2009
SERA'S KAJUKENBO OPEN TOURNAMENT RESULTS
CONTINUOUS
SPARRING
Boys/Girls
5-6 yrs.
1st Nalu Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Ziah Wright-Kealoha - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys
7-8 yrs.
1st Christian Tavares Jr. - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Logan Tactacan - Kempo Unltd.
Boys
9-10 yrs.
1st Classyc Tavares - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Johnathan Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
Girls
9-10 yrs.
1st Victoria Albiar-Kunishi - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Kawena Kan-Hai - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys
11-12 yrs.
1st Brandon Kurosawa - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Kage Smith - Spencer's Taekwondo
Girls
11-12 yrs.
1st Miranda Oda - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Mandee Duarte - Sera's Kajukenbo
Girls
15-17 yrs.
1st Jasmine Galarita - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Alexandra Hercik - Spencer's Taekwondo
Team
Results
1st Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Kempo Unltd.
MMA
Boys/Girls
5-6 yrs.
1st Kayla Kala - Ohana MA
2nd Zane Rodrigues - Ohana MA
Boys/Girls
7-8 yrs.
1st Christian Tavares - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Blake Furuta - Kempo Unltd.
Boys
9-10 yrs.
1st Thomas Stevenson - I&I Fight Team
2nd Classyc Tavares - Kempo Unltd.
Girls
9-10 yrs.
1st Miranda Oda - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Jovin Kan-Hai - Sera's Kajukenbo
Boys/Girls
11-12 yrs.
1st Harmony Pacheco - Kempo Unltd.
2nd Jesus Flores - Ohana MA
Boys
13-14 yrs.
1st Rodrigo Arroyo-Haro - Ohana MA
2nd Ryan Rodrigues - Ronin Alliance
Boys
15-17 yrs. Light
1st James Priest - Maui Freestyle FC
2nd Clifford Muller - Maui Freestyle FC
Boys
15-17 yrs. Middle
1st Braydon Rosa - Maui Freestyle FC
2nd Raul Garcia - - Maui Freestyle FC
Men
18-34 yrs. Light Nov/Inter.
1st Terry Coykendall - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Frank Deutsch - Southside Boxing
Men
18-34 yrs. Heavy Nov./Inter.
1st Hoku Kealoha - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Albert Kaawa - Ronin Alliance
Men
35-49 yrs. Medium Advanced
1st Sergio Haro - Ohana MA
2nd Kawika Kuamoo - Sera's Kajukenbo
Men
35-49 yrs. Heavy Advanced
1st Greg Hoyt - Sera's Kajukenbo
2nd Tony Freudenberg - Ohana MA
Team
Results
1st Ohana MA
2nd Kempo Unltd.
Submission
Grappling
Boys
9-10 yrs.
1st Thomas Stevenson - I&I
2nd Terenz Hernandez-Chang
Boys
11-12 yrs.
1st Kaumana Garcia - Ohana MA
2nd Brandon Kurosawa - Kempo Unltd.
Men
18-34 yrs. Light Beg.
1st Kale Platt - Maui JJ
2nd Terry Coykendall - Sera's Kajukenbo
Men
18-34 yrs. Feather Advanced
1st Brandon Ness - Maui Jiujitsu
2nd Rex Ang - Maui Grappling Academy
Men
18-34 yrs. Light Advanced
1st Daniel Goldberg - Maui JJ
2nd Jose Chirico - Maui JJ
Men
18-34 yrs. Welter Advanced
1st Elijah Welch - Maui JJ
2nd Cody Young - Maui JJ
Men
18-34 yrs. Middle Advanced
1st Benjamin Sacapanio - Maui Grappling Academy
2nd Kawika Ganancial - Maui JJ
Men
35-49 yrs. Heavy Advanced
1st Brandon Kang - Maui Grappling Academy
2nd Anthony Roybal - Maui Freestyle FC
Men
Open Light
1st Benjamin Sacapanio - Maui Grappling Academy
2nd Jose Chirico - Maui JJ
Men
Open Heavy
1st Ikaika Reinhardt - I&I
2nd Jose Chirico - Maui JJ
Team
Results
1st Maui JJ
2nd Maui Grappling Academy
|
Where’s
Hughes’ Hall of Fame nod?
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has five members in its Hall of
Fame. Each of them – Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Ken Shamrock,
Randy Couture and Royce Gracie – still are active fighters.
And
that’s why it’s puzzling that Matt Hughes, who has
contributed as much to the UFC and to mixed martial arts as any
of those five, isn’t already enshrined.
It
appears that Hughes will have to wait until retirement to be
inducted, which is as it should have been in the first place.
He
was badly beaten and looked like a shell of himself in a drubbing
he suffered at the hands of Thiago Alves at UFC 85 in London
on June 7. The technical knockout defeat marked his second consecutive
loss and third in his last four fights.
But
Hughes isn’t done.
He’ll
fight arch-rival Matt Serra on May 23 in the co-main event of
UFC 98 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, and even has raised
the possibility of competing at middleweight.
Earlier
this month Hughes answered in Columbus, Ohio, the night before
UFC 96, taunting Serra while predicting victory and sounding
like a man very much intent on continuing his career.
He
says he’ll evaluate his career once his contract expires
after the Serra fight, though he insisted he’d never fight
for another promoter. For Hughes, it’s either UFC or bust.
That
means he will be facing elite fighters like Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck,
Mike Swick, Martin Kampmann, Dustin Hazelett and Carlos Condit
if he chooses to remain in the game – and stay at welterweight.
Regardless
of his future, Hughes (42-7) already has a career filled with
sensational victories. He beat Hall-of-Famer Gracie at UFC 60
in May 2006 on one of the most memorable nights in UFC history,
and he also has victories over future Hall of Famers Georges
St. Pierre and B.J. Penn – plus wins over stars such as
Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg and Carlos Newton.
Hughes,
though, clearly embraces his shot at Serra, who coached against
him on Season 6 of the UFC’s reality series on Spike TV,
“The Ultimate Fighter.” Serra didn’t like Hughes
coming into the series, and his distaste for Hughes only increased
during the taping.
Serra
repeatedly referred to Hughes by a vulgar nickname for a part
of the male anatomy and reveled in his fighters’ victories
over Hughes’ fighters.
Hughes
said he had no feelings toward Serra one way or another prior
to the show, but said his dislike for the one-time champion he
derisively referred to as a “one-hit wonder” increased
with every insult Serra uttered during the taping.
“One
of the more common questions I get is, ‘Is that real what
we see on the reality show?’ ” Hughes said. “Actually,
it is. For some (reason), he did not like me on that show. Because
of what he said about me is why I didn’t like him. He’s
the one who started out with the anger. It wasn’t me. I’m
easy-going, man.”
An
easy-going guy who already has accomplished plenty.
Hughes
is 9-3 in UFC welterweight title fights and competed in at least
one championship bout every year from 2001 through 2007. It’s
a remarkable record of longevity in a sport where the lifespan
at the top is about as long as that of your average NFL coach’s
tenure.
His
last two performances, against St. Pierre at UFC 79 and against
Alves at UFC 85, were stunning because of how thoroughly he was
handled in each of those bouts.
That
prompted calls for his retirement, which Hughes began to discuss
after the loss to St. Pierre.
But
the opportunity to get his hands on a guy he clearly dislikes
has motivated Hughes enough to shelve the talk of retirement.
He said he can’t envision a scenario in which he doesn’t
win the fight.
“If
you take me out of it and let me look from the outside in, I
really think I’m going to pick where the fight’s going
to be at,” Hughes said. ” … I can use my wrestling
offensively to take my opponent down or I can use my wrestling
defensively to keep my opponent standing.”
In
other words, Hughes expects to control the fight.
“I’ll
definitely push the pace on him. I think he’ll get tired
on me,” he said. “When I want to go to the ground,
I’ll take him down, and when I want to stay on my feet,
I’ll defend any shots he might have at me. I think it will
go my way, to be honest. I’ve learned from his one-hit wonder
on GSP that he is a big slugger.
