Upcoming
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2010
February
BJJ Tournament
(tba)
2009
11/21/09
UFC
106
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas)
11/14/09
UFC
105
(United Kingdom)
November
Aloha
State Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
10/31/09
H.A.P.A.
Hawaii Amateur Pankration Association
Hit-And-Submit
#4
(Pankration)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
10/24/09
UFC
104
(Staples Center, Los Angeles)
10/18/09
NAGA
Hawaii
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Pearl City H.S. Gym)
9/19/09
UFC
103
(American Airlines Center, Dallas)
9/16/09
UFC
Fight Night 19
(Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City)
9/12/09
Hawaiian
Open Championship
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
Up & Up
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
8/29/09
MAUI OPEN 2009
Submission Grappling Challenge
(Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym)
Island Assult
(Boxing)
(Blaisdell Arena)
UFC
102
(Rose Garden, Portland)
8/22/09
Destiny: Maui vs. Oahu
(MMA)
(War Memorial Gym, Maui)
8/15/09
Man Up
(Kickboxing & Triple Threat)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
8/9/09
WEC
(Las Vegas, NV)
8/8/09
UFC
101: Declaration
(BJ Penn vs. Kenny Florian)
(Wachovia Center, Philadelphia)
8/1/09
Affliction: Trilogy
Fedor vs. Barnett
(Honda Cetner, Anaheim, CA)
7/25/09
X-1
Scuffle On Schofield
(MMA)
(Tropics Recreation Center, Schofield Barracks)
Amateur Boxing at Palolo
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
Gracie Tournament
(Kalaheo H.S. Gym)
**Cancelled**
7/23/09
JUST SCRAP
(MMA)
(Pipeline Cafe)
7/20/09
Dream 10: Welterweight GP Final
(Japan)
7/11/09
UFC
100: Lesnar vs. Mir
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV)
7/10/09
Man up and Stand up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
6/27-28/09
OTM's 2009
Pac Sub
(Gi & No-Gi competition)
(Blaisdell Exhibition Hall)
6/20/09
The
Ultimate Fighter 9:
Team US vs Team UK Finale
6/13/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
UFC
99: Comeback
Silva vs. Franklin
(Cologne, Germany)
6/7/09
WEC: Brown vs. Faber 2
(Versus)
6/6/09
Quest for Champions 2009 Tournament
(Sport Pankration, Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS Gym)
Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields
(St. Louis, MO)
6/4/09 - 6/7/09
World
JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA)
5/30/09
Event of the Champions
(Triple Threat, Kickboxing, Grappling)
(Elite Auto Group Center)
5/26/09
Dream 9
5/23/09
UFC
98: Evans vs. Machida
(PPV)
5/16/09
KTI's Scrappa Lifestylez
Scrapplers Fest
(BJJ/Submission Grappling)
(Kauai)
5/9/09 - 5/10/09 &
5/16/09 - 5/17/09
Brazilian Nationals JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
5/9/09
X-1 Kona
(MMA)
(Kekuaokalani Gym, Kona)
15th Grapplers Quest Las Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Las Vegas, NV)
5/2/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Waipahu Filcom)
Uprising MMA
(MMA)
(Maui)
May 2009
Abu Dhabi World Submission Wrestling Championships
(Sub Grappling)
(Tentative)
4/25/09
MMA Madness Water Park Extravaganza
(MMA)
(Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, Kapolei)
4/18/08
Kingdom
MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
NY
International JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
4/11/09
Hawaiian
Championship of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser High)
X-1: Temple of Boom
(Boxing & MMA)
(Palolo Hongwangi)
4/10/09
HFC: Stand Your Ground XII
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
4/4/09 - 4/5/09
NAGA
World Championship
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(NJ, Tentative)
3/28/09
Garden Island Cage Match
(MMA)
(Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai)
3/27/09
- 3/29/09
Pan
Am JJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Carson, CA)
3/27/09
Tiger Muay Thai Competition
(Muay Thai)
(Tiger Muay Thai Gym, Sand Island Road)
3/21/09 - 3/22/09
$30k Grapplers Quest/Fight Expo/Make a Wish Weekend
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Del Mar, CA)
NAGA US Nationals
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Georgia)
3/14/09
Hawaii Amateur Pankration Association: "Hit and Submit"
(Pankration & Muay Thai)
(O-Lounge Night Club, Honolulu)
NAGA Vegas
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
3/7/09
UFC 96
(PPV)
(Columbus, OH)
Grapplers Quest Beast of the East
(BJJ/Sub Grappling)
(Wildwood, New Jersey)
2/27/09
X-1 World Events
NEW BEGINNING"
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
2/21/09
Destiny
(MMA)
(Filcom Center, Waipahu)
UFC
95
(PPV)
(London, England)
2/15/09
X1 World Events
Temple of Boom: Fight Night III
(MMA)
(Palolo Hongwanji)
2/8/09
IWFF
Submission Wrestling Tournament
(No-Gi)
(IWFF Academy, Wailuku, Maui)
2/7/09
4th Annual Clint Shelton Memorial
(Boxing)
(Palolo Gym)
Manup and Standup
(Kickboxing)
(Kapolei Rec Center, Kapolei)
UFC Fight Night
(PPV)
(Tampa, FL)
1/31/09
UFC 93 BJ vs GSP
(PPV)
(MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV)
1/30/09
MMA Event
(MMA)
(Schofield Barracks)
1/24/09
Eddie Bravo Seminar
(BJJ)
1/17/09
UFC
93
(PPV)
(Dublin, Ireland)
1/10/09
MAT ATTACK Jiu-Jitsu & Submission Grappling Tournament
(Sub Wrestling)
(Lihikai School, Kahului, Maui)
1/3/08
Uprising - Maui
(MMA)
(Paukukalo Hawaiian Homes Gym)
Hazardous Warfare - Maui
(MMA)
(Lahaina Civic Center)
|
|
September
2009 News Part 2
|
Casca Grossa Jiu-Jitsu
is now the O2 Martial Arts Academy with 7 days a week training!
We are also offering Kali-Escrima (stick fighting) on Monday
nights with Ian Beltran and Kickboxing Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday with Kaleo Kwan, PJ Dean, & Chris Slavens!
Kids Classes are also
available!
Click
here for info!
Take classes from the Onzuka brothers in a family-like environment! |
Looking
for a hotel room on Oahu?
Check out this reasonably priced, quality hotel in Waikiki!
For
the special Onzuka.com price, click banner above! |
 |
Fighters'
Club TV
The Toughest Show
On Teleivision
Tuesdays
at 8:00PM
***NEW TIME***
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Also on Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Onzuka.com
Hawaii Underground Forum is Online!
Chris, Mark,
and I wanted to start an official Onzuka.com forum for a while
now. We were searching for the best forum to go with and hit
a gold mine! We have known Kirik, who heads the largest and most
popular forum on the net, The Underground for years.
He
offered us our own forum within the matrix know as MMA.tv. The
three of us will be the moderators with of course FCTV808 being
the lead since he is on there all day anyway!
We
encourage everyone from Hawaii and our many readers around world
to contribute to the Hawaii Underground.
If you
do not have a login, it's simple and fast to get one.
Click here to set up an account.
Don't worry about using Pidgin English in the posting. After
all it is the Hawaii Underground and what is a Hawaii Underground
without some Aloha and some Pidgin?
To
go directly to the Onzuka.com Hawaii Underground Forum
click here!
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Want
to Advertise on Onzuka.com?
Click here for pricing and more
information!
Short term and long term advertising available.
More than
1 million hits and counting!
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O2
Martial Arts Academy
Your Complete Martial Arts School!
Click here for pricing and more
information!
O2 Martial Arts features Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu taught by Relson
Gracie Black Belts Chris and Mike Onzuka and Shane Agena as well
as a number of brown and purple belts.
We also offer a Boxing and Kickboxing classes with a staff that
is unmatched. Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA champions Kaleo Kwan
and PJ Dean as well as master boxing instructor Chris Slavens
provide incredibly detailed instruction of the sweet science.
To top it off, Ian Beltran heads our Kali-Escrima classes (Filipino
Stickfighting) who was trained under the legendary Snookie Sanchez.
Just a beginner with no background? Perfect! We teach you from
the ground up!
Experienced martial artist that wants to fine tune your skill?
Our school is for you!
If you want to learn martial arts by masters of their trade in
a friendly and family environment, O2 Martial Arts Academy is
the place for you!
|
Want to Contact
Us? Shoot us an email by Clicking Here!
Follow O2 Martial Arts news via Twitter at:
http://www.twitter.com/O2MAA
Quote
of the Day
"The
greatest danger we face is not any particular kind of thought.
The greatest danger we face is absence of thought."
Henry Steele Commager
|
NAGA
Hawaii
Pearl City
High School Gym, Pearl City
Sunday, October 18th
BJJ BLACK BELT & ABU DHABI VETERAN Mike Cardoso will be conducting
a FREE, 1 hour No-Gi Seminar at the Saturday night weigh-in/registration
(Oct 17th from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the main gymnasium). This
seminar is open to all spectators and participants of the NAGA
event. All schools and styles are welcome. Individuals of all
skill levels can participate for free.
-
Weigh-In either Saturday night from 6 PM until 8 PM or on Sunday
starting at 8:00 AM and going all day at the Pearl City High
School - 2100 Hookiekie Street, Pearl City, Hawaii, 96782.
8:00
A.M.
1. Doors Open, Registration & Weigh-in's begin
10:00
A.M.
2. Rules Meeting
3. All Kids and Teen (Gi & No-Gi Divisions) Begin - DON'T
BE LATE
12:00
Noon
4. Absolute No-Gi - Championship Belt
5. Adult Novice & Beginner No-Gi Divisions
6. Adult Intermediate & Advanced No-Gi Divisions
Mid
- Late Afternoon
7. Adult White Belt Gi Divisions
8. Adult Blue Belt Gi, Purple, Brown & Black Belts
Source: NAGA
|
Bitetti
Combat 4 makes history in Brazil
By Eduardo Ferreira
A historical night. That is the perfect way to describe what
happened last Saturday (12) in Maracãnazinho, Rio de Janeiro.
More than six thousand people, including sports’ stars as
Anderson Silva and Rodrigo “Minotauro”, saw one of
the biggest MMA shows ever made in Brazil. All registered by
the big and specialized media, who doesn’t missed a thing.
To give the event more glamour, the promoter Amaury Bitetti called
Renzo Gracie and the famous Big John McCarthy to be the referees.
Bitetti Combat 4 had a remarkable card and the main fights were
dominated by Brazil, with Pedro Rizzo, Paulo Filho, Murilo Ninja
and Ricardo Arona’s victories.
In the main fight, Ricardo Arona came back after two years away
from rings. The jiu-jitsu black-belt started with a lot explosion,
with two low kicks in Marvin Eastman’s leg, who fell with
the second kick. Arona went inside as a bull, trying to work
on the ground, getting to Marvin’s back. Arona seem to felt
the time away from rings and made a round with less pressure.
Motivated by Anderson Silva, Paulo Filho e Rodrigo Minotauro,
who were on his corner, Arona came back to the third round decided
to putted his game on, and put Eastman down. On the ground, Arona
tried a Kimura and submit the American, who defended really well
all Tiger’s attempt. In the end, Arona won, with unanimous
decision.
PEDRO RIZZO WINS AGAIN
It was all Pedro Rizzo needed. Fight in Brazil, with the family
support, friends, crowd and against a top fighter to elevate
his moral and show he still may give a lot of joy to his fans.
Rizzo faced Jeff Monson, ATT’s black-belt who already fought
for UFC’s title and was ADCC’s champion, and came from
seven followed victories. It’s true that Rizzo had defeated
the American by TKO in 2007, but this fight was different.
Rizzo came from defeats to Josh Barnett and Gilbert Yvel and
needed to win anyway. The Brazilian fought carefully since the
beginning, but used his famous low kicks, that already dropped
lots of UFC’s giants. Marco Ruas’ athlete, Rizzo stopped
every takedown attempt from Monson and kept the fight on his
hands to winning by in unanimous decision.
“This victory was important not only because I go up to
the tops or because of my career, but for me and my family. I’m
Brazilian, a Riode Janeiro native, and to fight in my homeland
with my crowd is priceless“, said Rizzo, who haven’t
fought in Brazil since 1998, when he knocked Tank Abbott out
in Ultimate Brazil.
FILHO MAKES A BAD PERFORMANCE, BUT WINS
After depression problems that resulted on his first defeat on
his whole career, Paulo Filho stood up on Dream, when he submitted
the striker Melvin Manhoef. After this exciting victory, fans
were anxious to see Filho in one more show, this time in Brazil.
Once again Paulo wasn’t on his best shape to fight and trusted
only on his talent to win. In all three rounds, the black belt
tried the clinch, taking Alex Shoenauer to the fence and trying
to work on the guard. Paulão actually took Shoenauer down,
but couldn’t hold him there. After a slow motion fight,
Filho took the decision, being booed by the crowd.
NINJA DEMOLISHES THE BRAZILIAN KILLER
Murilo Ninja was called to replace Rogério Minotauro a
few days before the event and the Curitiba native proved he can
face any challenge. Coming from two defeats, Ninja needed a victory,
but would have a tough challenge, accepting to fight in the light
heavyweight division, which he hasn’t fight since 2006.
His opponent was the Brazilian Killer, Alex Stiebling, who already
defeated six brazilian oponents in a row. Mauricio Shogun’s
brother was quick and after shaking Stiebling with punches, hit
a hich kick that dropped the American down. On the ground, Ninja
punished with punches until judges interruption, in only 45 seconds
of fight.
COMPLETE RESULTS:
Bitetti Combat 4
Maracanãzinho, Rio de Janeiro
Saturday, September 12 de 2009
- Alexandre Pulga defeated Luciano Izzy by unanimous decision;
- Cassiano Tytschyo defeated Fausto Black by submission (guillotine
choke) on 1min29s of R1;
- Luis Besouro defeated Henrique Chocolate by TKO on 3min49s
of R1;
- Glover Teixeira defeated Leonardo Chocolate by submission (guillotine
choke) on 3min11s of R3;
- Fábio Maldonado defeated Vítor Miranda by unanimous
decision;
- Milton Vieira defeated Luciano Azevedo by split decision;
- Murilo Ninja defeated Alex Stiebling by TKO on 45s of R1;
- Pedro Rizzo defeated Jeff Monson by unanimous decision;
- Paulo Filho defeated Alex Shonawer by unanimous decision;
- Ricardo Arona defeated Marvin Eastman by unanimous decision.
Source: Tatame
|
Marcus
Jones: UFC Tougher Than NFL
by Michael David Smith
When the 10th season of The Ultimate Fighter debuts Wednesday
night on Spike, most of the eyes will be on Kimbo Slice, the
street fighter turned YouTube star who is trying to make it into
the UFC. But Kimbo is far from the most accomplished athlete
on the upcoming season.
That
distinction belongs to Marcus Jones, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers
defensive end who was a first-round draft pick in 1996 and finished
eighth in the NFL in sacks in 2000. Jones talked to FanHouse
last week about why he made the transition from football to MMA,
and why he thinks fighting in the Octagon is tougher than playing
in the NFL.
Michael
David Smith: What's more physically demanding, playing in the
NFL or fighting in the Octagon?
Marcus Jones: Fighting in the Octagon is more demanding on your
body. The pain that you go through over a short period of time,
all the training that you have to do for just 15 minutes of fighting,
to me, that's just incredibly difficult.
When
did you decide you wanted to try MMA?
The biggest factor for me was the Tim Sylvia-Randy Couture fight
(in March of 2007). I was 33 at the time and I saw that Couture
just started fighting at 33 and was still great into his 40s.
I didn't want to be that person who just spends his life standing
on the sidelines, wondering, "What if?" so I started
taking jiu jitsu classes at Gracie Tampa, and five months after
that I had my first fight.
Do
you have any regrets about how your athletic career has turned
out, playing football through your 20s and now trying MMA? Do
you wish you had tried MMA sooner?
I'm happy that I played football as long as I did. Any time you
do a sport you enjoy, it's never a job, it's never work.
But I do wish I had started MMA at an earlier age. I ask myself,
If I would have started jiu jitsu in my 20s, can you imagine
what kind of fighter I'd be today? I'm a much better fighter
now than I was during my first fight. In my first fight, I barely
knew how to throw a jab. Now I feel comfortable fighting anybody.
Are
you satisfied with your NFL career? You had one very good year
with 13 sacks in 2000, but overall do you wish you had accomplished
more?
I wish it would have turned out differently in the NFL, but you
have to be comfortable with who you are. I knew early on that
I wasn't the caliber of player of, say, a Simeon Rice. I also
had a lot of injuries and that slowed me down. I loved college,
and I loved playing in the NFL, but there came a point in my
career where I knew it was time to move on. To move on to MMA
is great because I've always watched it, I've always been a big
fan of the sport. When I learn something new, it's exhilerating.
You're
the most accomplished football player of this year's Ultimate
Fighter cast, but there are other former football players as
well. Did you talk to them about your experiences?
We talked a little bit about it. Some of the differences, some
of the likes and dislikes. All the guys who were in the Ultimate
Fighter house who played in the NFL truly love MMA. It's not
like we're just toying with it.
Which
sport do you like better, MMA or football?
Well, I loved playing college football, the camaraderie I had
with my teammates there. I didn't feel as much of that in the
NFL, but now I feel that with some of the guys I train with at
Gracie Tampa, and with other MMA fighters. One of the things
I like most about MMA is the camaraderie I've developed with
other fighters.
Did
you develop that camaraderie with other guys in the Ultimate
Fighter house?
It was kind of hard to. There were some guys on the show that
I really liked, but you have to understand, this is a competition.
There's only one Ultimate Fighter. At any moment you might have
to fight someone you're training with. You might have to fight
someone you bonded with. I don't want to become really good friends
with someone and then have to get in the cage with him and beat
him down.
Kimbo
Slice is obviously the most famous guy on this season, but he's
also one of the least-accomplished professional athletes on the
show: He hasn't accomplished nearly as much in MMA as someone
like Roy Nelson, or nearly as much in other sports as someone
like you. Did anyone resent the fact that he's more famous even
though he hasn't really done much as a professional athlete?
I never felt that because, realistically speaking, I was just
elated to be on the show. I wasn't there to get attention, I
was just there to fight. I think other guys felt that way, too.
And at the end of the day, we were all there trying to become
the Ultimtae Fighter. No matter what you had done before, that's
what we were there for.
Tell
me an NFL player who you think would be good at MMA.
I think Simeon Rice would be a really good MMA fighter. Not only
is he a good athlete, he's a nimble athlete. He can move, he
has the kind of flexibility you need for jiu jitsu, he has the
power. I think he'd be a good MMA fighter.
Have
you kept in touch with Simeon? Do you know if he has any interest?
No, I don't think so. I think he'd be good but as far as I know
he's not planning to do it.
On
the flip side, do you think there are fighters in the UFC who
could play in the NFL?
There's a lot of guys who fight who are good enough athletes.
It's all the direction you go in with your life. A lot of guys
in high school focus on football and go toward the NFL, or others
might focus on wrestling or martial arts and go toward the UFC.
You
mentioned that you started at 33, the same age as Randy Couture.
But he's a freak of nature -- most athletes can't keep going
into their mid- or late-40s. How much longer do you think you
can fight?
I would like to fight as long as my body holds up and as long
as I'm winning more than I'm losing. Right now I'm in the best
shape of my life, I'm probably one of the strongest fighters
because I was a strong NFL player and I've maintained my strength.
I don't have a background in fighting like a lot of these other
guys have, so every day in MMA I'm learning something new. I
don't have a background in fighting or anything, so that's why
I'm constantly improving.
Did
you ever take martial arts or anything as a kid?
No. No background at all. The first time I threw a punch was
the first time I took a striking class at Gracie Tampa. The first
time I sparred with another guy he tore my face up because I
didn't even know how to punch.
Kimbo
got his start in street fights. Have you ever been in a street
fight?
No, I was always the kid who tried to do the right thing. My
dad always told me to carry myself right and not get into trouble.
I tried to stay out of trouble as much as I possibly could.
What
were Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans like as coaches?
It was just great to be around two guys who are both very accomplished
in MMA. That's where I'm trying to get to. I'm just starting
out in this sport, and I hope I can get to where they are.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Silver
Star Sponsors Franklin, Trigg, Emerson at UFC 103
Rich "Ace" Franklin, Frank "Twinkle Toes"
Trigg and Rob "The Saint" Emerson will be sponsored
by Silver Star Casting Company with signature walkout tees for
UFC 103 on September 19, 2009 at the American Airlines Center
in Dallas, Texas.
Silver
Star has sponsored a minimum of one fighter for every UFC fight
since UFC 94 where Georges St. Pierre won the welterweight title.
UFC 103 marks the first time Silver Star will have three fighters
representing the brand in the octagon.
Rich
"Ace" Franklin (27-4-0) will be walking out in his
"American Fighter Rich Franklin" walkout tee as he
goes head to head in the main event against former UFC light
heavyweight champion, Vitor Belfort. Frank "Twinkle Toes"
Trigg (19-6, MMA, 2-3 UFC) will debut Silver Star's first fight
shorts in the octagon, as well his signature walkout tee as he
battles against John Koshchek. Lastly, Rob "The Saint"
Emerson (10-7-0) will take on Rafael Dos Anjos while wearing
his signature "The Saint" walkout tee.
"Silver
Star is dedicated to supporting MMA, the athletes who devote
their lives to the sport," said Silver Star owner, Luke
Burrett. "We are very fortunate to have three of the finest
fighters competing in UFC 103, and we think the event is the
perfect platform to introduce some of our new product."
Silver
Star Casting Company is an "in demand" lifestyle clothing
brand with an innovative style. Based in the apparel hub of So.
California, Silver Star delivers trend setting merchandise to
retailers nationwide. Seen on athletes and celebrities alike
the brand is available through Macy's, Dillard's, Tilly's, Journey's,
Pac Sun, and more. In over 3,000 doors nationally and over 45
countries globally, Silver Star has been defining and setting
apparel trends for over 16 years.
Source: Fight Network
|
Selling
Kimbo Slice
by Loretta Hunt
In an editing bay tucked away somewhere in Las Vegas, Kimbo Slice’s
future has been decided.
Slice,
who’s real name is Kevin Ferguson, was one of 16 heavyweights
selected to compete on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,”
which debuts Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST/PST on Spike TV.
The
cast includes a diverse group of athletes, including an IFL champion,
four former NFL footballers and three heavyweights who’ve
already clocked time in the Octagon. But it’s Slice, who
has already commanded six-figure paydays and starred in nationally
run TV commercials as himself, who will be scrutinized with every
interaction, remark and eyebrow-raise he makes.
Slice’s
time in the cage is his own, whether he falls flat on his face
in his first bout, like his embarrassing 14-second loss to Seth
Petruzelli last October, or picks off opponents like he did at
the start of his short but well-publicized career. Editing won’t
help or hinder either way because performances don’t lie.
Outside
the cage, the editors have a delicate task on their hands. Marketing
a man who became the Internet’s boogeyman by taking on all
comers in random Miami backyards can be a tricky proposition.
Expose too much vulnerability and you stand to tarnish the image.
Afterall, the boogeyman isn’t all that scary with the lights
turned on.
In
Slice’s case, he’s genuinely a nice guy when you keep
him away from backyards and cages. At the UFC Fan Expo in July,
Slice politely admonished a reporter for not readily giving up
his seat to a female journalist, but managed to charm the throng
of writers that surrounded him while he did it.
The
35-year-old fighter believes it’s this dichotomy that has
won him so many admirers.
“What
people know about me in general when I fight, I come to fight.
You gonna knock me out, I’m gonna knock you out,” said
Slice during the July interview. “That’s what I’m
coming to do. I’m not trying to be cool with you right now.
I’m not trying to be your boy right now. Right now, it’s
me and you and that’s my mentality when I fight. People
can relate to that, because when I’m done and out of that
cage, I’m back having a beer with this guy, sitting down
with this guy, just back to being me.”
Fame
hit Slice fast and hard in 2008, after online videos exploiting
his street-fighting escapades catapulted him into a multi-fight
deal with the now-deceased EliteXC. Slice appeared on CBS’s
“Saturday Night Fights” two times, garnering nearly
14 million viewers combined. The nation was enthralled by Slice’s
bare-bones toughness. Kids started dressing up like him on Halloween,
and Slice became the second fighter ever featured on the cover
of “ESPN The Magazine,” behind former UFC champion
Chuck Liddell.
Fame
hit Slice fast and hard.When Slice’s contract went up for
grabs in June, the UFC reportedly didn’t hesitate, quickly
restructuring TUF’s 10th season to feature heavyweights
only (some called in without the formal auditions), while sending
a handful of disappointed middleweights and light heavyweights
home.
Slice
will be the first bona fide celebrity to compete on the series,
though the father of six figures himself more of an everyman.
“People
kind of dig me and like me the way they do because I can relate
to that guy right there,” said Slice. “He goes to Walmart
and shops; I’m in Walmart, too. He sees me and we talk.
I’m in Winn-Dixie just like he’s in Winn-Dixie. I don’t
consider myself no big-time -- you know what I’m saying?
Nothing like that.”
Slice
also doesn’t take himself too seriously.
“I
can’t be phony of who I am, you know what I’m saying?
I ain’t got no image. I’m me. This is what you get,”
he said. “With these cameras here, without the cameras here
–- I’m me. I don’t try to be something I’m
not.”
Demico
Rogers, one of Slice’s housemates, described the fighter
as “a giant, scary cage-fighting teddy bear.”
“I
think that this show is going to help him a lot, because everyone
has their own idea about Kimbo Slice, but this show is going
to show that he’s a real person, that he has feelings, he
has children, he has the fiancée, he loves life, he loves
kids,” said Rogers. “He does charity. He’s just
a really good guy.”
Are
fans ready for the softer side of Slice? That’s not something
Slice and his longtime manager and high school friend Mike Imber
worry about.
“I’m
not concerned about how he will be portrayed ‘cause however
he acted on the show is who he is,” Imber said in a text.
“We’ve never hid anything about him thus far, so I‘m
pretty sure you’ll see the same guy you’ve been seeing.”
Imber
said his friend and client has always been true to himself. It
wasn’t always the case that Slice would walk into a room
and all eyes would gravitate to him, said Imber, but he’s
not surprised it has come to be the norm.
“He’s
definitely always done things his way,” said Imber, “but
you always knew there was something special about him.”
If
it were his perceived fighting skills that launched his popularity,
Slice’s sun would have already risen and set after his sobering
loss to Petruzelli. It’s Slice’s journey from pauper
to phenomenon, and where it goes next, that has captivated fans.
And Slice, his Brutus beard and entourage of assorted characters
notwithstanding, is fascinating to watch on that journey.
“There’s
a drive for something and I guess I’m still searching for
that inner me, I’m still searching for something, so until
I find it, until my fight is done, I’m gonna fight. It’s
my passion,” Slice told reporters in July.
On
Wednesday night, Imber said he and Slice have plans to go play
paintball and throw a BBQ before they sit down to watch a night
of fights with the Miami-based brood.
Whether
or not Slice’s intangible star quality will be magnified
or diminished by what fans see on that night and for the next
12 weeks remains to be seen.
If
Imber has concerns, he isn’t showing it.
“As
far as marketability, you never know –- maybe he will be
opened to a whole new set of opportunities,” said Imber.
Slice
concurs.
“I’ll
leave that to the crowd to decide,” said Slice. “I’ll
leave that to the fans.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Some
initial thoughts on The Ultimate Fighter: Kimbo Slice series
debut
By Zach Arnold
As
I’m finishing up a recap of gathering quotes from the winners
of last night’s Oklahoma City show for a new article…
The
Very Good
The
interaction between Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson is tremendous.
It has the potential for A-grade level television in terms of
creating hype for their upcoming fight. The differences between
the two men make the time fly by when watching the show, which
is a feat considering how many times I’ve watched The Ultimate
Fighter and absolutely dreaded doing so.
The
Good
It’s
clear that Kimbo Slice and Roy Nelson will end up being the two
‘legitimate’ fighters in the eyes of fans after this
show. The first 30 minutes was all about rehabilitating Slice’s
image as someone who is legitimate and Jackson did a great job
in the promos to try to erase the memories of Seth Petruzelli
out of the eyes of fans. It is kind of amusing to see UFC in
the first 30 minutes make Slice out to be this incredibly dangerous
monster despite the fact that Slice was entirely exposed on CBS.
It’s a real stretch what they’re doing here, but it’s
also the only promotional move they could do. The right course
in terms of marketing. As for Nelson, it was interesting to see
that Nelson got picked ‘in the middle’ of the team
selection process and that the storyline for him on the show
is that Rashad Evans and Greg Jackson are going to get on Nelson
for not ‘being serious enough’ and too much of a jokester.
Will the public buy into it? Who knows.
The
Bad
Watching
The Very Good and realizing that after making the commitment
for the Memphis fight that Jackson decided to do the A-Team movie
instead. I realize that Dana White & Lorenzo Fertitta play
good cop, bad cop all the time with talent, but White has every
right to be pissed off about Jackson — especially seeing
the dynamic between Jackson and Evans on this show last night.
White is entirely right in saying that the Memphis fight would
have drawn huge money for Jackson and instead he went to the
movies. Irritating.
The
Ugly
The
roster of heavyweights. Outside of Kimbo Slice (the superstar)
and Roy Nelson (the professional), it feels like Spike TV decided
to take a page out of the WWE talent playbook and recruit people
who look like fighters (but really aren’t) instead of actually
bringing in raw talent for the show. Outside of the excessive
blood on display by Abe Wagner in the opening fight, it seems
pretty obvious that Rampage picked the bigger fighters but Evans
recruited the better fighters. That doesn’t exactly predicate
good fights to come, but we’ll see. The first fight was
not a good harbinger of things to come.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
The
Keyboard Kimura Interview Series: Getting Official with Nick
Lembo
by E. Spencer
Kyte
Lembo is legal counsel for the New Jersey State Athletic Control
Board (NJSACB), a position that has put in him at cage-side for
numerous events and landed him seats on various committees concerned
with Mixed Martial Arts, including serving as the head of the
Association of Boxing Commissioners' MMA committee.
With
a resume like that, you can understand my surprise when I received
an email from Mr. Lembo discussing the merits of an article I’d
written on referee stoppages following UFC 102.
Clearly,
this was a man who could share some knowledge on two of the most
debated topics in Mixed Martial Arts: refereeing and judging.
Earlier
this week, Mr. Lembo and I traded emails discussing everything
from what constitutes a 10-8 round and the training involved
with becoming a referee, to the recent Sean Salmon controversy
and Jersey's own Frankie Edgar.
This
is the K2 Interview Series ... with Nick Lembo.
Thanks
so much for agreeing to do this. If you could, explain to the
readers exactly what your position entails.
In
short, with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, and
with regard to professional and amateur mixed martial arts, I
have always been responsible for approving contests, assigning
officials, training officials, and conducting weigh-ins.
With
the Association of Boxing Commissions, I chair, have chaired,
or sit on, committees involving mixed martial arts rules, match
making, gloves and officials training.
Our
first interaction came following an article I wrote about the
Chris Leben–Jake Rosholt fight at UFC 102 and the precarious
position referees are in where they are in a no-win situation.
First
off, what were your thoughts on the fight, should it have been
stopped?
I
always prefer that fights are stopped a little sooner than later.
The
referee in that particular fight, Yves Lavigne, has come under
a great deal of scrutiny lately for some difficult decisions
inside the cage, most notably his performance at UFC 96 in the
Matt Brown vs. Pete Sell fight.
What
happens to a referee in a situation like there where they openly
admit to making a mistake and it’s obvious to everyone that
an error was made?
Yves
made a mistake but bounced right back that same night and handled
the high profile main event extremely well. No referee in this
sport, has, or ever will be, perfect. Every referee so far has
had their share of controversies and errors.
No
referee who works enough will ever work without a controversy.
You have to look at a referee’s full body of work and their
overall performance.
I’ve
read elsewhere a quote where you said you’d much rather
“talk about a fight that was stopped too early than a fight
that was stopped too late.”
While I certainly share that opinion, there have been some fights
in the last six months that many believed were stopped early
and I’d like to get your take on them.
Aaron
Riley and Shane Nelson from UFC 96?
Stopped
early.
Kyle
Bradley and Philippe Nover from UFC 98?
Did
not see it.
Johny
Hendricks and Amir Sadollah from UFC 101?
No
issue with the stoppage.
We
both agree that the referees in this sport are in a tough position;
whether they stop a fight too early or too late in the eyes of
the public, they are criticized.
Is
it just a matter of further educating the fans not only to the
sport, but also to the reasoning behind stoppages?
The
referee is in the best position to view the fighter and assess
his/her condition. The referee is not being influenced by the
crowd or the commentator.
The
referee is not involved as a fan and is not interested in how
thrilling the fight is. The referee is there to enforce the rules
and ensure the health and safety of the competitors.
Can
you explain what “intelligently defending yourself”
involves? We hear the term used so many times, but many fans
may not be clear on what it entails.
Intelligently
defending yourself means:
•Can
the fighter defend himself from an offensive attack any longer?
•Can the fighter fight back or protect himself and eventually
counter or escape?
Obviously,
it is subjective, and a trained referee is in the best position
to make this assessment. There is a point in some fights where
the bout is no longer competitive and one fighter is at imminent
risk of serious potential harm. This is a sport, not a spectacle.
So,
before getting around to some more insightful and investigative
journalism-type questions, what’s the best fight you’ve
ever seen, live or otherwise?
In
person:
May 4, 2001 - UFC 31: Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo, Atlantic
City, N.J., and August 15, 2003 - Ring of Combat 4: Pete Sell
vs. Chris Liguori, Secaucus, N.J.
