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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2010
November
Aloha
State BJJ
Championships: Final Conflict
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
10/15-17/10
ETERNAL SUBMISSIONS: 1st Annual BJJ GI/NO-GI tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai)
August
Hawaiian
Open Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
6/26/10
Kauai Cage Match 9
(MMA)
(Kilohana, Gaylords Mansion, Kauai)
6/11-13/10
MMA Hawaii Expo
(Blaisdell Ballroom)
6/11/10
Legacy Combat 1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Ballroom)
6/4/10
X-1:
Nations Collide
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
6/3-6/10
World
Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(The Pyramid, University of California at Long Beach, Long Beach,
CA)
5/15/10
Scrappla Fest 2
Relson Gracie KTI Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
5/1/10
Galaxy MMA: Worlds Collide
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/23/10
2010 Hawaii State/Regional Junior Olympic Boxing Championships
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
4/17/10
Hawaiian
Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser
H.S. Gym)
Strikeforce: Shields vs Henderson
(CBS)
4/16/10
808 Battleground
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
4/8-11/10
Pan
Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ)
(University California Irvine, Irvine, CA)
4/3/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center)
Amateur Boxing Smoker
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
3/27/10
DESTINY: No Ka Oi 2: Oahu vs Maui
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
3/20/10
X-1: Champions 2
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/20/10
Hawaiian Championships of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
3/14/10
Hawaiian Kimono Combat
(BJJ)
(PCHS Gym)
3/10/10
Sera's Kajukenbo Tournament
(Kumite, Katas, Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
3/6/10
Destiny Fast N Furious
(MMA)
(Level 4 RHSC)
2/19/10
808 Battleground
(MMA)
(Filcom, Waipahu)
2/6/10
UpNUp 6: Unstoppable
(MMA)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku, Maui)
2/5/10
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
1/30/10
Destiny
(Level 4,
Royal HI Shopping Ctr)
(MMA)
Quest for Champions
(Pankration/Sub Grappling)
(Kalani HS)
1/23/10
Kauai Knockout Championship Total Domination
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Kauai War Memorial Convention Center, Lihue, Kauai)
1/17/10
X1: Showdown In Waipahu
(Boxing, Kickboxing, MMA)
(Waipahu H.S. Gym)
|
|
April
2010 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! |
 |
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Club TV
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On Teleivision
Tuesdays
at 8:00PM
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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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 & Erwin Legaspi heads our Kali-Escrima
classes (Filipino Stickfighting) who were directly 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!
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UC
Davis Wrestling Needs Your Help!
Onzuka.com
readers!
Please take a little time out of your busy schedules and email
the following people below to see if they can re-instate wrestling
at UC Davis. Two local boys Brandon Low and Michael Nakagawa
both attend UC Davis and are on the wrestling team and will be
immediately impacted by the shutdown of the program.
Dear Wrestling Supporters,
It
is with great regret that I write to inform you that UC Davis
Athletic Director Greg Warzecka has announced the discontinuation
of wrestling at UC Davis. This came as a shock to our student-athletes,
staff, and especially myself.
I
was told last fall that no matter what may come to be, football
and wrestling were safe at UC Davis. As a program, we have had
the second highest fund-raising numbers (behind football) the
last three years, (averaging $65,000/year), the highest alumni/donor
support, and one of the most profitable per contest gate of any
sports. Each of these criteria were suppose to be examined when
determining which programs to retain.
The
problem is both a monetary issue and a Title IX issue. Since
the official announcement, I have had numerous calls from people
that are adamant about combatting both ends. Financially, several
key UC Davis Wrestling supporters are already inquiring about
the dollar amount needed to reinstate the program. On the political
front, National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) President
Mike Moyer has already stated that the NWCA will not allow this
decision to stand. These are both encouraging thoughts, but
alone they will not be able to reverse the decision.
I
expect there to be quite a backlash from the California wrestling
community, as well as the national wrestling community, in the
weeks to come. If you would like your voice to be heard, please
take the time to mail, phone and e-mail the individuals listed
below. Thanks again for your ongoing support.
Coach
Zalesky
Cindy
Spiro - Senior Associate Athletics Director
264 Hickey Gym
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
530-752-5096
ccspiro@ucdavis.edu
Greg
Warzecka - Athletics Director
264 Hickey Gym
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
530-752-4557
gwarzecka@ucdavis.edu
Fred
Wood - Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs
4th Floor Mrak Hall
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
530-752-6866
fewood@ucdavis.edu
Linda
Katehi - Chancellor
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
530-752-2065
chancellor@ucdavis.edu
Arnold
Schwarzenegger - California Governor
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-445-2841
http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email |
MELENDEZ
SPRAWLS AND BRAWLS TO WIN OVER AOKI
The submission wizard. The No. 3 ranked lightweight in the world.