“My
wife tells me it will go all three rounds and he’ll be a
bloody mess when I get done with him.”
This
fight could spell the end of Hughes’ run at welterweight,
but not the end of his remarkable career.
Hughes
conceded he had entertained a move to middleweight in the past
and said he would have fought the late Evan Tanner for the middleweight
belt had Tanner defeated Rich Franklin at UFC 42.
But
Hughes says now he’d only go up for a significant fight,
specifically mentioning a bout against middleweight champion
Anderson Silva.
At
this stage of their careers, it seems like a mismatch, but Hughes
insists he’s serious.
“I’m
toying with the idea of moving to 185 to fight Silva,” Hughes
said. “But I have to square away things in my weight class
before I do that.”
Hughes
already belongs in the UFC Hall of Fame, but if he manages to
get through that fight in one piece, they should induct him on
the spot, as the odds would be huge against him winning.
“This
sport is all about testing yourself and what you’re capable
of,” Hughes said.
Hughes
doesn’t need to throw one more punch or attempt one more
takedown to prove what he’s capable of doing. He’s
already done that.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Miller
brings MMA to MTV
“Bully
Beatdown,” debuting this Sunday on MTV, is the newest Mark
Burnett (“Survivor,” “The Apprentice,” “The
Contender”) reality show and combines mixed martial arts,
a whacky host and a simple concept. People who are being picked
on write letters to Jason “Mayhem” Miller, show host
and MMA star, who meets the victims, hears their stories, then
confronts the perpetrators, offering them a proposition: They
can make some money fighting someone who can dish it out, or
they can back down on national television.
If
they accept, the bully gets into the ring with one of Miller’s
friends and/or training partners, an MMA fighter who is roughly
the same size as the bully. Miller sits with the victim, and
they watch as the bully is put in the position as the victim.
“I’m
the superhero who confronts the bullies,” said Miller. “I
offer $10,000 to the bully to fight an MMA fighter of his weight.”
But
it’s not MMA fighting.
The
fights consist of two three-minute rounds. The first round is
submission grappling. The bully starts with $5,000 and for every
time he taps during the three minutes, $1,000 goes to the victim.
The
second round is kickboxing. The bully is allowed to wear headgear,
and the two fight with heavily padded gloves. This is a $5,000,
winner-take-all round. If the bully can survive without being
put down for the 10 count, he gets the money. If he’s knocked
out, the victim gets the money. The end of the show is a resolution
as, in theory, the bully learns a lesson when the shoe is on
the other foot.
The
show airs at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sundays, and eight episodes already
are in the can. Miller, who said he thinks there are moments
on the show that will become water-cooler talk on Mondays, noted
they are still looking for new stories for future episodes. Anyone
who feels they’ve been victimized can contact him at bullycasting@yahoo.com.
According
to Miller, the show – filmed mostly in California and Utah
in February – features some good beatdowns.
“The
shows will be great television, but it won’t be winning
any Emmys,” he said joking.
“A
bully does lose some teeth in one of the episodes. This is 100
percent real. A lot of people who heard about this think it’s
fake, but it’s legit.”
Miller
said there are bullies who take beatings, and there are bullies
who survive the beatings and collect the money.
Miller
got the call to host the show when producers, looking for an
MMA fighter, saw his YouTube videos called “The Mayhem Show.”
Among
the fighters who face bullies are Australian middleweight Tony
Bonello (16-1-1), who formerly fought for Elite XC; lightweight
Conor Heun (8-2), a veteran of the old International Fight League
and Elite XC; Jake Shields (22-4-1), who held the Elite XC welterweight
title and is one of the top fighters in the world in his weight
class; and heavyweight Michael Westbrook (1-1), a Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu practitioner better known as an NFL star, a wide receiver
who was the fourth pick in the 1995 NFL draft and played seven
seasons with the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals.
Miller
(21-6), 28, doesn’t fight on the series. Best known in Hawaii
during the heyday of the old SuperBrawl/Icon Sports promotion
from 2003-06, he’s gearing up for his next match, on April
18 in Honolulu, against Island favorite Kala Kolohe Hose in the
debut show of the Kingdom promotion.
It’s
somewhat of a revival of Icon Sports, since T. Jay Thompson is
heading the group, but the Icon Sports promotion was purchased
by Pro Elite, and that organization no longer operates. Miller
lived in Honolulu during that period and regularly headlined
shows at the Neal Blaisdell Center Arena. On Sept. 2, 2006, he
beat Robbie Lawler to win the Icon Sports middleweight title,
but he lost it on Dec. 1, 2006, to Frank Trigg.
Known
for outlandish ring entrances and claiming a fan base that he
calls the “Mayhem Monkeys,” Miller claims his martial
arts discipline as professional wrestling (an idea taken from
Josh Barnett). His style is more fitting for Japan, where he’s
scheduled to return this summer with the Dream promotion.
Once
while in Hawaii, he participated in a freak show match. He bulked
up to 200 pounds and faced 6-7, 350-pound football player and
pro wrestler named Stefan Gamlin, who was nearly twice his size,
but had only limited fighting experience. It was pushed as a
battle of fighting skill vs. size, and Miller submitted Gamlin
in just 46 seconds. Perhaps his most famous match was four years
ago, when he went the distance in losing at UFC 52 to Georges
St. Pierre, in his only bout with the promotion.
Last
year Miller fought in the Dream promotion, in their middleweight
Grand Prix, where he lost via decision in the semifinals to submission
master Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
“I
love Japan,” he said. “When you go there, they treat
you like a king. You get treated like a legitimate athlete and
like a legitimate star. I love America but I have to find the
right place for me here. I can only do this for so long, and
you have to go with best offer.”
Miller
thrives on the entertainment aspect, coming to the ring and dancing
like a monkey.
He
noted that in Japan, the fights themselves are part of a larger
show, designed to entertain you from start to finish, whereas
in the U.S., it is just about two people getting into the ring
or cage and fighting.
“They
don’t up the entertainment here because they don’t
have to.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
PARISYAN
SUSPENDED 9 MONTHS, FINED $32,000
LAS VEGAS – UFC welterweight Karo Parisyan was suspended
on Tuesday by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for a positive
drug test arising from his fight with Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 94.
Three Schedule II drugs – painkillers oxymorphone, hydromorphone,
and hydrocodone – were found in his system following the
fight.
The
commission voted unanimously to suspend Parisyan, who slumped
before the commission as the punishment was delivered.
As
a result of the Commission's decision Parisyan is suspended from
competition for nine months. He is also fined 40 percent of his
$80,000 fight purse ($40,000 to show/$40,000 to win), totaling
$32,000, which is paid to the Athletic Commission.
Parisyan
must also submit to random drug testing and the result of his
UFC 94 bout with Dong Hyun Kim is changed from a split decision
victory to a "No Decision."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
NO
PENALTIES, BUT GSP VS PENN MAY SPUR CHANGE
The Nevada State Athletic Commission took no formal action in
the review of St. Pierre vs. Penn 2 at a public meeting on Tuesday
in Las Vegas.
After
lengthy testimony from both camps, including Penn and his mother,
NSAC Commissioner Bill Brady promised to take under advisement
several of the issues brought forth by the controversial fight.
Before
the proceedings began, NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer clarified
that no disciplinary measures would be taken during the meeting,
and the review’s role was to present findings given to him
by both parties. The Commission would decide any further action.
The
Commission first heard from St. Pierre’s cornerman, Phil
Nurse, who apologized for applying Vaseline to St. Pierre between
the first and second rounds of the superfight. Fellow cornerman
and St. Pierre trainer Greg Jackson followed, admitting an oversight
in the roles of he and Nurse on Jan. 31, adding that he was open
to a possible rule change that put the application of grease
in Commission officials' hands.