On
television:
June 24, 1998 - PRIDE 3: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Carlos Newton,
Tokyo, Japan
All
right, back to trying to win a Pulitzer.
How
do we improve judging in Mixed Martial Arts?
Start
with training seminars for individuals with appropriate martial
arts backgrounds. Then have them “shadow” judge at
amateur events; have them judge hundreds of amateur fights over
several years.
Then,
have them start at a small show in the pros alongside two very
experienced judges. Consistently review and assess their performances
and review any controversial scores with them.
Is
the 10 Point Must system the best way to do things or should
we move to a different style of judging, perhaps assessing the
fight as a whole if it goes the distance as they used to do back
in the days of PRIDE?
No
scoring system will ever be perfect, as it has to be applied
appropriately by the judges, and some subjective viewpoints will
always be present. I believe that the 10-point must system is
fine, when applied correctly.
A fight resulting in a draw is very rare, despite the fact that
many fights would be described by fans as “too close to
call.” Is there a hesitance on the part of judges to score
a fight a draw?
Judges
are scoring fights on a round-by-round basis. They are able to
score a round 10-10 if that is how they see it.
I
have seen fights in New Jersey that resulted in draws. Draws
are rare because it is more likely that one fighter edged their
opponent in the majority of the rounds.
In
your professional opinion, what constitutes a 10-8 round?
When
one contestant overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling
in a round [and/or] when one fighter is dominant and causes damage
to the opponent.
What
kind of training or education do these judges go through before
taking their seats outside the cage, as there are clearly a great
deal of differences in MMA from boxing where a number of these
judges originate?
I
touched on this already.
In
New Jersey, you must first attend a general officials seminar.
You must have a martial arts background. You start as an amateur
inspector.
After
a judges seminar, you can begin to act as a shadow judge. As
a shadow judge, you sit next to each judge and score the fight,
but your scores do not count. Your scores will be reviewed.
Then,
you may get the opportunity to judge at amateur fights. There
are periodic training seminars.
After
spending significant time in the amateurs, you may get a shot
as a professional judge on a small show.
Backtracking
for a second if we could, what kind of training and certification
do the referees go through?
It
is very difficult to become either an amateur or professional
mixed martial arts referee in New Jersey. We have only used about
15 professional and amateur referees in the last nine years.
You
have to have an appropriate martial arts background. You have
to attend training seminars. You have to work all the other positions
before becoming a referee.
Is
it something that has to be maintained over specific intervals
like CPR or is it a case of one you’re in, you’re in?
Specific
intervals.
Well-known
referee “Big” John McCarthy has launched a program
he calls C.O.M.M.A.N.D. – Certification of Officials for
Mixed Martial Arts National Development.
Have
you had a chance to see any of the training materials, attend
any of the sessions, or speak with McCarthy at all about the
program and if so, what are your thoughts?
Is
it something we could see becoming universally recognized and
used to certify and accredit all MMA referees?
I
am familiar with the C.O.M.M.A.N.D. program and have sat for
a two-day presentation by John McCarthy last year in Montreal.
I
believe that training and refreshers are an essential part of
officiating. However, you could take 10 training courses and
still not perform well under the pressure of a live event.
I
don’t want the best test-taker; I want the best individual
who can perform under fire.
I
recommend that you become proficient in arts like jiu-jitsu,
Muay Thai, boxing and wrestling. Then, act as a referee in your
gym’s sparring and training sessions.
Next,
try refereeing at some grappling matches. At the same time, take
some training courses. Then, try to get your start at an amateur
event.
Try
to develop a relationship with an experienced referee and learn
from them.
You've
become involved in the recent Sean Salmon situation. What are
your thoughts on what Salmon said and if you were to decide his
fate, what sort of punishment would you levy?
Salmon
deserves the opportunity to be heard at a formal hearing prior
to deciding his fate. It would be premature to decide without
hearing from him directly in a formal setting.
The
NSAC recently gave the thumbs up to both the use of instant replay
and the possibility of five-round non-title fights. What are
your thoughts on each?
New
Jersey has had instant replay since December 2006 and I am in
favor of it. We used it once.
I’m
not sure how I feel about five round non-title fights; I think
a true title fight should offer something different, like the
customary extra two rounds.
Once
again I’ll stop with the third degree and move to something
a little less intense.
How
long before Frankie Edgar gets a title shot?
Frankie
may be on his way to a title shot, but that is up to the UFC
management, not me.
Frankie
is a good example of the extremely tough “club” show
circuit in New Jersey, having fought Jim Miller, Deividas Taurosevicius,
Jay Isip, and Mark Getto in his first few fights before he ever
left the state.
If
you could fight anyone, past or present, who would it be and
who would be the winner?
I
am a regulator, not a fighter.
If
you could play matchmaker for one day, regardless of organizational
ties or anything like that, what three fights would you make
and why?
Believe
it or not, I prefer to watch fighters develop and mature in our
amateur program and go professional, more than watching so-called
dream fights.
Anyone
you want to say hi to? We are guaranteed to reach at least 47
people…
Hello
to all the fighters from years ago who paved the way for the
sport to become as big as it is today.
Thanks
so much for doing this.
Source: Fight Opinion/Bleacher Report
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change.
There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy
change."
Euripides
|
UFC
Announces Lesnar vs. Carwin for UFC 106
Promotion Confirms Ortiz to Face Coleman in UFC Return
By FCF Staff
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has officially announced that,
as expected, heavyweight contender Shane Carwin will challenge
champion Brock Lesnar, at UFC 106 in Las Vegas, Nevada on November
21st. The title fight will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events
Center.
Lesnar
(4-1) successfully defended his heavyweight belt in July by stopping
Frank Mir in the second round with strikes. The win avenged Lesnar’s
first and only professional loss, as Mir submitted Lesnar in
his UFC debut last February.
“I'm
excited to get back in the Octagon on November 21st to defend
my title,” Lesnar was quoted saying in the announcement.
“I’m looking forward to fighting Shane Carwin. “He’s
undefeated and I’m the man who is going to put an end to
that.”
Carwin
(11-0) has gone 3-0 since arriving in the UFC, and is coming
off a first round, TKO victory over former contender Gabriel
Gonzaga at UFC 96 in March. The accomplished wrestler has won
all eleven of his professional bouts in the first round.
“I
was extremely excited when I got the news that I was fighting
Brock,” Carwin said. “I couldn’t even sleep that
night. This fight is going to be different for both of us. We’re
not used to facing someone who equals us in size. I can see this
fight taking place everywhere. We both have wrestling backgrounds,
but hopefully we’ll get into some exchanges on the feet
too.”
The
promotion has also confirmed that UFC 106 will feature the return
of former light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz (15-6-1), who
will take on former UFC heavyweight champ, Mark Coleman (16-9).
Ortiz
hasn’t fought since May, 2008, when he lost by Unanimous
Decision to current champion Lyoto Machida, at UFC 84. Coleman
is coming off a UD victory over Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Nissen
Osterneck Teams Up With Chabad To Warn Kids About Substance Abuse
by Elie Seckbach
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive
video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Former
UFC middleweight Nissen Osterneck feels like a new person every
day he wakes up. His life, which was mired with substance abuse
eight years ago, changed when he became a MMA fighter. In this
FanHouse exclusive, we join Nissen as he helps Chabad Project
Pride talk to young kids about the risks involved in drugs and
alcohol.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Brown
vs. Aldo Title Bout Official for WEC 44 on Nov. 18
Las Vegas, NV (USA) - World Extreme Cagefighting® featherweight
champion Mike Brown has built a reputation as a hard-hitting,
gritty fighter capable of breaking down his opponents. Similarly,
top-ranked contender Jose Aldo has established a name for himself
by steamrolling the opposition with explosive punches and devastating
knees. On Wednesday, Nov. 18 from The Pearl at the Palms Casino
Resort in Las Vegas, NV, one of these men will leave the cage
as the undisputed featherweight champion of the world.
World
Extreme Cagefighting® officially announced today that the
long-awaited title clash between champion Mike Brown and fierce
challenger Aldo will take place in the fight capital of the world,
Las Vegas, NV. What's more, Brown vs. Aldo kicks off one of the
biggest fight weeks ever in Las Vegas, as Brock Lesnar will defend
the UFC® heavyweight championship against Shane Carwin at
the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Saturday following WEC's
historic event.
"This
fight is for more than just the featherweight title," WEC
GM Reed Harris said. "For Mike Brown, a win establishes
him as the best featherweight fighter in the history of the sport.
For Aldo, who is just 22 years old, this fight could mean the
start of an Anderson Silva-like dominant reign."
Tickets
for Brown vs. Aldo go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 12 p.m. PT
and will be priced at $175, $100, and $50. A special Internet
ticket pre-sale will be available to WEC newsletter subscribers
on Sunday, Sept. 20 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale,
users must register for the WEC newsletter through wec.tv. Tickets
will be available at The Pearl box office, online at ticketmaster.com,
all Ticketmaster locations, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Brown
vs. Aldo will be televised nationally live on VERSUS beginning
at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. All of the network's live WEC events
are presented in HD and Spanish language SAP where available.
For more information and how to find VERSUS in your local viewing
area, visit http://www.versus.com/findversus.
Riding
a four-year, 10-fight unbeaten streak than includes wins over
Urijah Faber (twice), Leonard Garcia, Jeff Curran, and Yves Edwards,
featherweight champion Mike Brown (22-4) has cemented his place
as the top 145-pounder in the world. Boasting a devastating right
hand and slick submission skills, the American Top Team-trained
Brown is gearing up for volatile collision with the young Brazilian
challenger.
"He's
really, really good for a young kid," Brown, who defeated
Faber via unanimous decision in June, said of Aldo. "I'm
12 years older than him, so I'm going to have to use my experience
and my ‘old man strength' to take him out.
"I
hear a lot about how explosive Aldo is and how hard he hits,"
Brown continued. "We'll see how he does when I control the
fight and push him like he's never been pushed before."
Perhaps
no fighter instills as much fear in opposing fighters as Aldo.
A vicious striker from the renowned Nova Uniao fight team in
Brazil, Aldo (15-1) scored one of the best knockouts in history
in his last fight in June. In just eight seconds, the 22-year-old
landed two, mid-air flying knees to the head of Cub Swanson,
ending the bout in dramatic fashion. Also owning wins over Rolando
Perez, Chris Mickle, and Jonathan Brookins in his WEC career,
Aldo is confident that he'll win his first world title in Las
Vegas.
"I'm
so happy to get this shot at such a young age," Aldo said.
"Mike Brown is a nice champion. His wrestling and boxing
are really good, but his ground game is not the same. Like all
of my other fights in WEC, I'm trying to finish this one as fast
as I can and become world champion."
Remaining
bouts for WEC: Brown vs. Aldo will be announced at a later date.
For more information, visit www.wec.tv. Follow WEC at http://twitter.com/WEConVERSUS.
Source: Fight Network
|
Rizzo
and the victory against Jeff Monson
By Guilherme Cruz
Pedro
Rizzo needed to win, and he got it last Saturday (12) on Bitetti
Combat 4. In front of the tough Jeff Monson, the Brazilian showed
a consistent and efficient game, defeating the American on the
unanimous decision. After the victory, Rizzo spoke with TATAME.com.
“I
could have fought better, I had to stop my training ten days
before the fight because I had an inflammation in my elbow, but
the victory is what matters. I’m coming back. I won, not
in the better way, but it was satisfactory. I’m coming back.
It’s the first win after two losses, so, it’s a start
“, said Pedro, commenting the strategy for the fight.
“I
tried to kick, but I managed to stop his takedown attempts. Our
last fight (in AOW) was very bloody, I hurt him a lot, so I knew
he’d try to take me down now as soon as possible, but I
was ready to stop his takedowns”, commented The Rock, apologizing
for the performance.
“For
those who wanted to see me knocking him out, I apologize. I could
have fought better, but it’s a victory, a beginning. I’m
35 years old, but I still restarting. I’m very motivated
to get in the ring again, to train everyday… I’ll get
better and keep fighting”, finished Rizzo.
Source: Tatame
|
Satoshi
Ishii to Debut Against Hidehiko Yoshida
2008 Olympic judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii will make his long-awaited
MMA debut against 1992 judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida at
Sengoku’s New Year’s event in January, the promotion
announced Monday.
In
addition to the interest in two Olympic judo gold medalists facing
off, the fight is expected to do very well considering Yoshida’s
big name in Japan and all the hype Ishii has generated from calling
out Fedor Emelianenko after his Olympic win to all the speculation
until his June signing as to what promotion he would sign with.
Yoshida
(8-7-1) has lost steam in recent years, losing four out of his
last five fights, but he’s been instrumental in helping
Sengoku sell fights.
World
Victory Road has not finalized the Jan. 3 date and is considering
going head-to-head against “Dynamite!! 2009” on New
Year’s Eve. Last year’s “Sengoku no Ran”
happened on Jan. 4.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Gomi,
Sato Announced for VTJ ‘09
by Tony Loiseleur
 
TOKYO –- Rule changes and the announced participation of
Takanori Gomi and Rumina Sato highlighted the first press conference
Tuesday for the upcoming Vale Tudo Japan 2009 on Oct. 30 at the
JCB Hall. The event will be promoted by leading Shooto promoter
Sustain.
The
biggest news from the presser was the various rules especially
crafted for VTJ ‘09, which was held last some ten years
ago in Japan. Though the International Shooto Commission (ISC)
will be on-hand to assist in the form of officials for refereeing
and judging, ISC secretary general Toshiharu Suzuki asserted
that VTJ ‘09 will not be considered an official Shooto event.
However, there will be official Shooto bouts on the card alongside
VTJ-specific fights.
Suzuki
painted VTJ ‘09 as an opportunity to test out potential
changes to the Shooto system in the near future. Shooto already
took out its knockdown count last year.
“Recently,
we’ve been thinking a lot about the rules, and are in the
midst of deciding whether we want to keep the old rules or adhere
more to international MMA,” said Suzuki. “By participating
in VTJ ‘09, we can test out new things. Being a part of
it will allow the commission to look at fights under different
rules to know what we want to add and what we want to subtract
from Shooto’s future.”
Most
notable are the introduction of five-round fights and knees and
stomps to the head of grounded opponents, smaller gloves, the
prohibition of long spats, and the absence of predetermined weight
classes.
“We’d
also like to experiment how fighters perform under five-round
fights,” said Suzuki, noting a more mainstream round structure
versus the three eight-minute rounds of last decade’s VTJs.
Suzuki
said Sustain and the fighters would decide which bouts would
be fought with five rounds.
Likewise,
as there are no pre-determined weight classes, Suzuki indicated
that weight limits would be left up to fighters and Sustain to
determine.
Regarding
the departure from Shooto’s bulky official gloves to more
mainstream MMA gloves, Suzuki claimed that the new design, if
ready in time to use, would be scrutinized to see whether they
would adversely affect fighter health and safety compared to
Shooto’s current rules.
The
previously rumored Takeshi Inoue-Alexandre Franca Nogueira bout
was confirmed Tuesday, but with a slight twist, as the card’s
first official five-round bout.
Inoue
noted that while he has not yet seen any recent film on Nogueira,
he is confident that “fighting my own fight will be the
best defense to his guillotine. Knees on the ground will be allowed,
and I’ve been working on them a lot.”
Inoue
also accidentally confirmed five-round bouts as a forthcoming
change to Shooto’s rules, despite Suzuki’s earlier
comments, stating, “Next year, title fights will be five
rounds, so this’ll be a good experiment for me.”
Also
announced for Oct. 30 was Takanori Gomi.
While
Gomi’s opponent has yet to be decided, Gomi himself suspects
that he will face a non-Japanese fighter, investing in VTJ’s
ongoing theme of “Japan versus the world,” and its
function as a barometer of Japanese fighters in the world scene.
Asked
what his plans after VTJ are and whether he’d return to
Sengoku for their New Year’s event, Gomi instead pointed
toward his new hobby of surfing, if not competing abroad.
“On
New Year’s, I’ll probably be surfing in Okinawa,”
he laughed. “It’s an honor to receive an offer to fight
on a New Year’s show, and if there’s a challenger,
I’d consider it. But year in year out, [I don’t want
to] do the same thing. If I want to look for challenges, I’d
like to look for them overseas.”
Lastly,
Rumina Sato, was tabbed as another participant, but like Gomi,
was without a confirmed opponent. In dropping his last bout to
Lion Takeshi in a desperate bid for Shooto gold, Sato has adopted
the ISC outlook in treating VTJ 09 as a chance to experiment
at a lower weight of 137 pounds.
“I
grappled at the UFC Fan Expo at around 135 pounds, and I felt
very fresh, fast, and thought that I performed well. I’d
like to fight someone who is the same weight as I am on fight
day. I know it’s not feasible, but I’d like both of
us to weigh in right before we step into the ring. That’d
be my idea of ‘fair,’” said Sato.
In
the spirit of previous VTJ’s, Sato looked abroad for his
potential opponent.
“I
don’t really have anyone in mind, but I’d like to see
how I’d do against the best,” h said. “Probably
guys in the WEC interest me the most because they’re known
as the best guys in those weight classes now.”
Sustain
promoter Kazuhiro Sakamoto confirmed endeavors to contact Zuffa
in an attempt to acquire foreign competitors to face Gomi and
Sato.
“It’s
not an impossibility, since we’ve had some [UFC fighters]
come to Shooto before. We’re negotiating now, but of course,
it’s all hush-hush at the moment,” he said.
On
the prospect of bringing UFC-level talent to Japan for Gomi in
particular, Sakamoto replied, “I don’t want to rule
that out, but this is quite possibly Gomi’s last fight in
Japan. He hasn’t decided where he wants to go just yet,
but we hope to give him a fight that everyone can remember him
by, before he heads overseas.”
Source: Sherdog
|
An
update on Alistair Overeem’s future in the fight business
By Zach Arnold
Here
is what Golden Glory has to say officially about Overeem’s
upcoming future in MMA:
I
talked with Bas Boon about Alistair Overeem starting his training
again after his fight with 5 bouncers and his hand injury. Bas
Boon told me that only a few months ago the agreement was made
with Strikeforce, more then a year after Alistair became the
heavyweight champion (he does not know why this offer came so
late by Strikeforce). Alistair has a very good contract with
FEG/K-1 and has been very busy fighting K-1 and dream fights
in 2008. Strikeforce knew about this, but Alistair was allowed
after negotiations, to fight in the USA as well in 2009. Unfortunately
when the deal was finalized with Strikeforce we had to cancel
the fight. Alistair was preparing for his first title defense
for Strikeforce this summer, he sustained a very nasty infection
on his hand as a result of a nightclubbrawl, were five bouncers
were send to the hospital. This injury took longer as we anticipated
and the result was the cancelation of two fights. The injury
is healed now and the first fight of Alistair will be in Seoul
against Peter Aerts for the qualification of the K-1 WGP on September
26th 2009!
I
talked to Bas Boon on Friday and he said the following:
“There
was never a contract after the Paul Buentello title fight. This
contract came a few months before Alistair hurt his hands. So
it’s not 22 months long, but only 3 months.”
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
best mind-altering drug is the truth."
Lily Tomlin
|
Dream
Semifinals Announced, But No Mousasi
by Ray
Hui
The Dream Super Hulk open-weight tournament will resume at Dream.11
on Oct. 6 in Yokohama despite the absence of Strikeforce light
heavyweight champion Gegard Mousasi.
The
promotion announced Wednesday for the semifinals that Hong Man
Choi (2-2) will face Ikuhisa Minowa (42-30-8) and Rameau Thierry
Sokoudjou (6-4) will receive an opponent to be determined because
Mousasi has withdrawn due to an injury to his left shoulder.
Minowa
vs. Choi makes sense as Minowa has built a reputation around
fighting opponents heavier and bigger than him, and in this case,
Minowa, who weighs a little under 200 pounds, will go head-to-head
against a 7-foot-2, 300-plus pounder.
Sokoudjou
won in the opening round in May when he stopped kickboxer Jan
Nortje at 2:30 of the first round. Sokoudjou caught flack for
the victory though, for continuing to punch Nortje even after
the referee had halted the bout.
Unlike
the Featherweight GP, the Super Hulk tournament will be concluded
on a different night, most likely on New Year's Eve.
DREAM
has also added Gesias "JZ Calvan" Calvancante (14-3-1),
a former top ten lightweight on a two-fight losing streak. Prior
to the decision losses, Calvancante had only been dealt a loss
only once in his 17-fight career. The American Top Team product
will tangle with Daisuke Nakamura (20-10), who is coming off
a win two weeks ago at M-1 Breakthrough.
Fight
Card:
Winner
of Takaya-Tokoro vs. Winner of Warren-Fernandes (Featherweight
GP)
Joachim Hansen vs. Shinya Aoki
Hiroyuki Takaya vs. Hideo Tokoro (Featherweight GP)
Joe Warren vs. Bibiano Fernandes (Featherweight GP)
DJ.Taiki vs. Kazuyuki Miyata (Featherweight GP Reserve)
JZ Calvan vs. Daisuke Nakamura
Hong Man Choi vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (Super Hulk)
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. TBA (Super Hulk)
Source: MMA Fighting
|
TUF
10 COACH HECTOR RAMIREZ: WEEK 1 RECAP
by Hector
Ramirez (Team Rampage)
It’s the first week of The Ultimate Fighter and what a show
it was! This whole season is full of exciting and amazing fights
like the one you just saw, Team Rampage vs. Team Rashad is a
season to remember.
In
traditional fashion, the coaches of each team convened to evaluate
the fighters, but for us, Team Rampage, it came as a bit of a
surprise. We all got together in the training room, expecting
to do some paperwork, when suddenly we were asked to split the
fighters and create our own evaluations. We did the best we could
on the spot, with Rampage, Tiki Ghosn, and Tom Blackledge evaluating
their stand-up skills, while me and Junior Perez were evaluating
their ground skills. After we made our evaluations, we all handed
in our opinions to Rampage. But this was Rampage’s team
and ultimately, he would choose who he wanted.
Number
one on his list: Kimbo Slice.
We
have all heard of Kimbo; we have all seen him fight. But during
evaluations, we got more out of him, we actually learned who
he was, where he came from, and the struggles that shaped him.
Anyone who knows Rampage knows that he has had his own struggles.
Both of them know what it is like to grow up in a poor and dangerous
neighborhood. And to come from that environment and reject all
the temptations of that kind of life takes a lot of courage and
a lot of hard work. It was because of this mutual respect of
coming from nothing to become something that Rampage wanted the
opportunity to try to help Kimbo make sure he does become something
in the MMA field.
We
all have our reasons for our favorite picks, and after the teams
were chosen, we got first choice on picking fights. It was very
important that we made sure to win the first two fights so we
would keep control. With this in mind, we took our guy Abe, who
we thought was the overall most well rounded, and pit him against
Jon, who on paper was the least experienced with only three fights
to his name.
Abe
did as well as could be expected considering that his strength
is not on the ground. But because he was neither able to stop
Jon’s takedown nor get him off from top position, Jon went
on to win a decision. It was disappointing to all of us and Jon’s
inexperienced record turned out to be a poor indicator of his
actual skill set. Congratulations to him, he fought smart and
took home win.
Thank
you to all my sponsors and management, Iridium Sports Agency,
OC Fight Doc, Sparstar, Furious Fighters, Dog Pound MMA, Monarch
Clothing, Tapout Radio, Unbreakable Mouthpieces, Mike Dolce,
Dolce Diet, Team Rampage, MMAWeekly.com and everyone who is making
this show a success. Please come see me live at La Paloma Piano
Bar and Grill for live commentary during The Ultimate Fighter
at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday nights! See you next week!
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Filho:
“Mousasi will pay me inside the ring”
With sunglasses, mustache and a Flamengo t-shirt, Paulo Filho
made weight for his fight tonight against Alex Shoenauer, at
Bitetti Combat 4. After the weight-ins, the black belt spoke
with TATAME.com about the polemical with Gegard Mousasi, who
said he used steroids in the fight against Melvin Manhoef.
“People
gets sad because I say the truth in my interviews, but I think
he’s not enough to beat be and that’s it. Mousasi didn’t
like with the truth I said”, guarantees Paulo, who said
last week to TATAME.com that he’d submit Mousasi.
“He’s
very competent, has a beautiful future in MMA, but he said that
and will have to be a man to face me inside the rings, after
that he can say whatever he wants”, said, believing in his
BJJ game. “He can be better in striking, what don’t
say a shit to me, but we’ll fight and I have my jiu-jitsu
and that’s it”.
Source: Tatame
|
Tudor
taps Yahya at US Nationals
World champion longboarder beats world champion grappler
In
the showcase of top-flight Jiu-Jitsu-playing talent that is the
US Nationals, this past weekend of the 12th and 13th in Carson,
California, the featherweight black belt final featured a clash
of titans. While at one end was a world champion grappler in
WEC bantamweight and current ADCC featherweight-title holder
Rani Yahya, at the other was another world champion in his own
right: 1998’s longboarding world champion Joel Tudor.
And
as the outcome of the match would suggest, for world champions,
winningness transcends the bounds of the sports they dominate,
as the BJJ Revolution representative sunk a triangle to tap the
grappling stalwart and take the title; an achievement a slim
few who have dedicated an entire lifetime to the sport can boast
of.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
USA
West vs. USA East M-1 Challenge Semis Set for Sept. 26
Amsterdam, Holland -- Few head coaches have been more committed
to winning the 2009 M-1 Challenge Championship Cup than Team
USA West's Colin Oyama.
Oyama
single-handily raised the bar of competition in the 2009 "M-1
CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY AFFLICTION" when he enlisted top-shelf
talents such as former EliteXC fighters Giva Santana and Shane
Del Rosario as well as one-time Affliction veteran Fabio "Negao"
Nascimento to help spearhead his five-man squad.
So
while Team USA East waited on pins and needles to find out who
their USA West counterparts would be for their M-1 Challenge
semifinal matchup on Sept. 26 in Rostov, Russia (to be available
live on Internet PPV at M-1Global.com), Oyama was not going to
make any hasty decisions about who was going to select to fill
out his roster.
Oyama
was faced with two tough decisions as he searched for replacements
for WEC-bound lightweight Dave Jansen and light heavyweight Raphael
Davis, who is slated to compete in the upcoming Abu Dhabi Combat
Championships during the M-1 Challenge semifinals.
After
his USA West team went 3-0 in team challenge play and 13-2 in
individual fights, Oyama refused to cave into pressure and name
his replacements before he had found fighters he was confident
that could take his team to the M-1 Challenge finals.
Oyama
announced over the weekend that those two fighters are lightweight
Steve Magdaleno and light heavyweight Spencer Hooker. With both
Magdaleno and Hooker secured, all four rosters and 10 scheduled
fights for the Sept. 26 M-1 Challenge semifinals in Rostov, Russia
are now finalized.
Reacting
to USA East's coach Reed Wallace's slick recruiting of IFL veteran
Delson Heleno to fight for him at welterweight and undefeated
blue chip prospect Ivan "Batman" Jorge to fight at
lightweight, Oyama felt the need to raise the ante.
Enter
Hooker and Magdaleno, two emerging talents on the cusp of breaking
out in this sport.
Magdaleno
joins Team USA West as a member of the VMAT Gym, the fight gym
owned and operated by current UFC light heavyweight Vladimir
Matyushenko and also the home to recent UFC acquisition Jared
Hamman. When Magdaleno steps into the ring with Jorge on Sept.
26, both fighters will be putting undefeated records on the line.
Jorge, a native of Brazil, is 9-0, while Magdaleno has a 6-0
record with four of his wins coming via early stoppage.
Hooker
trains out of Colorado Springs and has a 6-1 record. A submission
specialist with five wins via tap out, Oyama's decision to enlist
Hooker's services is likely a counter to former WEC vet Chuck
"The Reverend" Grigsby's standing at the USA East resident
light heavyweight.
At
6'6'', Grigsby is known for utilizing his long reach advantage
and battering his opponents' faces with his blistering jab. While
Oyama has been tight-lipped about his team's gameplan, one would
expect Hooker to look to take Grigsby out of his comfort zone
and negate his reach by putting his back on the mat.
In
addition to Magdaleno vs. Jorge and Hooker vs. Grigsby, USA East
vs. USA West will also feature three other individual matchups.
Heleno is set to square off against Negao in a battle of Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belts that some M-1 officials believe could be
the fight of the night. At middleweight, Giva "The Arm Collector"
Santana will put his 13-1 record on the line for USA West when
he takes on Gerson "Indio" Dos Santos Cordeiro of USA
East.
Set
to close out the best-of-five series between the two USA teams
is another battle of unbeatens, as Del Rosario will put his 7-0
record on the line against Pedro Ribeiro's 5-0 record. With the
four preceding matchups appearing to be tightly contested on
paper, there's a good chance that the Del Rosario vs. Ribeiro
matchup could be the deciding fight as to which USA team will
reach the M-1 Challenge finals.
The
complete bout listing of fights for the M-1 Challenge semifinals
on Sept. 26 in Rostov, Russia are now as follows:
USA
EAST VS. USA WEST -
1.
Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Ivan Jorge vs. Steve Magdaleno
2. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./-76 kg): Delson Heleno vs. Fabio
"Negao" Nascimento
3. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Gerson "Indio"
Dos Santos Cordeiro vs. Giva Santana
4. Light Heavyweight (204.8 lbs./-93 kg): Chuck Grigsby vs. Spencer
Hooker
5. Heavyweight (+204.8 lbs./+93 kg): Luis Pedro Ribeiro vs. Shane
Del Rosario
ENGLAND
VS. RUSSIA LEGION -
6.
Lightweight (154 lbs./-70 kg): Scott Hewitt vs. Yura Ivlev
7. Welterweight (167.2 lbs./-76 kg): Simon Phillips vs. Magomed
Shikshabekov
8. Middleweight (184.8 lbs./-84 kg): Matt Thorpe vs. Ansar Chalangov
9. Light Heavyweight (204.8 lbs./-93 kg): Lee Austin vs. Besiki
Gerenava
10. Heavyweight (+204.8 lbs./+93 kg): Rob Broughton vs. Akhmed
Sultanov
Source: Fight Network
|
Ricardo
Arona and the return with victory
By Guilherme Cruz
Back to fight two years after his last fight, Ricardo Arona debuted
on Bitetti Combat’s octagon and defeated Marvin Eastman
by unanimous decision. After the victory, Arona spoke with TATAME
TV inside of the octagon and commented the return.
“I’m
very happy, it couldn’t be different… All my family
is here, I’ve never fought MMA in front of my family, just
jiu-jitsu, so this victory is for my family and all the guys
from Rio de Janeiro. This victory is for Master Carlson Gracie
and Master Machado, who built this style, my style”, said
Arona, excited for fighting MMA in his homeland for the first
time. “Everybody cheering for me, it couldn’t be better.
God gave it to me, I’m very happy”.
Source: Tatame
|
Ten
Reasons to Watch ‘TUF 10’
by Jake Rossen
When MTV’s “The Real World” premiered in 1992,
and throughout its twenty-one subsequent seasons, viewers were
exposed to a wide array of personal politics, belief systems,
and cultural dynamics. Cast members were locked in a living space
and forced to confront their prejudices while offering exaggerated
versions of themselves for cameras.
The
dominant audience reaction: will someone please punch some of
these people in the face?
The
genius of “The Ultimate Fighter” is that someone can.
“TUF,”
which debuted in the spring of 2005, might have been the single
most influential paradigm shift in the sport’s history.
(Basic cable television is a powerful drug.) The UFC found a
venue for creating and promoting new talent, pushing existing
stars as coaches, and allowing curious viewers a free sample
of the violence. Season ten’s premiere (tonight, Spike,
10 p.m. ET, or later following UFC Fight Night overspill) will
attempt to defy the series’ advancing age by pushing the
participation of Kimbo Slice, noted Miami street brawler and
former CBS-network attraction. And if you could never predict
that sentence, you now understand the bizarre randomness of television
programming.
Free
fights should be reason enough to watch for the next twelve weeks,
but in case you need them, here are ten more:
10.
Breakable Contracting
There’s no context for this scene, but Quinton Jackson is
probably using the door as a metaphor for his feelings toward
opposing coach Rashad Evans. It is obviously a flimsy, hollow-core
piece of garbage hung in the hopes a fighter would assault it…but
it doesn’t matter. Property destruction never fails to entertain.
9.
Matt Mitrione
A six-year NFL veteran, Mitrione is this season’s Amir Sadollah:
a perfect 0-0 record in professional competition. Steamrolled
or an unlikely survivor, the man clearly has a pair.
8.
Kimbo Slice
Just getting it out of the way.
7.
A Singular Cast
Most seasons of “TUF” have fractured production --
and viewer attention -- on two weight classes at a time. It’s
not that complicated, but it does dilute some of the appeal and
straightforward narrative of focusing on a single division.
6.
Mike Rowe
“Next time…on the ‘Ultimate Fighter.’”
Narrator Mike Rowe can make anything sound important. He’s
the Orson Welles of bloodletting.
5.
Roy Nelson
The most accomplished in the series’ mix of rookies and
veterans, most figure that the season is Nelson’s to lose:
his grappling was enough to stifle Frank Mir during a submission
tournament in 2002, and his striking earned him a split decision
loss against Ben Rothwell in 2007. He’s also fat and genial,
and it’s nice to see the sport having less of an inferiority
complex to allow for inferior physique admission. (Babe Ruth:
great ball player, but a bit of a slob. No one much cared.)
4.
Fueling the Heavyweight Division
Once a laughable mess, the UFC’s group of tailored suits
is already looking better than it has in years: with 16 potential
bodies, it’s a safe bet that a handful will stick around
to create more depth.