The Japanese fighter that was supposed to lead the charge into
Strikeforce.
All
things placed on Shinya Aoki’s shoulders heading into Saturday
night’s Strikeforce Nashville on CBS to challenge Strikeforce
lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.
Aoki
may have lead the charge, but Melendez was the one to stop him
dead in his tracks.
Over
the course of their five-round bout, Melendez fought his game
to perfection. They only thing he wasn’t able to do was
finish his Japanese foe.
Aoki
shot for the takedown all night long, but all night long, Melendez
sprawled and brawled his way out of trouble. Known for pulling
off the most creative submissions in the sport, Aoki could find
not a one to lock on Melendez.
Instead
he was continuously put on his back, Melendez diving in, grounding
and pounding the Dream lightweight titleholder in every single
round. Aoki fared no better on the feet, were Melendez used a
solid jab to keep Aoki at bay, though Melendez couldn’t
land the fight ending combination that he was searching for.
“He’s
very intelligent. It’s like a chess match. I wish I could
have pulled the trigger a little more, but this guy is dangerous,”
said Melendez after the scorecards were read, all of them denoting
him a 50-45 favorite.
Ranked
No. 8 in the world heading into the fight, Melendez was asked
if he’s now the No. 1 lightweight? He wouldn’t go quite
that far, but Melendez said he did feel he was one of the top
three 155 pounders in the world.
After
Saturday’s performance, he’s probably not far off the
mark with his comments.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SHIELDS
DOMINATES HENDO, MELEE TARNISHES NIGHT
From day one, Dan Henderson was played the favorite coming into
his challenge of Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields.
From day one, Jake Shields took the approach of, fine, that’s
how you want to play it? Let’s see what happens come fight
night.
In
the first round of their showdown in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday
night, it looked like all the Henderson favoritism might have
been deserved. Henderson came out of the gate throwing his sledgehammer
of a right hand, dropping Shields to the mat, but couldn’t
finish him.
He
repeated the feat several times in the opening round, but Shields
persevered, fighting his way out of trouble each and every time.
Then,
for the ensuing four rounds, it was a game of takedown, ground
and pound, repeat, all courtesy of Shields.
Most
pundits didn’t think Shields would be able to put Henderson
on his back, at least not at the rate that he did on Saturday
night.
It
wasn’t pretty. He was met with boos on several occasions.
But Shields had a solid game plan and implemented that game plan
throughout. He took Henderson down nearly at will, not that he
didn’t have to work for it. Once on the mat, Shields continuously
was able to move to mount and pound away on Henderson’s
face and body for the better part of the final four rounds.
He
was unable to put the former two-division Pride champion away,
but aside from the opening round, Shields put on one of the more
dominant performances of his career.
“I
really wanted to put him away, but was unable to. Henderson’s
really tough,” Shields said after the fight.
The
judges had no choice but to score it for the Strikeforce champion,
who deservedly walked away with scores of 49-46, 49-45, and 48-45.
Even
longtime detractor, and color commentator on Saturday night,
Frank Shamrock gave Shields his due, “You have to give Jake
Shields all the credit in the world. I am a Jake Shields fan
and I’m saying it now.”
Unfortunately,
as strong as Shields’ performance and those of his teammate,
Gilbert Melendez, and new Strikeforce light heavyweight champion
Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal were, they will likely be
overshadowed by what ensued in the cage after Shields’ victory.
In
the midst of his post-fight interview, Shields was interrupted
by Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who came up short in a five-round
decision loss to Shields last November.
Miller
was angling for the next shot at Shields, asking with a smile,
“What about my rematch buddy?”
And
that’s when all hell broke loose.
No
sooner did Miller have the words out of his mouth than Shields
shoved him away, Miller tried to shove back, Melendez jumped
in between the two, and then Shields’ camp closed ranks
on Miller. An overhead view of the cage showed Shields’
teammate Nick Diaz punching Miller in the back, while his brother,
Nate, was kicking Miller in the ribs.
Members
of Henderson’s camp – with whom Miller used to train
– stepped in alongside athletic commission officials to
help break up the melee.