The
Commission then reviewed footage from UFC cameras that focused
on St. Pierre’s corner between rounds.
Afterwards,
Penn’s lawyer, Raffi Nahabedian, outlined the points of
Penn’s 20-page complaint to the commission, asking for a
more detailed review of its contents.
Penn
also made a statement, giving his recollection of the before,
during, and after of the fight. While shying away from accusing
St. Pierre directly, he questioned why the UFC welterweight was
not in attendance.
Penn’s
mother, Lorraine Shin, read a statement where she accused the
Commission of not doing its duty to protect fighters.
Commissioners
Brady, Pat Lundvall, Raymond “Skip” Avansino, Jr.,
and John Bailey peppered the participants with questions throughout
the meeting. A persistent inquiry from commissioner Lundvall
was on the existence of substances that could be ingested that
could make an opponent greasy during a fight. She also asked
for suggestions on possible rule changes to NSAC statutes that
may prevent future controversy.
A
video presentation prepared by Penn’s camp was not viewed
due to time constraints on the meeting.
“It’s
up to the commission to decide how much further they want to
formally go on this,” Kizer said afterwards. “They
could make regulatory changes, they could issue some sort of
directive to me or the inspectors or referees to handle situations
differently,” he said.
However,
Kizer maintained he would not issue a complaint against St. Pierre
or his camp.
“I
have no plans to bring anything against anybody in this case,”
he continued.
At
the meeting's end, Penn and his representatives said they were
unsure of their next move.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
POSITIVE
STEPS, BUT PENN QUESTIONS UNANSWERED
B.J.
Penn is uncertain of what the future holds for his complaint
against Georges St. Pierre. He wasn’t sure what to expect
of his plea to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and after
an inconclusive meeting with regulatory body, he is weighing
his options.
“Honestly,
I didn’t know what to expect,” he told MMAWeekly.com
after the Tuesday meeting. “We didn’t even know if
we were going to get a chance to talk, but honestly I don’t
even know exactly what happened yet. I’ve still got to sit
down with the lawyers and see. I don’t even know how to
judge this or gauge this. I’m a fighter, not a litigator.”
The
NSAC took no formal action against the subject of Penn’s
complaint, St. Pierre and cornermen Phil Nurse and Greg Jackson,
but Penn felt the meeting might be a positive step in the right
direction, even if it wasn’t exactly what he had hoped for.
“It
seemed like the commission knew about how we can help the commission
and the sport move forward with some rules, and that’s definitely
great,” he continued. “We want to help the sport as
much as we can, and that’s why we’re here. But we’re
definitely interested to find out what’s going on with my
fight and… what is (the commission’s) opinion on what
happened.
Late
in the proceedings, Penn went directly to the commission to try
and satisfy his curiosity.
“I
was just wondering what you guys thought about the intention,”
he said. “I know you guys said this is a learning process…
was there any intention by these guys to create an unfair fight?”
Of
course, intention is at the heart of the controversy surrounding
Penn’s second fight with Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94. While
NSAC Commissioner Bill Brady and Executive Director Keith Kizer
were clear that Tuesday was about fact finding – not punishment
– they indicated that changes could be on the horizon for
the handling of cornermen’s duties and the enforcement of
NSAC statutes concerning the use of grease.
“They
could make regulatory changes, they could issue some sort of
directive to me or the inspectors or referees to handle situations
differently,” Kizer said afterwards.
If
there was one thing B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre’s cornermen
could agree on, it was that grease would be best applied by a
neutral party.
Not
offered was what Penn seemed to want more than anything else
– was he right?
“They
didn’t express that today, so maybe we look to the future
to see what happens,” he said.
While
Penn’s lawyer, Raffi Nahabedian, met his goal in opening
the door to further investigation into the matter, there is no
certainty that the Commission will do anything other than look
at it as a lesson to learn from.
“I
have no clue, we’ve just got to wait and see,” Penn
said of his camp’s plan of attack.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Abu
Dhabi trials Brazil winners
Souza sweeps Vella to win; Athos Guetho shut out lightes weight
group
With
full pomp, an enormous banner, pretty ladies, politicians, of
course, a certain degree of controversy, the Abu Dhabi Pro tryouts
Brazil is reaching an end, in the Sogipa gymnasium of Porto Alegre,
capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
After
Guilherme Mendes earned his place as champion of the under 65kg
category, shutting out the final with his brother Rafael and
teammate Bruno Frazatto, the new team Athos Guetho’s party
kept going full blast. In the under 75kg division, Claudio Calasans
pulled an omoplata out of his sleeve, in the final minute of
his match with Eduardo Pessoa (Nova Uniao), and thus earned his
all-expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi to compete at the Professional
Worlds on the 1st and 2nd of May, in the capital of the United
Arab Emirates. “I’m digging it, learning a lot,”
smiled judoka Joao Derly, who was present in the stands.
Now
the under 85kg final between Eduardo “Portugues” Santoro
and Guto Campos was marred by controversy. The two athletes began
by pulling guard, and Portugues came out on top first, earning
an advantage. Guto Campos, nearing to the end of the regulation
six minutes, tried for a takedown and drew even the score. When
it came down to the referee’s decision, Muzio de Angelis
raised Campos’ hand, to whistles of scorn from the stands.
“I was in his half-guard trying to pass the whole time,
I didn’t stall the fight, how did I lose?” asked a
devastated Portugues.
In
the under 95kg, Antonio Peinado and Rodolfo vieira had a monotonous
bout of trading grips standing, and the judges raised brown belt
Rodolfo's hand. In the final match of the event, Souza swept
Gabriel Vella three minutes into the bout and took the over 95kg
category, by 2 to 0. The champions are now guaranteed in Abu
Dhabi, but the championship is open to any fighter wishing to
compete.
Under
65kg
Guilherme Mendes defeated Bruno Frazatto by WO
Under
75kg
Claudio Calasans defeated Eduardo Pessoa by 2 advantages
Under
85kg
Guto Campos defeated Eduardo Santoro by judges decision
Under
95kg
Rodolfo Vieira vs Antonio Peinado
Over
95kg
Alexandre de Souza beats Gabriel Vella by 2 to 0 (sweep)
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
How
Van Damme took Demian to MMA
Money,
pleasure or just for the sport itself, each fighter has his reason
to go for a career in Jiu-Jitsu and MMA competitions. One of
the best middleweight fighters in action at UFC, Demian Maia
told TATAME Magazine March issue his story, and it’s probably
one of the most curious. Forget about money or just the will
of competitions, Maia wanted to follow the steps of his childhood
idol: Jean Claude Van Damme.
“When
I was a boy, I saw a Van Damme movie in which he hot in a different
kinds of martial arts in fights. There I thought: ‘one day
I’ll be in one of these competitions’”, told Demian,
referring to the movie Blodsport, which Van Damme represents
America against several others martial arts, including Brazil.
In the exclusive interview for TATAME’s March issue, Demian
spoke about his relationship and trainings with Wanderlei Silva,
the best and worst moments of his career, his idols, how would
he face Anderson Silva and much more.
Source: Tatame
|
Paulo
Thiago talks fight with Jon Fitch
After
impressing the world with a first round knockout victory against
Josh Koscheck, Paulo Thiago won’t have easy job in his second
UFC fight. After signing the contract to face Jon Fitch at UFC
100, Paulo Thiago spoke with TATAME.com about his preparation
for the fight, his training and his thoughts for the fight. “He
has a solid Wrestling, knows how to fight standing, is good on
takedowns and knows how to fight on the ground, but we’ll
do a good job to annul it. It’ll be a chess fight again”,
said Paulo, who also commented his professional situation, once
that he’s an officer of Brasilia’s special police team
(BOPE): “They’re happy with my and help me in everything”.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
“You
have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough
to follow through.”
Rosalynn Carter
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
Channel
52
NEW TIME of 8:00 PM!