3.
The Vacuum
The very smart, slightly alarming-looking journalist Josh Gross
often advises that fights are best reviewed with the sound off:
commentary tends to creep into your opinion uninvited. There
is only ambient noise during “Fighter” fights: teammates
shouting advice and the dull thud of bodies. It works.
2.
The Jackson/Evans Dynamic
Most “rivalries” in the sport are borne out of exaggerated
emotions with the knowledge that bad blood flows right into piles
of money. But so what? If Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans are
faking it, they both deserve Oscars.
1.
Wes Sims
Sims, a 6’10” unpolished wrestler weaned on Mark Coleman’s
Hammer House philosophy of smash first and think later, reminds
some fans of Ric Flair -- if Flair suffered a head injury, was
afflicted with ADD, and could brag of an appearance on “Blind
Date.” Locking him in a house with fifteen other athletes
should happen every season.
Source: Sherdog
|
Bob
Arum and Dana White draw big heat for their comments
By Zach Arnold
The
Las Vegas Sun has a long article about the bankruptcy proceedings
involving Station Casinos. This paragraph might get your attention:
With
Station’s attorneys now doing the talking in court, it’s
also unknown whether Station will stay in control by playing
any of its numerous wild cards, which include cash raised from
the sale of any of its numerous casinos, more than 500 acres
of undeveloped land it owns or controls in Las Vegas, Northern
California and Reno, or money raised from the Fertitta family’s
Ultimate Fighting Championship franchise.
Frank
Trigg, in this article by Kevin Iole, brags about his ability
to brag. Then go sell some PPV buys for UFC 103, Frank.
Bob
Arum, besides making inflammatory comments about MMA, is making
a pitch to having boxing at Yankee Stadium. Here are some notes
about the hype job coming up for Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto.
The Sweet Science has a very long, but very good article on Golden
Boy’s Richard Schaefer and what he has meant to boxing.
If
you missed Dana White’s comments about the upcoming Floyd
Mayweather Jr. fight, here’s the transcript.
“Boxing
is trying to sell you the fight that nobody cares about. People
want to see Mayweather/Pacquiao, but they’re not giving
you that fight. And the other thing in Floyd’s commentary,
Floyd goes out there and says, you know, ‘Oh, no Mixed Martial
Artist has ever done $250 million dollars in revenue, you want
to see big money checks, I’ll show you big money checks’
because the fans, the fans keep doing it, boxing keeps doing
it to them, you show up to see Floyd Mayweather not fight. This
guy will run around in circles, OK, everybody wants to know why
the UFC is becoming so popular is because they’re sick of
boxers not fighting! You’re going to pay whatever it is,
$55, $60 bucks to see Floyd basically you get to see Dancing
with the Stars again with Floyd Mayweather except you have to
pay for it this time, OK? You got to pay $60 bucks to watch Floyd
Mayweater in Dancing with the Stars again.”
Now
here’s the backlash.
In
Canada (New Brunswick), the Moncton Boxing and Wrestling Commission
has banned MMA for the next six months.
Melvin
Guillard faces Nate Diaz next week and did a Q & A with USA
Today to hype up the fight. Todd Martin at CBS Sports has an
article about UFC’s experiment with a PPV lead-in on Spike
TV for the 9/19 Dallas event.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Frank
Trigg: 'I'm in the Game to Get Titles'
By Ray Hui
As the 37-year-old Frank Trigg approaches his UFC return on Saturday
against Josh Koscheck, the two-time UFC title challenger could
very well be looking at the start of his final run fighting at
the elite level.
"I'm
in the game to get titles, I'm in the game to get victories,"
Trigg told FanHouse. "I'm in the game to battle my way up
to the top."
In
this exclusive interview with FanHouse, Trigg talks returning
to the UFC and welterweight division against Koscheck at UFC
103 in Dallas, Texas.
Ray
Hui: For your last fight, you fought a local guy with six fights
under his belt and you commented, "I've got everything to
lose and nothing to gain from this whole event." In this
case against Koscheck, how would you rephrase that line?
Trigg:
It's a relative term. It depends on how I see stuff. I could
lose a close split decision and gain a lot of fans and gain a
lot of respect and still be considered to be in the hunt or I
can be completely dominated and destroyed and be out of the hunt
when it comes to what's going to happen and whether I'm ranked
or not ranked in the welterweight division. It's tough to say;
it's really up to the rankers and the media after the fight.
In
2005, you were both in the company at the same time, but at different
stages. You were fighting for title while Koscheck was coming
off the reality TV show. Was he someone you've kept an eye on?
No,
I kept an eye on him cause he's a former wrestler and wrestlers
always watch wrestlers. It's kind of what we do. But I wasn't
actually keeping an eye on him in a sense like "Hey, I got
to keep an eye on this guy." He was just another guy that
was coming in that was raw and hungry and had great talent and
was going to make things happen. I just wanted to see what he
was going to do.
Not
many people expected Koscheck to develop into such an world-class
fighter. How do you view his progress over the past four years?
Very
good. Very good. Way ahead of the mark of where I was at the
same time of my career. He's developed tremendously. He's got
a great camp up there at AKA. He's got great trainers up there.
Dave Camarillo is probably one of my favorite jiu jitsu guys
to watch do jiu jitsu, and "Crazy" Bob Cook is probably
one of the most underrated trainers probably out there right
now. Koscheck's got a great camp and great training partners
and I think he's way of the curve of where he should be.
Are
you expecting a more cautious Koscheck since he's coming off
a loss where he got caught?
Anything
can happen. He can come out more cautious or he could come out
more aggressive. It depends how he views that loss. Does he view
that loss as: I have to make a statement now against Trigg, to
prove I can beat the crap out of him, or do I have to go out
there and got to really try to make something happen here and
take my time and be patient about really trying to fight this
fight?
You've
been successful in recent years as a middleweight, and your win
over Misaki at the time slotted you as a top ten middleweight,
are you entirely comfortable going back to welterweight?
Yeah.
I'm not entirely comfortable. It's a big weight cut. I'm a bigger
guy, I'm an older guy, it takes a little longer to get the weight
down there and stuff like that. But I chose to go to this weight
class. When I called the UFC to ask if I could come back, it
wasn't coming back at 185, it was 170. That's what I chose to
be in this weight class so no matter how tough it is, this is
something I chose to do.
It's
been four years since you last fought in the UFC, and a lot has
changed with the organization and the sport in general when it
comes to exposure and popularity. How different is it coming
into this fight against Koscheck compared to your first stint
with the UFC?
Well
I can tell you this: When I first came into the UFC I couldn't
beg you guys to do an interview with me. [AOL Sports] wouldn't
do anything with me at all. AOL was nonexistent to anything with
the sport, didn't care about the sport and didn't want to know
anything about the sport. Now five years later, you guys are
calling me out for an interview.
I
remember signing cards and trying to give away autographs and
people would not take the autograph. They had no idea who I was
and thought I was some crazy guy standing on a street corner
trying to give them something. I remember having 3-4,000 seat
arenas and there being nobody in the seats. Nobody in the seats.
And now the UFC is a highly sought out StubHub ticket.
It
has expanded and progressed and developed and grown so much the
past five years. Nobody – If anybody says that they said
it and if anyone said that this was going to happen, they're
lying to you, they're making this up. There was no one out there
except maybe Lorenzo, Frank [Fertitta], Dana White and Joe Silva
were probably the only three or four people that the sport was
going to be this big. I'm having a press day the week and a half
before a fight and I usually don't have a press day until the
Wednesday before the fight. It's pretty cool. It's pretty neat.
Since
GSP has already knocked off the majority of the top ranked UFC
fighters and the recent Swick injury further throws off the current
title picture. I think a title shot is really up for anyone's
taking. How many fights do you think you're away from a title
shot?
I
don't know man. It's up to the UFC. They could have called me
and said "look, you're fighting GSP next." I would
think I'm three to four fights away. I think I have to prove
my viability by beating Koscheck and then after beating a guy
like a Swick or a Fitch or Alves, after that, then we can start
talking about a title shot. Way too early right now for me, especially
the way this sport is right now, for talking about title shots
potentially for Frank Trigg at all.
You've
been one of the fighters to embrace the video blogging format,
not to mention you're always on Twitter, do you see it as an
outlet for expression or as a way to connect with your fans?
I'm
actually Twittering while I'm talking to you. How do you like
that? I like it because when I was out in the minor league –
a lot of my friends are professional baseball players and I spent
a lot of my time equating myself to guys who are professional
athletes and what are they doing. Are you playing European NFL
or are you playing in the NFL? Are you playing in AAA ball or
are you playing in Major League baseball? What are you doing?
And when I was out in the minor leagues, no one cares who you
fight on the minor leagues. No one cares what's going on over
there so you have to let people know "Hey I'm fighting here,
hey I'm fighting this guy, this guy got this record, he beat
this guy..."
Letting
people who what's going on and create interest around it. So
I kind of embraced the social networking/marketing/blogging mindset
because I wanted people to understand what I was doing, and now
because I'm already in that mindset and I'm already doing it,
it makes it so much easier when I have a fight in the UFC. I
think it's a big help for me in letting the fans know what's
going on and whether they love me or not, they're still reading
it. That's kind of what you want.
Source: Fan House
|
Quote
of the Day
“There's
nothing bad to be last-placed, if you are with dignity.”
Zdenek Zeman
|
Hawaiian
Championships of BJJ Results!
WOMEN'S
GI WHITE BELT
1ST - Karissa Nee Gracie Barra University
2ND - Elle Moore Grappling Unlimited
MEN'S
GI WHITE BELT
SUPERFEATHER
1ST - Cory Nemoto Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Brysson Morita Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Ray Shirai Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Chester Amoda Gracie Barra University
FEATHER
1ST - Derek Atta Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Ed Niheu Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Tyler Stevenson Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Larson Tokeshi Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
LIGHT
1ST - Seth Ching Relson Gracie - Team HK
2ND - Cody Woods Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai
3RD - Luis Santos Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Gary Hendrickson Grappling Unlimited
MIDDLE
1ST - Dmitri Arapoff Relson Gracie - Team HK
2ND - Kalewa Auwae N/A
3RD - Kai Forsen Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Dan Barrera Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
HEAVY
1ST - Chris Cisneros Nu Era Jiu-jitsu
2ND - James Kaulia Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Zachary Jeffrey HMC
SUPER
HEAVY +
1ST - Bud Stonebraker Relson Gracie - Hawaii Kai
2ND - Joseph Kahawai Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona
3RD - Justin Nihei Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
3RD - Chance Walsh Gulf Beach Fitness
MEN'S
GI BLUE BELT
SUPER FEATHER
1ST - John Hommel Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team
2ND - Cody Willenborg Relson Gracie - Hawaii Kai
3RD - Jeff Tamaye Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Ricky Ridella Gracie Barra Honolulu
FEATHER
1ST - Daniel DeAnda Ka-Mole Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Jonathan Katayama Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Rob Smith Relson Gracie - Kahalu'u Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Jason Lucas Relson Gracie - Team HK
LIGHT
1ST - Marcus Wilson Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Patrick Torres Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Alex Yagin Nova Uniao
MIDDLE
1ST - DeJuan Hathaway HMC
2ND - Chris Templo Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD- David Carrero Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
MIDDLE
HEAVY
1ST - Jensen Kona Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
2ND - Sy Kageyama Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD- Michael Koa-Texeira Pure Jiu-Jitsu Kauai
SUPER
HEAVY +
1ST - Kien Aviero Nova Uniao
2ND - Leandro Solano Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Brandon Martin-Frazier Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - James Kupahu Nova Uniao
MEN'S
GI PURPLE BELT
SUPER FEATHER/LIGHT
1ST - Jordan Gomez Ka-Mole Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Keena Cornelius BJ Penn Academy
3RD - Sean Matsuo Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Eric Alves Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
MIDDLE
HEAVY
1ST - Michael Kenny Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai
MEN'S
GI BLACK BELT SUPERFIGHT #1
1ST - Carlos Kiko Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Gabriel Igawa-Silva Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
MEN'S
GI BLACK BELT SUPERFIGHT #2
1ST - Aaron Moeller Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona
2ND - Jair Muniz N/A
MEN'S NO-GI NOVICE
SUPER FEATHER
1ST - Brysson Morita Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Cory Nemoto Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Chester Amoda Gracie Barra University
3RD - Sean Fancher Relson Gracie - Team HK
FEATHER
1ST - Derek Atta Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Ed Niheu Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Adrian Agaran Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Larson Tokeshi Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
LIGHT
1ST - Dustin Padilla-Contrades Relson Gracie - Team HK
2ND - Seth Ching Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Cody Woods Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai
3RD - Joshua Waiolama Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
MIDDLE
1ST - Dan Barrera Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Cael Goodin Shootfighting Hawaii
3RD - Dmitri Arapoff Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Joseph Patishnock N/A
MIDDLE
HEAVY
1ST - Eric Johnson N/A
2ND - Joey Adzuara N/A
HEAVY/
SUPERHEAVY
1ST - Justin Nihei Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
2ND - Rod Baker Up & Up
SUPER
SUPER HEAVY
1ST - Jheryl Makaiau Kahuku Grappling
2ND - Matt Coleman Gracie Barra Honolulu
MEN'S
NO-GI INTERMEDIATE
ROOSTER
1ST - Roland Fernandez Kaiser High
2ND - Cara-Anne Machado Bullspen
SUPERFEATHER
1ST - John Hommel Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team
2ND - Cody Willenborg Relson Gracie - Hawaii Kai
3RD - Byron Apo Kaiser High
3RD - Ricky Ridella Gracie Barra Honolulu
FEATHER
1ST - Teague Blair Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai
2ND - Jason Lucas Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Rob Smith Relson Gracie - Kahalu'u Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Shawn Burroughs Advanced Kempo
LIGHT
1ST - Patrick Torres Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Alex Yagin Nova Uniao
3RD - Toshiro Luab Relson Gracie - Team HK
MIDDLE
1ST - DeJuan Hathaway HMC
2ND - Chris Templo Relson Gracie - Team HK
MIDDLE
HEAVY
1ST - Chris Cisneros Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Steven Burroughs Advanced Kempo
3RD - Jensen Kona Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
SUPER
HEAVY +
1ST - Joseph Kahawai Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona
2ND - Al Vincent Tiger Muay Thai / UFS
3RD - Brandon Martin-Frazier Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Kien Aviero Nova Uniao
MEN'S
NO-GI ADVANCED
SUPER FEATHER / LIGHT
1ST - Marcus Wilson Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Sean Matsuo Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Patrick Abiley Nova Uniao
3RD - Keenan Cornelius BJ Penn Academy
MIDDLE
/ MIDDLE HEAVY
1ST - Elais Ramirez Gracie Barra University
2ND - Michael Kenny Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai
3RD - David Carrero Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu
SUPER
HEAVY +
1ST - Bud Stonebraker Relson Gracie - Hawaii Kai
2ND - Antonio Criado Relson Gracie - Hawaii Kai
KIDS GI WHITE
5-6 YEARS OLD
1ST - Javen Alo N/A
2ND - Shace Paaaiana Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Sol Kitabayashi Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Ian Hennessy Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
7-8
LIGHT 48-60
1ST - Jeremy Hirai Gracie Barra Honolulu
2ND - Kelstin Tyler-Eugenio Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Chai Capili Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Davin Masanda BJ Penn Academy
7-8
HEAVY 60-72
1ST - Kody Miyamoto Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Mare Kitabayashi Gracie Barra Honolulu
10-11YEARS
OLD
1ST - Gian Fazzari Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Darius Cheigh Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Vance Miyamoto Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
13-14
LIGHT 80-90
1ST - Joarden Higashihara Gracie Barra Honolulu
2ND - Maia Phanthadara Grappling Unlimited
12-13
MIDDLE
1ST - TJ Fitzsimmons Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Kenesey Manuel Gracie Barra Honolulu
12-14
HEAVY
1ST - Mario Ganuelas Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Kamalu Lapilio BJ Penn Academy
3RD - Shelsea Manuel Gracie Barra Honolulu
16
YEARS OLD
1ST - Mason Loo Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team
2ND - Rennick Kama Jr. Gracie Barra Honolulu
KIDS
GI COLOR BELT
7-8 YEARS LIGHT
1ST - Liam Mason Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
2ND - Triston Baron Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Kaizen Nino Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
3RD - Trajan Satta-Ellis Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona
9-10
YEARS 55-63
1ST - Teniya Alo N/A
2ND - Casey Nitta Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
3RD - Christian Dumaoal Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Makana Perez Gracie Barra Honolulu
11
LIGHT 58-65
1ST - Lokahi Morante Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Shaedon Quevedo Nova Uniao
10-12
MIDDLE 90-95
1ST - Canaan Kawaihae Rabaino Gracie Kailua / MMAD
2ND - Conrad Parks BJ Penn Academy
3RD - Derek "DJ" Chinen Jr. Relson Gracie - Kaneohe
Team
3RD - Mykah Kuratani Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
10-11
HEAVY 107-115
1ST - Jonathan Bateluna Gracie Barra Phoenix
2ND - Chane Kawaiahae Gracie Kailua / MMAD
11-13
YEARS 75-89
1ST - Teshya Alo N/A
2ND - Tyler Rushworth Robert Drysdale BJJ - Las Vegas
3RD - Joshua Leonard Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
3RD - Kiana Lau Grappling Unlimited
14
LIGHT 108-115
1ST - Brandon Lau Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Reinton Kawamae Grappling Unlimited
3RD - Micah Nicely Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Chanson Auwae Relson Gracie - Team Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu
13-14
YEARS 127-140
1ST - Bobby Kim Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
2ND - Shannon Paaaina Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Kade Yamada Gracie Barra Honolulu
14-16
HEAVY 140-160
1ST - Brandon Saiki Gracie Barra Honolulu
2ND - Hunter Ewaldo Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai
3RD - Kyle Lee Relson Gracie - Team HK
3RD - Westen Waltjen BJ Penn Academy
KIDS NO-GI NOVICE
5-6 YEARS
1ST - Javen Alo N/A
2ND - Sol Kitabayashi Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Shace Paaaina Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Ian Hennessey Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
7-8
LIGHT 48-54
1ST - Branston Gasper-Brigado Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
2ND - Davin Masanda BJ Penn Academy
3RD - Kelstin Tyler Eugenio Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Jonavan Kahoalii BJ Penn Academy
7-8
HEAVY
1ST - Kody Miyamoto Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
15-16
LIGHT 145-149
1ST - Jonathan Nguyen Gracie Barra Honolulu
2ND - Noah Aukai Cabiles Kahuku Grappling
16
HEAVY
1ST - Mason Loo Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team
2ND - Rennick Kama Jr. Gracie Barra Honolulu
KIDS
NO-GI INTERMEDIATE
7-8 YEARS 53-56
1ST - Kaizen Nino Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
2ND - Laim Mason Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
3RD - Anjelynn Baron Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Trajan Satta-Ellis Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona
7-9
YEARS 55-70
1ST - Makana Perez Gracie Barra Honolulu
2ND - Casey Nitta Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
10-11
YEARS LIGHT
1ST - Teniya Alo N/A
2ND - Lokahi Morante Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
3RD - Christian Dumaoal Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
10-12
MIDDLE 83-91
1ST - Teshya Alo N/A
2ND - Kiana Lau Grappling Unlimited
3RD - Mykah Kuratani Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
10-11
HEAVY 107-115
1ST - Jonathan Bateluna Gracie Barra Phoenix
2ND - Chane Kawaiahae Gracie Kailua / MMAD
12-13
LIGHT 80-95
1ST - Conrad Parks BJ Penn Academy
2ND - Jada Perreira Waianae
3RD - Derek "DJ" Chinen Jr. Relson Gracie - Kaneohe
Team
3RD - Joshua Leonard Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
13
HEAVY 125-140
1ST - Shannon Paaaina Gracie Barra Honolulu
2ND - Kamalu Lapilio BJ Penn Academy
3RD - Kade Yamada Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Mario Ganuelas Grappling Unlimited
13-14
YEARS 102-113
1ST - Brandon Lau Grappling Unlimited
2ND - Micah Nicely Gracie Barra Honolulu
3RD - Reinton Kawamae Grappling Unlimited
3RD - TJ Fitzsimmons Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
15-16
YEARS 140-145
1ST - Kyle Lee Relson Gracie - Team HK
2ND - Westen Waltjen BJ Penn Academy
KIDS
NO-GI ADVANCED
11 YEARS
1ST - Tyler Rushworth Robert Drysdale BJJ - Las Vegas
2ND - Shaedon Quevedo Nova Uniao
12
YEARS 95
1ST - Canaan Kawaihae Rabaino Gracie Kailua / MMAD
13-14
LIGHT
1ST - Bobby Kim Relson Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy
2ND - Chanson Auwae Relson Gracie - Team Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu
13-14
HEAVY 117-137
1ST - Brandon Saiki Gracie Barra Honolulu
TEAM POINTS
SCHOOLS POINTS
1ST - Relson
Gracie Academies 94
2ND
- Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu, BJ Penn Academy, Nova Uniao,
HMC, Nu Era BJJ 88
3RD
- Gracie Barra Honolulu, University, Phoenix 68
SCHOOLS
Brazilian
Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu 27
BJ Penn Academy 19
Nova Uniao 13
HMC 7
Nu Era Jiu-Jitsu 22
Bullspen
2
Shootfighting
Hawaii 2
Grappling
Unlimited 36
Gracie
Barra Honolulu 54
Gracie Barra University 8
Gracie Barra Phoenix 6
Central
Oahu Jiu-Jitsu 29
Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kauai 13
Longman Jiu-Jitsu Kona 10
Gracie Kailua / MMAD 10
Relson
Gracie - 02 Martial Arts Academy 31
Relson Gracie - Hawaii Kai 12
Relson Gracie - Kaneohe Team 14
Relson Gracie - Team HK 32
Relson Gracie - Team Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu 3
Relson Gracie - Kahalu'u Jiu-Jitsu 2
Kaiser
High 4
Ka-Mole
Jiu-Jitsu 6
N/A
28
Pure
Jiu-Jitsu Kauai 1
Waianae
2
Tiger
Muay Thai / UFS 2
Advanced
Kempo 3
Up
& Up 2
Gulf
Beach Fitness 1
Kahuku
Grappling 5
Robert
Drysdale BJJ - Las Vegas 5
|
UFC
FIGHT NIGHT 19 LIVE RESULTS
Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner Nate Diaz and Ultimate Fighter
Season 2 alumnus Melvin Guillard go head-to-head in a lightweight
showdown in the main event of UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma
City, Okla., on Wednesday night.
Other
bouts featured on the card include Gray Maynard fighting Roger
Huerta in another lightweight battle, a welterweight bout between
former WEC champion Carlos Condit and newcomer Jake Ellenberger,
and Nate Quarry facing Tim Credeur in another battle of former
TUF cast members.
The
main card bouts air on Spike TV at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by
the season premier of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.
UFC
Fight Night 19 Fight Notes:
(Phillipe Nover suffered a seizure during the day on Wednesday.
His fight with Sam Stout was subsequently cancelled.)
Melvin
Guillard vs. Nate Diaz
R1- Guillard shows his power early on with a big shot that drops
Diaz, but he quickly recovers and starts moving for takedowns.
As the round moves on, Diaz starts to establish a jab, as Guillard
uses head movement to avoid much damage.
R2-
Diaz works to get his range again in the 2nd, coming forward
the entire time. Guillard still puts together some good combos,
but gets tagged with a jab and tries to play possum and then
shoots in for a takedown. Big mistake from Guillard as he is
caught in a guillotine choke from the wrong fighter. Diaz forces
the tap out.
Nate
Diaz def. Melvin Guillard by submission (guillotine choke) at
2:13, R2
Gray
Maynard vs. Roger Huerta
R1 - Maynard does a good job early on of establishing his stand-up,
feeding Huerta a steady diet of punches and then moving away.
Eventually, Huerta catches the shot he was looking for as he
staggers Maynard with a punch, and stays aggressive while probably
stealing the round.
R2
- The 2nd round shows a much stronger performance from Maynard
who starts to use his jab more and more to keep Huerta away.
Still, Huerta charges forward with combinations and flurries,
trying to catch the former Michigan St. wrestler. Close round,
Maynard seems more accurate, while Huerta is more aggressive.
R3-
Maynard finally gets a takedown in the third round as he starts
to frustrate Huerta a little bit. Maynard grabs a kimura and
it looks like he's literally pulled Huerta's shoulder out of
socket. Somehow, Huerta battles out, but soon finds himself on
his back once again. Maynard pulls out a very strong third round
to close the fight.
Gray
Maynard def. Roger Huerta by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Carlos
Condit vs. Jake Ellenberger
R1- Ellenberger catches Condit several times in the first round
and he comes close to finishing on the ground each occasion that
Condit drops. Condit battles back and goes after Ellenberger
with knees, but he finds himself back on the ground again fighting
off a guillotine choke. Crazy first round.
R2-
Condit gets taken down early in the 2nd, as Ellenberger tries
to maintain top position. Condit catches a kimura from the bottom
and gets the reverse, ending up in the mount. Condit slips off
of Ellenberger's back and ends up pulling guard again, before
the fighters stand up to close out the round.
R3-
As the third round starts, Ellenberger looks tired, as Condit
goes on the attack. Condit controls the action with strong ground
and pound, almost sinking in a rear naked choke twice in the
round. Condit stays aggressive for all five minutes, but Ellenberger
still battles through.
Carlos
Condit def. Jake Ellenberger by split decision (29-28, 29-28,
28-29)
Nate
Quarry vs. Tim Credeur
R1 - Credeur and Quarry both decide to test the stand-up early
in the fight, with Credeur landing the better combinations. Late
in the first, Credeur tags Quarry with a good punch, and follows
it up to the ground where he almost snatches a rear naked choke,
but Quarry fights out. The end of the round brings another good
flurry from Tim Credeur.
R2-
The two swing heavy at each other to open the 2nd with Quarry
tagging Credeur and putting him down. Quarry works his ground
and pound for most of the round. Credeur does a good job defending,
but Quarry controls the entire 5 minutes.
R3-
Quarry and Credeur set the bar very high with another fantastic
round, each fighter tagging the other with big punches. Quarry
gets the better of it, hitting Credeur with a few monster shots.
The round moves on with each hitting hard and heavy until the
final horn sounds.
-Nate
Quarry def. Tim Credeur by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27,
29-28)
Brian
Stann vs. Steve Cantwell
R1 - Both fighters are rushed to the cage to keep up with the
TV schedule and start trading strikes in classic fashion... as
expected. Both fighters land hard with Cantwell being just a
bit crisper and pressing forward the entire round. 10-9 Cantwell
R2
- A carbon copy of round one. There seems to be no sense of urgency
by Stann as Cantwell again outpoints him on the feet.
R3
- Round three is just like the previous one. Cantwell stalks
and Stann searches for a hole in Cantwell’s defense. Cantwell
controls the entire 15 minutes yet loses a curious decision.
Again the crowd is unhappy.
Brian
Stann def. Steve Cantwell by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27,
29-28), R3
Mike
Pyle vs. Chris Wilson
R1 - Slow start as Pyle earns a tough takedown into Wilson’s
guard, where the fight remains uneventful with not much in the
way of offense from either fighter. First round 10-9 for Pyle.
R2
- Pyle avoids a couple of wild punches and secures a takedown,
again into Wilson’s full guard a minute in. Pyle controls
the action and does just enough to not be stood back up until
one minute left. A failed Anaconda by Pyle ends the round. Pyle
again wins the round 10-9.
R3
- Wilson is the aggressor and maybe too aggressive. As he attempts
a takedown, he leaves his neck out and Pyle quickly executes
a perfect guillotine for his 17th submission win at 2:15 of the
third round.
Mike
Pyle def. Chris Wilson by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:15,
R3
C.B.
Dollaway vs. Jay Silva
R1 - Dollaway lands a takedown early and works for a guillotine,
but Silva escapes and stands. Dollaway doesn't want to stand
too long obviously and takes Silva down repeatedly, four total
takedowns for the round, which Dollaway easily wins.
R2
- Fireworks early as Silva cracks Dollaway's jaw several times,
dropping him. Dollaway mounts then takes the back and works several
rear naked choke attempts for the remainder of the round. Dollaway
wins the round 10-9 again.
R3
- Dollaway survives an early flurry to gain the takedown. Both
fighters look very tired. Dollaway gets full mount, but looks
too tired to throw anything and Silva easily reverses him. Silva
let's Dollaway up to try for a miracle KO to the crowd’s
approval and is taken down for his trouble. Dollaway finishes
in mount to win the fight.
C.B.
Dollaway def. Jay Silva by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28), R3
Jeremy
Stephens vs. Justin Buchholz
R1 - Unlike the last fight, 75 punches landed in the first minute.
Stephens rocks Buchholz and drops him, but Buchholz recovers
and stands. Stephens drops Buchholz again, cutting him badly.
Officials and doctors stop the contest.
Jeremy
Stephens def. Justin Buchholz by TKO (Cut) at 3:32, R1
Brock
Larson vs. Mike Pierce
R1 - Pierce takes Larson down and blankets him for the majority
of the first round. Larson escapes with 45 seconds left. Round
should go to Pierce.
R2
- Pierce takes Brock down at 3:00 mark. Brief moments of action
are scare. Peirce scores only takedown so another round probably
goes his way.
R3
- Virtually no action until 2:30 when Pierce gets another takedown
from a minute long clinch. Lay and pray ensues for the remainder
of the round. Pierce should take the round and the fight.
Mike
Pierce def. Brock Larson by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27,
30-27), R3
Steve
Steinbeiss vs. Ryan Jansen
R1 - There was controversy as official Gary Ritter stopped the
bout while Jansen has a guillotine in and Steinbeiss raises his
thumb to show he is fine.
Ryan
Jensen def. Steve Steinbeiss by Technical Submission (Guillotine
Choke) at 3:56, R1
UFC
Fight Night 19 Quick Results:
Main
Card Bouts:
-Nate Diaz (10-4) vs. Melvin Guillard (22-7-2)
-Gray Maynard (7-0) vs. Roger Huerta (20-2-1)
-Carlos Condit (22-5) vs. Jake Ellenberger (21-4)
-Nate Quarry (11-3) vs. Tim Credeur (12-2)
Preliminary
Card Bouts:
-Nate Diaz def. Melvin Guillard by submission (guillotine choke)
at 2:13, R2
-Gray Maynard def. Roger Huerta by split decision (30-27, 29-28,
28-29)
-Carlos Condit def. Jake Ellenberger by split decision (29-28,
29-28, 28-29)
-Nate Quarry def. Tim Credeur by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27,
29-28)
-Brian Stann def. Steve Cantwell by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28), R3
-Mike Pyle def. Chris Wilson by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 2:15, R3
-C.B. Dollaway def. Jay Silva by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28,
29-28), R3
-Jeremy Stephens def. Justin Buchholz by TKO (Cut) at 3:32, R1
-Mike Pierce def. Brock Larson by Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27), R3
-Ryan Jensen def. Steve Steinbeiss by Technical Submission (Guillotine
Choke) at 3:56, R1
DIAZ SUBMITS GUILLARD IN FIGHT NIGHT MAIN EVENT
Coming in off of back-to-back losses, Nate Diaz may have had
his back against a wall, but at UFC Fight Night 19 on Wednesday
night, he fought the same way he always has, showing strength
and resiliency by submitting Melvin Guillard with a guillotine
choke in the second round.
As
the fight started, it was clear that Guillard was gunning for
the knockout, throwing right hand after right hand trying to
catch Diaz. Guillard hit Diaz with a good shot that sent the
former "Ultimate Fighter" down to the mat, but he was
back up looking for a ground attack shortly thereafter.
Guillard
did a great job of working his way back to the feet multiple
times, while also mixing in a nice hip throw along the way. During
one exchange, Diaz was opened up over top of his right eye. As
the blood began to flow, Guillard tried that much hard to land
the knockout punch.
Diaz
started to work his jab more as round two began, moving forward
to get his timing down to keep Guillard at bay. One good jab
slipped through that Guillard ate. Playing possum after eating
the shot, Guillard ended up on the wrong end of a guillotine
choke.
Diaz
cinched up the hold as Guillard struggled for air and finally
succumbed to the hold, tapping out midway through round two.
Back
on the right track, Diaz will always be a charismatic and popular
personality, and with the win moves forward in a stacked lightweight
division.
Source: MMA Weekly |
COUTURE
VS. VERA AGREED TO FOR UFC 105
A light heavyweight match-up between five-time UFC champion Randy
Couture and Brandon Vera is targeted for UFC 105.
The
news was first reported by British website Telegraph.co.uk and
Bloody Elbow. According to MMAWeekly.com's sources, both fighters
have verbally agreed to the fight and are expected to receive
bout agreements shortly.
UFC
105 is set for Nov. 14 at the Manchester Evening News Arena in
Manchester, England.
Couture
(16-10) appeared last month at UFC 102, losing a unanimous decision
to former Pride and interim UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
in a bout considered by many to be an instant classic. Following
the bout, Couture hinted at a possible drop to 205 pounds, where
he fought for nearly three years, thrice winning title honors.
Vera
(14-3) fought alongside Couture on the Pacific Northwest card
last month, winning a unanimous decision victory over Krzystzof
Soszynski. Once a heavyweight himself, Vera has notched a 3-1
Octagon record as a light heavyweight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ESCUDERO
READY FOR MILLER ON SPIKE MINI-EVENT
Efrain Escudero, winner of Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter,
is set to make his return to the Octagon at UFC 103 on Sept.
19 in Dallas against Cole Miller.
A
few injuries, primarily a rib injury sustained in practice, had
prevented “Echo en Mexico’s” initial return to
the cage this past April at UFC Fight Night 18 in Nashville,
Tenn., where he was scheduled to take on the hard-nosed bruiser
Jeremy Stephens.
It
marked the first time in a perfect 10-0, three-year career as
a professional mixed martial artist where Escudero was forced
to withdraw from competition. The limelight of the UFC made things
all the more harder on the 23-year-old.