CBS
broadcaster Gus Johnson, who was conducting the post fight interview,
tried to help calm the situation, saying, “Gentlemen, we’re
on national television gentlemen.”
Indeed,
national television... what a wonderful display as the sport
is slowly creeping out of the shadows and into the mainstream.
Before
CBS cut from the program, they brought Shields back on for a
few last words with Johnson.
“I
really apologize for that, it’s really out of my character.
Unfortunately I pushed him, overreacted.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Silva
won’t talk, just train for Chael Sonnen
Back
to Brazil after defending the UFC belt for the sixth time (a
record on the event), Anderson Silva talked to TATAME about the
duel with Demian Maia and his expectation and the training on
his return on the octagon which has consecrated him, against
the American Chael Sonnen. On the chat, the champion talked about
the MMA growth on the grand media, with his participation on
Domingão do Faustão and the cover article on the
newspaper O Globo, besides the meeting with Demian on TV Globo’s
backstage.
Anderson Silva
Back
to Brazil after defending the UFC belt for the sixth time (a
record on the event), Anderson Silva talked to TATAME about the
duel with Demian Maia and his expectation and the training on
his return on the octagon which has consecrated him, against
the American Chael Sonnen. On the chat, the champion talked about
the MMA growth on the grand media, with his participation on
Domingão do Faustão and the cover article on the
newspaper O Globo, besides the meeting with Demian on TV Globo’s
backstage.
What
did you think about the fight?
It
was nice, I liked it. Thank God everything went my way and now
I’m focusing on my next opponent, Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen
likes to talk a lot before the fights. How are you dealing with
it?
Our
thing is to train, get there and do our job. Mission given is
a mission accomplished, there’s not much to talk about.
We’re going to work.
How
do you intend to do this preparation? Will you train here in
Rio and then sharp your boxing in the US?
I’m
beginning my training in Thailand, I’ll stay there two week
for practicing, then I’ll go for America. Stay there for
two months and finish my trainings here on Brazil. I’ll
go there and train with a good friend of mine, Rodrigo (Minotauro),
then I’ll come back here.
What
did you think of Sonnen’s last fight against Nate Marquardt?
It
was a tied fight until some point, but it was nice, a tough fight
for both of them. Chael Sonnen is a great champion, a tough guy,
who has fought with great Brazilian fighters and now it all about
keeping the focus.
Did
the UFC say anything about the date of the fight?
Not
yet, bet we’re training and we’ll wait to see what
will happen.
What
do you think about the growth of the MMA coverage, with your
interview being the cover of the sports piece of O Globo on the
gay of the grand finale of a soccer championship?
It
was really, really nice. We’re trying to show our work.
One way or another we keep trying to make a difference so people
star to follow our sport. We have great champions here in Brazil,
so we try to do our part to keep on having this kind of return
from the local media.
What
did you thing of being on Domingão do Faustão?
It
was a huge step that the sport was giving. Our great champions
as Pedro Rizzo, Minotauro, Minotouro, Wanderlei, Shogun, Ninja…
Our great champions, the Gracie’s family… Is good to
continue the process, keeping the Brazilian hegemony outside
the country and to show it in front of the cameras and to the
public, to have the media support… Fausto is a nice person,
he supports the sport, shows he knows a bit about it and is following
the trajectory of the Brazilian’s champions that are taking
the sport abroad. It’s pretty cool, we are a reference for
the youth that is starting their journey on the fight’s
world. It has been really rewarding, I’m really happy I
went to Fausto’s TV program.
How
was your meeting with Demian on the backstage?
Cool,
man. Inside the ring we have to act that way, the finale of the
World, so it’s like “sink or swim”. Inside there
that’s a natural rivalry, healthy, but when it’s over,
it’s over. Each one lead it’s particular way, has
an own family and goals. Outside the ring we respect each other,
inside is we showing our work. Each make a strategy, an own game.
He had the opportunity to fight for the belt, was a real warrior,
a valiant man who showed why he was there. There’s not much
to say, now we have to think about the future. I’m sure
he will have other opportunities to fight for the belt and I
believe that, in the future, he can be the champion on this category.
He has conditions and skills to do so.
What
can the fans expect from this fight of yours against Sonnen?
Man,
I’ll keep doing my work as always. How it’s going to
be, when and in what way I can’t say because I do not know,
but I’ll train so I can keep the belt. That’s my goal,
to keep the belt and to keep myself victorious. We’re working
on it.