Don't miss
another exciting, or at least semi-exciting episode of Fighters'
Club TV.
Please
spread the word!
|
MMA
REMEMBERS CHARLES "MASK" LEWIS
Tapout
founder Charles "Mask" Lewis died in a car crash on
March 10, 2009, in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 45 years old.
Mask
– along with friends Dan "Punkass" Caldwell and
Skyskrape – was the driving force behind the popular mixed
martial arts clothing company. Tapout began with an inventory
of t-shirts sold out of the trunk of a car. Under his guidance,
the company steadily grew from $29,000 in sales in 1999 to $25
million by 2007 to a projected $100 million in 2008, according
to The Press-Enterprise.
Mask
leaves a long legacy of building one of the most successful companies
in the sport, but more importantly, he leaves behind memories
of a man that had a deep passion not only for MMA and its athletes,
but also life itself... and one of the most infectious laughs
of all time.
In
the spirit of remembering Charles "Mask" Lewis, following
are some of the comments from people who new him… in their
own words:
Dana
White, UFC President (via Neil Davidson of the Canadian Press):
You
couldn't meet a nicer guy, a more friendly, outgoing guy, a more
loyal guy. He really was a good person. He's one of the pioneers,
one of the legends of this sport.
This
guy was selling T-shirts out of the trunk of his car and when
we first got involved with the UFC, we met them. We really liked
them. We liked their energy. They were good people and we got
together and we started doing all this grassroots marketing together
– the UFC and Tapout. They were very loyal to us and we
were very loyal to them.
And
it sucks to see a guy who has worked so hard his whole life,
to finally make it and break through, and then have something
like this happen to him.
Dean
Lister, Fighter and Jerry Villasenor, Lister's Manager:
We
would like to say that we feel lucky and are thankful for the
time we knew Charles “Mask” Lewis. We will all miss
him dearly and we will more than ever proudly wear the Tapout
brand because everybody at Tapout from Charles, Punkass, Skrape,
Damon and the rest of the Tapout family have given fighters,
managers, coaches, promoters more than sponsorships. They have
given us inspiration and ability to do what we love and that
is be a productive part of the MMA world that he, Punkass and
Skrape helped bring to the spotlight when the sport was in its
infant stages. Plain and simple... Tapout is MMA. Thank you Charles.
Sven
Bean, Ring of Fire Promoter:
I
met Charles in late 1998 in California. I can tell you the energy,
drive, and passion he had back then blew me away immediately.
It was contagious. The amazing thing is that it never faltered,
ever. Every single interaction I had with him from then until
now was exactly the same. It didn't matter what kind of day I
was having, if I looked down and saw that Mask was on the phone,
I knew my mood would be better after the call. He truly lived
and breathed this sport and his brand. He wasn't one of those
guys that are just along for the ride. He was the ride. I am
thankful to have known him, and thankful for the great energy
and happiness he brought to those around him. Charles, You will
be missed but never forgotten.
Kenny
Florian, Fighter:
Mask,
aka Charles, was such a positive individual who inspired many,
many people to live life to the fullest and follow their dreams.
He was a great example of how intelligence, hard work, and faith
will always pay off. Charles was always looking for ways to lift
people up and help anyone he could. He was the ultimate listener
and master communicator. He loved MMA and loved life. His laugh
was proof of that.
It
is tough to see people like Charles go. He was such a giving
person and just wanted to see everyone reach their potential.
Charles lives on however through the legacy and many friends
he left behind and through the brand he helped create. For those
who had the pleasure of meeting or knowing him, he helps us to
realize we should all live life like he did.
Donald
"Cowboy" Cerrone, Fighter:
I
would first like to start off by thanking Mask for everything
he has done for me!!! He believed in me when no one else would.
Gave me a chance. Called me his diamond amongst the coal. He
would call me in the beginning and tell me, "Keep your head
down... set your goals and (expletive) go for it. I got you boy!"
I owe everything to you Mask, so I thank you once again!! I lost
a friend, teacher, and a role model. I look up to you. R.I.P.
my friend, I'll see you at the stairway to Heaven!!
T.Jay
Thompson, MMA Promoter:
Charles
"MASK" Lewis believed in MMA, Super Brawl, and T.Jay
Thompson before I did. Rest in Peace, Charles. The entire MMA
world will miss you dearly.
Chuck
Liddell, Fighter:
I
don't really know what to say. I talked to him before it happened.
He and I were very close friends. He was a great guy and I'm
going to miss him a lot.
Joe
"Diesel" Riggs, Fighter:
(Tapout)
sponsored me since I was 17 years old. I remember I was fighting
in Rage in the Cage, way back in the day since 2001 when I was
in high school. I came up to them and pitched myself, told them
how I was going to do this and this, and they started sponsoring
me for a 100 bucks a fight. Back then, they were only sponsoring
guys with clothing, so I was getting money, which was really
cool. I’d go out to venues, like King of the Cage, which
was a big deal for me just to go there. I’d be by myself
or with Edwin Dewees, and Charles would yell from 400 yards away,
I’d hear him, “Diiieeesal!” It made me feel at
home. That was a cool memory I have of him. He made me feel like
we were really close. It’s the best relationship I’ve
ever had with a sponsor. I’m going to miss that guy to death;
it’s a horrible loss for the MMA community.
Nate
Marquardt, Fighter:
Charles
was one of the most passionate guys I've known. He was honest
and a hard worker. He was very caring and sincere. His passing
has saddened so many people around the world and is a great loss
for MMA.
Jeff
Curran, Fighter:
We've
been friends for the past decade. He's always been there for
me and I always tried to represent whenever I could. We had a
pretty close relationship, closer than most people in business
I guess you could say. We've been friends first. He's going to
be missed. He was one of a kind.
Chad
Bergmeier, MMA Manager/Promoter:
I’ve
been in this business for about 11 years, and I met (Mask) about
four years ago, but really got to know him in the last two, three
years. He’s a person that once you meet him, you never forget
him. One of the conversations I remember having with him was
after a WEC weigh-in. (Tapout was) getting ready for season two
(of the reality show) and we had this long conversation. He was
just really intense about how he was listening to every single
word of what I was saying to him about the different fighters.
That just meant a lot to me, with him showing how interested
he actually was, somebody with his power in this industry and
the sport. For him to actually pay attention, that just showed
a lot about the character that he is and was. It’s easy
to assume by watching the TV show that they’re just putting
on an act, but what you saw was what you got with him. How concerned
he was about each individual; that was how he really was.
Frank
Trigg, Fighter:
He
was one of those guys that if you ever met him, you remember
meeting him for the rest of your life. Not because he was 'Mask,'
not because of his dress or his actions, just because he actually
looks you in the eye and talks to you. 'Mask' was one of those
guys; to me he was kind of like a Harrison Ford, a Nicolas Cage,
a John Travolta. You meet them one time and it's kind of a story
you're going to always tell your grand kids about that you met
him because not only is he iconic in our sport, but he was also
that guy that paid attention to you.
He
was always giving everything away that he possibly could for
the sport, for his fighters and for the guys he believed in.
And a lot of times he was giving that stuff away to people he
didn't believe in because he knew that they could be better than
they were.
It's
really a big loss. You probably couldn't lose a bigger name in
the sport at this point and time. He really is going to be missed
by all of us whether we want to admit it or not. And those haters
on the Internet talking out against Tapout and how they do things,
even they are going to feel the impact of how big of an icon
he is within our sport. He truly is a Hall of Fame, legendary
participant of MMA.
Mask
is really going to be missed by me and my family.
Mark
DellaGrotte, MMA Trainer:
Mask
and his legacy will live on through the people he has touched.
Nobody will ever forget who he was and how he changed our sport
and our lives.
Michael
"The Joker" Guymon, Fighter:
For
those of you that don't know me, my name is Michael "The
Joker" Guymon. I was one of the original members of the
TapouT Crew. Charles " Mask" Lewis to me is someone
I feel privileged to have known. By far the most crazy, over-the-top,
free-thinking person I've met.