“I
was very disappointed just for the fact that I’ve never
actually pulled out of a fight before, so it was my first one
and I was pretty devastated,” he said while speaking exclusively
with the MMAWeekly.com Radio show.
“I
did take the time off; they scheduled me for a pretty long away
fight so I was able to let my leg healed and everything’s
back to normal. I’m good, well rested and now I’m ready
to get back into the Octagon.”
Never
one to disappoint the public, Escudero was not prepared to go
into his match with Stephens less than 100-percent. If he should
lose one day, he doesn’t want to leave any excuses lingering.
“I’m
in there to fight and I’m not in there to make excuses,”
said the Tempe, Ariz., native.
“I
hope everybody believes me when I said I was injured. I don’t
want to be looked like I’m a little girl or something that
I got scared. It’s nothing like that. I was never scared
of Jeremy Stephens, my respect to him, but now we got to move
on and move forward.”
There
are no such things as easy fights in the UFC. Returning to action
after a near nine-month lapse, the former collegiate wrestling
All-American will face off against a fellow Ultimate Fighter
alumnus when he takes on Miller, who’s riding on the success
of his last two outings. He won come from behind submission victories
over Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Jorge Gurgel and TUF bad
boy Junie Browning.
It’s
no easy feat to come back from an injury and be seemingly thrown
to the wolves, but make no mistake about it Escudero is exactly
where he wants to be.
“I
actually do want somebody tough. I don’t want (the UFC)
to baby me,” said the proud Mexican fighter.
“A
lot of people believe that coming off the show that all the fighters,
they’re going to baby them just because the UFC is going
to try and build a name. We’re tough fighters; we got to
show everybody, the public and our opponents, that we do belong
in the cage with them.”
Originally
relegated from main card status back to the preliminary portion
of the card, Escudero insists that regardless of where he ends
up, it’s irrelevant, and he will continue to fight just
the same as always, fast and full of heart.
“I’m
going to be a fighter no matter what happens. I’m going
to go in there the same way whether it’s fighting in the
main event or the prelims; I don’t really pay much attention
to that.”
The
Southwest MMA product will still be headlining his own unofficial
event, where his matchup along with Tomas Drwal versus Drew McFedries
will be featured on an hour-long block on SpikeTV prior to the
start of the pay-per-view.
A
sort of homecoming for Escudero, he comes full circle where it
all began, and now has a whole new motivation going into the
bout.
“People
will be able to see me and Cole Miller’s fight, so I’m
pretty excited. We’re going to go out there and just give
the fans what people want to see.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MARK
BOCEK VS. MATT VEACH AT TUF 10 FINALE
Lightweights Mark Bocek and Matt Veach are expected to clash
at the season ten finale of "The Ultimate Fighter,"
according to a source close to the bout. Though bout agreements
have yet to be signed, both parties have agreed to the fight
and should finalize a deal soon.
The
Palms Casino Resort hosts the heavyweight centered reality show
finale on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas.
Bocek
(7-2) took the summer off from competition after tearing his
LCL in preparation for his last appearance at UFC 97, where he
defeated David Bielkheden by submission. The decorated grappler
has gone 3-2 in the Octagon since making his debut at UFC 73.
Veach
(11-0) last month injured his back and was forced to withdraw
from a scheduled bout with Evan Dunham at UFC 102, his second
Octagon appearance since a successful debut against Matt Grice
at UFC Fight Night 17. He trains with the H.I.T. Squad in Granite
City, Ill.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Marquardt
vs. Henderson Targeted for UFC 105 Main Event
UFC 105 may have found its main event.
FanHouse
has learned that the UFC is looking to book a middleweight bout
between Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson for the Nov. 14 show
at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England.
As of Thursday afternoon, though, official bout agreements had
yet to be finalized.
The
winner of this potential bout would likely receive another title
shot against current middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Marquardt
was last seen knocking out Demian Maia at UFC 102 in just 21
seconds, while Henderson defeated Michael Bisping via second-round
knockout at UFC 100 in July.
Despite
the fact that both men have already suffered losses to Silva
in the past, they are clearly the top two contenders in the UFC's
middleweight division. Marquardt lost to Silva via TKO at UFC
73 in July 2007. Since then, he has won four of five fights.
Meanwhile, Henderson lost to Silva at UFC 82 via rear-naked choke
submission. He has since rebounded to win his last three fights
in a row.
One
of the potential holdups could be Henderson's current contract
status with the UFC. Earlier this week, SI.com MMA writer Josh
Gross tweeted that Henderson was a free agent and contract negotiations
were characterized as "slow."
Other
match-ups expected for the event include Bisping vs. Denis Kang,
Dan Hardy vs. Dong Hyun Kim and James Wilks vs. Matt Brown. UFC
105 is scheduled to air via tape delay in the United States on
Spike TV.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
At
37, Nate Quarry Still Enjoying UFC Grind
In April, Nate Quarry rebounded from the quickest loss in his
career with a dominant first-round victory over Jason MacDonald.
Now, the heavy-handed middleweight hopes to make it two in a
row, but will need to stop the growing momentum of Tim Credeur,
who is on a six-fight win streak. The two square off at UFC Fight
Night on Sept. 16.
In
this FanHouse interview, Quarry (11-3) candidly talks about the
Credeur matchup, his disappointment in losing to Demian Maia,
why he'd still take the Rich Franklin fight knowing it would
end in infamy, and the best and worst parts of being a fighter
at age 37.
Mike
Chiappetta: Tim Credeur has a six-match win streak including
three in a row in the UFC, but this is a step up in experience
level for him. Do you think he's ready to take on someone with
your experience level?
Nate Quarry: You know, I think it's a great fight with great
timing. He is coming off a winning streak, and everything he's
been doing, he's been successful at. This is a great opportunity
to have a great fight for both of us.
And
what about him as an opponent. In your last two fights you faced
MacDonald and Maia. Nothing against Credeur, but he isn't as
big a name as those two. Are you satisfied with him as an opponent?
You know, I look at every fight as the most important fight of
my career. I'm not going to look past anyone. This is the way
it goes. When I fought my first three fights in the UFC, I was
eligible for a title fight. You fight, you continue winning and
keep on moving up the ladder. And I know that's what he's looking
to do against me.
His
submission game has to be your biggest concern, right?
I'm looking all around at the whole thing but yeah, I think he
considers himself more of a jiu-jitsu guy, but he's been so successful
in his past few fights with striking. It's obvious he's been
working with striking coaches and Forrest Griffin, and probably
Xtreme Couture. He's looking to bring a full, complete game and
that's what you need in today's UFC.
Give
me your overall scouting report on him.
Really I just see a complete package. Someone that's consistently
growing. Every one of his fights, he's not looking to sit back
and win a decision. He's looking to finish fights, and that's
what I like: an opponent that's going to go in there and mix
it up with me. It's going to be exciting. I think it's going
to be a lot of fun.
In
your last fight, you easily handled MacDonald, who is usually
a really durable fighter and tough to finish. Were you surprised
with the level of your domination of that fight?
I go into my fights with no expectations. I think if you go in
with expectations, if things don't go your way, it's easy to
get flustered. I was looking the whole fight and thinking that
I was going to finish this fight, bring my whole game and be
aggressive. Once I got started, I wasn't going to stop when it
was over.
And
it was over quickly, in just about two minutes.
I was really pleased with that. I knew how tough and skilled
MacDonald is. He finished Chris Leben, he finished Ed Herman.
He'd gone to the second round with Rich Franklin and the third
with Maia. I was actually amazed when UFC cut him after that
fight because he's such a good fighter with a good fanbase. But
when the ref jumped in and pulled me off him, I thought he was
checking the cut, so I was kind of pissed off. I wanted to get
back to work, but then I realized he'd waved it off.
Did
you go into that match wanting to try to make a statement after
your quick loss to Maia?
Well, I hope it made a statement. I always have people tell me
I'm one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC. I don't consider
myself that way because I don't put a lot of thought into that.
But I have five knockouts now in the UFC. All my fights except
for Kalib Starnes and Pete Sell were first-rounders, win or lose.
I go into a fight really aggressive. Sometimes it gets the best
of me, but most times it's worked out in my favor.
Do
you think you'll modify your approach to lengthen your career?
No. That's what I want to do, that's what I enjoy doing. You
don't become a legend by winning decisions. That's what fans
want to see, that's what gets you bonuses, that's what feeds
my family. I've seen a lot of fighters stay in the UFC with losing
records because they were such exciting fighters who put it on
line. I think that's what fans pay to see, want to see and relate
to. On any given day, I'm going to bring the best game I possibly
have. At least I can say, 'Win or lose, I did the best I could.
What else I could have done?' That allows me to sleep at night.
Were
you any more nervous than usual heading into the MacDonald fight
since you were coming off a loss to Maia?
I'd say that I was. I generally go in with a high level of anxiety
anyways. That's when I fight the best, is when I'm scared to
death. I've never been one of those guys like Randy Couture,
who goes in happy he can compete. Every time I do that, I get
whupped on, because I need a high level of aggressiveness to
go in and work my game. I do my best to psyche myself up. The
week of the fight is pretty miserable for me and those around
me, but that's how I compete at my best level.
I
was at UFC 91 when you lost to Maia, and I heard rumblings that
you were very sick and weak but you still went through with the
fight? How sick were you?
I definitely don't want to use that as an excuse because he was
by far the better fighter that day. His jiu-jitsu was phenomenal.
It was an honor to fight him. I ended up getting a bad stomatch
flu virus after cutting weight. I threw up from about 6 pm to
11 pm after the weigh-ins and had a fever of around 102. From
the time I made weight to the time I left to go to the venue
the next day, I didn't leave my bed at all except to throw up
and take a shower. But that's just the way it is. I wasn't about
to call Maia and say, 'Hey, I'm not feeling good. Sorry you can't
feed your family.' I had so many friends and family there. I
went out and did the best I possibly could on that given day
with what I had. I still went in to finish the fight and he was
able to beat me. He's a phenomenal fighter. If we were to fight
again, who knows, maybe the exact same thing would happen and
he'd catch me in a choke again. I did the best I could and I
have no regrets.
I'm
sure fans can appreciate the fact you're not using it as an excuse,
but what kind of emotion goes through you when you go through
the sacrifices of training camp, cutting weight and spending
time away from family and then you are not able to fight at an
optimal level because of something out of your control?
It's definitely very disappointing because I wasn't able to bring
my best game, so it's something where I'll always wonder, 'What
if I hadn't got sick? What would've happened?' But it's something
you deal with and put aside. You have to take the bad with the
good in this sport.
I
even told Rich Franklin that. A year or so after we fought, I
had the opportunity to talk to him. And I mentioned to him that
people ask me if I was rushed into the fight. I told him I wouldn't
change it for anything. Even if I knew going into it that I'd
get knocked out. That experience is something in life... I was
a poor boy from a blue-collar town, now fighting in the UFC main
event at the MGM Grand fighting in front of millions of people.
I wouldn't take that away even though it is a loss that gets
shown over and over every time Rich's name is mentioned. That's
just a part of the game and part of sports. There are wins and
losses, and it's how you take those losses that determines what
kind of person you're going to be.
You're
37 now. How do you feel physically after all these years of fighting?
I'm feeling really good. I can't lie, I don't have the fountain
of youth like Randy does. It takes me longer to recover now.
Injuries ache a bit longer. I just have to be smarter about my
training and not allow myself to get out of shape. I feel really
good going into this fight and my back has never been a question
since my surgery. Nuvasive did such a great job I was even able
to recommend Tito Ortiz to get the same surgery.
Have
you talked to Tito since the surgery?
I haven't talked to him in few months. It was funny. He called
me 4-5 days after the surgery and said, 'Nate, I can't even jog
on a treadmill, this is terrible.' I'm like, 'Man, you just had
major back surgery! This isn't a little cut. They went into your
body and fused bones together that are now going to grow together.
You've got to give it a little time.' Last I heard, he's feeling
great and looking real strong.
Do
you still enjoy the grind of it?
I love the training, that's for sure. I love getting together
with my closest friends and all of us working towards a purpose
of going into battle. Even though I'm the one going in there,
they're all being carried with me. I love going and showing up.
It's going to work with your best friends and doing something
you love. It's so much fun, and also knowing wherever I go in
any gym, in any town, I can walk through the door and be welcome
there, and get in a good workout, meet nice people and have something
in common. It's a lot of fun.
What's
the best part about it?
The best part would have to be the life it provides me and my
little girl. Now that I'm more recognizable, that makes more
doors open for me. People look at me and say, 'You've got it
easy. You just get to work out, eat and sleep.' They don't realize
this has been a 13-year journey for me. I've been training for
13 years, fighting for 11, and it's been seven years since I
quit my fulltime job to become a fulltime fighter.
Question
submitted by @Douglasm1986 via Twitter: What is the hardest part
of living the MMA life?
The hardest part is waking up stiff and tired because I've been
pushing my body to the absolute limit. I'm right on the verge
of overtraining every single day as I get close to the end of
the camp. I'm pushing everything I possibly got. Even if I'm
too exhausted for a full, hardcore workout, I'll shadow box,
move around with my coach and work on the game plan. That's the
hardest part, getting up and moving when you're exhausted and
all you want to do is lay on the couch and watch Family Guy reruns.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Dana
White Disses Mayweather-Marquez
Dana White hasn't cooled off on HBO boxing's decision to air
the Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez boxing match on
Sept. 19 -- the same night as UFC 103.
In
a new video released by the UFC on Wednesday, which contains
some obscene language, White took a few more jabs at his pay-per-view
counterparts.
"Boxing
is doing it to you again," White said. "They're giving
you the fight that you don't want. Nobody asked for this fight
with Mayweather and ... what's his name? What's his name? Nobody
even knows. Nobody in this room even knows who Floyd's fighting.
"
... On that same night, on that UFC card, you guys can all tune
in and you can watch not one fight, you guys can watch five great
fights that night for ten dollars less than what Floyd wants
you to pay to see him run around in circles, and lay on the ropes,
and move around and not fight."
However,
Mark Taffet, the senior vice president of HBO pay-per-view, told
FanHouse at a sports business forum in New York City on Wednesday,
that they didn't try to intentionally counterprogram UFC 103.
"It's
definitely not something that happens intentionally, and it's
something that you would want to have happen as infrequently
as possible because the distribution pipelines prefer to be clean
and singularly focused," Taffet said. "When it does
occur, we're confident from a consumer perspective of there being
very little overlap and the events will all thrive. But it's
clearly something that on a going forward basis that will happen
as infrequently as possible."
Regardless,
Taffet doesn't believe either show will generate less pay-per-view
buys as a result of airing on the same night.
"There's
very little overlap in the fan bases between the sports. We believe
that there's not more than 5% overlap in the fan bases. Each
sport has its unique fans, it's passionate fans, and its loyal
fans. We think that our fans are going to find Mayweather-Marquez
that night -- we're very confident about that -- and it's a world
in which multiple sports are thriving in the pay-per-view industry
and the pay-per-view distributors the beneficiaries."
The
UFC and HBO boxing will also go head-to-head on Nov. 14 when
the Manny Pacquaio vs. Miguel Cotto fight will air against Spike's
tape delayed telecast of UFC 105.
It's
clear that all parties involved on the boxing side have no interest
in talking about competing against the UFC. When FanHouse asked
Mayweather about White recently saying he wasn't a superstar,
Mayweather quickly brushed it off.
"I'm
not worried about what Dana White said," Mayweather said.
"I mean, Dana White says what he says -- it don't matter.
I'm not thinking about Dana White."
Perhaps
Golden Boy and HBO don't want to give the public a reason to
pay attention to UFC 103, or maybe they just don't consider the
UFC competition. But White is taking a much different approach.
He seems to have no issue addressing the Mayweather-Marquez fight
in the crucial days leading up to Sept. 19. Conventional wisdom
says a promoter should never address the competition, but if
you thought White would do that in this case, you haven't been
paying much attention.
Only
time will tell if either show will suffer from going up against
each other. But one thing is for certain: it looks like the war
between the UFC and boxing is only getting started.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Santiago,
Randleman, Omigawa Set for Sengoku 11
Sengoku middleweight champion Jorge Santiago, featherweight GP
finalist Michihiro Omigawa and Strikeforce light heavyweight
Kevin Randleman will compete on the Sengoku 11 card on Nov. 7
at the Ryo-goku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
World
Victory Road announced the initial details for Sengoku 11 at
a small conference Friday at the J-ROCK workout studio in Tokyo,
where Omigawa was also present to conduct a workout for the media.
Santiago
(22-7) has not fought since winning the Sengoku strap against
Kazuo Misaki in January. He was scheduled to face Vitor Belfort
at Affliction 3 in August but the cancellation of the entire
has pushed back Santiago's in-ring return to November. His opponent
would have been Misaki but the 2006 PRIDE GP winner is currently
under suspension for an evading and reckless driving incident.
Instead, Santiago's challenger could be the winner of the upcoming
Joe Doerksen vs. Takeshi Sato fight at Sengoku 10 on Sept. 23.
In
his only Sengoku appearance, Randleman (17-13) won a unanimous
decision against Ryo Kawamura at Sengoku 2 in May. Randleman
is coming off a loss to Mike Whitehead at a Strikeforce event
in June. Sherdog.com reported Thursday that discussions are in
place for Randleman to fight Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
at the event as long as Strikeforce signs off on allowing Randleman
to fight elsewhere.
Showing
that his poor record is a result of being thrown into the wolves
early in his career, Omigawa (7-8) turned his career around in
2009 with wins over LC Davis, Nam Phan and Marlon Sandro. The
judoka recently lost a split decision to Masanori Kanehara at
the Sengoku Featherweight GP Finals but is still in the mix for
a title shot along with Hatsu Hioki and Sandro.
World
Victory Road also revealed that the MMA debut of 2008 Olympic
judo gold medalist Satoshi Ishii has been pushed back to Sengoku's
New Year's Eve or early 2010 card, depending on the finalized
date.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
HERMAN
TAKES OUT FRYE AT SHARK FIGHTS
AMARILLO, Texas – The Panhandle of West Texas played host
Saturday night to Shark Fights 6 from the Civic Center Coliseum.
In
a special treat for fans, legendary MMA fighter and commentator
Bas Rutten was in attendance, calling the action for the pay-per-view
event alongside veteran broadcaster Ron Kruck. During the main
card Rutten and Kruck were joined by WEC featherweight Champion
Mike Brown, who was at the event to corner for one of his fighters.
In
the main event, Don “The Predator” Frye’s infamous
mustache didn’t hold up as Dave “Pee Wee” Herman
was able to gain favorable position on the UFC legend and reign
down elbows from the standing position before the referee stepped
in. The fight was stopped at one minute of the first round.
The
stand-up action appeared even when Frye decided to go for a takedown.
He got a hold of one of Herman’s leg, but was unable to
drive the fight to the ground. Despite that, Frye held on to
the leg and Herman used the opportunity to begin reigning down
elbows, leading to what could be argued an early stoppage.
Herman
looked impressive in limited action and hopes to take another
fight while he waits on the Bellator heavyweight tournament to
start. Herman, who received permission from Bellator to take
this fight, will again seek permission, most likely looking to
take a fight over in Japan.
Even
in defeat, the crowd chanted for Frye. He could certainly take
another fight with Shark Fights if he wanted, or also seek a
fight over in Japan where he is wildly popular.
In
the co-main event, Nissen Osterneck and Gerald “Hurricane"
Harris stepped into the cage to crown the organization’s
first middleweight champion. Harris wasted little time, knocking
out Osterneck with a blistering left jab that left his opponent
unconscious on the canvas for nearly a minute.
Harris,
who competed on season seven of The Ultimate Fighter, may have
earned another look from the UFC after notching his seventh straight
win since being a contestant on the reality show. For those that
remember, Harris lost to Amir Sadolloh, the fighter who would
go on to be crowned champion.
If
the UFC doesn’t call, Strikeforce is the obvious next option.
In the meantime, Shark Fights can hope Harris stays around long
enough to defend his belt.
For
Osterneck, the brutal knockout will certainly prevent him from
fighting for one of the big two organizations for the foreseeable
future, which would have been a likely option with a win.
In
a light heavyweight scrap, local favorite Marcus “Money”
Sursa came out a man on fire. His intensity paid dividends as
he overwhelmed his opponent Isaac Villanueva from start to finish.
An early takedown eventually led to a guillotine and Villanueva
was forced to tap at 2:06 of the first round.
With
the win, Sursa ran his record to 3-0 under the Shark Fights banner
and was guaranteed a title fight in his post-fight interview.
Shark Fights will begin its search for a worthy opponent and
look to crown their first light heavyweight champion on an upcoming
event.
Sursa,
with his hair died green, is certainly one of the more lively
fighters in the sport. If his skill level can keep pace with
his personality, he looks to have a bright future with Shark
Fights.
In
a welterweight title fight, Anthony "T.J." Waldburger
defended his belt against MMA veteran Pat "Bam Bam"
Healy in a fight that went to the judges’ scorecards.
The
champion and the veteran engaged in a back-and-forth affair with
most of the action on the ground. The crowd showed great appreciation
for what was a compelling grappling match with some giving a
standing ovation when the final bell sounded.
Waldburger
went for submission attempt after submission attempt, several
of which looked like they would end the fight. But Healy, one
of the most seasoned welterweights in the sport, was scrappy
throughout and survived what felt like a record number of attempts.
For
Waldburger, it was his first title defense. Getting the win over
a seasoned fighter like Healy is no small feet. It will be interesting
to see who Shark Fights can bring in to test the young champion.
It
didn’t take Ran Weathers long to dispose of WEC fighter
Phil Cardella. Weathers rocked Cardella 30 seconds into the fight,
flooring his opponent. He followed Cardella to the canvas, but
Cardella was done before he hit the ground. The referee was forced
to stop the fight at 36 seconds of the first round.
The
loss for Cardella was undoubtedly a disappointing setback, possibly
eliminating him from a future fight with the WEC. For Weathers
he can possibly use the momentum to secure a lightweight title
fight. The promotion does not currently have a champion in the
155-pound division.
Also
of note on the evening was a special guest appearance by Tapout
crew members Punkass and Skyscrape, along with WEC fighters Donald
“Cowboy” Cerrone and Leonard “Badboy” Garcia.
A moment of silence was offered to the legendary Charles “Mask”
Lewis who helped pioneer the sport for all.
Overall,
fans were treated to an entertaining night of fights, punctuated
by several devastating knockouts and a five round title fight
that showed MMA fans can appreciate a competitive ground fight.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“All
the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.”
George Harrison
|
Watch
the ADCC 2009 live
Webcast will reach 10,000 people around the world
The
most prestigious Submission Grappling event in the world, the
ADCC 2009, will have a live, pay-per-view Webcast from Barcelona,
Spain, to potentially 10,000 computers connected to the internet
anywhere in the world, on September 26 and 27.
The
package price, that include the live Webcast and also Video on
Demand (VOD), is US$19.95*.
The
live Webcast will start at the beginning of the tournament and
it will go thorough the day until the last match, in both days.
The company is expecting anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of live stream
per day.
VOD will be available to all viewers that have purchased the
package from September 30 until October 12.
You
can order today by clicking here.
*
After Sep 19, the package price will cost $24.95.
Meet
the stars
With less than two weeks to go till ADCC Barcelona 2009, we took
roll to find out who will be sweating up the mats of the Badalona
Municipal Sports Pavilion.
Of course there will be last-minute changes and you will be able
to keep up with all the flip-flops in names till the first exchange
of grips right here. The organization promises 16 athletes for
each male category. Now the female division will have eight per
category.
Of 2007’s champions, only Demian Maia (under 88kg) and Roger
Gracie will be out of this year’s event. Find out who is
in as of now, category by category.
With
less than two weeks to go till ADCC Barcelona 2009, we took roll
to find out who will be sweating up the mats of the Badalona
Municipal Sports Pavilion.
Of
course there will be last-minute changes and you will be able
to keep up with all the flip-flops in names till the first exchange
of grips right here. The organization promises 16 athletes for
each male category. Now the female division will have eight per
category.
Of
2007’s champions, only Demian Maia (under 88kg) and Roger
Gracie will be out of this year’s event. Find out who is
in as of now, category by category.
Super
match
Robert
Drysdale (absolute champion of 2007) vs Ronaldo Jacaré
(2005 absolute runner-up)
Men
Over
99kg
1.
Jeff Monson (USA)
2. Tom Erikson (USA)
3. Jon Olav Einemo (Norway)
4. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil)
5. Rogent Lloret (Spain)
6. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil)
7. Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) – ADCC champion
8. Denis Roberts (Australia) – Pacific trials winner
9. Asa Fuller (USA) – North American East Coast trials winner
10. Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) – European trials
winner
11. Tomasz Janiszewski (Poland) – European trials winner
12. Antoine Jaoude (Brazil) – South American trials winner
13. Kouji Kanechika (Japan) – Asian trials winner
14. Tom De Blass (USA) –North American West Coast trials
winner
15. Gabriel Gonzaga (Brazil)
16. Karol Bedorf (Poland)
Under
99kg
1.
Renato “Babalu” Sobral (Brazil)
2. Vesa Vuori (Finland)
3. Vinícius “Pezão” Magalhães
(Brazil)
4. Dean Lister (USA)
5. Alexandre Ribeiro (Brazil) – ADCC champion
6. Anthony Perosh (Australia) – Pacific trials winner
7. Rafael Davies (USA) –American East Coast trials winner
8. Andreas Olsen (Norway) – European champion
9. Radek Turek (Poland) – European trials winner
10. Glover Teixeira (Brazil) – South American trials winner
11. Yukiya Naito (Japan) – Asian trials winner
12. Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) –North American West Coast trials
winner
13. Márcio “Pé de Pano” Cruz (Brazil)
Under
88kg
ADCC2007NJ0793
1.Tarsis
Humphreys (Brazil)
2. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan) – Asian trials winner
3. André Galvão (Brazil) – South American
trials winner
4. Kassim Annan (France) – European trials winner
5. Trond Saksenvik (Norway) – European champion
6. Jason Selva (USA) – North American East Coast trials
winner
7. Igor Praporshchikov (Australia) – Pacific trials winner
8. Chris Weidman (USA) –North American West Coast trials
winner
9. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland)
10. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA)
11. Daniel Tabera. (Spain)
12. Bráulio Estima (Brazil)
13. Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares (Brazil)
14. Bruno Bastos (Brazil)
15. Jorge Santiago (Brazil)
16. Tom Lawler (USA)
Under
77kg
ADCC2007NJ0439
1.
Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. K-taro Nakamura (Japão) – Asian trials winner
3. Murilo Santana (Brazil) – South American trials winner
4. Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo (Brazil) – European
trials winner
5. Toni Linden (Finlândia) – European champion
6. Don Ortega (EUA) – North American East Coast trials winner
7. Rodney Ellis (Austrália) – Pacific trials winner
8. Enrico Cocco (USA) – North American West Coast trials
winner
9. Kron Gracie (Brazil)
10. Pablo Popovich (Brazil)
11. Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (Japan)
12. Milton Vieira (Brazil)
13.Bill Cooper (USA)
14.Ben Askren (USA)
15. Gregor Gracie (Brazil)
16. Leonardo Santos (Brazil)
Under
66kg
ADCC2007NJ0585
1.
Rani Yahya (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. Kouhei Yasumi (Japan) – Asian trials winner
3. Rafael Mendes (Brazil) – South American trials winner
4. Nicolas Renier (France) – European trials winner
5. Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas (Finland) – European champion
6. Ryan Hall (EUA) –North American East Coast trials
7. David Marinakis (Austrália) – Oceania trials
8. Jayson Patino (USA) – North American West Coast trials
9. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil)
10. Leo Vieira (Brazil)
11. Baret
Yoshida (USA)
12. Jeff Glover (USA)
13.Hiroshi “Iron” Nakamura (Japan)
14.Justin Rader (USA)
15.Jeff Curran (USA)
16.Urijah Faber (USA)
Women
Under
60kg
ADCC2007NJ0547
1.
Kyra Gracie (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. Sayaka Shioda (Japan) – ADCC champion
3. Megumi Fujii (Japan) – Asia pacific trials winner
4. Michelle Tavares (Brazil) – South American trials winner
5. Laurence Cousin (France) – European trials winner
6. Ina Steffensen (Denmark) – European champion
7. Hillary Williams (USA) – North American trials winner
8.Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil)
Over
60kg
ADCC2007NJ1443
1.
Hannette Staack (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. Penny Thomas (USA) – ADCC champion
3. Hitomi Hiraiwa (Japan– Asian Pacific trials winner)
4. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) – South
American trials winner
5. Ida Hansson (Sweden) – European champion
6. Shanti Abelha (Denmark) – campeã européia
7. Lana Stephanac (USA) – seletiva norte-americana
8.Cris Cyborg (Brazil)
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Yves
Edwards: "I don't want to go out like the last two or three
years"
Yves
Edwards is scheduled to fight Hawaii's own Harris "The Hitman"
Sarmiento in October. Stay tuned for more details.
Four
wins, seven losses.
It's
a record that would be less-than-desirable for any professional
fighter over an 11-fight stretch.
But
for a man once known as the uncrowned champion of the UFC's lightweight
division, it's simply unacceptable.
"I
don't want to go out like the last two or three years,"
Yves Edwards recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).
"I want to leave something behind, something that I can
remember, something that I can be proud of. I think that kind
of got away from me for a while. I'm just trying to get that
back."
Edwards
entered this past Friday's "Shine Fights 2: American Top
Team vs. The World" on a two-fight losing streak and with
the aforementioned less-than-desirable stretch.
Edwards
entered the bout looking to turn things around, but even that
didn't come easy. A last second change of opponent complicated
the challenge.
"It's
one of those things where I got a text that said, 'Your opponent
got changed; it's James Warfield, and he's 15-3,'" Edwards
said. "I was like, 'Oh, OK.' I just looked him up on Sherdog
for his record and pulled him up on YouTube to see if he had
any fights on there.
"I
really wanted to fight. I saw a few of his fights, and I saw
his record. He had a lot of knockouts, and I saw one or two of
his fights, and he looks like he hits hard. He swings for the
fences."
Despite
the difficulties of facing a heavy hitting brawler, Edwards felt
the matchup was perfect for his goals.
"I
think it was the perfect fight to get back in the groove simply
because it was a dangerous guy, and you've got to stay focused,"
Edwards said. "I felt rusty. I felt like everything wasn't
as smooth as I would want it to be.
"My
timing felt off. I felt like I was rushing things. And with a
dangerous guys like that, that made me stay a little more focused,
I think. I could have fell asleep and get caught with something."
While
Edwards admitted he still didn't feel 100 percent in the cage,
the Texan was able to weather an early onslaught from Warfield
and secure a triangle choke in the second round. The UFC, PRIDE
and Strikeforce veteran said it wasn't his best performance,
he felt it was a necessary step
"Most
guys don't really remember much about the fight, but my memory
is usually petty good," Edwards said. "I don't remember
100 percent of things, but after watching [the fight with Warfield],
it was like one of my first fights where I'm like, 'Oh, that
happened.' I don't remember much about it at all.
"There
were so many parts of the fight like that for me. I feel like
it had something to do with my timing. It will be good because
I've got another one coming up pretty soon and I'll get another
chance to knock a little bit more of the rust off or see if it's
all been knocked off by Warfield."
The
win was Edwards' first since February 2008, and it snapped a
two-fight losing streak.
Unfortunately,
it's also just Edwards' fifth win in 12 fights. But the soon-to-be-33-year-old
was encouraged by what he saw, and he believes now is the time
to return to the form that saw him defeat Hermes Franca, Josh
Thomson, Nick Agallar, Rich Clementi and Aaron Riley, among others.
And
to do it, Edwards wants to return to the sport's biggest organizations.
"I
want to fight the best guys in the world," Edwards said.
"And yeah, there's a lot of really good guys outside of
those organizations, but when you get to the absolute best guys
in the world, you look at guys like B.J. Penn, Gray (Maynard),
these guys are some of the best guys in the world. I love to
compete against guys like those."
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
ROGERIO
NOGUEIRA VS LUIS CANE AT UFC 106
It appears that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, the brother of former
Pride and UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, will make his
Octagon debut at UFC 106 against Luis Cane. A report by Loretta
Hunt of Sherdog.com citing sources close to the negotiations
said the bout has been verbally agreed to. MMAWeekly.com sources
confirmed the report.
Nogueira
(17-3) has been on a five-fight winning streak that began following
a loss to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Pride 33 in early 2007.
He has kept busy traveling across the globe fighting in Japan,
the United States, and Canada since the closure of Pride.
Cane
(10-1) has quickly risen to contention in the UFC light heavyweight
division defeating Sokoudjou, Steve Cantwell, and Jason Lambert.
His only stumble since entering the Octagon was a disqualification
loss to James Irvin at UFC 79 due to an illegal knee to the head
while Irvin was down.
UFC
106 is scheduled to take place on Nov. 21 at the Mandalay Bay
Event Center in Las Vegas. UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar
is expected to defend his title against Shane Carwin in the main
event and Tito Ortiz returns to the Octagon to face Mark Coleman.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
WERDUM
ISN'T BUYING OVEREEM'S INJURY
Fabricio Werdum planned to make his August Strikeforce debut
by challenging champion Alistair Overeem for his Strikeforce
heavyweight belt. He did end up fighting at the Aug. 15 event,
but against journeyman Mike Kyle, not Overeem.
The
Dutch fighter cited a re-aggravated injury to his hand, originating
in a bar brawl, as the reason for withdrawing from the fight.
Overeem
has since been confirmed to fight Peter Aerts in a K-1 kickboxing
bout on Sept. 26 in Seoul, Korea.