Source: Tatame
|
Anderson
speaks
Anderson
Silva and Demian Maia were face to face this Sunday, on Brazilian
television channel Globo’s “Domingão do Faustão”
Sunday show. However, the Spider also appeared in another Sunday
news outlet. In a special by Ary Cunha, in “O Globo”
newspaper, Silva commented on the controversy surrounding his
title defense against Demian Maia. Below are some excerpts and,
to see the article in its entirety in Portuguese, click here.
“Anyone
who watched the fight from the outside, from another angle, may
have seen things totally differently. When they judge you to
be the best in the world – even though I don’t feel
I am –, it takes a split second for people change their
thoughts on you for your attitude. I learned a lot from this
fight, more than from any other.”
“I
did things no one has ever seen me do. And then, they certainly
said: “This guy’s nuts. He’s screwing around.
There, at that moment, it was a purge of three or four pent-up
months.”
“He
said he respected me as a fighter, but questioned my attitude,
my character. He said the spider has eight legs and that he was
going to pluck one of them in the ring. I’ve had fights
with more smack talk in the past, but in this one I really needed
to purge.”
“I
won’t say I lost control. From my heart, I wouldn’t
do it again. Or better yet, I’d do things differently.”
“There
was a moment when I started seeing the thing as a street fight
and I said things: ‘Didn’t you say the spider has eight
legs and you’re going to pluck one of them? Let’s go,
get up, playboy!’”
“If
there’d been all this fallout and I’d lost the fight,
it would have been worse. I might even have lost my job. But
I went home with the belt, without taking a scratch, nothing.
The Spider did what he always did: I went out there, fought and
won.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Melee
takes shine off Strikeforce
Strikeforce
has been investing in big-name fighters, is being broadcast live
on major US TV network CBS, and is now one of the world’s
main promotions. Nevertheless, in the final moments of the event
in Nashville, Tennessee, what was meant to be challenge turned
into a fiasco.
Jason
Miller, who had won one of his fights on the early card, entered
the cage to request a rematch against current champion Jake Shields,
who had just defeated Dan Henderson. That was when the confusion
began. The live broadcast tried to cut the images, but there
was no way.
Jason
Miller has a history of tumult. Against Ronaldo Jacaré,
at the Japanese Dream promotion, he landed an illegal kick. The
bout ended up as a no contest and the fighter argued with the
Brazilian, while still in the ring.
Strikeforce
president Scott Coker disapproved of the occurrence.
“There
is no room in Strikeforce for this kind of behavior nor to forgive
or reward this type of attitude. For a fighter at the highest
level, fighting on CBS, Showtime and in Strikeforce there is
no room for this kind of behavior,” he said.
“I
have no idea why Miller did that. I can tell you no one from
my team put him in there. I’ll watch the video to see what
happened. It’s not good for our sport, which is just getting
started,” added the promoter, who tried to minimize the
problem.
“It
was an incredible night.”
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Awful
takedown defense costs Mousasi his belt
Muhammed
Lawal can wrestle and tonight it was more than enough against
a guy who many thought was top five at light heavyweight. "King
Mo" set the tone early by taking Mousasi down anytime he
wanted. Mousasi seemed willing to fight from his back but by
the middle of the third round, Lawal's activity on the ground
broke the Dutch-Armenian's spirit. Lawal took a unanimous decision,
49-45 on all cards, to grab the Strikeforce light heavyweight
title.
Lawal,
29, showed some gumption. He appeared winded after just one round
and was outstruck 52-11 in the second round. But he stuck to
his strength in the final three rounds and put Mousasi on his
back for much of the next 15 minutes.
Mousasi
(28-3-1) was thought by some to be the best or second best fighter
in the world not fighting in the UFC. On this night, he barely
looked like a top 10 fighter at 205 or 185. It's still a huge
victory for King Mo, in just his seventh professional MMA fight,
he beat a guy who destroyed good fighters like Ronaldo Souza,
Rameau Thierry Sokoujdou, Renato Sobral, Melvin Manhoef and Denis
Kang.
Lawal
won the first round with several takedowns controlling things
from the top but it also looked like he completely gassed himself.
At the end of the round, he had difficulty just making back to
his corner. Maybe Mousasi was playing possum but in the final
three rounds, Mousasi lacked movement and wasn't fighting with
intensity. In all, Lawal scored nine takedowns in 12 tries. Mousasi
landed many more shots (177-of-250) but most of them were pitter,
pat from the bottom. Mousasi also lost a point in the final round
by when he landed an illegal kick to the grounded Lawal. Even
when Mousasi got to his feet for one final run at a knockout
with 1:24 left in the fight, he threw a few wild shots and allowed
Lawal to double-leg him to the mat one final time.