He
may have looked like crazy big dude with face paint on, but make
no mistake about it, he knew what he was doing and how to market
his product. I know in my heart he is looking down from where
he is saying how he did it his way and adding his uncanny laugh
at the end.
I'm
so sorry for the things I said to you and Dan. I love you and
miss you buddy.
Dan
"Punkass" Caldwell, Tapout (via his online blog):
To
my best friend in the world, you'll be forever missed, but always
remembered.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Lashley
wins: Finds out real fighting is tough on the body and mind
Bobby
Lashley is far from acclimated to the real stuff as he makes
the transition from the fake world of pro wrestling to mixed
martial arts. If it's John Cena or Batista saying he's going
to rip your head off, you can just laugh it off. It's simply
part of the act. In just his second pro MMA fight, Lashley admitted
some of the pre-fight smack talk screwed with his head.
Using
his wrestling and a big power advantage, Lashley rolled to a
victory over Jason Guida on Roy Jones Jr.'s "March Badness"
card but he said that the MMA veteran's mouth threw him off his
game:
"He
played a lot of head games before the fight," Lashley said
in the ring following the fight. "He kind of pull me out
of my training recommendations."
Guida,
a late replacement for Ken Shamrock, turned the tables on Lashley
at Wednesday's press conference (3:58 mark) and Thursday's weigh-in,
by using some pro wrestling tactics. He got right in Lashley's
face on both days and said he wasn't going to pull punches like
they do in pro wrestling. Lashley reacted angrily on Wednesday
by trying to choke Guida.
"I
came in with the wrong frame of my mind," said Lashley (2-0),
who gained the unanimous decision (30-27 on all three cards).
"This is a gentleman’s game. We're not Neanderthals.
We’re not in here to club each other. He brought me out
of my match a little. I had to listen to my corner and pull things
together."
Lashley
scored takedowns in all three rounds and controlled Guida on
the ground, landing the occasional elbow and punch. He also scored
with the best punches of the fight. Guida ate a huge right hand
late in the first round. But the most dangerous moment of the
fight saw Lashley in a predicament. He charged in for a takedown
about 90 seconds into the final round and left his head out for
Guida to slap on a guillotine choke. Guida dropped to the ground
and cinched in the choke. Lashley scrambled but stayed calm and
popped his head out after 20 seconds:
"A
hold like that is so tight, you gotta make a decision, do you
want to be a champion or just another MMA fighter? I had to dig
deep cause it was tight."
Lashley
said it's time to go back to the drawing board at his training
homes in Colorado and American Top Team in South Florida. The
32-year-old started training in MMA last year trying to make
the move over from pro wrestling (WWE 2005-2008) after a decorated
career as a collegiate wrestler.
He
showed some basic MMA skills. At 6-foot-3, 251 pounds, he was
able to overpower the journeyman Guida (17-20) and easily controlled
him on the ground but also looked a bit gassed by the middle
of the third round. When he did try to box, his hands were solid
but his balance was lousy. Much like fellow wrestler Brock Lesnar,
who is now the UFC heavyweight champ, Lashley showed good form
with his right but was awkward with his jab hand.
Guida
said before the fight that he was going to ruin Lashley's dream
of fighting in MMA's major league, the UFC. If the UFC chooses
to pass on Lashley, there's a good chance Strikeforce, the MMA
fight company televised by Showtime and CBS, will scoop him up.
Lashley
was slated to fight the 45-year-old Shamrock but "The World's
Most Dangerous Man" was dropped from the card when he tested
positive for steroids following a fight last month in California.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
DEAN
LISTER INVITED TO ADCC; LOOKING FOR FEDOR
After requesting a release from the UFC earlier this year, middleweight
Dean Lister will look to go back to his roots. The California
native has been invited to compete in this year's Abu Dhabi grappling
tournament as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by the fighter's management
team at Haymaker's Empire.
Lister
is a former Abu Dhabi champion, winning the Absolute Divisional
championship in 2003 and then returning to the tournament to
win super fights in 2003 and 2005.
While
it has not been decided which weight class Lister will compete
in, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and former U.S. Sambo
champion is considering a move to the weight class that will
be occupied by top MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, who is
expected in the tournament this year.
Lister
commented to MMAWeekly.com that he sees Fedor as "a great
challenge and would jump at the opportunity to compete against
him."
The
former Abu Dhabi and King of the Cage champion will also stay
in consideration for a super fight if any of this year's competitors
are unable to compete.
While
nothing has been signed, Lister is also still fielding several
offers to continue his MMA career. "The Boogeyman"
has stated that he's simply focused on training and improving
for MMA, while working on his goal of winning the Abu Dhabi tournament
this year.
Currently
Lister is in Japan helping his friend, Muhammed "King Mo"
Lawal, prepare for his upcoming bout in Sengoku, before returning
home to focus on his next step in the MMA or grappling world.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
GEORGES
ST. PIERRE SIGNS DEAL WITH GATORADE
Joining a list of athletes like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods,
Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and many, many more, Georges St.
Pierre, has signed on to be a major part of Gatorade's latest
campaign as one of the faces of their "G" marketing
onslaught.
The
Gatorade "G" campaign launched in the U.S. during the
Super Bowl in January with many top flight athletes representing
the brand. Now the company will move north of the border with
a group of Canadian athletes to represent the brand.
Along
with other top Canadians such as Gordie Howe, Cassie Campbell,
Ray Zahab, Chantal Petitclerc, and Bradd Arseneau, St. Pierre
will serve as one of the leaders to help push Gatorade in the
newly branded market.
“Just
like in the U.S., the Canadian Gatorade brand is recognizing
some of our nation’s most influential and inspiring athletes,”
said Dale Hooper, vice president of marketing for Gatorade in
Canada. “These athletes represent Canada’s best while
also serving as motivation to any Canadian who sweats, whether
they’re in it to win, for the fun of it, or for better health.”
St.
Pierre's addition to the Gatorade campaign can only be seen as
a huge step forward for the marketing and advertising future
of mixed martial artists who are looking to cross over into more
mainstream work.
Late
last year, the UFC welterweight champion signed on with CAA,
a division of Creative Arts Agency, to help push the Canadian
fighter into new markets including movies, television, licensing
and digital media.
This
latest move for St. Pierre to sign on with Gatorade signals the
first MMA fighter to be involved with the popular sports drink
brand, and a definite sign of the competitors involved with MMA
moving forward to being more widely recognized alongside other
top athletes.
St.
Pierre filmed his first commercial for Gatorade over the last
week while also working on the latest film the Canadian has been
involved with, the second motion picture he has starred in over
the last year.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Georges
St-Pierre signs with Gatorade
Georges St-Pierre has signed on to be one of the faces of Gatorade's
"G" campaign in Canada.
"Today
I shot a commercial for Gatorade - I'm proud to be the first
MMA athleteto be sponsored by Gatorade, and also proud for the
sport - it showshow far it has come. It's really an honor for
me to be the company of such other great athletes," St-Pierre
wrote Friday on his YardBarker blog.
The
Canadian campagin will follow the US version of the "G"
campaign, which debuted in January during the Super Bowl and
featured Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Serena Williams.
"Just
like in the US, the Canadian Gatorade brand is recognizing some
of
our nation’s most influential and inspiring athletes,"
said Dale Hooper, VP of marketing for Gatorade in Canada. "These
athletes represent Canada's best while also serving as motivation
to any Canadian who sweats."
Four-time
Stanley Cup champion Gordie "Mr. Hockey" Howe will
also appear in the Canadian commercial.
St-Pierre
will defend his UFC welterweight title against Thiago Alves at
UFC 100 on July 11 in Las Vegas.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
GSP
to help train Florian for title fight vs. Penn
Georges St-Pierre will help Kenny Florian prepare for his UFC
lightweight title shot against champion BJ Penn.