Werdum
isn’t buying the injury.
“Overeem
is running from the fight; I am pretty sure about that,”
Werdum proclaimed to MMAWeekly.com.
“I
cannot be 100-percent right about the reason he is taking so
long to solve his issues and come to fight, but it seems either
that the gummy berry juice he is taking to give him super powers
is (causing) him to avoid fighting here in America or he is afraid
of having no arms to fight after facing me one more time.”
The
two met in Japan more than three years ago in the Pride 2006
Open Weight Grand Prix. Werdum submitted Overeem with a Kimura
shoulder lock in just under four minutes of the second round.
“There
is no sense he takes so long to come and fight in America,"
said Werdum.
Overeem
became the first ever Strikeforce heavyweight champion in November
2007 by causing Paul Buentello to submit to repeated knee strikes
to the body. He has not fought in the U.S. since, instead taking
fights in Japan and the Netherlands.
"I
want to say to him that if comes, face me and lose,” Werdum
stated. “I will let him take some pictures with my belt
and he will be able to keep good memories from his time as a
Strikeforce champion."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
ULTIMATE
FIGHTER 10: MATT MITRIONE
While
the bright lights of The Ultimate Fighter stage may be initially
overwhelming for some, former professional football player Matt
Mitrione has been there done that.
A
standout at Purdue University before moving onto the NFL’s
Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, Mitrione explains that
there is nothing the UFC could throw at him that he wouldn’t
have faced in a larger capacity before in his professional career.
“I
don’t think I’ll be fazed or distracted or affected
by it,” he explained to MMAWeekly.com. “I played in
front of over 100,000 people at Michigan.
“Even
when you’re on the show and you start throwing, someone
would make comments like, ‘Oh, those lights are really bright,’
or, ‘Wow, everybody’s watching you there.’ I don’t
feel like I was affected by that situation whatsoever.”
With
less than a year’s worth of MMA training under his belt
heading into TUF, Mitrione was asked if he felt like he’d
be the underdog or a mark that other fighters would use to get
an easy win over.
“I
didn’t really think about it that much, to be honest with
you,” he said. “I’m a pretty imposing figure.
I’m big and have a little bit of size to me, and I have
a pretty progressive mental attitude as well.
“Maybe
initially (the other fighters thought that), but once they got
to know me they kind of figured that I was going to be worth
my salt to a certain extent.”
While
he might have been the new guy to the sport, Mitrione refused
to let the other well known fighters intimidate him heading in.
“Even
when I played (football) I never read bios on people,” he
explained. “All it’s going to do is trip you out.
“They
may show that this guy has done all this and that, and if you
don’t have those accolades or opportunities, there’s
a chance you can freak yourself over those credentials. I’d
rather not know that, and just go in there, be mean, let it fly
and fight to the best of my abilities without any preconceived
notions or ideas.”
While
for the most part Mitrione enjoyed time with his cast mates,
he admits, living in a fishbowl of a reality television series
does create tension and confrontation between people.
“There
were people that responded to that in different ways,” stated
Mitrione. “In a reality situation, there’s no media,
no distractions, there’s just us being us.
“You
can only sit around, eat dinner, swim in the pool, when sooner
or later you’re going to start to make things happen either
because of frustration, boredom or strategy.”
What
wasn’t forced on by living conditions was the true distain
between Season 10 coaches Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
and “Sugar” Rashad Evans.
“It’s
definitely very real,” said Mitrione. “Those two just
don’t like each other, plain and simple. They didn’t
like each other so much; they bickered all the time.
“They
would get ready to fight each other, so even during the show
it was like, ‘C’mon, just fight already. Just get it
done with.’ One person makes a comment, and the next thing
you know, they’re nose to nose rolling up on each other.”
While
fans may not know Mitrione’s fate on TUF until after the
season finale, regardless of the show’s outcome, he plans
to remain in MMA and make a run at a real career in the sport.
“I
love competition; I love the feeling of me stepping in there,
you stepping in there and let’s see who comes out on top,”
he stated. “I’ve been successful in a lot of things.
I have this sports nutrition company. I played in the NFL. I’ve
had a great, extremely blessed life, and I choose to fight.
“I
care about it. I’m passionate about it. I love the sport,
the camaraderie, and everything about it. This is something I
choose to do and don’t have to do.”
By
taking his experience from the NFL and applying it to MMA, Mitrione
hopes to make up for his lack of experience and gain an edge
over the competition, and add yet another success story to his
already full life.
“Check
us out on Spike TV every Wednesday at 10 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific)
starting on Sept. 16,” said Mitrione in closing. “It
should be a lot of fun.
“There’s
a lot of personalities on there, a lot of indirect dramatics,
a lot of guys getting punched in the face and getting folded
up like pretzels – it should be a really good time.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MELVIN
GUILLARD BREAKS DOWN NATE DIAZ
Melvin Guillard, 5-3 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, headlines
UFC Fight Night 19 on Sept. 16 against The Ultimate Fighter 5
winner Nate Diaz, and Guillard believes he has the style and
game plan to come away with victory.
The
New Orleans native would like to keep the fight standing where
he feels he could score a knockout.
"As
far as Nate, there's been rumors that he's been begging Dana
White and Joe Silva to get him somebody that he can stand up
and bang with. I'm going to see if he's a man of his word,"
Guillard told MMAWeekly.com. "If he really wants to get
in there, we can get us the Fight of the Night, or hopefully
I get a Knockout of the Night if he really wants to get in there
and stand up and bang."
"I'll
stand up with anybody in the UFC. I honestly feel I am one of
the best 155ers. I'm the strongest. Even looking back at a lot
of the 55ers that fight, a lot of them land punches but they're
not knocking anybody out. If you look back at the majority of
my fights, I knock out 90% of anybody I hit if it stays on the
feet," he added. "I'm not worried. I think more than
anything he's coming into this fight worried about my punching
power."
While
Guillard would like for the fight to play out on it's feet, he
isn't worried about going to the ground with Cesar Gracie trained
Diaz.
"I
studied the tape of him and Clay Guida and him and Joe (Stevenson).
I studied those two matches a lot. I noticed he has a lot of
trouble with wrestlers, so my game plan really is to go in there
and bang with him, but anytime he tries to take it down, I'm
just going to turn it into a wrestling match, and I'm just going
to out-wrestle him the whole three rounds," said the 26-year
old fighter. "It can be the fight that he wants, or it can
be the fight that he's going to hate."
"At
the end of the day, Nate's a cool guy. I actually got to cut
weight with him for the last fight against Gleison (Tibau). When
he fought Joe, we actually cut weight together. He's not a total
prick, but at the same time I'm going in there to do what I do
best," commented Guillard. "If he wants a good stand
up battle I'm going to give him a good stand up battle, but like
I said, if he tries to take me to the ground it's going to be
a long night for him because my wrestling is a whole lot better
than people think. People don't talk too much about my wrestling
because I'm such a good stand up fighter. I started out as a
wrestler. That was my background."
"I
have nothing against Nate," He continued. "He's a good
guy, but I honestly, hands down, I am a way better athlete. I'm
more of an athlete than he ever will be. I'm not taking anything
away from his skills. He's a great BJJ guy, but BJJ and MMA are
two different sports."
"I
hate to predict fights, but I guarantee I'm walking out of there
a winner. That's how confident I am with my skills."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Trigg
gears up for one more run
LAS
VEGAS – If the Ultimate Fighting Championship doesn’t
take advantage of Frank Trigg’s near-legendary gift of gab
and get him involved with its television broadcasts one of these
days, someone is making a bad mistake.
There
are few athletes this side of Gilbert Arenas who can outtalk
Trigg, who is one of the elite welterweights in mixed martial
arts history but still may be better known to most fans for his
television work with the PRIDE Fighting Championship.
Trigg
is now 37 and much closer to the end of his career than the beginning.
He’s not ready, however, to become a full-time talking head
just yet.
He
came within a whisper of claiming the welterweight championship
from Matt Hughes at UFC 52, a bout that the Yahoo! Sports MMA
staff voted the No. 2 match in UFC history in a poll before UFC
100.
That
failure has gnawed at him for the last four years. He’s
19-6, has won his last four and six of his last seven and has
been among the elite fighters in his class for years. The key
word in that sentence is among.
Trigg
still wants to see if he can become the elite fighter at welterweight.
And that’s why he picked up the phone earlier in the year
and all but pleaded with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to give him
another shot.
Silva
acquiesced and paired Trigg with another title hopeful, Josh
Koscheck, at UFC 103 on Sept. 19 at the American Airlines Center
in Dallas. Trigg isn’t looking for newcomers or up-and-comers.
He wants to take on the elite in the hope he’ll earn one
more championship shot.
“Let’s
be honest: This is a title run,” Trigg said following a
vigorous workout Wednesday at Xtreme Couture. “I’ve
kind of always been that way, where I’d rather run myself
into a brick wall and fail at the attempt than keep running my
mouth. Let’s face facts, guys: I’m a good mouth runner.
I can talk about anything at any time I want. But the real guys
will talk about it and then go out and do it.
“I
don’t have much time left. I’m 37 years old and I’m
only going to be around four, five more years. (The sport is)
going to develop too much around me. No matter what I’m
going to do, I’m not going to be able to develop. Age and
wisdom can only take you so far before age catches up to you.
I want to go up at least having made the attempt of being one
of the best guys out there.”
Trigg’s
last appearance in the UFC at UFC 54 against Georges St. Pierre
was about four months after the monumental battle between Forrest
Griffin and Stephan Bonnar in 2005 at The Ultimate Fighter season
one finale that UFC president Dana White credits with saving
the company.
In
essence, Trigg’s loss to St. Pierre came just as MMA was
emerging from the dark ages. So for all he’s accomplished
in the game – a résumé that includes wins
over Kazuo Misaki, Jason Miller, Dennis Hallman and Renato Verissimo
is impressive by just about anyone’s standards – he’s
a relative unknown to many UFC fans.
Thus,
his bout against Koscheck will be seen by many not as a return
but as a debut. Had Trigg finished Hughes in that epic 2005 bout,
however, he probably wouldn’t be an active fighter today.
And now is when fighter pay and sponsorship money is at an all-time
high.
Trigg
isn’t the kind to fret about what might have been, but if
he ever was going to let his mind wander back to 2005, his friend,
former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, convinced him
of the uselessness of such a thought.
“He
said if he had made the world team and won a world medal in wrestling
and if he’d made the Olympic team and won an Olympic medal
in wrestling, he would probably have been done (as an athlete),”
said Trigg, who wrestled at Oklahoma. “He said, ‘I
probably would have been done. I would have finished my athletic
career doing that and I would not have been here.’ My past
failures are why I keep going forward. Because I lose, when I
do lose, it’s at the big show and it’s the reason why
I keep forcing myself to become better and better.
“One
of the best presidents America ever had is Abraham Lincoln. How
many times did he fail? … Because of his failures, he kept
going forward. It’s the same thing with me. If I had won
early in my career, and if wining had been easy for me, I would
have stopped and gone on to something else. I’d probably
have become a wrestling coach at Division I somewhere. Because
of my failures, I decided to keep on fighting and that’s
why I still chase it.”
He
looks to be in peak condition, but he hasn’t had to spend
a lot of time watching tape trying to come up with a game plan.
He and Koscheck are both wrestlers and employ a similar style.
Trigg
knows what to expect from Koscheck and figures Koscheck will
know what to expect from him.
And
though Koscheck started in MMA on season one of TUF as strictly
a wrestler, he began the sport at a time when there were plenty
of coaches who understood the game and were adept at putting
the pieces together.
Trigg
said the new breed of fighter who will come along is frighteningly
good, but he has plenty of respect for what Koscheck has managed
to do.
“Koscheck
is a mirror image of me,” Trigg said. “Fighting him
is basically like fighting myself. At the same stage of my career.
I didn’t know what jiu-jitsu was. I didn’t know what
boxing was. I just grabbed a guy by the head and shook him around
a little bit until he fell down and then I punched him in the
face until the ref stopped it.
“Guys
like Koscheck, it’s a totally different ballgame. These
guys are developed and they understand what the sport is all
about. They have time to develop themselves (as complete mixed
martial artists).”
Trigg
has become one – “Much, much better,” he said
of his overall game – through sheer persistence. He’s
legendary in the sport for his entrepreneurial spirit and ability
to gab and would like to combine the two with a broadcast job.
Talking
will have to wait, though, until he takes one last title run.
And given that he knows the end is near, he doesn’t feel
nearly as much pressure as he did when he was younger. He’s
competing because he enjoys it and wants to see if he can become
the best.
“Yeah,
I still get nervous,” Trigg said. “I throw up and have
diarrhea the day of the fight. Typical stuff. Everybody kind
of goes through this. If you don’t get a little nervous,
if you don’t get butterflies, then what the hell? Why are
you even doing it? For me, it’s still fun. It’s a fun
process. I’m an adrenaline junkie. It’s pretty cool
for me to have that feeling because now I know I’m back
in front of the limelight again.”
Win
or lose in his title bid, though, now that he’s back in
the UFC, the MMA limelight is never going to be too far away
from Trigg.
Source: Yahoo Sports |
MORE
COUNTRYMEN CONFIRMED FOR UFC 105
As the Ultimate Fighting Championship works to fill up the rosters
for a slew of autumn and winter events, the dance card for UFC
105 in Manchester, England, continues to fill up, largely with
localized talent.
With
Brits Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy holding down bouts near the
top end of the card, MMAWeekly.com has confirmed that several
of their countrymen will flesh out the mid and lower tier.
Sources
close to the event confirmed to MMAWeekly.com that welterweight
bouts are signed between Englishmen Paul Taylor and John Hathaway,
as well as American Matt Riddle against Brit Nick Osipczak.
Taylor
(10-4-1) enters the bout coming off of a win over Peter Sobotta
at UFC 99 in Germany, but has met mixed results in the Octagon
amassing a 3-3 record during his UFC tenure.
Looking
to keep his spotless record intact, Hathaway (11-0) has wins
over Tom Egan and Rick Story in his first two UFC bouts. Still,
Taylor will be his toughest test to date in the Octagon.
Riddle’s
(3-0) entire professional career has been spent in the UFC. He
emerged from Season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter and is still working
towards establishing himself in a crowded welterweight class.
His
opponent, Osipczak (4-0) also made his way to the UFC via The
Ultimate Fighter as a cast member of Season 9. He defeated Frank
Lester in that season’s finale in his lone UFC appearance.
A
headline bout for UFC 105, which takes place at the M.E.N. Arena,
has yet to be announced.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“There
are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard
work and learning from failure.”
Colin Powell
|
Fighters'
Club TV Tonight!
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ADCC:
Bruno Bastos as “the underdog”
Nova
União black belt, Bruno Bastos will finally fight at the
ADCC. After losing at the final of the selective in 2003 to Ronaldo
Jacaré and have his visa denied in 2005 and 2007, Bruno
is more than confirmed in the competition, which takes place
in Barcelona, Spain, in September 26 and 27th.
“I’m
the undergod”, sayd Bruno, who’ll fight at the 88kg
category. “I know I’m now the favorite, but I know
that nobody underestimates me. Everybody is used to see me competing
and knows my game, so I know everybody keeps looking all the
time”.
With
Demian Maia, the 2007 champion, out of the ADCC, Bruno points
his favorites. “I heard that (Rousimar Palhares) Toquinho
won’t fight either, but this category has Tarsis (Humphreys),
Bráulio Estima, Nate Marquardt can fight too, André
Galvão, the only one of them that I already fought”.
Used
to fight weight and absolute in the Jiu-Jitsu competitions, Bastos
goes for two titles at ADCC. “I always dreamed to fight
ADCC and now I’m finally in, so I’ll fight anything
they let (laughs)”, jokes the black belt, who’ll fight
a BJJ competition this Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.
“I
don’t know how my team will be in this championship, but
I won’t force too much because of the ADCC. I’m in,
but maybe I’ll fly earlier to Europe and finish my preparation
there”, said Bruno. Besides Bastos, Leonardo Santos is another
Nova União athlete that will fight at ADCC, at the 77kg
category.
Source: Tatame
|
Nogueira
bets on Dos Santos and Belfort
Two
days after beating Randy Couture (at UFC 102), Rodrigo “Minotauro”
Nogueira could go back to Brazil and relax, but he decided to
stay in the US to help Junior dos Santos in his training to fight
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, at UFC 103. In exclusive
interview to TATAME.com, Nogueira shows a lot of confidence.
“He’s
training well… He’s like monster, like a horse... He
has a very heavy hand, he’s ready to do two fights in the
same night. It’s unbelievable, he’s with a good ground
game and wrestling too”, praises Rodrigo, joking about his
return to the octagon.
“I
wanna fight this year again… If someone gets hurt in UFC
103, I wanna fight there too (laughs)”, said Minotauro,
revealing that he trained with Dos Santos on Monday, two days
after his last fight. “I trained with Cigano after the fight,
but i cut my stitches so I realized that I really have to stop
for a while (laughs). Now I’m gonna rest”.
Besides
Junior, Vitor Belfort will also fight in the card, and Minotauro
is confident in another Brazilian victory. “Rich is a tough
guy, very resistant, but Vitor has more punch, is better on wrestling,
has more ground game… He has everything to win”, finished
Rodrigo Nogueira.
Source: Tatame
|
Leo
Vieira going for gold
September
13, 2009 by Ivan Trindade
It is September 12. There are 14 days to go till ADCC 2009. In
Rio de Janeiro, Leonardo Vieira is at the Brazilian Team Nationals
leading Checkmat, the team he put together two years ago with
brother Ricardo, when both left Brasa.
The two-time under 66kg champion spent the last week training
in Rio de Janeiro, but returns to Sao Paulo for the final week
of training before the trip. In between his students’ disputes,
Leo had the following chat with GRACIEMAG.com ADCC 2009 blog.
It
is September 12. There are 14 days to go till ADCC 2009. In Rio
de Janeiro, Leonardo Vieira is at the Brazilian Team Nationals
leading Checkmat, the team he put together two years ago with
brother Ricardo, when both left Brasa.
The
two-time under 66kg champion spent the last week training in
Rio de Janeiro, but returns to Sao Paulo for the final week of
training before the trip. In between his students’ disputes,
Leo had the following chat with GRACIEMAG.com ADCC 2009 blog.
Blog:
How has your preparation for the ADCC 2009 been going?
Leo Vieira: I’m training with my students in Sao Paulo and
spent this week in Rio, training with my brother. Today I turn
33, my time is divided between my kids, leading the team and
training, but I have a phenomenal team that supports me all the
way.
Blog:
Your toughest adversaries in the category have been competing
all the time while you haven’t competed since 2007. Do you
feel that will hinder you?
Leo: I’m an athlete and I manage to compete well even if
I’m not coming off a series of competitions. I’ve been
through that before.
Leozinho
em ação em 2007. Foto: Luca Atalla
Leo
in action in 2007. Photo: Luca Atalla
Blog:
Still on the topic of your opponents, the under 66kg category
unites such names as Rani Yahya, Cobrinha, Rafael Mendes, among
others. Have you been practicing specific strategies for each
of them?
Leo: My strategy against all adversaries is to feel comfortable
in the match. I see each adversary as being 15 opportunities
for defeat. I think the category will be just as tough as the
other ones.
Blog:
In 2007 you lost in the final to Rani Yahya, after having beat
him in 2005. Will this year be the tie-breaker?
Leo: My loss to Rani caused me to reassess my reasons for competing.
In 2007, I was lagging in the ADCC. I lagged in my first matches,
won, but when I made it to the final I couldn’t manage to
win. The problem was all about motivation. When I started Jiu-Jitsu,
my motivation was to move up in belts to get to black. When I
made it there, my motivation was to become world champion, which
I managed to do too. When I made it to ADCC 2007 I couldn’t
see any motivation for being there. That’s why I ate wrong,
trained wrong and fought wrong. The loss made me see how I didn’t
have to fight just for me, but for my team, for those who follow
me, to leave a legacy.
O
duelo com Rani. Foto: Guilherme Rafols
The
match with Rani. Photo: Guilherme Rafols
Blog:
Looking back, what was your greatest moment in the ADCC? The
one you hold dearest to you?
Leo: A lot of folks only think of wins, but to me my greatest
moment was my match with Mark Kerr, in 2000. I like to talk about
that match, if just to remind people how it went. A lot of people
think it was a supermatch, or the final of the absolute. Truth
is, it was the first match of the absolute that year. To me,
that match marked the way I fight. I lost, but only by a penalty
point, because they said I backed away.
Blog:
You’ve been disputing the ADCC since 2000. Who was the athlete
to impress you most all these years?
Leo: The one to most impress me was Marcelo Garcia. He left the
tryouts he lost in 2003 to submit everyone and maintain the title
to this day.
Galvao
all set for ADCC
Andre
Galvao has dedicated the last 12 months of his life to MMA. Since
August 2008 he’s had four fights, winning three by submission
and suffering one split (and controversial) decision loss, at
Dream. Now the two-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion (2005, 2008)
and runner-up (2006 and 2007) is back in the grappling game.
The Fernando Terere and Eduardo Telles pupil, who once figured
in two-time ADCC champion Leo Vieira’s team, is one of those
favored to win the under 88kg category. The category has no owner,
as 2007’s champion Demian Maia will not take part.
Direct from Rio de Janeiro, where he trains with beasts of the
caliber of Anderson Silva and Rodrigo Minotauro, Galvao spoke
with the GRACIEMAG.com at the ADCC Blog, and had the following
to say:
Blog: How is your final stage of training for the ADCC going?
Galvao: I’m doing explosiveness training without the gi.
I’ve been training without the gi for some time now. I haven’t
been putting on the gi every day since I started fighting MMA.
Blog: To you is the ADCC closer to being MMA than Jiu-Jitsu?
Galvao: No, no. It’s certainly closer to Jiu-Jitsu. But
even so I feel it’s much different from competing in the
gi. Besides that, the opponents are different.
Blog: In 2007 you competed in the under 77kg category, but this
year you moved up to 88kg. Who will be your main adversaries?
Would you risk pointing out a favorite?
Galvao: I can’t leave out Braulio Estima, Rousimar Touquinho,
Rafael Lovato Jr. or Tarsis Humphreys. Those guys are big-time
tough with enormous submission grappling experience. As for a
favorite, that all depends on what happens that day. There is
no favourite.
The
Fernando Terere and Eduardo Telles pupil, who once figured in
two-time ADCC champion Leo Vieira’s team, is one of those
favored to win the under 88kg category. The category has no owner,
as 2007’s champion Demian Maia will not take part.
Direct
from Rio de Janeiro, where he trains with beasts of the caliber
of Anderson Silva and Rodrigo Minotauro, Galvao spoke with the
GRACIEMAG.com at the ADCC Blog, and had the following to say:
Blog:
How is your final stage of training for the ADCC going?
Galvao: I’m doing explosiveness training without the gi.
I’ve been training without the gi for some time now. I haven’t
been putting on the gi every day since I started fighting MMA.
Blog:
To you is the ADCC closer to being MMA than Jiu-Jitsu?
Galvao: No, no. It’s certainly closer to Jiu-Jitsu. But
even so I feel it’s much different from competing in the
gi. Besides that, the opponents are different.
Blog:
In 2007 you competed in the under 77kg category, but this year
you moved up to 88kg. Who will be your main adversaries? Would
you risk pointing out a favorite?
Galvao: I can’t leave out Braulio Estima, Rousimar Touquinho,
Rafael Lovato Jr. or Tarsis Humphreys. Those guys are big-time
tough with enormous submission grappling experience. As for a
favorite, that all depends on what happens that day. There is
no favourite.
Blog:
You didn’t compete at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship but
are returning to the ADCC. Why this preference?
Galvao: I didn’t compete at the Worlds because I was training
a lot without the gi for MMA. As for the ADCC, it’s a really
good tournament. The recognition you receive is much greater
than at the Jiu-Jitsu Worlds, mainly in the realm I am in, which
is MMA. And there are also the money prizes, which help a lot.
But I love Jiu-Jitsu and am dying to compete at a Worlds.
Blog:
Looking back, what would you consider to be your greatest moment
in the ADCC?
Galvao: Ah, for sure my matches with Cacareco, in the absolute
third-place dispute in 2007, and with Mike Fowler, in the under
77kg third-place dispute. Those were great moments.
Blog:
Can you recall any mistake you made in 2007 that you hope not
to make this year?
Galvao: In the under 77kg semifinal I was ahead on the scorecards
against Pablo Popovitc and decided to open up to do something
more. There was a minute left in the match and I ended up getting
surprised by him.
Blog:
To you, who is the best of all in the ADCC?
Galvao: Roger Gracie. I remember in 2005 he finished everybory.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Anderson
Silva
The
UFC middleweight king, Anderson Silva spoke with TATAME.com in
an exclusive interview and spoke about his future in the event,
the possible fight against Randy Couture, his next title defense
and the end of his polemic with former Pride champion Wanderlei
Silva.
You’ve
showed a lot of superiority in your last fights. Do you think
the level of your opponents decreased recently?
No,
man, I think all the UFC fighters are good. Everybody who fights
there is a high level athlete, but we train a lot, study a lot…
My life is that, I just do this, so I have to do it really well.
I try to do my best, and I think the result is being positive
because of the training, the work of all my team, my dedication
to training…
Everybody
is wondering who’ll be the next contender to your title.
Do you think Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt should fight each
other before that?
I
don’t think anything, man. Whoever comes, I’ll fight.
They both are great fighters, are doing their jobs too, so I’ll
fight anyone.
You
want to do your next fight at 185 or 205?
I
don’t know too… Wherever they (UFC) put me, I’ll
go. My last fight was at 205, so i think the next one will be
for the title. Let’s wait and see what they want.
Randy
Couture said he’s moving to light heavyweight and he wanted
to fight against you. How do you think would be a fight against
him?
It’s
hard to say, it’s a tough fight. We’re training here
to fight the best. Life is made of challenges. It’d be a
honor to fight the best of the world, and I hope I can fight
the best until the
end
of my career. I don’t have much to talk, we’re working
hard here.
In
Rodrigo Minotauro’s last training video at TATAME TV, we
noticed that you were imitating Randy Couture during a sparring
training with him. If you ever fight one day, it’d already
know his moves, right?
We
have a study from all UFC fighters, from 170 to the heavyweights.
We have videos f any fighters, even those who aren’t so
recognized. We try to study a lot all the games, because we have
to be prepared if one day we have to fight them. From 170 to
heavyweights, we see everybody.
Watching
your archive, which names do you think the fans don’t know
much, but you think has potential to be on the tops one day?
There
are a lot of names to say, many fighters and al of them has their
qualities. We have to respect, everybody is trained and are dangerous.
Coming from victory or loss, they are moving on and trying to
be a champion one day, and we have to be prepared to don’t
be surprised.
At
the UFC back stages, you and Wanderlei Silva met and ended your
problems, and I heard you two could even train together…
It
never happened any problem, it was a misunderstanding. We spoke,
everything is ok now... If he needs my help, I’ll help him
like I help all my friends. We’re together. If I can help
him, like I always did…
And
what you thought about his new face surgery?
Man,
he’s more handsome (laughs)… I said to him “Wanderlei,
you’re much more handsome… If you had a long hair and
a pretty mouth, you’d be like Angelina Jolie (laughs)”.
But he’s ok, he did that surgery because of a nose problem
and that’s important. The rest is rest, the guys joke with
him and that’s normal.
Source: Tatame
|
“Cro
Cop” determined to get it right
Just
days after his 35th birthday, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
will try and erase the biggest blight in his fighting career.
At
UFC 103 on Sept. 19, in Dallas, in his first fight of a new contract,
he’ll try and navigate his way through the often shark-infested
waters of the UFC heavyweight division. Filipovic faces the latest
Brazilian phenom, Junior Dos Santos (8-1), a man taller, heavier,
and 10 years younger.
“Yes,
the heavyweight division is very hard at the moment,” said
Filipovic (25-6-2). Some new fighters are coming in like Junior,
like (Cain) Velasquez. And it is getting stronger and stronger
every day. As MMA, the sport, is spreading all around the world,
new fighters are coming from different kind of sports and training.
And it will be tougher and tougher to take the belt. But I don’t
want to think too much in the future.”
It’s
hard to blame “Cro Cop” for taking such an attitude,
since rehabbing his image in the United States is a one-match-at-a-time
proposition. Filipovic’s UFC tenure has been such an up-and-down
affair that it’s almost enough to make one forget how successful
he was in Japan.
Filipovic
started his career as a successful kickboxer in Europe, then
got all the way to the No. 2 spot in the heavyweight division
in the Japanese K-1 promotion by 1999.
But
his real fame came as the first fighter to successfully transition
from K-1 to mixed martial arts in Japan, during the height of
the PRIDE Fighting Championship era. His success would be equivalent
to a true boxing world title contender going into MMA, and becoming
a top contender in that sport as well.
Filipovic
became almost a household name in Japan, and to this day is still
the second-most famous foreign fighter in the country behind
Bob Sapp, who he vanquished with one punch in a 2003 kickboxing
match that was viewed by more than 30 million people on television.
Filipovic
was thought of as a coldhearted killing machine, with his time
in the Croatian special police forces – hence the “Cro
Cop” nickname – played up big in publicity. Even though
he lost a few fights along the way, and Fedor Emelianenko was
the heavyweight champion during this time, Filipovic was one
of the money machines of the sport. His 2002 fight with Kazushi
Sakuraba drew MMA world records of 71,000 fans paying $7.4 million.
His
2005 decision loss to Emelianenko, built around his lifelong
quest to become a world champion, may have been the climactic
heavyweight championship match of the Pride era. Emelianenko
was the superior fighter that night, but it was also clear Filipovic
was the star of that show and the one people were paying to see.
Filipovic’s
greatest success was in winning the 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix
tournament, where he stopped both Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett
in the same night.
But
PRIDE itself was on its way down for the count. The company lost
its network television coverage in Japan, and couldn’t survive
without it. A talked about rematch with Emelianenko fell apart.
At the same time, the UFC, awash in cash coming off the Ken Shamrock
vs. Tito Ortiz series, made the decision to aggressively go after
PRIDE’s top stars when their contracts expired.
The
signing of Filipovic, announced on the same weekend as the record-setting
Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell UFC 66 match, was the symbolic moment
that moved the center of the MMA universe from Tokyo to Las Vegas.
Many
felt it was little more than a formality that Filipovic’s
combination of takedown defense and striking talent would make
him UFC champion, giving the company the heavyweight knockout
artist of a caliber they had never had before.
But
it didn’t happen. Filipovic was not the same fighter in
the UFC as he was in PRIDE.
Theories
flew as to why “Cro Cop” no longer seemed the fighter
he once was “Cro Cop” needed left ankle surgery after
the 2006 tourney. Perhaps the left high kick that left in its
wake a scrap heap of bodies in Japanese rings couldn’t be
thrown full force without Filipovic questioning himself. Some
blamed the difference of the ring to a cage.
Some
blamed the inability to defend elbows on the ground, something
he never had to worry about as a kickboxer or in PRIDE. Maybe
he was spreading himself too thin, as his fame as a fighter made
him a national hero in his native Croatia, where he was elected
to Parliament. And there were whispers that his gigantic thighs
that generated the power in his kicks shrinking.
Whatever
the reasons, it led to one of the most shocking moments in UFC
history, on April 21, 2007, in Manchester, England.
Gabriel
Gonzaga, thought by most to be the next victim, after softening
up Filipovic with elbows on the ground, stood up with the man
thought to be the world’s most dangerous striker. As expected,
somebody nearly got their head kicked off. Only it was Filipovic,
who was put out cold in one of the UFC’s most stunning knockouts.
But
Filipovic insists a renewed focus and better training will make
this stint in the UFC make up for the last one. “I feel
much, much, much more comfortable now in the cage,” he said.
“And I train all of the time in the cage. And I have my
own cage in my gym, and felt really good in my last night in
Germany (his UFC 99 win over Mostapha Al-Turk on June 13th).”
Filipovic’s
professional future was in doubt after UFC 99, as a contract
impasse led to a near-signing with Japan’s DREAM promotion
before UFC co-owner Lorenzo Ferttita flew to Croatia and finalized
the deal.
“I
was able to choose,” Filipovic said. “I was free on
the market. And I wanted to go in the hardest and only global
organization to date to UFC. And I think that every true fighter
should fight in the UFC today because UFC definitely is the only
worldwide organization today. All other organizations, with respect
you know, that I’ve made my career in Japan, I like PRIDE
more than anything, but those days are gone. And UFC is the main
one on the MMA market today. And I think my place is to fight
in the UFC and that’s it.”
And
that includes old rival Emelianenko, who turned down the UFC
to join Strikeforce.
“Definitely
UFC offered him, I know for sure, that they offered him the best
possible deal to date and they pay him much more than Dream can
offer or Strikeforce can offer, but he’s just refusing to
go there. I don’t know why. I don’t think that he’s
afraid of someone. Maybe he just wants to keep his perfect (record).
Maybe he thinks that the competition in the UFC is too tough
that he might lose the fight. I don’t know.”
With
a potential Fedor rematch off the table, “Cro Cop”
is focused on Dos Santos, who has never been pushed past the
first round and whose career highlight is a knockout of Filipovic’s
training partner, Fabricio Werdum.
“I
think I’m on the right way. I think I’m just like I
used to be in my old days.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
102 FIGHTERS RETURN CLEAN DRUG TESTS
The fighters from the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s recent
stop in Portland, Ore., that were drug tested all returned negative
results.
The
UFC 102 competitors that were required to submit testing samples
were Randy Couture, Todd Duffee, Evan Dunham, Chris Leben, Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira, and Aaron Simpson.
All
six athletes were tested both for “drugs of abuse and performance
enhancing drugs,” according to the Oregon State Athletic
Commission.