The
crowd in Nashville booed Lawal in the postfight. Hard to figure
out why, it was the correct decision.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
MAYHEM
MILLER APOLOGIZES FOR MELEE
The ending to the latest installment of Strikeforce on CBS did
not go the way the executives of the broadcast network or the
promotion wanted as Jason "Mayhem" Miller entered the
cage following Jake Shields' win over Dan Henderson, and challenged
the champion to a rematch.
“Where’s
my rematch buddy," asked Miller, seizing the spotlight from
the champion during his post-fight interview.
Shields’
teammate and Strikeforce lightweight titleholder who defended
his belt against Japanese superstar Shinya Aoki in the co-main
event told Miller to “back up.” Shields shoved the
29-year old fighter and chaos erupted as Shields' teammates stepped
in, believing that Miller was disrespecting the fighter's moment
in the sun in a title victory.
The
altercation was shown live on CBS and made the rounds to every
major network and sports station in the world.
On
Sunday night, Miller posted an official statement on his website
www.MayhemMiller.com on the incident, apologizing for his role
in what happened in the cage on Saturday night in Nashville.
"I
would like to formally apologize to CBS, Strikeforce, and all
fans of mixed martial arts for my role in the events following
the Strikeforce: Nashville event," said Miller. "In
retrospect, my timing could not have been worse to ask for my
rematch with Jake Shields, and I take full responsibility for
entering the cage and setting off a chain of events that cast
a dark shadow on the sport.
I've
been a fighter and a fan of MMA for over 12 years, and would
never do anything to intentionally tarnish the sport I've given
my life to. In the excitement of the moment I let my emotions
run high and made a bad choice that resulted in a debacle, for
that, I sincerely apologize."
Miller
competed on the same card earlier that night defeating Tim Stout
in a preliminary match-up, and was cageside during Shields' victory
over Henderson. The two fighters fought in November 2009 with
Shields winning a unanimous decision over Miller to capture the
Strikeforce middleweight title.
Despite
his win over Stout, Miller was asked not to attend the customary
post-fight press conference with the media following the altercation.
As
of the post fight press conference on Saturday night, Strikeforce
CEO Scott Coker had not seen the incident, but vowed to review
the situation and didn't rule out disciplinary action being handed
down.
No
word yet from the Tennessee Athletic Commission or the promotion
about possible punishment or sanctions against any of the fighters
involved in Saturday's melee.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
STRIKEFORCE
NASHVILLE LIVE RESULTS
Strikeforce returns to CBS on Saturday night live from Bridgestone
Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The main card features three title
fights, headlined by Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields
defending against Dan Henderson.
Strikeforce
Nashville airs live on CBS at 9 p.m. ET, with a delayed broadcast
at 9 p.m. PT on the West Coast in the U.S. MMAWeekly.com will
be providing live coverage of Saturday’s event, starting
with the preliminary bouts, which are expected to start at approximately
3:30 p.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. ET.
Refresh
this page frequently for the latest results and play-by-play...
STRIKEFORCE
NASHVILLE PLAY-BY-PLAY:
JAKE
SHIELDS VS. DAN HENDERSON
R1
– Shields starts out with a few kicks. Henderson rocks Shields,
Jake recovers and attempts a heel hook. Dan escapes. Henderson
misses a counter straight right hand as Shields gets close. Hendo
landing another big right and Shields falls on his back. They
get up and Shields is dropped again but survives a flurry from
Dan on the ground. The two clinch against the cage and Big John
breaks them up. Shields is very cautious with his strikes. Shields
goes for a single leg but Henderson defends, they end up clinched
against the fence and the round closes.
MMAWeekly
scores R1 10-9 for Dan Henderson
R2
– Shields goes for a single but Dan defends, temporarily
takes Shields’ back before giving up to guard. Jake transitions
to full mount as Henderson elbows his thigh. Shields begins to
throw his punches as Henderson is careful not to give up his
back. Henderson gets half guard but Shields transitions back
to full mount quickly. Shields landing but not doing a lot of
damage. Shields begins to increase his volume, pushes Henderson
to the fence. Henderson survives the round.