"The
thing that I can do to piss [Penn] off even more is to help Kenny
Florian to kick his ass," St-Pierre said in an interview
with Canada's Rogers Sportsnet. "And that's what I'm going
to do. Kenny Florian is coming in April and I will help him out
as much as I can to beat [Penn] up."
MMAFighting.com
has learned that Florian will be traveling to Montreal to train
with the Tri-Star Gym, which was prominently featured in the
"UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. Penn" mini-series on
Spike TV.
No
date has been set for the Penn vs. Florian fight and won't likely
happen anytime soon. Penn said in an interview with Raw Vegas
earlier this week that he hasn't started his training for the
Florian fight and when he does, would train three months for
the fight.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
TAPOUT
DETAILS CO-FOUNDER'S MEMORIAL SERVICE
TapouT on Thursday released additional statements regarding the
loss of Co-Founder Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr., as well
as initial details regarding a memorial service for the fallen
Mixed-Martial Arts pioneer.
“We
first and foremost want to thank everyone – TapouT fans,
Mixed-Marital Arts community and more – for their kind words
and support in the wake of Mask’s death,” says TapouT
Co-Founder Dan “Punkass” Caldwell. “Whether you’re
a fan of MMA or not, Charles’ goal was to inspire people
to make a difference in the world and never settle for anything
less than their dreams. With TapouT, he reached more people than
we could have ever imagined, and his dedication to the sport
and brand will live on forever through his fans around the world.”
“Mask
was the ultimate entrepreneur,” says TapouT President Marc
Kreiner. “I’m still in awe of his marketing and business
prowess that brought his dream from the back of a pick-up truck
to a world-renowned brand. We’ll miss his drive and intensity
for the business, but the leadership he instilled in the company
will carry on.”
“Mask
was one of the most genuine and honest people I have ever met,”
says TapouT Crew Member Timothy “Skyskrape” Katz. “He
created TapouT as a way to share his passion and energy for MMA
with the world, and the inspiration and attitude of TapouT will
continue to live on in Mask’s memory.”
The
memorial service, “’Simply Believe’: A Celebration
of Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis Jr.,” is set for Tuesday,
April 14 at 11:00 am at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove,
California. The service will be open to the public, and fans
and friends alike will gather to pay tribute to the life that
taught us that anything is possible if you “Simply Believe.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Murilo
Ninja in Dream
Brazilian confident in brother Shogun against Liddell
Not
having fought since October of 2008, EliteXC’s final event,
Murilo Ninja can now look forward to the next chapter in his
career, as he reportedly has been handed his next challenge in
Japan, at Dream.
“We’re
in Sao Paul, my brother and I, training Jiu-Jitsu, boxing and
doing what’s best for us. We’ve been here for four
weeks and we’ll stay five in all,” said Ninja to Portal
das Lutas, GRACIEMAG.com partner site, before commenting on his
upcoming challenge.
“I
fight April 5 in Japan and I’m doing my final preparations
here. I’m going to Curitiba Saturday and I’ll be back
in training Monday. I’m going to fight at Dream against
a Korean,” he said.
Ninja
and his brother Shogun, who has an April 18 clash scheduled against
Chuck Liddell, are going at full steam in Sao Paulo, and have
the help of several luxury training partners.
“We’re
doing Jiu-Jitsu with Demian Maia. (Sergio) Cunha is working with
us on muay thai. We’re really sharp now.”
On
his brother Shogun, the fighter believes he will put in a great
performance against Liddell in the UFC.
“I’m
certain my brother is going to win this fight, he’s very
talented and in great shape. He will get a title shot soon, you’ll
see. He’s really quick, training a lot here in Sao Paulo
and will put on a show, I’m sure of it,” he said in
finishing.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Abu
Dhabi Pro semidfinals defined
Braga Neto, Jamelão e Mãozinha eliminated from
Abu Dhabi Pro, on Sunday
While
the organization changes the configuration of the mats to a single
fight area, after the open weight (under 73kg) dispute, the GRACIEMAG
team rehydrates and announces the Abu Dhabi purple/brown/black
belt category quarterfinal results, to end today in Porto Alegre.
With around 400 to have signed up, the tournament carries on
at full steam.
In
a tough encounter between generations, Eduardo Portugues overcame
Eduardo Jamelao by three advantage points, in the under 85kg
division.
The
most exciting match, however, was between little brown belt monster
Rodolfo Vieira and Antonio Braga Neto, in a dispute between two
former absolute world champions. With his wrestling up to date,
the GF Team athlete put Braga Neto off balance and opened the
scoring with two to zero, further gaining an advantage point
in making it to half-guard. The Roberto Gordo student thus turned
on the turbines and went after his opponent, sweeping and nearly
passing guard and attacking the back, with a few seconds left
till the end of the match, in the under 95kg quarterfinals. Fighting
to get out of the sticky situation, Rodolfo spun and got on top,
which the referee decided to reward with and advantage point,
to Neto’s chagrin.
Check
out the results so far and come back to GRACIEMAG.com for the
rest later:
Under
65kg:
Bruno Frazatto (Athos Guetho) 4 to 2 Gabriel Moraes (Monteiro)
Rafael Mendes (Athos Guetho) defeated Daniel Roupinol (Constrictor)
by disqualification (Daniel was losing 13 to 0 and crossed his
leg over his oppontnent’s from within the guard)
Guilherme
Mendes (Athos Guetho) 4 to 2 Herbert Mitchell (Check Mat)
Ivaniel Oliveira (Carioca) defeated Bruno Lopes (A2)
Under
75kg:
Gilbert Durinho (Athos Guetho) caught André Ushirobira
(Nova União) with a kneebar
Eduardo Pessoa (Nova União) 4 to 0 Matheus Bernadi (Sul
JJ)
Michel
Maia (Sul JJ) 4 to 1 Reginaldo Rocha (NU)
Claudio Calasans (Athos Guetho) 2 to 0 Moacir Mendes (Gracie
Barra)
Under
85kg:
André Bastos (NU) submitted Fabio Assunção
(Ratão JJ) from the back
Guto Campos (A G) 3 to 1 Edmilson Silva (Sul)
Bruno
Augusto (G. Floripa) defeated Daniel Garcia (NU) by 1 adv.
Eduardo Português (Cia Paulista) 3adv. to 0 Eduardo Jamelão
(Check Mat)
Under
95kg:
Rodolfo Vieira (GF Team) defeated Antonio Braga Neto (Gordo)
by 1 adv.
Bruno Bastos (NU) defeated Lucas Bambam (Sul) por 1v
Antonio
Peinado (Alliance) 2 to 0 Ricardo Oliveira (NU)
Eduardo Miglioli (Rilion) defeated Paulo Henrique (Gracie Sul)
by WO
Over
95kg:
Charles Cachoeira (Gracie Sul) caught Gustavo Dias (CM System)
from the back
Alexandre de Souza (Gracie Floripa) caught João Augusto
(Check Mat) in an omoplata
Gabriel
Vella (Alliance) 5 to 0 Julio Teixeira (Sul JJ)
Luis Pedro Ribeiro (Ataque Duplo) defeated Marcel Fortuna (Gracie
Floripa) by 1adv.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Shogun
training with Demian for Liddell
Specialist
about the adaptation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on MMA fights, Demian
Maia submitted all five opponents he faced in the UFC, and now
is helping Maurício “Shogun” Rua in his trainings
for his next fight, against the former champion Chuck Liddell.
Opening the doors of his gym in São Paulo for the Pride
GP champion, Demian commented Ru’s training and is confident
in another Brazilian victory in the octagon.