UFC
102 was the promotion’s first stop in the Pacific Northwest
in the United States.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GOUVEIA
VS. BELCHER TAPPED FOR UFC 107
Middleweights Wilson Gouveia and Alan Belcher are expected to
meet at UFC 107, MMAWeekly.com has learned from multiple sources
close to the situation. Bout agreements have yet to be signed,
but both parties have agreed to the fight and are expected to
finalize the deal shortly.
Though
not officially announced, UFC 107 is expected to take place Dec.
12 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.
Belcher
(14-6) is coming off a razor close decision loss to Yoshihiro
Akiyama at UFC 100. The loss snapped a two-fight win streak including
a surprise submission victory over import Denis Kang at UFC 93.
The Biloxi, Miss., resident is 5-4 inside the Octagon.
Gouveia
(18-6) was scheduled to take on James Irvin at UFC 102, but injured
his back shortly after Irvin withdrew due to a knee injury. The
Brazilian last appeared at UFC 95, where Nate Marquardt defeated
him by TKO. The loss snapped a two-fight surge, bringing his
Octagon record to 6-3.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
NEWCOMERS
HAMMAN VS. ALEXANDER AT UFC 105
Newly acquired light heavyweights Jared Hamman and Alexander
Gustafsson will make their Octagon debuts on Nov. 14 at UFC 105
in Manchester, England.
A
source close to the fight informed MMAWeekly.com of the news
Friday morning. Fighters Only first reported the possibility
of the bout.
Hamman
(10-1) has been inactive since the demise last October of ProElite,
where he made his home as a regular of the promotion’s up-and-comer
series, ShoXC. Last August, he defeated Poai Suganuma by TKO, avenging a controversial stoppage
loss to the Hawaiian four months prior.
Gustafsson
(8-0), a native of Stockholm, Sweden, has fought professionally
since November 2007 and has finished all but two of his fights
by KO or TKO, with all but one stoppage coming in the first round.
He was scheduled to fight an unnamed opponent at Bushido Challenge
in Norfolk, U.K., before signing a multi-fight contract with
the UFC.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
“Never
tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do, and they
will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
George S. Patton
|
EDGAR
VS PELLEGRINO AGREED TO FOR TUF 10 FINALE
A rumored bout between Frankie Edgar and Kurt Pellegrino has
been agreed to for the Dec. 5 Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Finale.
The
bout was first reported by ESPN’s Jon Anik. MMAWeekly.com
sources confirmed the bout, saying that it has been verbally
agreed to, though pen has not been put to paper yet.
The
bout will mark seven months since Edgar (10-1) last stepped into
the Octagon. Having lost the first fight of his career at UFC
Fight Night 13 to Gray Maynard, he is currently on a two-fight
winning streak. Edgar defeated Hermes Franca at UFC Fight Night
14, and then Sean Sherk at UFC 98.
Pellegrino’s
(14-4) last loss was also at UFC Fight Night 13, submitting to
Nate Diaz. He has been a little more active than Edgar recently,
winning three consecutive bouts. He most recently earned a unanimous
decision over Josh Neer at UFC 101 in Philadelphia.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
FRANK
MIR VS CHEICK KONGO AGREED FOR UFC 107
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir is set to return to
the Octagon to face French striker Cheick Kongo. Sources close
to the situation confirmed to MMAWeekly.com on Thursday that
the fight is verbally agreed to, but bout agreements have not
been signed.
Though
recent reports suggested the bout could headline UFC 105 in Manchester,
England, MMAWeekly.com sources indicated that it would take place
on Dec. 12 at UFC 107 in Memphis, Tenn.
Mir
(12-4) recently got knocked off the rails of a three-fight winning
streak, losing his interim heavyweight champion designation in
a title unification bout against champion Brock Lesnar at UFC
100. It was a rematch of their fight at UFC 81, where Mir welcomed
the former WWE superstar to the Octagon by submitting him with
a kneebar. He then won the interim designation when he became
the first man to stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Kongo
(14-5-1) was widely considered to be a step away from a UFC heavyweight
title shot before he was unable to get out from under a smothering
Cain Velasquez at UFC 99, losing a unanimous decision. Kongo
has amassed a 7-3 record during his tenure with the UFC, winning
three straight fights prior to the loss to Velasquez.
A
bout pitting Ultimate Fighter 10 coaches Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson and Rashad Evans against each other was the original
headline bout for UFC 107. That fight was recently supplanted
by a UFC lightweight title defense, pitting champion B.J. Penn
against Diego Sanchez.
Originally
counting on Jackson’s hometown popularity, the TUF coaches
were removed from the card when Jackson’s acting commitments
to a Hollywood remake of popular 1980s television show “The
A-Team” conflicted with the bout.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
GURGEL
VS EVANGELISTA HEADS STRIKEFORCE NOV. 6
A headline bout pitting UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel against Strikeforce
mainstay Billy Evangelista is set for Nov. 6 at the SaveMart
Center in Fresno, Calif.
Gurgel
had originally talked of the bout on his Twitter account, mentioning
Oct. 25 as the date, but Mike Afromowitz, Strikeforce’s
Director of Communications, on Friday told MMAWeekly.com, “The
actual date of the Challengers event at SaveMart Center is Friday,
November 6.”
The
bout will be Gurgel’s (13-5) second for Strikeforce. After
leaving the UFC on a two-fight skid, he bounced back in an exciting
brawl with Conor Heun at a Challengers event in June. The two
busted each other up, but it was Gurgel that walked out of the
cage with a victory in hand.
Evangelista
(9-0) makes his second consecutive main event start for the Challengers
series. His last time out, he was originally disqualified for
an illegal knee strike to the head of Mike Aina. That loss was later changed to a
no contest by the California State Athletic Commission based
upon testimony by the fight’s referee, Herb Dean, and CSAC
Assistant Executive Director Bill Douglas, who both stated that
upon later video review the blow was not illegal.
Also
featured at the Nov. 6 event will be local favorite Casey Olson.
He has yet to receive an opponent for his lightweight bout.
The
main card will air on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT. It is tape delayed
on the West Coast.
The
next Strikeforce Challengers event features Tim Kennedy vs. Zak
Cummings headlining on Sept. 25 in Tulsa, Okla.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Jacare
in for Roger
Two-time BJJ absolute world champion faces Drysdale in ADCC supermatch
The
organizers of ADCC 2009 were quick to replace Roger Gracie in
the supermatch of the event to take place September 26 and 27
in Barcelona. Ronaldo Jacare, a two-time black belt absolute
Jiu-Jitsu world champion (2004/2005) was deemed the worthy substitute.
The information was broke by Kid Peligro on the official ADCC
2009 website.
“This
invite is really important to me, as it shows I’m well regarded
in the submission wrestling scene and that the organizers feel
I’m still at the top, and I really am. I’m physically
in great shape, focused, training every day in and out of the
gi. I’m happy. There’s nothing more I can say, I’m
really happy with the news,” said Jacare to GRACIEMAG.com
in addressing how the invite affected him.
“Drysdale
is a phenomenon, he’s the absolute champion, an excellent
athlete. I’m glad to be able to face him,” he added.
Not
much time remains before the event for him to dedicate to training.
“I’m going to emphasize training in the gi and submission
grappling. I’m going to train these days focusing on match
duration to get in there and do everything right. I’ll be
fine. I’ll be strong.”
Jacare
hasn’t participated in the ADCC since 2005, when he took
the under 88kg title and was runner-up in the absolute after
succumbing to the very Roger Gracie who he will replace.
Robert
Drysdale received the news with joy. “I’m stoked to
face Jacare. He’s a super aggressive fighter and I’m
anxious to get in there and have a great match,” he remarked.
Stay
tuned to GRACIEMAG.com and we’ll be back shortly with further
information regarding the ADCC 2009.
And
don’t forget to access the GRACIEMAG ADCC 2009 Blog for
all the latest on the event.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Arona’s
night at Bitetti Combat
Rizzo and Paulao eek out wins; Ninja downs Steibling
This
Saturday, September 12, marked the successful return of Ricardo
Arona and an unsuccessful one for Alex Steibling, at Bitetti
Combat in Rio de Janeiro, after an over-two-year hiatus from
MMA for each of them. The event promoted by two-time absolute
Jiu-Jitsu world champion Amaury Bitetti seemed to draw inspiration
from current high-profile American promotions, with its ring-side
seats and ring star studded with the likes of Affliction vice-president
Tom Atencio, UFC Champion Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, among
other familiar faces from the fight world in attendance, Renzo
Gracie and Big John McCarthy as referees, and an international
card boasting MMA-history makers Pedro Rizzo, Ricardo Arona,
Paulao Filho and more.
Most
notable among the match-ups on the card were the rematch after
two years of Pedro Rizzo and Jeff Monson, Ricardo Arona’s
long-awaited return to MMA in the main event against Marvin Eastman,
last-minute replacement Murilo Ninja achieving the evening’s
quickest knockout on out-of-action Alex Stiebling, up-and-comer
Cassiano Tychyio managing the night’s quickest submission
with his guillotine on Fausto Black, and the re-encounter of
Glover Teixeira and Leonardo Chocolate since Teixeira stamped
his passport for the ADCC finals in Barcelona, coming up in two
weeks, by beating the RFT fighter in the final of the South American
trials.
Despite
the big-name participants in the event that saw six of its ten
match-ups decided by the judges, there is little question the
lesser-known Fabio Maldonado and Vitor Miranda produced the greatest
spectacle in a nearly all striking rematch of their 2007 MTL
League fight, again won by the former on the scorecards.
Check
out the complete breakdown of the fights from GRACIEMAG.com sister
site Portal das Lutas:
ACTIVE
AGAIN
After
over two years away, Ricardo Arona returned to the fight game.
In fight against Marvin Eastman the Brazilian dominated the initial
round by landing takedowns and taking his opponent’s back.
In the second stanza the black belt’s stamina faltered and
Marvin landed good strikes but was overwhelmed in the third round
when Arona again was successful in his takedowns and dominated,
ending with a full mount over his hapless adversary, earning
him a unanimous-decision win as a comeback.
PAULAO’S
VICTORY
Paulo
“Paulao” Filho’s participation was highly anticipated,
especially after his win over Melvin Manhoef in Japan. However,
Alex Schoener was game and went the distance. With the fact that
Paulao played aggressor throughout the three rounds, attacking
with takedowns and landing some hooks the few times strikes were
exchanged, he was rewarded the decision win.
“THE
ROCK’S” RETURN
Coming
off a loss and years without much ring action, Pedro “The
Rock” Rizzo returned triumphant. In his rematch against
Jeff Monson, who he beat once in the past, Rizzo fell back on
his striking and warded off “The Snowman’s” takedown
attempts. Rizzo connected with solid strikes throughout the three
rounds and even managed a knockdown. The unanimous decision was
rewarded to the Brazilian, who admitted to fighting with an injured
elbow.
LIGHTING
KNOCKOUT
Murilo
Ninja showed “Brazilian Killa” Alex Stiebling is not
what he was. In just 45 seconds of standup exchange the Brazilian
connected with a high left kick and fell the American fighter.
VICTORY
AND CHALLENGE
The
bout between Milton Vieira and Luciano Azevedo was much anticipated.
Both have equivalent qualities, but Milton came out best. The
BTT representative dominated the initial round, when he was the
better on the ground and mounted. Azevedo too had a good sequence
when he reached mount, but was unable to hold the position for
very long. In the end, the split decision was handed to Milton,
who followed up by publicly challenging fighter Jean Silva while
still in the octagon. Challenge accepted…
THE
BEST OF THE NIGHT
After
the event was over the talk regarding fight of the night was
all about Fabio Maldonado’s bout with Vitor Miranda. As
promised, the pugilist and muay thai specialist traded blows
throughout the three rounds. Miranda repeatedly threw combinations
with low kicks that wore on Maldonado’s leg, while the boxer
called for more with each strike his opponent landed and fired
off punches that, most of the time, made it through Miranda’s
guard. Maldonado punished his adversary’s face and managed
a knockdown. In the end that counted in his favor to snatch the
unanimous decision.
THIS
TIME IN MMA
Glover
Teixeira and Leonardo Chocolate came in off two submission grappling-rules
matches won by Glover. In MMA things could be different and Chocolate
started out better, attacking with takedowns and taking his opponent’s
back. But Glover quickly regained his composure and submitted
his adversary with a tight guillotine from the guard 3:11 min
into the first round.
IN
AT LAST MINUTE AND KNOCKOUT
Luis
Besouro only found out he’d be fighting in Bitetti Combat
one day earlier, when Eduardo Pamplona exited the card. Nevertheless,
the RFT fighter showed he was up to the task. After taking down
Henrique Chocolate, he fired off strikes from the half-guard
that knocked his opponent out 3:49 min into the first.
TYSTCHYO’S
QUICK GUILHOTINE
One
of the greatest revelations of the new generation, Cassiano Tytschyo
had little opposition in Anderson Silva student Fausto Black.
After landing a takedown, he finished with a tight guillotine
in just 1:29 min.
PULGA
MAINTAINS INVINCIBILITY
Alexandre
Pimentel, better known as Pulga, didn’t have an easy time
against Argentine Luciano Izzy, who demonstrated mastery of Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu. But Pulga had the upper hand throughout the three
rounds. He landed good strikes in the standup and was better
on the ground, where he managed to make it to several advantageous
positions, including a mount. In the end the unanimous decision
was rewarded to the Brazilian, who maintained his invincibility
in his now eight-fight MMA career.
Bitetti
Combat
Maracanazinho gymnasium, Rio de Janeiro, RJ
September 12, 2009
Alexandre
Pulga defeated Luciano Izzy by unanimous judges’ decision;
Cassiano Tytschyo choked unconcious Fausto Black by guillotine
at 1:29 min of R1;
Luis "Besouro" Dutra defeated Henrique Chocolate by
referee intervention at 3:49 min of R1;
Glover Teixeira submitted Leonardo Chocolate via guillotine at
3:11 of R3;
Fábio Maldonado defeated Vítor Miranda by judges’
decision;
Milton Vieira defeated Luciano Azevedo by unanimous split decision;
Murilo Ninja knocked out Alex Stiebling at 0:45 min of R1;
Pedro Rizzo defeated Jeff Monson by unanimous judges’ decision;
Paulo Filho defeated Alex Shonawer by unanimous judges’
decision;
Ricardo Arona defeated Marvin Eastman by unanimous judges’
decision.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Filho:
“Mousasi will pay me inside the ring”
With
sunglasses, mustache and a Flamengo t-shirt, Paulo Filho made
weight for his fight tonight against Alex Shoenauer, at Bitetti
Combat 4. After the weight-ins, the black belt spoke with TATAME.com
about the polemical with Gegard Mousasi, who said he used steroids
in the fight against Melvin Manhoef.
“People
gets sad because I say the truth in my interviews, but I think
he’s not enough to beat be and that’s it. Mousasi didn’t
like with the truth I said”, guarantees Paulo, who said
last week to TATAME.com that he’d submit Mousasi.
“He’s
very competent, has a beautiful future in MMA, but he said that
and will have to be a man to face me inside the rings, after
that he can say whatever he wants”, said, believing in his
BJJ game. “He can be better in striking, what don’t
say a shit to me, but we’ll fight and I have my jiu-jitsu
and that’s it”.
Source: Tatame
|
Gesias
Cavalcante injured; out of Dream 11
Gesias
Cavalcante was training focused on his next fight at Dream, against
Daisuke Nakamura, on Ovtober 6th, but will have to stop the training.
During the wrestling training earlier this week, the lightweight
from American Top Team twisted his knee and is our of the Dream
11 fight. “I was helping Banha (Luis Cane) right next to
him when it happened”, said Alex Davis, Cacalvante’s
manager.
Source: Tatame
|
BELLATOR
CHAMP ALVEREZ MAY GET DREAM FIGHT
A bout between Eddie Alvarez and Katsunori Kikuno is under consideration
for Dream 12 on Oct. 25 in Osaka, MMAWeekly.com has learned from
a source close to Alvarez.
Alvarez
(20-2) took the last half of the summer off after defeating Greg
Loughran, Eric Reynolds, and Toby Imada to win the lightweight
title in the first season of Bellator Fighting Championships.
He began training last month in preparation for his appearance
on MTV’s “Bully Beatdown,” which aired Aug. 27
and stayed in the gym for a possible fall fight.
Bellator
CEO Bjorn Rebney last week told MMAWeekly.com that Alvarez was
one of four Bellator champions he was currently trying to place
in “different markets around the world.” Rebney looked
to place a fighter from an outside promotion in Bellator’s
second season in exchange for a Bellator champion’s one-off
appearance in that show.
According
to the source, Bellator is currently waiting to see the fighter
Dream offers in exchange for Alvarez before signing off on the
trade. Unclear at this point is the weight class an Alvarez vs.
Kikuno bout would be contested at, as Rebney said he wished Alvarez
to fight above his usual lightweight class.
Bellator
matchmaker Matt Stansell said on Thursday afternoon that he’d
“heard a rumor” of the bout, but had received no recent
correspondence from Dream officials.
Kikuno
(12-1-1) recently made a successful transition to Dream after
an extended stint in Deep, defeating Chute Boxe product Andre
“Dida” Amade by TKO at Dream 10 in July.
Check
back with MMAWeekly.com for more developments on this fight as
they become available.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a
person's determination."
Tommy Lasorda
|
UP
N UP 3 Results!
Up N Up 3
Neal Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
September 12, 2009
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
Up
N Up 3 was the first promotion to take the plunge and promote
a professional MMA event in Hawaii after the new Hawaii state
laws enacted to further regulate MMA went into effect in July
of this year. This would be the first sanctioned event by the
Hawaii MMA commission and also would be the first time Up N Up
expanded outside of Maui and into Hawaii's biggest stage, the
Neal Blaisdell Arena. As with any show expanding to a larger
stage, Up N Up had its share of promotional mishaps, but the
main card made up for it.
Mark Oshiro and Fillipe Chavez started it off by the aggressive
Oshiro throwing a head kick at Chavez. Chavez locked in an incredibly
tight arm lock that Oshiro had to have just about bent his arm
backwards to get out of. Oshiro then pounded on a tough Chavez
and turned the tide by submitting Chavez with his own triangle.
Next up was the fight for bragging rights for the best 170lber
in Hawaii. Ramos started off doing what he does best, slipping,
moving and landing heavy blows. Clay tried to take the fight
to the ground and use his superior Jiu-Jitsu, but Ramos defended
and moved well. Ramos threw away his successful strategy and
tried to beat Clay at his own game by taking him down. Ramos
looked to ground and pound Clay, which proved to be a huge mistake.
Clay locked in a triangle and finished a very upset Ramos. Fast
forward to the main event for the UpNUp Bantamweight title, pitting
two undefeated fighters, Maui's Brandon Visher and California's
Isaac De Jesus. You couldn't pick a better main event as these
two warriors went toe to toe with Visher landing a number of
huge blows and De Jesus somehow recovering from them and fighting
back to make it a great fight. After taking a number of these
blows, Visher was finally able to finish the seemingly indestructible
De Jesus in the third round with a bomb that sent De Jesus falling
backwards and Visher finished him off to retain the title and
bring the crowd to its feet.
210
lbs: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
John Rosa (Average Joe Jiu-Jitsu) def. Makana Vertido (Kurrupt
Ambitions)
Submission via rear naked choke at 2:25 in Round 1
195
lbs: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Maki Pitolo (Outcast) def. Endrew Setefano (94 Block)
Submission via rear naked choke at 2:02 in Round 3 (Overtime)
185
lbs: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Brandon Naleieha (Kurrupt Ambitions) def. Joseph Enaena (All
Nu)
TKO via Referee stoppage due to strikes at 2:59 in Round 1.
Heavyweight:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Paea Pongo (Kurrupt Ambitions) def. Christian Dayondon (All Nu)
Submission via guillotine choke at 1:13 in Round 1.
160
lbs: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Justin Alhamvra (Freelance) def. Lenny Hernandez (Dead Bird Inc.)
Submission via guillotine choke at 2:57 in Round 1.
170
lbs: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Zane Kamaka def. Brusky Lewis (Bulls Pen)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 Rounds.
145
lbs: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Colin Mackenzie (God's Army) def. Jay Bolos (Destiny Fight Club)
Submission via rear naked choke in 1:04 in Round 1.
Heavyweight:
2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Tafa Samuela (94 Block) def. Vili Fonokalafi (No Remorse)
Submission via arm bar at 2:58 in Round 2.
135
lbs: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Mark Oshiro (Bulls Pen) def. Fillipe Chavez (Aburqurque, NM)
Submission via triangle choke at 51 seconds in Round 2.
170
lbs: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Dylan Clay (Peak Performance/Wailuku Boxing) def. Koa Ramos (808
Fight Factory)
155
lbs: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) def. Michael Brightmon (Gorilla
House)
Unanimous decision after 3 Rounds.
145
lbs: 3 Rounds - 5 minutes
UpNUp Bantamweight Championship Title Bout
Brandon Visher (Peak Performance/Wailuku Boxing) def Isaac De
Jesus (Bawahe)
TKO via Referee stoppage at 1:00 in Round 3.
*Visher retains the UpNUp Bantamweight Championship
|
Putting
the pieces of the puzzle together on UFC & Rampage Jackson
By Zach Arnold
When reports surfaced that BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez was being
moved to the Memphis event on December 12th, there was chatter
that somehow this meant that UFC couldn’t get a network
TV deal once again.
But
what if the matchmaking move dealt with something far more serious?
You’ve
seen the reports now claiming that Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson will be filming the A-Team movie instead of fighting
in front of home town fans against Rashad Evans on 12/12 in Memphis.
If the reports are true, then Dana White’s frustration and
anger in Portland over Rampage wanting to film the movie is completely
and totally justified.
Since
his arrival in UFC, something hasn’t totally clicked between
Rampage and Zuffa. While Jackson has had some success, he hasn’t
become that mega-superstar we were expecting. Chuck Liddell,
Brock Lesnar, and Georges St. Pierre are all more popular than
Jackson. The one upside for Jackson in filming the A-Team movie
is that his name value will increase in the eyes of the general
public. But that’s the only upside.
There
are a lot of major downsides to this move. As a fight promoter,
Dana White has invested a lot of time, energy, and money in pushing
Jackson. I’ve criticized Zuffa’s tenacity in their
push of Jackson on this site in the past, but I also recognize
that this Fall was going to be the biggest push UFC was going
to give Jackson yet. They set up their reality show around him
fighting Rashad Evans and threw Kimbo Slice into the mix. The
fight between the two men was set up perfectly for a ‘homecoming’
of sorts for Rampage in Memphis at the FedEx Forum, which is
significantly bigger than the late Mid South Coliseum that Jackson
used to watch wrestling taped at. If Rampage ends up picking
the movie over UFC 107 in Memphis, it will be a move that costs
him a lot. He will in essence be burning UFC by doing this, he
will have wasted the time of a lot of people including Rashad
Evans (who needs to bounce back after the Machida loss), and
it will be a loss in terms of a fight with an opponent he can
beat.
Steve
Cofield asks why UFC is still going to Memphis if Rampage won’t
fight on the card. The answer for this question is easy - it’s
Memphis. Memphis is a town with a tremendous history for pro-wrestling
and fighting. The crowd will be super-heated and will be 100%
supportive of UFC.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
TYSON
GRIFFIN PLANS TO PUSH FRANCA TO THE LIMIT
by Ken Pishna
Ask any professional fighter and they’re likely to tell
you that they’ve never gone into a bout 100-percent healthy.
But
every once in a while, when punching someone in the face, and
often getting punched back, is your way of earning a living,
you do have to take a step back and let your body recover.
That’s
exactly where UFC lightweight Tyson Griffin found himself after
his last bout. He scored a unanimous decision over a tough Rafael
dos Anjos on April 1, but after amassing a 6-2 record against
some of the best fighters in the Octagon, his body was telling
him it was time for rejuvenation.
“I
had a little bit of a break, healed up some bumps and bruises,
things like that,” Griffin told MMAWeekly.com his first
week back in the gym after three months with a “Gone Fishing”
sign hanging on his front door.
Heading
into his bout against Hermes Franca at UFC 103 next week in Dallas,
Griffin realizes there’s a lot at stake. Having suffered
a hiccup against Sean Sherk in October of last year, a win over
a fellow top fighter on top of the win over dos Anjos puts him
right back in the championship mix.
“A
dominant win against Hermes Franca would put me back in the contender
runnings.”
He
realizes that’s no easy task against Franca.
“That
guy’s in it for the long haul. He’s gonna knock you
out in the third round if you’re not paying attention or
he’s gonna catch you in a submission if you’re sloppy,”
assessed Griffin. “I’m gonna fight him smart and fight
him hard and hopefully bring the pace so he doesn’t have
that knockout power in the third, and doesn’t have that
submission strength in the third.
“I’m
excited to get in crazy shape and push Hermes to the limit.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Injured
Sherk Haunted By Steroid Suspension
by Loretta Hunt
Sean Sherk’s 2007 steroid suspension is always just a few
steps behind him.
The
former UFC lightweight champion was reminded of that last week
when he withdrew with a shoulder injury from his bout against
Gleison Tibau at UFC 104 on Oct. 24 in Los Angeles.
Sherk’s
injury was scrutinized, however, when it was reported that he
had been scheduled to take a drug test with the California State
Athletic Commission required for his re-licensure that same week.
The
injury is painfully real, according to medical documents received
by Sherdog.com.
Sherk
suffered a “Grade II AC separation” in his right shoulder,
according to an MRI report prepared by the Center for Diagnostic
Imaging in St. Louis Park, Minn.
University
of Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford sustained a similar injury
last week and will sit out at least two weeks to a month’s
worth of play. Sherk, who still can’t lift his arm 10 days
after the accident, hopes to resume training in a couple of weeks
as well.
Sean
Sherk MRI video.Neither athlete will need surgery, though Sherk
said he is disturbed by assumptions made about his situation
that aim to damage his reputation.
“I’m
not dodging a drug test,” Sherk told Sherdog.com Monday.
“I just took a drug test three months ago. I know I’m
going to get drug tested. I’ve been drug tested probably
more than any other fighter in the world.”
Reports
also claimed that Sherk had “skipped out” on a flight
to Los Angeles to meet with an CSAC inspector on Sept. 2, the
day his withdrawal was first reported.
According
to Sherk and his manager Monte Cox, neither ever received a flight
itinerary for the fighter to travel to Los Angeles, though they
had been alerted and Sherk had agreed to fly from Minnesota to
Los Angeles to make the required testing prior to his injury.
However,
Sherk separated his shoulder on Aug. 28 training with 195-pound
Iowa State wrestler Paul Bradley, after the fighter landed directly
on his right side in a scramble. It was the same shoulder Sherk
had gotten surgery for two years ago.
Cox
notified the UFC on Aug. 29 that the 36-year-old wrestler would
not be rehabilitated in enough time to train properly for the
bout. The manager and his fighter also debated if Sherk should
still travel to Los Angeles and submit his sample, but Cox advised
him not to. Sherk said he suspected he’d be targeted for
not taking the test.
“It’s
so frustrating,” said Sherk, who has vehemently denied taking
any illegal drugs since 2007. “I feel like I’ve done
so much to prove that I haven’t done anything wrong. Even
with my case –- I went above and beyond to try to prove
that I didn’t take anything.”
In
December 2007, Sherk appealed the CSAC’s findings that he’d
taken the steroid Nanadrolone. Sherk’s suspension was halved
to six months after inconsistencies in the state agency’s
protocol were highlighted during the hearing.
Sherk
said he also submitted to and passed three polygraph tests to
prove his innocence and is still unsure what caused the positive
test.
“We
did find testosterone boosters in one of my supplements, and
I don’t know for sure if that is what did it,” said
Sherk. “I didn’t pursue it. I really don’t know.”
The
suspension cost Sherk $2,500 and his UFC title, but the father
of two said his fanbase took the biggest hit.
“There’s
still people yelling obscenities when I walk out for my fights,”
said Sherk, who made an unsuccessful bid to reclaim the title
from B.J. Penn at UFC 84 in May 2008. “That’s why I
wear headphones.”
Sherk
said he’d never fight in California again directly following
his hearing, but said he relented with the Oct. 24 card because
he wanted to stay more active.
“I
knew they got the new commissioners and things have changed from
the way they used to run stuff and that I wasn’t going to
get pin-pointed with anything extra, which I don’t think
I was,” said Sherk.
The
CSAC has requested other previously disciplined fighters, like
Josh Barnett and Nick Diaz, report to a specific California facility
for testing.
Sherk
said he’s been randomly tested seven times by multiple state
commissions in the last 15 months and that’s he’s prepared
to be consistently flagged.
The
ordeal also encouraged the muscular lightweight to better monitor
what he puts in his body.
Sherk
previously took about 23 supplements daily, from vitamins to
creatines and glutamines to fish oils, but narrowed it down to
about 12 following the suspension.
“I
was under the impression that more is better, which isn’t
the case,” said Sherk. “I knew nothing about contamination.
I didn’t know they sold banned substances at nutrition stores.
It was a huge learning process for me. It was a terrible process
to have to go through, but I did learn something from it.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Mário
Yamasaki
By Marcelo Alonso
One of the best referees in the UFC. Mario Yamasaki spoke with
TATAME.com before working on UFC 102 main event, between Randy
Couture and Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, and commented
about his beginning in the UFC, the toughest fight he has worked,
his heart when a Brazilian is fighting and more. “I don’t
change, I try to be always correct, but in the bottom of the
heart I always cheer for the Brazilians”, said Yamasaki,
in the exclusive interview you check below.
How do you feel when the show is getting started?
My adrenaline starts now... You know (this arena) will be full,
20 thousand people, and I’m doing the main event, so we’re
kind of nervous to start.
When did you started refereeing?
My father was also a referee in Judo, he went to the Olympics,
and I grew up watching him refereeing. When we took the UFC to
Brazil, I asked Big John (McCarty) why he was the only referee,
and he said they were looking for another referee, so I said
“you found it”. I started then I didn’t stop anymore.
Which was the toughest fight you worked on?
The toughest fight ever was the first time I did a main event.
It was in Las Vegas, almost 20 thousand people, Tito Ortiz vs.
Chuck Liddell… That was when I was more nervous, but John
McCarty came to said it was only one more fight… He helped
me a lot, he was a big mentor. I thank him a lot for that.
How do you feel when you’re gonna work in a fight with a
Brazilian?
(laughs) My heart always cheer for the Brazilians, but inside
the octagon I’m always the same. I don’t change, I
try to be always correct, but in the bottom of the heart I always
cheer for the Brazilians.
How is your work in the US?
I’m here for nine years, we have nine Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira
and Muay Thai gyms, I also have a construction company, and we
do hotels buildings, everything.
And how is your work as referee?
We’re not hired by the UFC, we work for the Athletic Commission,
and they hire us for the events. I spoke with others judges and
I’m gonna open a course to form referees. We’re gonna
start it in November.
What do you think it needs to change in the Brazilian MMA to
become like it is nowadays in the US?
I did five events in Brazil and the tough about Brazil is the
fans. The fans buy the tickets too close to the event and the
promoters don’t have too incentive to do events. The problem
is that they have to buy tickets… We do one event there,
we don’t get any money and we won’t do another. We
have a lot of fighters, and UFC didn’t come to Brazil yet
because of that. The first time we went there, a lot of people
tried to enter because its friend of someone…On the other
hand, the country is wonderful, the people are beautiful, everybody
loves to go to Brazil, and we have the best fighters. We need
the fans to contribute with the MMA.
Source: Tatame
|
Ninja
in for Minotouro
Murilo Ninja to sub against Stiebling
Anyone keeping up with GRACIEMAG.com on Twitter has known since
yesterday. Today the Bitetti Combat organization announced Murilo
Ninja will take part on the card for Saturday’s (Sept 12)
event. Ninja takes the place of Rogerio Minotouro in the match-up
against Alex Stiebling.
“We
did what we could to hold onto Minotouro, but he was unable to
recover from his injured ankle in time. We could only announce
Ninja after it was all settled. We were left without Rogerio,
but I think Ninja also brings value to the card. He’s a
showman,” said organizer Fernando Miranda.
Ninja
already knew of the possibility he’d be in the event and
had been training with his brother Mauricio Shogun, who will
challenge Lyoto Machida for his light heavyweight belt in the
UFC.
“I’ve
been training and I’m prepared. I’m really pleased
to participate in this event, the biggest Brazil has ever seen,
and the crowd can look forward to me going for it,” says
the Brazilian.
Beyond
the announcement of his participation, this Wednesday the first
foreign athletes arrive in Brazil, Marvin Eastman and Alex Schoenauer,
and referee Big John McCarthy, the most traditional referee in
the sport, was the face of the early UFC.
Check
out the card:
Ricardo
Arona vs Marvin Eastman
Paulo Filho vs Alex Schoenauer
Pedro Rizzo vs Jeff Monson
Murilo “Ninja¨Rua vs Alex Stiebling
Glover Teixeira vs Leonardo Lucio “Chocolate”
Luciano Azevedo vs Milton Vieira
Henrique Nogueira “Chocolate” vs Eduardo Pamplona
Alexandre Pimentel “Pulga” vs Luciano Yzzy
Vitor Miranda vs Fabio Maldonado
Leandro Batata vs Cassiano Tytschyo
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Mousasi
Off Oct. 6th Dream, "JZ" vs. Nakamura Confirmed
By FCF Staff
Dream has confirmed today that Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight
Champion Gegard Mousasi has been forced to withdraw from the
upcoming semi-finals of the promotion’s open weight tourney,
which are scheduled to take place October 6th in Kanagawa, Japan.
Mousasi was set to fight Pride and UFC vet Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.