MMAWeekly
scores R2 10-9 for Jake Shields
R3
– Shields more aggressive standing. Henderson defends a
double leg attempt. Shields gets a single leg, Henderson pulls
guard. Shields moves to side control. Henderson defends the full
mount attempt well. Dan gets half guard again as the two fighters
move closer to the fence. Shields gets full mount as Henderson
defends against a guillotine choke. Round ends Henderson defending
an armbar attempt.
MMAWeekly
scores R3 10-9 for Jake Shields
R4
– Henderson more active with his strikes now. Dan defends
a single leg. Shields goes for another single near the fence.
Shields gets the take down after being tangled up. The Strikeforce
champion gets full mount against the fence. Shields moves to
side mount and attempts a kimura, Henderson defends and Shields
moves back to half guard. Shield attempts another kimura but
Dan defends again. Jake moves back to full mount and begins to
pepper his opponent with punches. Shields unable to do significant
damage near the end but dominates the round again.
MMAWeekly
scores R4 10-9 for Jake Shields
R5
– Henderson shows some signs of fatigue, begins to throws
in desperation. Shields gets another takedown and quickly moves
to side control. Jakes moves to full mount with ease and begins
to pepper Henderson with shots. Shields transitions to side control
for a kimura, doesn’t get it and moves back to full mount
again. Henderson has no answer for Shields suffocating Jiu-Jitsu.
Shields attempts an armbar and transitions into a kneebar attempt.
The fight ends with Henderson attempting to kick his way out
of the hold.
MMAWeekly
scores R5 10-9 for Jake Shields
Jake
Shields def. Dan Henderson by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-45,
48-45)
Shields
retains his Strikeforce middleweight title.
SHINYA
AOKI VS. GILBERT MELENDEZ
R1
– Aoki is noticeably wearing shorts. Both fighters circling,
feeling each other out. Melendez with a lower stance, throwing
to the body. Aoki attempts a kick but is blocked. Melendez is
trying to cut off the cage, aggressively pawing his left jab.
Aoki inadvertently pokes Gilbert in the eye, takes a short break.
Aoki pulls guard, Gilbert pushes him against the cage. They break
shortly afterwards. Aoki fails to land a single and Gilbert jumps
into his guard. Melendez lands a somes shots against the cage
and the get back up. Aoki lands a left body kick but didn’t
do much damage. Melendez doing better closing the distance and
lands a knee.
MMAWeekly
scores R1 10-9 for Gilbert Melendez
R2
– Aoki eats a short right shooting in. Aoki pulls Melendez
down with wrist control and eventually pulls guard. Melendez
being very cautious, posturing well. They stand. Aoki lands a
nice short left. Melendez corners Aoki and throws a flurry. Gilbert
lands another right hand against the cage. Aoki patiently circling,
waiting for Melendez to make a mistake. Aoki gets in, pulls guard
but Melendez is posturing well again. Mario Yamisaki stands them
up again. Aoki pulls guard, Melendez very aggressive now, pins
Aoki into the cage.
MMAWeekly
scores R2 10-9 for Gilbert Melendez
R3
– Aoki shoots in for a single and pushes Melendez against
the fence. Gilbert escapes and Aoki pulls guard against the cage.
Yamisaki stands them up again. Aoki shoots in again, pulls guard
but Melendez not taking the bait. Fight is stood up again and
Aoki draws Gibert into guard again. Aoki attempts the rubber
guard but it gets neutralized by the cage. Gilbert landing some
shots with Aoki’s head against the fence. The fight is stood
up again. Aoki counters with a knee as Melendez comes in but
it doesn’t faze him. Round ends with both fighters in the
center.
MMAWeekly
scores R3 10-9 for Gilbert Melendez
R4
– Melendez is in control, very comfortable. Aoki shoots
in for a double and pulls guard. Gilbert stands back up. Melendez
lands a short knee, Aoki seemingly has no answer as the crowd
gets restless. Gilbert is now countering failed takedown shots
with punches. Aoki with another failed takedown and scoots towards
Melendez. Yamisaki calls a breaks but Melendez rocks Aoki during
a butt scoot. Gilbert is warned by Yamisaki. Melendez finishes
the round strong.
MMAWeekly
scores R4 10-9 for Gilbert Melendez
R5
– Aoki using the ring well, gets poked in the eye on a shoot
attempt. Short break to recover. Aoki pulls guard, uses the rubber
guard but is neutralized against the fence again. Aoki switches
to butterfly guard but extends out as Melendez begins his GnP.