“He’s
super professional, (Sérgio) Cunha is his head coach and
takes care of all his training here, doing the schedules and
everything, it’s great. He’s away from Curitiba (Shogun’s
home town) and it’s good for him to get more concentrated”,
said Demian, praising Shogun’s preparation. “He’s
on the right way, but still if far from the fight, still has
four weeks. He’ll get to the top now. I don’t know
about Chuck, how is his preparation, but I think Shogun is very
talented and, well trained, it’s hard to be beat”.
After
hearing so many critics about Shogun’s fight with Mark Coleman,
at UFC 93, Demian defends Shogun. “Everybody says that,
but Idon’t think that the fight with Coleman was bad. Is
was a very intense fight, maybe he got tired more, but I think
he fought well. He got tired, that’s normal. People forget
that Coleman fought with Fedor few time ago and did a great fight,
he very tough… It’s not because he’s 45 that that
you have to go there and kill him”, analyzes the undefeated
fighter. Shogun faces Liddell at UFC 97 co-main event, which
takes place at April 18th at Montreal, Canada.
Source:
Tatame
|
DANA
WHITE EXPLAINS FRANKLIN VS. SILVA AT 195
Former UFC middleweight titleholder Rich "Ace" Franklin
and former long-time Pride champion Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer"
Silva headline the Ultimate Fighting Championship's debut event
in Germany at UFC 99 on June 13 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne.
Franklin
recently moved back up to the light heavyweight division from
the 185-pound weight class. Silva has stated his intentions to
move down to middleweight after competing his entire career in
heavier divisions. Their UFC 99 main event bout will take place
at a catchweight of 195 pounds.
"I
met Rich in the middle," UFC president Dana White said of
the decision for the catchweight. "Rich didn't want to cut
weight. He didn't want to go back to 85, and Wanderlei hasn't
been to 85 yet."
Franklin
fought the first half of his career as a light heavyweight before
switching divisions and capturing the UFC 185-pound crown from
the late Evan Tanner at UFC 53 in June of 2005. After losing
to current middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva twice, Franklin
decided to return to light heavyweight. Since making the transition
back to 205 pounds, Franklin has defeated Matt Hamill and lost
a razor close decision to Dan Henderson.
After
losing three of his last four outings as a light heavyweight,
Silva made the choice to move down to middleweight. He's spent
much of his storied career fighting bigger opponents, but before
shedding the 20 pounds to weigh in at 185, Silva will only have
to make it half way there for his scheduled 195-pound match with
Franklin.
The
UFC doesn't usually do catchweight bouts unless a fighter fails
to make weight, like Joe Riggs against Matt Hughes at UFC 56
or Travis Lutter against Anderson Silva at UFC 67. But the UFC
has put together catchweight bouts, such as Matt Hughes vs. Royce
Gracie at UFC 60, if it's a match up the fans want to see. Wanderlei
Silva and Rich Franklin definitely fit into that category.
"I
think it's a fun fight and it will be a fun fight to watch,"
said White.
Regardless
of the outcome, Franklin will continue to compete at light heavyweight
while Silva is expected to debut as a middleweight in his next
scheduled bout following the Franklin fight.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
JON
FITCH VS. PAULO THIAGO AGREED TO FOR UFC 100
A welterweight bout has been added to the upcoming UFC 100 show
in Las Vegas as top five 170-pound contender Jon Fitch returns
to action to face Brazilian Paulo Thiago. The bout was confirmed
to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Monday.
According
to the sources, both fighters have agreed to the bout, but contracts
for the fight have not been signed yet.
Fitch
returns in July after a successful turn in his last fight, a
win over Japanese fighter Akihiro Gono in January. The American
Kickboxing Academy fighter currently sits at 9-1 in his UFC career
with his lone loss coming by way of welterweight champion Georges
St. Pierre in August 2008.
The
fight against Thiago will hold special interest for Fitch as
the Brazilian made quite a debut in his first UFC fight knocking
out fellow AKA fight team member Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 in February.
Thiago
entered the bout with an undefeated record, but relatively unknown
to most in the MMA world. He made his presence known with a stunning
first round knockout over Koscheck, who has been a top contender
in the division for sometime now.
It
is unknown at this time if the bout between Fitch and Thiago
will end up on the televised or preliminary portion of the pay-per-view
card.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Takanori
Gomi returns to Shooto on May 10
Former number one ranked lightweight Takanori Gomi will return
to Shooto's final 20th anniversary event at "Shooto Tradition
Final" on May 10 at the JCB Hall.
Gomi
(29-5)'s opponent will be Shooto 154-pound champion Takashi Nakakura
(10-2).
Both
competitors were brought inside the ring during "Shooto
Tradition 6" today.
"I
returned to Shooto because I like fighting in Shooto," Gomi
said. "This is where I debuted and I want to show my gratitude."
Gomi
then turned to the champ and said, "I don't know much about
you, but I will definitely win."
"Gomi
picked me as his opponent and I was offered this fight three
days ago," Nakakura said afterwards. "I was upset by
his speech in the ring today. However, I respect him and will
have a great fight [with him]. This is a non-title bout, but
I'm sure he is going to retire if he loses."
Also
on the May 10 card will be Takeshi "Lion" Inoue vs.
Rumina Sato and Koutetsu Boku vs. Yutaka Ueda.
At
"Shooto Tradition 6" today, Shinichi "BJ"
Kojima retained his Shooto bantamweight belt against Yuki Shojou
with a rear-naked choke at 0:38 of the third round, and Masakatsu
Ueda retained his featherweight title over So Tazawa via unanimous
decision.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Thiago
Silva remains in talks to fight Forrest Griffin
UFC
light-heavyweight Thiago Silva says the proposed fight against
former champ Forrest Griffin is not yet official.
"The
fight is still [in] negotiation[s]," Silva told TATAME.com.
"It's a good opportunity that [the] UFC is giving me and
I'm going to go after it."
If
the fight is finalized, they will face each other at UFC 101
on August 8 in Portland, Oregon.
Griffin
lost his light-heavyweight belt at UFC 92 in January against
Rashad Evans. Silva fell short in January at UFC 94 against Lyoto
Machida, who will be challenging Evans for the title at UFC 98.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Lyoto
studies opponent
Karateka reflects on Rashad
After
the good news Lyoto Machida received regarding his imminent title
challenge, the time has come to look closely at his adversary
and make the necessary changes in training, before D-Day, on
May 23, when he enters the octagon to try and rob Rashad Evans
of his light heavyweight belt at UFC 98.
Undefeated
in his 14-fight career and held in high regard in the MMA world,
Lyoto is confident going into his title challenge. “I’m
feeling really happy about fighting, for having this opportunity.
Everyone here at home has started studying Rashad’s fights.
My father, brothers, physical conditioning coach… Everyone’s
working to make sure there are no surprises for me,” said
the fighter to GRACIEMAG.com.
Shortly
after having found out he would be facing Lyoto, Rashad was not
intimidated and said there is not a human alive without a weakness
in his armor. And the karateka agreed, but made it clear he is
looking closely at the details. “Of course, everyone has
his weakness. Wherever it may be, I’m studying him too to
find his. The good thing in fighting is that everyone wants to
find out who will be the first to catch the adversary’s
mistake. I can see Rashad is a guy who studies his adversaries
and is high level. That’s how it is at such a high level,
the minor details are what make the difference,” finished
Lyoto.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Belfort
vs. Fedor? “It’s up to Fedor”
Right
after a first round knockout against Matt Lindland, at Affliction
2, Vitor Belfort challenged the biggest star of the organization,
Fedor Emelianenko. Without any confirmation of the company, the
Brazilian still wants to face the biggest heavyweight in all
times, undefeated for eight years. “We’re waiting now
to see if they’ll put this fight on. It’s up to Fedor,
he decides everything, he’s in that position. We want challenges
and we’re waiting for the answer”, said Belfort.
According
to Vitor, M-1 wants the fight, but Tom Atencio wants to put Emelianenko
against Josh Barnett. “The guys from M-1 wants this fight,
but Tom Atencio and the Affliction wants to put him with Barnett,
who is their big boy, but I’m waiting. If this fight doesn’t
happen at Affliction 3, it can be on the next one”, says.