No replacement has yet been announced.
Mousasi
was involved in an exhibition bout with Fedor Emelianenko at
M-1’s recent event on August 28th in Kansas City. No official
announcement has been made yet, as to whether or not Mousasi
possibly incurred an injury during the sparring match, or while
he was training for the upcoming Dream fight.
In
the “Super Hulk” tourney’s other semifinal, Hong
Man Choi will take on Ikuhisa Minowa.
Dream
has also confirmed that American Top Team lightweight Gesias
“JZ” Cavalcante (14-3-1) will take on Japanese vet
Daisuke Nakamura (20-10). Cavalcante has not competed since May
when he lost by Unanimous Decision to Tatsuya Kawajiri at Dream’s
9th event.
Nakamura
competed on the August 28th M-1 card and defeated Ferrid Kheeler
by UD.
The
upcoming October 6th Dream event will also feature the semifinals
(and finals) of the promotion’s featherweight grand-prix,
as Bibiano Fernandes will face Joe Warren, while Hiroyuki Takaya
will square off with Hideo Tokoro.
The
card will also feature a lightweight title bout between champion
Joachim Hansen and challenger Shinya Aoki.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Nick
Lembo and NJACB issue public statement on Sean Salmon, announces
replacement
By Zach
Arnold
I
have discussed this matter with Ohio Athletic Commissioner Bernie
Profato today. Ohio has placed Sean on administrative suspension
pending an October hearing. Although we do not have to honor
the suspension, because is it not medical, we have chosen to
do so. Promoter Lou Neglia has already been advised that Salmon
needs to be replaced on the contest. Salmon will not be fighting
on the Sept. 11 Ring of Combat in Atlantic City.
In
an amazing twist of fate, Salmon is being replaced on the card
by… Allan Weickert, the man he said he quit against in the
fight he wrote about online. Well-played, Mr. Lembo and Mr. Neglia.
Sean Salmon
admits to a criminal offense by saying he threw a fight
By Zach Arnold
After
we wrote this post, we learned from a source that the New Jersey
ACB has fired a pre-emptive strike and canceled Sean Salmon’s
fight booking in the state.
Original
post - September 2nd, 2009
It
takes a special man to be so dumb to say this publicly, but hey,
I guess we’ll take what we can get.
¦Are
you really surprised that fights are fixed or manipulated on
smaller shows? (No.)
¦Are you surprised that a number of MMA fighters are using
one drug or another? (No.)
¦Why is it accepted practice that fighters can bet on
their own fighters or other fights when such activity is considered
activity that could cause permanent exile (like in baseball)?
The last question is the one that matters the most. We know the
history of the mafia (in the States, in Japan) when it comes
to betting on fights in MMA, boxing, and (yes) pro-wrestling.
Hell, one of the big stories coming out of UFC 102 involved fighters
rushing to place bets on Jake Rosholt after they found out Chris
Leben supposedly didn’t train for the fight.
The Salmon article on MMA Junkie is amusing for several reasons.
First, it comes off as if he’s trying to portray himself
in a sympathetic light when it fact it does the exact opposite.
Second, he’s bitching and moaning about the California State
Athletic Commission, about Wolfslair Gym, and about anything
else he can whine about as if it’s some sort of justification
that he took a dive in a fight. Third, he has gotten himself
booked in a fight in New Jersey where Nick Lembo runs the show
and has publicly admitted that he (Salmon) took a dive in a fight.
Think he will be fighting on the New Jersey show now?
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Anderson:
“Wanderlei is amazing”
By Guilherme Cruz
Anderson
Silva and Wanderlei Silva are former Chute Boxe athletes and
used to train together and fight with the other one in the corner,
but Wanderlei’s decision to move to the middleweight division
in the UFC started a bad situation between both. But, before
the UFC 102, they met at the hotel and ended with the polemical.
“It never happened anything between us... Wanderlei is crazy
(laughs), he’s crazy, but it’s ok, we’re ok”,
said Anderson to TATAME.com’s Marcelo Alonso, after the
event. “He knows all my critics are positive, that I know
his talent… We’re together, Wanderlei is amazing”.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination,
the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing
to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for
the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."
Vince Lombardi
|
UP
N UP 3 Today!
NEAL BLAISDELL
CENTER
SATURDAY, SEPT 12, 2009
Up N Up 3
Neal Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
September 12, 2009
MAIN EVENT-UP N UP HEAVYWEIGHT BELT
Lolohea Mahe vs Ruben "Warpath" Villareal
145
CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
UNDEFEATED Brandon Visher 15-0 vs Issac De Jesus 11-0
170
Koa Ramos vs Dylan Clay
135
Mark Oshiro vs Rick McCorkell
155
Harris Sarmiento vs Michael Brightmon
170
Zane Kamaka vs Chris Cisneros
145
Jay Bolos vs Colin Mackenzie
135
Brysen Hansen vs Van Oscar Penaveroff
145
Matt Comeau vs Tyler Kahihikolo
we
are in the process of confirming opponents for:
Falaniko Vitale
and many more...
Undefeated Issac De Jesus (11-0) replaces injured Eddie Yagin
in Up N Up Main Event fight against Hawaii’s undefeated
Brandon Visher (15-0) in Honolulu Hawaii on September 12th ,2009.
HONOLULU,
HI August 25, 2009 - Undefeated rising mixed martial arts (MMA)
star Issac De Jesus (11-0) from Stockton, California, will replace
injured Eddie Yagin in the Up N Up Main Event bout with Hawaii’s
top ranked and also undefeated champion Brandon Visher (15-0)
from Kula, Maui at the Neil Blaisdell Center in Honolulu Hawaii
on Saturday, September 12th.
The
flawless record of Brandon Visher will truly be tested in this
amazing match up with Strikeforce veteran Issac De Jesus. Both
fighters have no blemishes on their record, this fight will ensure
that someone’s “0” must go.
BRANDON
VISHER: “I expect him to come into this fight in shape,
strong and ready to leave undefeated but I'm willing to do the
same. Hopefully he brings it. ...lets hope he's ready for a warm
808 welcome. ...bring your best I'll bring mine and Aloha!”
ISSAC
DE JESUS: “I expect him to come out proud….but I’m
a surprising fighter and I’m coming in there for the same
reasons he is. There’s a belt on the line. I’m undefeated
and I don’t want to loose.”
Another
one of Hawaii’s top ranked fighters, Mark Oshiro, will be
taking on Felipe Chavez who is a younger relative to the UFC
powerhouse Diego Sanchez. Oshiro has proven himself to be “the”
man to beat in Hawaii as a veteran of EliteXC and Icon Sport.
This should be a true test for both men on September 12th.
Undefeated
Koa Ramos will be taking on Hawaii’s #1 ranked Dylan Clay
on the Up N Up main card. Ramos has made a splash in Hawaii with
dominating performances in X-1 and Icon Sport while Dylan Clay
has also been making his force known through X-1 and M-1. Both
are highly regarded in Hawaii and this fight will solidify who
deserves to be on top of the rankings in the 170lbs division.
Rounding
out the Marquee card is Harris Sarmiento vs. Michael Brightmon.
The touted technical skills of Sarmiento will clash with the
brute force of Brightmon in this extremely anticipated bout that
will no doubt please the fans. Sarmiento is a true veteran of
MMA fighting such names as Nick Diaz, Jason Dent, KJ Noons, Roger
Huerta, Shane Nelson, Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson and Billy
Evangelista. With wins over former WEC Champ “Razor”
Rob McCullough. Brightmon is an unbeaten powerhouse who is a
definite up and comer in the sport who took out UFC veteran Anthony
Torres.
The
Up N Up event at the Neil Blaisdell Center on September 12th
is stacked with some of the best MMA fights a fan could ask for.
Tickets
for the event, priced from $15, are on sale at the Blaisdell
Arena box office, all Times Supermarket locations (1-800-745-3000),
and Ticketmaster online (www.Ticketmaster.com) http://www.ticketmaster.com/Up-N-Up-Extreme-Cage-Fighting-tickets/artist/1353209
WHAT:
UPNUP 3 Extreme Cage Fighting
WHEN:
September 12, 2009
WHERE:
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
CONTACTS:
MEDIA CREDENTIALS
info@mmahawaii.com
(808) 944-6552
PROMOTER
EMAIL: nexcoastapparel@yahoo.com
PHONE: (808) 357-8645
Source: MMA Hawaii
|
Hawaiian
Open Championships of BJJ
Today!
Aloha everyone!
Just wanted
to remind you all that Saturday, September 5th @ midnight is
the deadline for early registration.
This means that only those who register early will have a tournament
t-shirt reserved for them and will not have to pay a late fee.
All those registering late will be charged a $10 late fee and
will not receive a tournament t-shirt.
Absolute
deadline for registration will be Wednesday, September 9th @
midnight. There will be no late entries after this date and no
entries the day of the tournament.
Tournament
start times:
Kids: 10 am
Adults: 12 pm
Weigh-in
procedures and weight divisions are posted on our website.
I
have attached the t-shirt design for this upcoming tournament
for your viewing pleasure.
For
more information or if you have any questions, please visit:
www.hawaiitriplecrown.com
|
PRANGLEY
AND HORN TOP FIRST ARENA RUMBLE CARD
A roster chalk full of UFC veterans marks the debut event of
Arena Rumble this Saturday at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
in Spokane, Wash.
The
co-main events feature Jeremy Horn vs. Jason Guida and Trevor
Prangley vs. Dennis Reed.
After
suffering a trio of defeats during his latest stint with the
UFC, Horn bounced back with a win against Chris Davis at Adrenaline
MMA 3 in June. He’ll look to add to that win in the headline
bout at Arena Rumble.
Guida
is looking for his first win in two-and-a-half years, riding
a four-fight losing streak into the bout.
Prangley
hasn’t tasted defeat since losing to Jorge Santiago in the
finals of a one-night, four-man Strikeforce tournament in late
2007. He’s currently on a three-fight upswing and looking
to add to his success.
Reed
is a tough Midwest fighter that has been competing since 1996.
He hasn’t met with much success lately, dropping four of
his five most recent bouts.
Arena
Rumble is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday in Spokane.
Arena
Rumble Main Card:
-Jason Guida vs. Jeremy Horn
-Dennis Reed vs. Trevor Prangley
-Josh Martin vs. Lyle Beerbohm
-Josh Queen vs. Brad Imes
-Mike Hanks vs. Sidney Silva
-Ben McCombs vs. Justin Grizzard
-Julio Paulino vs. Terry Martin
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Cro
Cop Can't Figure Out Why Fedor Ducked the UFC
by Michael David Smith
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic uttered the phrase "I
don't know" more than a dozen times Tuesday afternoon when
asked for his thoughts about why Fedor Emelianenko declined to
sign with the UFC. Cro Cop said over and over again that he can't
figure out what is preventing his old Pride rival from fighting
in the world's biggest mixed martial arts promotion.
Cro
Cop, who lost to Fedor four years ago in Pride in a battle that
was widely regarded at the time as featuring the two best heavyweights
in MMA, said he couldn't come up with a logical explanation for
why Fedor would prefer to fight in Strikeforce/M-1 Global co-promotions,
rather than in the UFC.
"I
like Fedor as a fighter, as a man, I don't want to insult Fedor,
but I don't understand his attitude -- I don't know him well
enough to say anymore, I don't know if someone else controls
him," Cro Cop said. "I don't know. I don't know the
situation. But I really don't understand why he doesn't want
to enter the UFC. Definitely the UFC offered him the best possible
deal, to pay him much more than Dream can offer or Strikeforce
can offer, but he's just refusing to go there. I don't know why.
I think he should take the challenge but why, i don't know. I
don't think he's afraid, but I think he wants to keep his perfect
record, maybe he thinks the UFC is too tough. I think he should
come. Why he's not there, I don't know."
Cro
Cop continued in that vein for a couple more minutes, repeatedly
saying that he doesn't know what Fedor is thinking in his refusal
to sign with the UFC. Cro Cop stressed that he respects Fedor,
but he also said he believes the UFC has the best heavyweight
division of any MMA promotion, and that he believes Fedor should
fight the best.
The
bottom line, though, is that Fedor has made it very clear what
his reasons are: He's made a business decision to work for M-1
Global exclusively, and he won't fight in the UFC until the UFC
agrees to co-promote with M-1. And that means we all need to
accept the likelihood that Fedor will never fight in the UFC.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Arona:
“Well trained, I can beat anyone”
By Guilherme Cruz
Ready to make his return to the rings at Bitetti Combat 4, Ricardo
Arona, who doesn’t fight since 2007, spoke with TATAME Magazine’s
subscribers in an exclusive chat about the most remarkable moments
int he career and the desire to go to the UFC. About the biggest
event in the MMA world, Arona commented how would be a fight
against the light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida.
“He’s
a guy who’s well prepared, defended Brazil well, a Kacate
guy, a fight that I respect a lot, but I always had a chance
to beat anyone I fought, I made tough battles and did well. I
don’t have any doubt of my performance when I’m well
trained, but MMA is always a surprise, it just ends when the
referee stops it”, said, guaranteeing he’d do his best
to get to the tops. “I wanna be well prepared to, when I
get there and had to fight Lyoto, I’d go to win. He’s
a great chanpion, but if I’m well trained I can beat anyone”,
finished Arona.
Source: Tatame
|
UFC
105 confirmed for Manchester
Event set for November 14
The
UFC’s organizers officially announced the date for UFC 105.
The Octagon will return to the Old Continent and disembark on
the 14th of November in Manchester, England, where it will be
the stage for two confirmed match-ups: Michael Bisping will face
Denis Kang, while Dan Hardy will face off against Dong Hyun Kim.
Home
to the world-famous Manchester United soccer team, the English
city has not received the UFC since April of 2007, when Gabriel
Napao applied an unforgettable knockout on then-favorite to win
the heavyweight title Mirko Cro Cop.
Also
at UFC 105, Rogerio Minotouro is expected to make his debut for
the organization. No name has so far been mentioned as the Brazilian’s
opponent.
Stay
tuned to GRACIEMAG.com and we’ll be back shortly with further
information on the UFC.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Lutter
Anxious to Get Back in the Ring
Former TUF Winner Ready to Fight MacDonald at MFC 22
By Kelsey Mowatt
When
Travis Lutter takes on fellow UFC vet Jason MacDonald in the
main event of the Maximum Fighting Championship’s upcoming
October 2nd card in Enoch, Alberta, nearly 18 months will have
gone by since the former “Ultimate Fighter” winner
last competed. According to Lutter, after getting stopped by
Rich Franklin at UFC 83 last spring, finding another fight has
been tough sledding.
“We’ve
been looking for a fight ever since the Rich Franklin fight,”
Lutter told FCF. “I don’t know if it’s willing
to fight me or just trying to find a home to fight. I’ve
had troubles with once I found a new home it was hard finding
an opponent to fight. It’s always difficult. It’s no
different than for any other fighters and what they have to go
through.”
“I’m
a dangerous opponent, so I think some people are afraid of taking
a loss,” Lutter added, when asked if he thinks part of the
reason he’s had a tough time lining up an opponent, is on
account of his abilities and resume. “Obviously Jason thinks
he can beat me so it should be good.”
The
upcoming middleweight bout between Lutter and MacDonald is an
interesting one, as both men have had highs and lows while competing
in the Octagon. After winning the fourth season of “The
Ultimate Fighter”, Lutter dropped back-to-back losses to
current champ Anderson Silva and the aforementioned Franklin,
while MacDonald put together a 5-5 record during his UFC tenure.
“I
think Jason’s a good all around fighter,” Lutter said.
“He’s got okay stand-up, okay wrestling and okay jiu-jitsu.
I’m not so much concerned with what he’s going to try
to do to me as what I’m going to try to do to him.”
“I
haven’t decided yet,” Lutter told FCF, when asked about
his game plan for the bout. “I’ll decide when I get
there I guess.”
Due
to his submission wins over fighters like Chris Leben and Ed
Herman, in addition to his memorable loss to renowned jiu-jitsu
champion Demian Maia, MacDonald forged a reputation for being
more of a ground specialist during his time in the UFC. Lutter
is of course no stranger to the ground game himself, as 7 of
the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt's 9 career victories have
come via submission.
“I
think he’s good,” said Lutter, when asked to evaluate
MacDonald’s ground game. “I think Maia is probably
one of the best grapplers doing MMA in the world, so going up
against him is very difficult. You know, Jason also lost to Rich
(Franklin), who is also a very good fighter, so it’s no
knock to his jiu-jitsu.”
Provided
Lutter can get by MacDonald on October 2nd, it will be interesting
to see what bouts come the 35 year-old fighter’s way over
the coming months.
“You
know I’d like to eventually wind up back in the UFC; it’s
what I’d like to do,” Lutter acknowledged. “But
I’ll fight anywhere against good opponents. That’s
what I want.”
“Oh
yeah, I don’t think that’s a question,” Lutter
added, when asked if he feels the growing MFC can continue to
line him up against notable opposition. “Let’s get
paid and let’s fight.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Jake
Shields Responds to 'Mayhem' Miller
" he'll beat the piss out of me..? He's the one that won't
sign the contract. I would sign that fight tonight but he just
wants to talk and act tough, but he's the one that won't sign.
His manager tells us the fight is on, Miller has agreed and then
I'm hearing he's decided he can't fight in October but would
maybe do it in December.
He
thinks he's a star now but just like the show I was the only
one doing the fighting while he just did the talking. He must
think he's Cung Le now.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
The
UFC Middleweight title situation
By Zach Arnold
Naturally,
one would think that Nathan Marquardt would get a shot at Anderson
Silva’s Middleweight title after his dominating performance
against Demian Maia at UFC 102. You’d be wrong.
And
you’d be wrong too if you thought Yushin Okami would get
a title shot in the near future.
Lots
of interesting happenings going on with Anderson Silva these
days. Dave Meltzer said that Silva’s camp isn’t keen
on a fight with Dan Henderson for November (either for the UK
show or the Las Vegas event) and that all Middleweight booking
is up-in-the-air right now in UFC.
Okami,
who is the legitimate #1 contender in the Middleweight division,
has been sitting at home in Japan. The closest he’s getting
to UFC these days is doing color commentary for their shows on
WOWOW (which he did for the UFC 102 event). Marquardt, meanwhile,
also deserves a Middleweight title shot and may not end up getting
it against Silva.
The
big question for Silva is what’s next for him? If he isn’t
all that interested in a fight against Marquardt or Henderson,
then who at 205 pounds interests him? Rampage Jackson wants to
do a movie and Rashad Evans is ‘married’ to him in
terms of matchmaking, so what’s next?
Source: Fight Opinion
|
10
Questions for Michael Bisping
by Karl Maple
Sherdog.com recently caught up with Michael Bisping, who meets
Denis Kang on Nov. 14 at UFC 105. The bout, which will be one
of the featured attractions at the Manchester Evening News Arena
in Manchester, England, will also be Bisping’s first since
his knockout loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100.
The
often outspoken Brit discussed that defeat to Henderson, his
upcoming clash with Kang and more with Sherdog.com.
Sherdog.com:
How is the preparation for your upcoming fight with Denis Kang
progressing?
Bisping: Obviously with the fight 10 weeks away we’re not
full on yet, but I am in the gym every day brushing up on my
technique. Soon I'll sit down with my management and discuss
getting a few guys in. We'll start about eight weeks beforehand.
Sherdog.com:
Are there any areas in particular that you have identified as
beneficial for you in this fight?
Bisping: To be honest, he's a pretty complete fighter. Very good
technique and that’s what I wanted. Obviously, I was very
disappointed by the Dan Henderson fight, and wanted a big win
over a credible opponent, and Denis Kang is definitely that.
I have a few things up my sleeve though, and we'll be working
on them in the coming weeks. I will win this fight.
Sherdog.com:
About fighting in Manchester. It’s close to being your hometown.
Does that help as a fighter or add to the pressure?
Bisping: It’s a bit of both. It will definitely help having
a lot of people there who want you to win. It was absolutely
fantastic fighting there last time. Probably the highlight of
my career so far. On the other side though, there are a lot of
people there that you don't want to let down, but I usually perform
better under pressure.
Sherdog.com:
On the last season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” you became
one of a select few to have been both a competitor and coach.
How difficult an experience is that show?
Bisping: It was a tough situation but also a means to an end.
Now I'm a fighter; if it wasn't for that show -- who knows? The
travel and the time away from your family comes with the territory.
Back then it was the first time I'd been away from my family
for any length of time, but now I'm used to it.
It’s
all part of the sacrifice. You spend a lot of time away and in
hotels. It’s all about putting in the effort. I drive an
hour to the Wolfslair every day and then drive an hour back.
Coaching was a new experience, but I really enjoyed that aspect
and was proud that the boys did really well.
Sherdog.com:
Do you think some of your actions on the show got lost in translation
between banter and arrogance?
Bisping: I don't take myself too seriously, I'm always trying
to have a laugh and take the piss. I don't think I'm arrogant,
but if that is how I appeared on the show, then that might be
something that I have to look at in the future.
Sherdog.com:
Do you think the prolonged build up surrounding your fight with
Dan Henderson affected your performance on the night?
Bisping: I don't. I have no excuses. Dan did a great job that
night and I didn't. My manager thinks that the “Ultimate
Fighter” job was a nightmare for me because it left so much
time between fights, but to be honest I don't think it made much
difference.
Sherdog.com:
What aspects would you change in a rematch?
Bisping: I'd keep my left hand up! [Laughs] No, I mean, like
I said, I had a good camp going in, but Dan just took me out.
Credit to the guy. I would love to have a rematch, but I have
to earn the right; I'll have to beat a few credible guys before
then. At the moment I have no right to a rematch. I would also
like to rematch Rashad Evans and Matt Hamill at some point.
Sherdog.com:
Last week, speaking to Sherdog.com, Dan Hardy said that he felt
American fans were waiting for the British fighters to fail.
Would you agree with that?
Bisping: I saw the article and I agree in some respects. I think
most MMA fans look past nationality though, and I think there
are many people who want us to succeed, but of course you have
those people who want us to fail.
Sherdog.com:
You made the move to light heavyweight directly after the close
decision loss to Rashad Evans, who consequently went on to knock
out both Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin in his next fights.
Do you still have something to offer at that weight?
Bisping: Yeah, absolutely. I did a few things wrong at the beginning,
but I've learnt a lot more now about things like diet and nutrition.
I'm going to keep going at middleweight, but down the line that
is definitely something I would consider.
Sherdog.com:
The web is abuzz at the moment with rumors regarding your friend
Quinton Jackson playing Mr. T in the “A-Team” remake.
Have you spoken to him about it and is acting something that
you are considering?
Bisping: I haven't spoken to him in a few weeks now and it’s
not really my place to comment, but I've got a couple of things
in the works. I'm working with a film script that’s being
made and we'll see what happens.
Source: Sherdog
|
Maynard
Focused on Huerta, Not Lightweight Title
by Michael
David Smith
Featured
Story: No
If Gray Maynard wanted to, he could make a pretty good case that
he deserves to be the No. 1 contender for the UFC lightweight
title. After breaking into the UFC on the fifth season of The
Ultimate Fighter and knocking himself out in a bizarre no contest
on that season's Finale, Maynard has gone 5-0, and he's dominated
all five opponents.
But
as Maynard prepares to fight Roger Huerta on the September 16
Ultimate Fight Night card, he says he won't lobby for a shot
at the lightweight championship, even if he beats Huerta. Instead,
Maynard says in an interview with FanHouse that he's putting
all his energy into fighting Huerta, and that as long as he keeps
winning, he's sure a title shot will come.
Michael
David Smith: What kind of fight are you expecting from Roger
Huerta?
Gray Maynard: He's very quick paced. He has a lot of heart. It
definitely won't be easy, but I'm prepared.
He
hasn't fought in more than a year. Do you think he'll be rusty?
I'm preparing for the opposite: I'm looking at it as, he's been
off for a long time, he's been training this whole time, that
means he's going to be hungry and come in there and be an animal.
That's who I'm preparing for.
What
do you make of his long layoff? The reports are that he is more
interested in acting and modeling than fighting?
Well, I guess he's got those options. I don't have those options,
so I have to prepare to fight.
I've
talked to several fighters who say that you're someone they wouldn't
want to fight because your style makes you a difficult opponent.
What do you think that means?
I've heard a couple people say that, and I guess it just means
that every time I come out, I'm coming out to fight, that every
time I come out I come out with new tools and new ways to win
a fight, and that I can dictate the tempo of the fight. I'm the
kind of fighter who can take my opponents down to the ground,
or I can keep the fight standing, and if I do that I hit pretty
hard.
If
you beat Roger are you in line for a title shot next?
I don't know. I have to beat Huerta before I can even think about
doing anything else. I don't look beyond this fight because I
think it's going to be a good scrap, and as long as I keep winning,
a title shot will come. I just have to win each fight as they
give it to me.
This
question was submitted on Twitter by Michael Comeau: Is it unfair
that Diego Sanchez gets the next title fight with only two wins
at lightweight, and that Kenny Florian got the last title shot
with easier competition?
The UFC made the smart business choice in giving Diego the next
shot. Diego has the name and his fight with Penn will draw a
lot of fans, especially after that great fight he just had with
Clay Guida. I'm horrible at predicting fights, but I do think
B.J. against Diego is a good one.
You've
dominated each of your last five fights, but since your first-round
knockout of Joe Veres two years ago, you've won all four of your
fights by decision. Do you think you need to have an exciting
finish to a fight to make you more marketable and more attractive
as a title contender?
I don't think you can set out to try for a big knockout or a
great submission. If it happens it happens, but you just have
to try to win the fight. I've fought some really good opponents,
guys who are in the Top 10, and it's not going to happen that
easily. I don't care if it's B.J. Penn or anyone, finishing a
good opponent within three rounds is never easy. Even B.J., he
didn't stop Kenny Florian until Round 4 and he didn't stop Sean
Sherk until after Round 3. Finishing top guys within three rounds
is hard to do. Fans ask me, "Why aren't you knocking guys
out?" It's because guys are good. When you're fighting in
the UFC, everyone you're fighting is good. It's not easy to knock
someone out within three rounds.
How
has your training been going for this fight?
I'm doing a lot of work at Xtreme Couture with Tyson Griffin,
Martin Kampmann, Sam Stout and Mike Pyle. We've got a whole group
of guys who have fights coming up. We also have a strength and
conditioning trainer who puts us through some really hard stuff,
and I jog a lot to get into shape.
Do
you lift weights?
I hit the weights hard when I'm not in training camp, and then
when I'm gearing up for a fight I want to ease off the weights
and hit the cardio really hard.
I
know you're close with a number of your training partners at
Xtreme Couture. Is there anyone you wouldn't fight because they're
friends?
I would try to avoid fighting a friend, but I don't want to act
like I'm the boss. The UFC makes the decision, and I would hate
to be like, "No, it's not going to happen." Because
then I'm acting like I'm the boss, and I know I'm not the boss.
Are
you watching a lot of tape of Huerta's past fights?
I do that at the beginning of camp. I watched his fights, looked
for certain spots, and then geared up. I think you can do too
much watching tape if you're doing it in your whole camp, but
it's good to get started by looking at what he does.
How
much do people ask you about that crazy no contest you had with
Rob Emerson in 2007 at the Ultimate Fighter Finale, when you
slammed Emerson, making him tap, but knocked yourself out in
the process?
I still get it a lot. People are always coming up talking about
it.
There
was some controversy at the time about whether that was ruled
correctly. Do you think it should have been a no contest?
I don't worry about it. That's the ruling that was made, and
that's what I have to go with.
You
seem like you're pretty much just happy to fight and not too
worried about anything else.
I love doing what I'm doing. And I really appreciate the fan
support. As the sport is growing we're getting more fans, and
I'm planning to give them something to cheer for next week.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
BOB
SAPP TO FACE SOKOUDJOU AT DREAM 11
by Steven Marrocco
Bob "The Beast" Sapp (16-5-1) will stand in for an
injured Gegard Mousasi to face Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in the
semifinals of Dream's Super Hulk Tournament Oct. 6 at Dream 11.
Sapp
(16-5-1), who lost to Ikuhisa Minowa in the opening round of
the tournament at Dream 9, confirmed the fight to MMAWeekly.com
on Wednesday.
Ikuhisa
Minowa vs. Hong Man Choi fills the opposite bracket of the heavily
weighted tournament.
The
fill-in is just one of four professional engagements Sapp said
is either done or close to done on his immediate schedule. The
day after his Dream booking, he is set for a kickboxing match
against Alain "The Panther" Ngalani in Hong Kong. The
weekend after that, he's working on an MMA fight in Texas that
is "80 percent done." Then, in late October, he plans
to go back to Korea for a pro wrestling engagement, with more
globetrotting in the pipeline for November and December.
“I’m
getting on being ready to be 35," said Sapp. "I have
no UFC dreams nor desires. I just keep on working... get paid
and get on working. I definitely know it’s crazy fighting
MMA and then kickboxing in another country right afterwards.
I’m very well aware of that, but we’ve got to make
hay while the horse is hungry, right?”
On
Thursday, "The Beast" will head south from his home
state of Washington to Lakewood, Calif., for training with Antonio
McKee at The Body Shop.
“I’ve
been in the (training) mode already," continued Sapp. "(McKee)
really pushes me forward on conditioning. That’s who I really
need to get me to do something like this.
"Sokoudjou’s
a great fighter. Without question, he’s ready to go. He’s
kind of on his winning (ways), while I’m on the opposite
end, on a losing streak. So I definitely would like to push forward
and rebound back.”
If
victorious, Sapp will face the winner of Minowa vs. Choi at Dynamite!
on New Year's Eve. If not, he hints at another option.
"If
Sokoudjou wins... I’ll probably be fighting a celebrity
(at Dynamite)," he said.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Coach:
“Dos Santos is a knockout artist”
By Guilherme Cruz
After
Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira’s victory against
Randy Couture, Luiz Dórea, the Brazilian’s boxing
coach, goes back to the gym to work on Junior “Cigano”
dos Santos striking to face Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
at UFC 103. “The training are great, Rodrigo will stay with
me at the corner and we’ll go for another victory”,
said Dórea, praising Dos Santos game for the fight.
“He’s
a very talented guy, everybody is very impressed with him. He
is, for sure, one of the best boxing fighters in the world. He’s
very strong and fast for this division, seeks the knockout all
the time… He’s a knockout artist”, told the coach,
respecting Cro Cop. “Mirko is a great athlete, deserves
all the respect, but that’s why we’re going inside
him. Cigano has everything to win and we’re confident on
that”, guarantees Dórea, in exclusive interview to
TATAME.com.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"An
artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection,
and on his own terms, not anyone else's."
J. D. Salinger
|
UP
N UP 3 Tomorrow
NEAL BLAISDELL
CENTER
SATURDAY, SEPT 12, 2009
Up N Up 3
Neal Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
September 12, 2009
MAIN EVENT-UP N UP HEAVYWEIGHT BELT
Lolohea Mahe vs Ruben "Warpath" Villareal
145
CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
UNDEFEATED Brandon Visher 15-0 vs Issac De Jesus 11-0
170
Koa Ramos vs Dylan Clay
135
Mark Oshiro vs Rick McCorkell
155
Harris Sarmiento vs Michael Brightmon
170
Zane Kamaka vs Chris Cisneros
145
Jay Bolos vs Colin Mackenzie
135
Brysen Hansen vs Van Oscar Penaveroff
145
Matt Comeau vs Tyler Kahihikolo
we
are in the process of confirming opponents for:
Falaniko Vitale
and many more...
Undefeated Issac De Jesus (11-0) replaces injured Eddie Yagin
in Up N Up Main Event fight against Hawaii’s undefeated
Brandon Visher (15-0) in Honolulu Hawaii on September 12th ,2009.
HONOLULU,
HI August 25, 2009 - Undefeated rising mixed martial arts (MMA)
star Issac De Jesus (11-0) from Stockton, California, will replace
injured Eddie Yagin in the Up N Up Main Event bout with Hawaii’s
top ranked and also undefeated champion Brandon Visher (15-0)
from Kula, Maui at the Neil Blaisdell Center in Honolulu Hawaii
on Saturday, September 12th.
The
flawless record of Brandon Visher will truly be tested in this
amazing match up with Strikeforce veteran Issac De Jesus. Both
fighters have no blemishes on their record, this fight will ensure
that someone’s “0” must go.
BRANDON
VISHER: “I expect him to come into this fight in shape,
strong and ready to leave undefeated but I'm willing to do the
same. Hopefully he brings it. ...lets hope he's ready for a warm
808 welcome. ...bring your best I'll bring mine and Aloha!”
ISSAC
DE JESUS: “I expect him to come out proud….but I’m
a surprising fighter and I’m coming in there for the same
reasons he is. There’s a belt on the line. I’m undefeated
and I don’t want to loose.”
Another
one of Hawaii’s top ranked fighters, Mark Oshiro, will be
taking on Felipe Chavez who is a younger relative to the UFC
powerhouse Diego Sanchez. Oshiro has proven himself to be “the”
man to beat in Hawaii as a veteran of EliteXC and Icon Sport.
This should be a true test for both men on September 12th.
Undefeated
Koa Ramos will be taking on Hawaii’s #1 ranked Dylan Clay
on the Up N Up main card. Ramos has made a splash in Hawaii with
dominating performances in X-1 and Icon Sport while Dylan Clay
has also been making his force known through X-1 and M-1. Both
are highly regarded in Hawaii and this fight will solidify who
deserves to be on top of the rankings in the 170lbs division.
Rounding
out the Marquee card is Harris Sarmiento vs. Michael Brightmon.