The two stand up. Aoki pulls guard but Melendez backs out. Gilbert
is a bit more animated with 45 seconds left. Melendez is trying
his best to finish. The defending Strikeforce champion finishes
the fight strong, chasing Aoki down to his back as the round
ended.
MMAWeekly
scores R5 10-9 for Gilbert Melendez
Gilbert
Melendez def. Shinya Aoki by unanimous decision (50-45,50-45,
50-45)
Melendez
retains his Strikeforce lightweight title.
GEGARD
MOUSASI VS. MUHAMMED “KING MO” LAWAL
R1
- Both fighters staying near the center of the cage. Lawal shoots
in for a single and eventually gets Mousasi down. After a failed
triangle attempt, Mousasi regains butterfly guard. Lawal looking
to punish from Mousasi’s guard but not landing cleanly.
The defending champion seems very comfortable from his back.
Lawal now more aggressive with his strikes, trying to use the
cage to his advantage. Mousasi gets back to his feet with about
a minute left. Lawal seems fatigued as Mousasi takes advantage
standing. Round ends with a small exchange.
MMAWeekly
scores R1 10-9 for Muhammed Lawal
R2
– Mo shoots in for a double and gets it. Lawal landing a
few knees to Mousasi’s side. Mousasi gains a butterfly guard
and lands some punches from his back. Mo stands back up for leverage
but his GnP seems to be neutralized by Mousasi’s guard.
The fighters get back up, Mousasi lands a straight punch but
is taken down again. Mousasi busier from his back and eventually
gets back up again. Mo gets another takedown, Mousasi attempts
a triangle but Lawal escapes. Mousasi scrambles to his feet and
takes his back standing. Round ends with Mousasi on Mo’s
back.
MMAWeekly
scores R2 10-9 for Gegard Mousasi
R3
– King Mo has swelling around his left eye. Mousasi beginning
to use his left jab. Both fighters landing a few shots. King
Mo throwing aggressively despite showing signs of fatigue. Mo
lands a double and pushes towards the cage. Mo gets side control
and begins to land some short rights. Mousasi regains butterfly
guard and is being outworked. Mo starting to throw more aggressively
as Mousasi defends.
MMAWeekly
scores R3 10-9 for Muhammed Lawal
R4
– Mousasi throws two kicks, starting to establish a little
range. Mo responds with hooks. Mo lands a double against the
cage. Mousasi lands an up kick but Mo passes to side control.
Mousasi lands a big up kick as Mo comes in but Mo gains half
guard and continues to be active. Referee John McCarthy stands
the fighters back up. Mousasi tries to defend a single but eventually
succumbs, Mo gets side control. Mousasi gets half guard but Mo
is still in control. Mousasi landing punches from his back and
the round ends with Mo standing.
MMAWeekly
scores R4 10-9 for Muhammed Lawal
R5
– Mousasi lands a short left as Mo moves in. Mo gets a big
double and moves Gegard against the fence. Mo stands back up,
looking to pass as Mousasi throws some up kicks. Mousasi attempts
to get up but Mo still has control. Mousasi hits Lawal with an
illegal up kick and has one point taken away from him. It seems
that Mousasi needs to finish in order to win. The fighters are
placed back in their previous position. Mousasi lands a series
of hammerfists but they seem to have no effect on Mo. Mousasi
gets back up but Mo gets his back standing against the fence.
They split and Mousasi is swinging aggressively which leads to
another Mo double. John McCarthy stands the fight back up with
30 seconds to go. Mousasi stalking and throwing wildly but gets
taken down again at the end of the round.
MMAWeekly
scores R5 10-8 for Muhammed Lawal
Muhammed
Lawal def. Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45,
49-45)
Lawal
is the new Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.
OVINCE
ST. PREUX VS. CHRIS HAWK
R1
– Hawk jumps for a punch and gets blasted by St. Preux instead.
St. Preux gets on top and blasts away punches, grabs Hawk by
the throat and just pummels him until John McCarthy stops the
fight
Ovince
St. Preux def. Chris Hawk by KO at :47 seconds, R1
ANDREW
ULRICH VS. DUSTIN WEST
R1
– Ulrich pops West with a good punch early and then gets
a nice takedown. Ulrich works and takes West's back, sinking
in a rear naked choke and West taps out.