While waiting for a final decision about his next fight, Belfort
will start filming a DVD with his biography. “We’re
doing a DVD about my career, my story. I’ll film where I
lived in the US, Carlson Gracie’s first gym… It’ll
be pretty cool, I’ll show my family, me taking my son Davi
to the school, my training, everything. I’m going to the
United States in April to start this project”, revealed
Vitor, waiting for his third child with his wife, Joana Prado.
Source:
Tatame
|
Kyra
Gracie
Three
times BJJ world champion, two times ADCC champion, among several
other titles, Kyra Gracie spoke to TATAME.com about his plans
for 2009. The only black belt woman Gracie, the athlete revealed
that he’s going after the fourth world title, her uncle's
death, Ryan Gracie, and that she wants to remain dominant in
the lightweight and is training in Rio de Janeiro for the Pan
American championship.
In
2007 you suffered an injury and didn’t fight some competitions.
In 2008 got back and won everything. What are your plans for
2009?
This
year I’ll fight the Pan American, Brazilian, World Championship
and Abu Dhabi, then I'm already full of commitments, I’ll
start to train hard.
Who
are you training with in Rio de Janeiro?
I’m
practicing judo at the Flamengo Club, Jiu-Jitsu at the Gracie
Barra and at Gordo’s, so I’m organizing my day, each
day I go in a different gym.
How
are your commitments, like seminars?
Actually
I don’t live in Rio, I live on the airplane, because I'm
always traveling. This year I’m full of seminars, I have
one in Brazil and in the US, and Asia.
First
you will fight the Pan American. What are you expecting from
this competition?
Nowadays,
as I fight the openweight, I don’t think only in the opponents
of my category, I have to think in all the athletes who are competing
at the openweight. It has a lot of tough people, I don’t
know yet for sure who will participate, but I will be prepared
to win.
Do
you think this year you can win the ADCC for the third time or
will be more difficult than the last two?
I’m
training to win the third. I want to win, this time, the weight
and the openweight.
What
is the importance of the ADCC title and of the World Championship
to you?
Both,
for me, are the most important. Actually I do all my training
to be very well at the World Championship and the Abu Dhabi.
Is
inevitable to talk about your uncle’s death, Ryan, in 2008,
who you were very close to. What has changed in your personal
and professional life after this troubled year?
Changed
a lot, I choked my life. I was very close to him, who was a very
special person, who taught me a lot, not only inside but outside
the mat. He was the person with whom I could always count, for
anything in my life. I miss him a lot. I’m sure that today
he is by my side at all times, especially when I'm competing,
I’m sure I get a good energy from him, which helps me in
the championships.
Who
is the number one in Jiu-Jitsu for you? Roger Gracie or Xande
Ribeiro?
Roger.
Because most of his fights always end up with submission and
he is on top for years, but I admire Xande a lot, I think he’s
one phenomenal athlete, who also is among the best in the world.
Let's say that Xande and Roger are at the top.
And
between the women?
Well,
I won, last year, all the championships that I fought, right.
So… I don’t know… (laughs).
Who
do you think will be the future promises of the feminine category?
It
has Marina, who is featherweight, Ana Laura, on middleweight,
and in my weight I will continue to train, so the lightweight
will be mine (laughs)
There
do you think you helped the world feminine Jiu-Jitsu, being a
Gracie?
I
think, being a Gracie, brought a bigger media for the feminine
Jiu-Jitsu, because people started to look more to he feminine
Jiu-Jitsu. Even the media opened more space. Today, many girls
send an email to my site or speak with me that started to fight
after seeing me, or reading something about me. I guess I have
helped much in feminine Jiu-Jitsu and hope to help even more,
this is my main focus.
What
is the Jiu-Jitsu in your life?
Is
my life. All I do is Jiu-Jitsu. When I'm at home, I’m thinking
about Jiu-Jitsu, when I'm with my family, we're talking about
Jiu-Jitsu or training. So is all together, my job, my family,
my hobby... is all in my mat.
Who
already has trained with you in this mat?
Lots
of people. Here I’ve already trained with Ryan, Renzo, Ralph,
Reyzon... many people. I’ve already learned a lot here.
Source:
Tatame
|
THIAGO
TAVARES VS. MELVIN GUILLARD AT UFC 101
With UFC 101 still several months away the promotion has already
started to put together some of the match-ups on the card. On
Monday, MMAWeekly.com confirmed that a lightweight bout between
Thiago Tavares and Melvin Guillard would be added to the show.
The
bout was confirmed by sources close to the fight who indicated
the fight has been agreed to on the date of Aug 8 with bout agreements
to follow shortly.
Thiago
Tavares steps into UFC 101 with a record inside the Octagon of
4-3 with his last fight being a victory over former "Ultimate
Fighter" competitor, Manny Gamburyan, at UFC 94 in January.
The
American Top Team fighter will look to find footing in a very
crowded lightweight division as he takes on the very heavy handed
Guillard in what will likely be a preliminary fight on the card.
Melvin
Guillard will return in August and at that point will have been
out of action for over a year with his last fight coming in July
2008 in a win over German fighter, Dennis Siver.
The
former "Ultimate Fighter" season 2 competitor was slated
to face Brazilian, Ronnys Torres, at the upcoming UFC Fight Night
show in April, but an injury befell his opponent and Guillard
was removed from the card all together.
Now
the Louisiana native returns to fight another very tough Brazilian
product in Thiago Tavares.
Stay
tuned to MMAWeekly.com for more information on this show as it
becomes available.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
CHRIS
LYTLE VS. KEVIN BURNS AT TUF 9 FINALE
The June 20 finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” season
nine is filling out rapidly, with a welterweight meeting between
veteran Chris Lytle and Kevin Burns booked for the Las Vegas
event.
Sources
close to the fight broke the news to MMAWeekly.com, with both
fighters agreeing to the match-up and bout agreements expected
to be inked soon.
Lytle
is coming off a disappointing split decision loss to Marcus Davis
in a much-hyped fight at UFC 93. He has alternated between losses
and wins in his last five fights, going 5-9 in fourteen Octagon
appearances. He carries an overall professional record of 26-17-5.
Iowa
native Burns last fought Anthony Johnson at the TUF 8 finale
in a “do-over” of their controversial meeting at UFC
Fight Night 14. Johnson exacted his revenge for the first fight's
injury stoppage with a brutal head kick, knocking Burns out in
the third round.
Burns
made his debut at UFC 85, choking out the highly touted submission
specialist Roan Carneiro. He carries an overall record of 7-2
in professional competition.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Hi all,
Thank you Kauai! Tickets are moving fast !!!
If we sell out quickly we may add more chairs but dont wait till
then....Get your tickets now!!!
Media
Coverage by:
MMA Hawaii
Uproar Magazine
Skrap Magazine
and
Hawaiistream.com and Kauaimartialarts.com
Also
you can check out the weigh ins on Hawaiistream.com LIVE!!!
|
2009
Triple Crown of BJJ
The date
for the first crown of the 2009 Triple Crown of BJJ has been
set!
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Kaiser High School, Honolulu, Hawaii
April 11, 2009 |
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Relson
Gracie Kauai Association, Kauai Technical Institute (KTI) Tournament
May 16th
Relson Gracie Kauai Association, Kauai Technical Institute (KTI)
is hosting a BJJ & submission grappling tournament on Kauai
on May 16th. Please mark your calendars and get your team ready
to make the trek to the Garden Isle.
Scrappa Lifestylez
Scrapplers Fest
submission grappling/gi tournament
May 16, 2009
Kauai
|
The
Quest for Champions 2009 Tournament
The Quest for Champions 2009 Tournament featuring Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling
and Continuous Sparring.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Kalani High School Gym
Email kunltd@hotmail.com for more information.
|
|