The touted technical skills of Sarmiento will clash with the
brute force of Brightmon in this extremely anticipated bout that
will no doubt please the fans. Sarmiento is a true veteran of
MMA fighting such names as Nick Diaz, Jason Dent, KJ Noons, Roger
Huerta, Shane Nelson, Gilbert Melendez, Josh Thomson and Billy
Evangelista. With wins over former WEC Champ “Razor”
Rob McCullough. Brightmon is an unbeaten powerhouse who is a
definite up and comer in the sport who took out UFC veteran Anthony
Torres.
The
Up N Up event at the Neil Blaisdell Center on September 12th
is stacked with some of the best MMA fights a fan could ask for.
Tickets
for the event, priced from $15, are on sale at the Blaisdell
Arena box office, all Times Supermarket locations (1-800-745-3000),
and Ticketmaster online (www.Ticketmaster.com) http://www.ticketmaster.com/Up-N-Up-Extreme-Cage-Fighting-tickets/artist/1353209
WHAT:
UPNUP 3 Extreme Cage Fighting
WHEN:
September 12, 2009
WHERE:
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
CONTACTS:
MEDIA CREDENTIALS
info@mmahawaii.com
(808) 944-6552
PROMOTER
EMAIL: nexcoastapparel@yahoo.com
PHONE: (808) 357-8645
Source: MMA Hawaii
|
Hawaiian
Open Championships of BJJ
Tomorrow
Aloha everyone!
Just wanted
to remind you all that Saturday, September 5th @ midnight is
the deadline for early registration.
This means that only those who register early will have a tournament
t-shirt reserved for them and will not have to pay a late fee.
All those registering late will be charged a $10 late fee and
will not receive a tournament t-shirt.
Absolute
deadline for registration will be Wednesday, September 9th @
midnight. There will be no late entries after this date and no
entries the day of the tournament.
Tournament
start times:
Kids: 10 am
Adults: 12 pm
Weigh-in
procedures and weight divisions are posted on our website.
I
have attached the t-shirt design for this upcoming tournament
for your viewing pleasure.
For
more information or if you have any questions, please visit:
www.hawaiitriplecrown.com
|
Roger
out of ADCC 2009
Current superfight champion won't be able to face Drysdale at
upcoming event
As
our ADCC 2009 blog just announced, Roger Gracie has dropped out
of the event due to multiples injuries.
Breaking
News: Roger is out
by Luca Atalla
I
promised I would be more present in the comments section than
posting.
But
I had to compromise that to release one important and urgent
piece of information: Roger Gracie dropped out of ADCC 2009.
I’d
been following Roger’s struggle to be part of the event
for quite a while. He would face current ADCC absolute champion
Robert Drysdale in the much anticipated superfight.
The
current superfight champion recently came down with the mumps.
The disease had complications and went down (if you know what
I mean).
He
fought against it, and after a couple of weeks of a compulsory
rest tried to get back in training anyways, but unfortunately
he twisted his knee badly in such a way he won’t be able
to heal in time for the event.
“I
hope Roger recovers fully,” wishes ADCC committee chairman
Guy Neivens, who says they are at this point considering replacements.
Next
edition of the ADCC will take place at Barcelona, Spain, on Sept
26 and 27.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Meet
the stars
With
less than two weeks to go till ADCC Barcelona 2009, we took roll
to find out who will be sweating up the mats of the Badalona
Municipal Sports Pavilion.Of course there will be last-minute
changes and you will be able to keep up with all the flip-flops
in names till the first exchange of grips right here. The organization
promises 16 athletes for each male category. Now the female division
will have eight per category.Of 2007’s champions, only Demian
Maia (under 88kg) and Roger Gracie will be out of this year’s
event. Find out who is in as of now, category by category.With
less than two weeks to go till ADCC Barcelona 2009, we took roll
to find out who will be sweating up the mats of the Badalona
Municipal Sports Pavilion.
Of
course there will be last-minute changes and you will be able
to keep up with all the flip-flops in names till the first exchange
of grips right here. The organization promises 16 athletes for
each male category. Now the female division will have eight per
category.
Of
2007’s champions, only Demian Maia (under 88kg) and Roger
Gracie will be out of this year’s event. Find out who is
in as of now, category by category.
Supermatch
Robert
Drysdale (absolute champion of 2007) vs to be confirmed
Men
Over
99kg
1.
Jeff Monson (USA)
2. Tom Erikson (USA)
3. Jon Olav Einemo (Norway)
4. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Brazil)
5. Rogent Lloret (Spain)
6. Saulo Ribeiro (Brazil)
7. Fabricio Werdum (Brazil) – ADCC champion
8. Denis Roberts (Australia) – Pacific trials winner
9. Asa Fuller (USA) – North American East Coast trials winner
10. Janne-Pekka Pietiläinen (Finland) – European trials
winner
11. Tomasz Janiszewski (Poland) – European trials winner
12. Antoine Jaoude (Brazil) – South American trials winner
13. Kouji Kanechika (Japan) – Asian trials winner
14. Tom De Blass (USA) –North American West Coast trials
winner
15. Márcio “Pé de Pano” Cruz (Brazil)
Under
99kg
1.
Renato “Babalu” Sobral (Brazil)
2. Vesa Vuori (Finland)
3. Vinícius “Pezão” Magalhães
(Brazil)
4. Dean Lister (USA)
5. Alexandre Ribeiro (Brazil) – ADCC champion
6. Anthony Peroshi (Australia) – Pacific trials winner
7. Rafael Davies (USA) –American East Coast trials winner
8. Andreas Olsen (Norway) – European champion
9. Radek Turek (Poland) – European trials winner
10. Glover Teixeira (Brazil) – South American trials winner
11. Yukiya Naito (Japan) – Asian trials winner
12. Gerardi Rinaldi (USA) –North American West Coast trials
winner
Under
88kg
1.Tarsis
Humphreys (Brazil)
2. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan) – Asian trials winner
3. André Galvão (Brazil) – South American
trials winner
4. Kassim Annan (France) – European trials winner
5. Trond Saksenvik (Norway) – European champion
6. Jason Selva (USA) – North American East Coast trials
winner
7. Igor Praporshchikov (Australia) – Pacific trials winner
8. Chris Weidman (USA) –North American West Coast trials
winner
9. Gunnar Nelson (Iceland)
10. Rafael Lovato Jr. (USA)
11. Daniel Tabera. (Spain)
12. Bráulio Estima (Brazil)
13. Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares (Brazil)
14. Bruno Bastos (Brazil)
Under
77kg
1.
Marcelo Garcia (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. K-taro Nakamura (Japão) – Asian trials winner
3. Murilo Santana (Brazil) – South American trials winner
4. Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo (Brazil) – European
trials winner
5. Toni Linden (Finlândia) – European champion
6. Don Ortega (EUA) – North American East Coast trials winner
7. Rodney Ellis (Austrália) – Pacific trials winner
8. Enrico Cocco (USA) – North American West Coast trials
winner
9. Kron Gracie (Brazil)
10. Pablo Popovich (Brazil)
11. Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (Japan)
12. Milton Vieira (Brazil)
13.Bill Cooper (USA)
14.Ben Askren (USA)
15. Gregor Gracie (Brazil)
16. Leonardo Santos (Brazil)
Under
66kg
1.
Rani Yahya (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. Kouhei Yasumi (Japan) – Asian trials winner
3. Rafael Mendes (Brazil) – South American trials winner
4. Nicolas Renier (France) – European trials winner
5. Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas (Finland) – European champion
6. Ryan Hall (EUA) –North American East Coast trials
7. David Marinakis (Austrália) – Oceania trials
8. Jayson Patino (USA) – North American West Coast trials
9. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles (Brazil)
10. Leo Vieira (Brazil)
11. Baret Yoshida (USA)
12. Jeff Glover (USA)
13.Hiroshi “Iron” Nakamura (Japan)
14.Justin Rader (USA)
15.Jeff Curran (USA)
16.Urijah Faber (USA)
Women
Under
60kg
1.
Kyra Gracie (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. Sayaka Shioda (Japan) – ADCC champion
3. Megumi Fujii (Japan) – Asia pacific trials winner
4. Michelle Tavares (Brazil) – South American trials winner
5. Laurence Cousin (France) – European trials winner
6. Ina Steffensen (Denmark) – European champion
7. Hillary Williams (USA) – North American trials winner
8.Luanna Alzuguir (Brazil)
Over
60kg
1.
Hannette Staack (Brazil) – ADCC champion
2. Penny Thomas (USA) – ADCC champion
3. Hitomi Hiraiwa (Japan– Asian Pacific trials winner)
4. Rosângela Conceição (Brazil) – South
American trials winner
5. Ida Hansson (Sweden) – European champion
6. Shanti Abelha (Denmark) – campeã européia
7. Lana Stephanac (USA) – seletiva norte-americana
8.Cris Cyborg (Brazil)
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
‘Cro
Cop’ Doesn’t Think Fedor is Afraid
by Brian Knapp
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic has no clue why Fedor Emelianenko
signed with Strikeforce and decided against testing himself inside
the UFC. Like much of the mixed martial arts community, the Russian’s
decision left him scratching his head.
“I
like Fedor as a fighter,” Filipovic said during a pre-fight
conference call for UFC 103 on Tuesday. “As a man, I don’t
want to insult Fedor, but I don’t understand his attitude.
I really don’t understand why he doesn’t want to enter
the UFC.”
Filipovic
-- who will face Brazilian bomber Junior dos Santos in the UFC
103 co-main event on Sept. 19 in Dallas -- lost a unanimous decision
to Emelianenko under the Pride Fighting Championships umbrella
in 2005. A rematch now seems unlikely since the two heavyweights
have opted to hang their hats in different organizations. Emelianenko
signed with Strikeforce in August and will debut against undefeated
Brett Rogers sometime this fall.
“Definitely,
the UFC offered him the best possible deal, to pay him more than
Dream can offer or Strikeforce can offer, but he’s just
refusing to go there,” Filipovic said. “I don’t
know why. I think he should take the challenge. I don’t
think he’s afraid. Maybe he wants to keep his perfect record.
Maybe he thinks the UFC is too tough. Why he’s not there,
I don’t know.”
Other
notes from the conference call included:
•
Cro Cop sees dos Santos as “one of the young lions in the
UFC.” The Brazilian wrecked Fabricio Werdum in his promotional
debut and followed with a first-round stoppage against Stefan
Struve. “It’s going to be a tough fight,” Filipovic
said;
•
Dos Santos, still somewhat of an unknown commodity in the heavyweight
division, welcomed the opportunity to fight Filipovic with open
arms. A decisive win could thrust the now world-ranked Brazilian
into title contention. “I was very happy with the news.
I like to fight the best,” dos Santos said;
•
Filipovic, despite the fact that he turns 35 this week, maintains
his interest in fighting more often. “It depends on injuries.
If everything goes well, I expect to fight again before the new
year, or at least by January,” he said;
•
Cro Cop has changed his stance on training. Prior to his first
foray into the UFC he disclosed, to the surprise of many, that
he had not trained inside a cage. “I underestimated the
cage. I feel much more comfortable. I train all the time in the
cage,” he said;
•
With sparring partner Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira entrenched ahead
of him on the UFC totem pole, dos Santos claims to be in no rush
to challenge for the title. Still, it remains one of his aspirations.
“My goal, like any fighter, is to be at the top of the weight
class. I’m not worried about that now. I’m not in a
hurry to become the champion,” he said;
•
Cro Cop did his best to avoid questions regarding the happenings
after his UFC 99 victory against Mustapha al Turk. UFC President
Dana White lashed out publicly at the Croatian heavyweight when
it appeared he was spurning a deal with the Las Vegas-based promotion
in favor of a return to the Dream organization in Japan. “I
wanted to go to the only global organization today. I made my
career in Japan, and I liked Pride more than anything, but those
days are over. My place is to fight here. I was fair with Dana
White. I was fair with Dream. I decided to take the UFC offer,
and that’s it,” Filipovic said;
•
Filipovic believes two straight wins inside the Octagon, starting
with dos Santos, could earn him a title shot. However, he admits
the depth of the heavyweight division has improved dramatically
of late. “There are new fighters arriving, like Junior,
like [Cain] Velasquez. It gets stronger every day. It’s
going to be tougher and tougher to take the belt,” he said;
•
Dos Santos conceded that a fight against someone with Filipovic’s
reputation brings with it additional challenges. “Obviously,
there’s added pressure fighting someone with a big name.
I’ve learned to deal with that well,” he said.
Source: Sherdog
|
KENNY
FLORIAN VS. CLAY GUIDA AT UFC 107
by Steven Marrocco
A rumored lightweight tilt between Kenny Florian and Clay Guida
will take place on Dec. 12 at UFC 107.
Reports
in late August tabbed the match-up for UFC 106 on Nov. 21 in
Las Vegas, but MMAWeekly.com sources say it's been rescheduled
for the following pay-per-view card. Though bout agreements have
not been signed, both fighters have agreed to the contest and
are expected to finalize the deal soon.
An
update from MMA Live's Twitter account, which keeps close ties
with show co-host Florian, also confirmed the change Wednesday
afternoon.
The
change bolsters the lineup for UFC 107, expected for the FedEx
Forum in Memphis, after the card's main event, Quinton Jackson
vs. Rashad Evans, was stricken from the event when Jackson's
obligation to the upcoming movie "The A-Team" created
a scheduling snafu. Last week, UFC president Dana White confirmed
a lightweight title fight between champion B.J. Penn and Diego
Sanchez as the southern card's other main draw.
Florian
(15-4) fell short in his bid to wrest the title from Penn at
UFC 101 last month, losing by rear naked choke in the fourth
round. He had not lost since a first shot at the belt against
Sean Sherk in October 2006, amassing six straight victories on
his road back to contention. An alum of the original "The
Ultimate Fighter," where he fought as a middleweight, Florian
fought as a welterweight two times before making his original
run for the revamped title.
Guida
(25-10) saw his three-fight win streak broken against contender
Sanchez, fighting a brutal war of attrition with the original
TUF alum in a June appearance at the Season 9 finale of the show.
Long considered one of the toughest competitors in the division,
Guida has gone 5-4 in the Octagon since making his debut at UFC
64, the same card Florian got his title shot.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Report:
Rampage-Evans Scrapped From UFC 107
by Mike Chiappetta
The December 12 UFC 107 main event between Quinton "Rampage"
Jackson and Rashad Evans has been scrapped from the card, according
to UK Web site MMABay.com, which has close ties to Jackson's
Wolfslair team.
The
site reported that Jackson will be unable to participate because
of a film commitment he recently made to "The A-Team."
Several news sites reported conflicting information on the casting,
but UFC President Dana White last week confirmed to FanHouse
that Rampage had indeed gotten the role.
The
UFC does not officially announce matches until contracts and
bout agreements are signed, but Evans vs. Jackson was widely
expected and is the centerpiece feud of the upcoming season of
The Ultimate Fighter, which begins airing on Sept. 16 and runs
through Dec. 2.
In
addition, the event was scheduled to take place in Jackson's
hometown of Memphis, Tenn.
The
feud between the two began shortly after UFC 96, when Evans was
invited into the cage following Jackson's unanimous decision
win over Evans' teammate, Keith Jardine.
During
a May conference call to announce their participation on TUF,
Jackson told reporters he'd chosen to fight Evans ahead of a
possible title bout with Lyoto Machida.
"They
told me I could fight whoever and I had my mind set I would fight
Evans," he said then.
Evans
and his manager did not return messages seeking comment and White
was on an international business trip and unreachable.
UFC
lightweight champion BJ Penn announced yesterday on his website
that his next title defense against Diego Sanchez would come
at UFC 107, and it appears that bout is likely to be moved into
the main-event position.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Arona:
'I Can Beat Anyone,' Machida Included
by Marcelo
Alonso
More than two years have passed since Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
knocked out Ricardo Arona at the final Pride Fighting Championships
event in Japan. Viewed by most as one of the top light heavyweight
fighters in the world in 2005 and 2006, Arona disappeared from
the mixed martial arts scene in wake of Pride’s demise.
“The
Brazilian Tiger” -- who built his reputation, in part, on
the back of a 1999 victory over Jeff Monson in the absolute final
of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships
-- will return to MMA this Saturday when he meets UFC veteran
Marvin Eastman in the Bitetti Combat Nordeste 4 main event in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It will also mark the first time Arona
competes inside a cage.
“I
always thought the cage was even better for my game,” Arona
said. “I like to use elbows on the ground, which I couldn’t
do in Pride. Also, I can’t wait to fight for my fans.”
The
Brazilian promises to compete at the level that made him successful
inside Pride, when he scored wins over two-time Olympian Dan
Henderson, former Pride middleweight king Wanderlei Silva, Japanese
legend Kazushi Sakuraba and reigning Strikeforce heavyweight
champion Alistair Overeem. The 38-year-old Eastman has lost two
of his past three fights.
Arona
is no joke on the mat.“He is very experienced and deserves
all respect,” Arona said, “but I’m well-trained
and coming to win and make a great exhibition for my fans.”
Though
focused on Eastman, Arona still wants a crack at the American
market. The 31-year-old carries with him a strong resume. His
only career losses have come to Sokoudjou, Silva, 2005 Pride
middleweight grand prix winner Mauricio “Shogun” Rua,
former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson and the great Fedor Emelianenko.
“I’ll
wait for a proposal,” Arona said. “Of course, I would
love to fight in the UFC, because it’s for sure the best
event, but I’m also studying some other proposals. I’m
waiting calmly for my time. I’m ready to do my best in the
ring or in the cage.”
Arona
indicated he would welcome a shot at current UFC light heavyweight
titleholder Lyoto Machida, now the top dog in the 205-pound weight
class. The undefeated Machida will defend his belt for the first
time against Rua in the UFC 104 main event next month in Los
Angeles.
“He’s
defending Brazil well in the MMA world, and I respect him a lot,
but if I get into the UFC and have to fight Lyoto, I’d go
to win,” Arona said. “He’s a great champion, but
if I’m well-trained, I know my potential; I can beat anyone.”
Source: Sherdog
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UFC
Confirms Bisping vs. Kang for Nov. 14th
Dan Hardy to Face Dong Hyun Kim
By FCF Staff
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has confirmed today that Michael
Bisping will face Denis Kang, in a notable middleweight match-up,
at the promotion’s upcoming November 14th event in Manchester,
England. In addition, a welterweight bout between Dan Hardy and
Dong Hyun Kim has also been announced for the UFC 105 card.
Bisping
(17-2) is coming off just his second pro defeat as the British
fighter was brutally knocked out by Dan Henderson at UFC 100
in July. Prior to the loss, Bisping had won 3 straight, after
the TUF veteran dropped down from the light-heavyweight division
to compete at middleweight.
“I’ve
watched Kang’s fights over the years and he is very dangerous
on the ground with his submissions and is also a powerful striker
on his feet,” Bisping was quoted saying in today’s
announcement. “Plus, he’s an explosive fighter. He
can explode into a huge strike or takedown from nowhere, which
makes him very unpredictable.”
Kang
(32-11-1) has gone 1-1 since arriving in the UFC earlier this
year. The Pride veteran was submitted by Alan Belcher in January,
but went on to earn a UD victory over Xavier “Professor
X” Foupa-Pokam in April.
Hardy
(22-6) has now gone 3-0 in the UFC to become one of Britain’s
more notable Octagon competitors alongside Bisping. In June the
weltwerweight worked his way to a Split Decision victory over
contender Marcus Davis.
Kim
(12-0-1) is coming off a dominant UD win, over TJ Grant at UFC
100, to extend the South Korean fighter’s UFC record to
3-0 (with 1 No Contest).
According
to the UFC, the main event for the upcoming November 14th card
will be announced shortly.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Armando
Garcia Update
When California first legalized MMA, Armando Garcia, was the
Commissioner that would preside in the early years of the growing
sport. He was a controversial figure, often criticized for his
debatable rulings and treatment of fledgling shows. In fact there
were multi-million dollar lawsuits filed against him that blamed
him for destroying their productions. EliteXC and many other
shows were publicly critical of his constant meddling.
Then
as quickly as he appeared he was gone. According to inside sources,
Armando had developed a relationship with an assistant at the
commission and when the relationship soured there was talk of
a sexual hassasment lawsuit. It is still unclear if the CSAC
has quietly settled the suit. What is clear is that Armando resigned
in a hurried manner and unceremoniously left for greener pastures.
According
to one CSAC official, "we're still cleaning up the mess
Armando left us".
So
what became of our colorful Commissioner? Well after seeing him
2nd row at a recent WEC we became a bit curious until we found
him. Armando Garcia is now head of security at the Boulder Station
Casino in Las Vegas, officially working for the Fertittas in
Nevada.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
MARCUS
DAVIS VS. BEN SAUNDERS AT UFC 106
Welterweights Marcus Davis and Ben Saunders will clash at UFC
106, MMAWeekly.com has verified with sources close to the fight.
Though bout agreements have yet to be signed, both parties have
agreed to the fight and are expected to finalize the deal soon.
MMAJunkie.com
first reported the bout Tuesday night.
UFC
106 is scheduled for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas
on Nov. 21. Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar defends his title
for a second time, facing Shane Carwin in the event's headliner.
Davis
(16-5) was last seen at UFC 95, where he lost a close decision
to rival Dan Hardy. Infuriated over the bout's scoring, Davis
initially lobbied for an immediate rematch, but resolved himself
to a later meeting after a talk with his trainers. It was Davis'
second setback in the Octagon after falling short against Mike
Swick at UFC 85, a loss that snapped a six-fight win streak earned
in the wake of his appearance on the second season of "The
Ultimate Fighter."
Saunders
(7-1-2) fell prey to Swick in his last appearance at UFC 99,
losing by TKO in the second round. The loss snapped a three-fight
win streak built off his role in the sixth season of "The
Ultimate Fighter."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Martin
Kampmann Unfazed By Recent UFC 103 Switch
by Ariel Helwani
Prior to UFC 72, Martin Kampmann was on the verge of fighting
Rich Franklin for a future shot at middleweight champion Anderson
Silva. However, a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the
bout. Since then, the 27-year-old worked his way up the welterweight
division. He was supposed to fight Mike Swick at UFC 103 for
a shot at current 170-pound champion Georges St-Pierre, but Swick
pulled out late last week after suffering a concussion in training.
Kampmann
(15-2) will now face UFC newcomer Paul Daley (21-8-2) on Sept.
19, but as he recently told FanHouse, no title shot will be on
the line. Still, the Danish-born fighter, who most recently defeated
Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 18 in April, is just excited
to return to action. Check out the full interview below.
Ariel
Helwani: When did you find out that Mike Swick had to pull out
of the fight?
Martin Kampmann: I found out, I think it was, Thursday night.
Considering
how much was on the line, what were the thoughts going through
your mind?
Oh, I was very bummed. First, I just heard that Swick pulled
out, so I didn't anything about [a new] opponent yet, but they
said would try to get a replacement. I was very bummed out. I
was looking forward to fighting Swick and there was a title shot
on the line, too. Of course it sucks. That was a fight I was
looking forward to.
Swick
has already said that he would be ready to fight in October.
Would you have rather waited to fight him then so you can get
the title shot?
No, I'm ready to fight right now. I'll fight Paul Daley -- I'm
happy he stepped in. After I beat him, I'll fight Swick.
Is
the No. 1 contender spot still on the line?
I think it's just a regular fight. I don't think there's a contendership
status anymore. Paul Daley is a tough a** fighter, but you know,
he don't have the same recognition that Swick does here in the
U.S. He hasn't made the same kind of name for himself in the
UFC, so not to talk anything away from him, because he's a real
tough guy and dangerous opponent, so I'm not underestimating
him, but he don't have the same name recognition.
It
seems as though some are interested in seeing Swick fight Matt
Hughes next, and he recently tweeted about that. Do you think
he may be looking past you now?
Maybe it's because Matt Hughes is a big name and he's the former
champ. But he's not the same guy he used to be, and maybe Swick
thinks he can beat him. Maybe he don't want to fight me because
he knows I'm a tough fight.
Is
it hard to get excited about this fight because you aren't fighting
Swick and the title shot isn't on the line anymore?
No. You know, I was bummed out when I heard, but I'm over it
now and I'm ready to go. I'm looking forward to fighting Paul
Daley.
When
the UFC offered you a fight against TJ Grant in May, you told
me it was a lose-lose situation for you because not many people
knew who he was. Do you feel the same way about this fight?
I don't know. I've been training hard for a fight, so I would
be really bummed to not have an opponent after I've already had
such a long, hard training camp. It wasn't like I was in a training
camp when I got the other fight offered. It was on fairly short
notice, and now it's just a guy pulling out. You know, injuries
happen, and I don't know what happened to Swick, but of course
it sucks for him and it sucks for me too. But I think Paul Daley
has a good name outside of the UFC. He's got a good name in the
European circuit where I fought earlier too, and he's still got
some kind of good name over here. He's fought in EliteXC and
a lot of the other shows. He's a tough guy and not to be underestimated.
But of course I think Swick would be a better name to beat.
Do
you plan on watching a lot of tape on Daley leading up to the
fight?
Yeah. I'm going to study a little bit of his stuff. They're similar
in regards to they're both really good strikers and heavy-handed.
So in that regard, they're similar. But of course, one guy is
a tall guy, another guy is a short guy, and they do different
stuff, different moves. Daley kicks a lot more than Swick does,
but on the other hand, he probably has a bit of a weaker ground
game than Swick does. So you know, the fight is a little different,
so I'm going to switch it up.
In
Daley's most famous fight against Jake Shields on CBS last October,
Shields showed that he has some work to do on his ground game.
Are you hoping to exploit that, as well?
If I get him down, I definitely feel like I got a big advantage.
You know, people say that Paul Daley don't have a ground game;
I think he has a ground game. You know, when you're fighting
against Shields, he's a jiu-jitsu black belt with a great ground
game. It's easy to make other guys look stupid because his ground
game is really good. So I definitely expect Paul Daley to have
a ground game, as well. I just think it's not as developed as
his striking game is.
Daley
likes to talk a lot of trash. Do you expect to hear some of that
in the next 10 days or so?
Yeah, he'll probably talk trash. But if he's got a big mouth
and wants to talk trash, let him do it. It's not going to help
in him in the ring.
You're
from Denmark and he's from England. We don't often see marquee
fights pitting two European fighters in the UFC. Does that make
this fight seem extra special for you?
I haven't really thought about it until you mentioned it, but
now that you say it, yeah, it's pretty cool. I think it's a high-profile
fight and it's two European guys. That is pretty cool. We're
getting better, you know?
If
you beat Daley, who would you like to fight next?
I don't know. Let me beat Daley first and I'll tell you about
it. Of course, I would still like to fight Swick because that's
what I was looking forward to and I was very disappointed to
see him pull out. Maybe we can make that happen.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Save
Liddell a Dance
by Luke
Thomas
I’ll give a warning now: This opinion piece doesn’t
delve into heady material. In fact, what I’m about to argue
should be obvious. “Should” being the operative word.
Were
it not for the countless negative responses I’ve received,
I’d never pen such a piece. But across a multitude of platforms
word of former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell appearing
on the upcoming ninth season of ABC’s “Dancing with
the Stars” has produced strange rejection. Alas, the innumerable
if confusing “this makes MMA look bad” along with the
“who cares about Dancing With The Stars?” memes have
become impossible to ignore.
“Dancing
with the Stars” revolves around an activity I care little
about on a network I don’t normally watch with participants
I cannot recognize. But that’s precisely the point: I’m
a 30-year-old male. One, my viewing habits are atypical even
for my demographic and two, the MMA industry already knows how
to capture my attention. What about everyone else? Where are
they and why don’t they watch more MMA?
If
the universe were men 18-34, Dana White would likely be our president.
He, the UFC and the entire MMA industry have drilled the well
of this portion of society to great effect. They know them, their
habits, their purchasing power, their likes and dislikes and
more. But they’ve been so successful, they’ve reached
the limits.
The
next level of sporting conversation and cultural integration
for MMA extends meaningfully into other demographics besides
young men. Building a fan base in sectors of society beyond MMA’s
bedrock will always prove difficult and will take time, but getting
those outsiders to be aware of, unbiased and unafraid of MMA
is actually very doable. There won’t be a single effort
or eureka moment for demos unaccustomed to watching MMA where
they all turn into supporters en masse. That’s more of a
slow burn, but all the more reason to take opportunities when
they present themselves. Enter Chuck Liddell on a reality show
about celebrities and professional dancers competing for viewer
votes.
The
reality is that while the news of Liddell being a part of the
upcoming DWTS cast has been met with snickers and dismissals,
every fan who wants MMA to penetrate further into the mainstream
should welcome this move with open arms.
The
stumbling block often issued against this idea -- namely, that
the marriage between a dance competition and MMA is not natural
and therefore meaningless -- should be discounted. DWTS is good
precisely because it doesn’t force Liddell to adhere to
outdated conceptions of fight sport participants. Those who fear
fighting or are unaccustomed to viewing it as sport ultimately
believe fighters are static characters who can do nothing but
their occupation. Liddell is being given an opportunity unlike
what he’s received in B-movies and HBO’s “Entourage”:
the chance to demonstrate what else he can do and maybe a little
human personality along the way.
Then
there is the issue of DWTS’ size. For starters, DWTS isn’t
just a big show; it’s positively gigantic. In fact, DWTS
is actually a worldwide phenomenon with various permutations
in dozens of countries, much like its rival in Fox’s “American
Idol.” And if that pedigree doesn’t impress you, the
performance should: The show’s recent ratings upswing since
a 2007 semi-slump has some wondering if it will overtake the
reliable yet slightly declining “American Idol” as
the most-watched program in all of television.
In
ratings numbers, that translates to a season eight opener of
22.5 million viewers, an all-time record for premieres on DWTS.
By comparison, that’s more than three times the number of
viewers for the highest-rated MMA program on network television.
The show also demonstrated some audience loyalty and reliable
programming through the course of that season and finished strong
with 20.1 million viewers during the finale. It should also be
noted that DWTS is a program airing on ABC, a station currently
dominating the television markets and ratings in the young adults
18-49 year-old demographic (not to mention 12 years old and up)
in programming far beyond DWTS.
The
notion that Liddell will be performing to nothing but violence-averse,
doe-eyed and otherwise unsuspecting women who will gain nothing
from his appearance save revulsion is patently false. We are
talking about ABC, not Lifetime television. While this isn’t
the Affliction T-shirt, stand-em-up-ref hoi polloi so commonly
understood to be the archetypal MMA fan, the truth is the effort
required to convert women and older men is not nearly as onerous
as advertised. It takes muscle and time, but it can be done.
So while the enormous DWTS audience isn’t the fountain of
youth that MMA can use to build an enduring fan base, the well
is hardly dry.
Skeptics
could point toward the forgettable appearances of boxers Evander
Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as evidence that Liddell’s
appearance may do little or nothing to assuage fears about MMA
or create UFC converts. That’s not a bad argument but hardly
seems worth testing over the present plan to give Liddell a spin
to a new, expansive audience. In all likelihood, Liddell’s
appearance won’t affect attitudes about MMA much one way
or the other while only the Iceman himself will receive any appreciable
benefit. But all of this hardly amounts to any reason not to
have Liddell on the show.
And
as gangbusters as I expect the ratings to be for the upcoming
season of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter," that show
will never even sniff what DWTS can do in a slump on an off night.
It won’t reach deeper into circles of mainstream society
either. Admittedly, there are structural impediments given that
Spike TV is a cable channel whereas ABC is not. But that doesn’t
matter: Dana White’s antics and Kimbo Slice’s menacing
aura won’t do much for disarming the hesitant. Chuck Liddell
smiling and charming after pulling off a decent Merengue on a
Monday night might.
The
idea that Liddell or MMA have no such place within those who
don’t more naturally acclimate to fight sport is a symptom
of bad thinking prevalent among today’s fans and experts.
A core problem in contemporary MMA discussion is the constant
vocalization of its limits: MMA is a niche sport. And because
it’s a niche sport -- a niche that’s partly carved
out of those with an appetite for violence -- there will always
be a ceiling on how far it can climb. As it stands, the sport
is popular if somewhat socially repudiated. So not only do many
find the business of fight sport unsavory, the head start in
cultural integration other sports enjoy makes any prospect of
catching up further unlikely.
And
while that’s all indisputable, there’s an apathetic
fatalism infecting the entire enterprise. MMA in any form isn’t
likely to ever rival the NFL in size, scope or popularity. But
what are the parameters of “niche”? Where do they begin
and end and how wide a swathe of the mainstream do they cut?
The truth is no one knows. The problem with invoking the “MMA
is a niche sport” idea as axiomatic is that it ultimately
becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of lowered expectations and
fosters a culture of easy satisfaction.
That
MMA will likely never rival American football in the States is
both a true and irrelevant statement. That it may never rival
football only tells us about where the limits of MMA will eventually
end but not where we can precisely push them. In reality, MMA
might be able to close the gap more than we ever considered.
Unless we explore all avenues to healthy growth, we’ll actually
never identify where the true ceiling lies. If nothing else,
Liddell’s inclusion on DWTS is something of a trial balloon
to see how far we are and how far we can go.
So,
let Liddell dance. Or let him cook. Or let him marry a millionaire.
Maybe even let him sing karaoke or hand bike across a moat. It
doesn’t matter. If more than 20 million viewers in mainstream
demographics are going to watch him do it while they decide that
maybe neither he nor his occupation are that bad, then that’s
a win MMA can ill afford to pass up.
Source: Sherdog
|
NAGA
is official
It will
be held on Sunday, October 18th at Pearl City High School Gym.
Eric Goo is also putting on a tournament in February next year.
It will be a NAGA ranked event. All
gi.... NO no-gi divisions. White, Blue, Purple, Brown, Black....AND
Absolute
division's. One day event. Set for be 2010. More info will be
released shorty.
Source: Eric Goo
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