Andrew
Ulrich def. Dustin West by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:36,
R1
JASON
MILLER VS. TIM STOUT
R1
– Mayhem tags Stout with a good leg kick to open things
up. After exchanging a few punches standing, Mayhem shoots in
and lands a nice takedown. Mayhem has Stout stacked against the
cage throwing down punches, opening up a cut on Stout's head.
Mayhem continues to attack and Stout turtles up with no defense.
Mayhem blasts away with a several more strikes to the head, and
Mario Yamasaki mercifully stops the fight.
Jason
Miller def. Tim Stout by TKO (referee's stoppage due to strikes)
at 3:09, R1
JOSH
SHOCKMAN VS. CALE YARBROUGH
R1
– Yarbrough comes out swinging as Shockman tries for a takedown.
Yarbrough working some knees from the clinch, Shockman answers
back. The fighters separate and Yarbrough lands a huge knee that
drops Shockman hard, but he defends well on the ground, and survives
for now. Yarbrough moves to the ground and gets the mount. Shockman
has a huge cut on his head from the knee, bleeding all over.
Yarbrough moves from mount to side control and hits a few short
punches, but eventually backs out and lets Shockman up to his
feet. The fight is paused to check the cut on Shockman, and they
are allowed to continue. Shockman tags Yarbrough with a couple
of good kicks, and Yarbrough charges forward and gets him back
to the ground and starts to open up again as the round closes.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 for Cale Yarbrough
R2
– Both fighters charge at each other to open the round,
but Yarbrough is again landing the better strikes standing. Shockman
eventually drops from the barrage, and Yarbrough follows up with
a few more punches before Mario Yamasaki steps in to stop the
punishment.
Cale
Yarbrough def. Josh Shockman by TKO (strikes) R2
HUNTER
WORSHAM VS. ZACH UNDERWOOD
R1
– Underwood comes out swinging big shots, and Worsham scrambles
and gets the fight the ground and lands in half guard. Underwood
starts to work his way back up, but Worsham is punishing him
with knees to the shoulder and body. The fighters separate and
it's back to standing, and Underwood is again throwing big shots,
tagging Worsham with one of them. Worsham gets the clinch on
Underwood and drags him back to the ground. The fighters work
back up again, but Worsham ends up getting another nice takedown.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 for Hunter Worsham
R2
– Worsham shoots in early for another takedown, but Underwoods
sprawls out well to defend it. Underwood starts to throw some
good knees to Worsham's body while he continues to push for a
single leg. Back to the feet and Underwood gets the clinch and
works Worsham back to the ground and starts to reign down punches.
Worsham gets back to his feet, and clinches but Underwood gets
the fight back to the ground. Just as it looks like Underwood
is taking control, Worsham gets the reverse and lands on top,
and then rolls for a choke, but the round ends.
MMAWeekly scores R2 10-9 for Zach Underwood
R3
– Worsham shoots in, but Underwood gets away and works for
punches, while Worsham turtles up to get away. Underwood continues
to pepper away, and Worsham is able to get up, but Underwood
keeps pushing forward. After a moment or two stalling against
the cage, John McCarthy steps in and separates the fighters.
Worsham tries to shoot in for a takedown but Underwood sprawls
and starts to punch down on Worsham as the fight comes to an
end.
MMAWeekly scores R3 10-9 for Zach Underwood
Zach
Underwood def. Hunter Worsham by unanimous decision
JUSTIN
PENNINGTON VS. DUSTIN ORTIZ
R1
– Both fighters throwing strikes early. Ortiz throws a low
kick and tags Pennington in the groin. The fight is paused, but
Pennington is okay to continue. Ortiz comes across on the restart
and gets a takedown landing in Pennington's half guard, and then
moving to mount. Ortiz grabs a head and arm choke and looks to
sink it in, but gives it up and goes back to mount. Pennington
tries to roll, and Ortiz takes his back. Ortiz works and eventually
sinks in a rear naked choke and Pennington taps out.
Dustin
Ortiz def. Justin Pennington by submission (rear naked choke)
at 4:27, R1
THOMAS
CAMPBELL VS. CODY FLOYD
R1
– Campbell picks Floyd up early, but gives up as Floyd goes
for a guillotine. The fighters scramble on against the cage with
Floy holding onto Campbell's back before dragging him to the
mat. Campbell is back up quick and the fighters fight for position
against the cage. Floyd lands a few nice uppercuts as Campbell
continues to push for a takedown. Floyd finally gets away from
Campbell's grip and starts to reign down big shots, and eventually
lands in mount. Floyd spins around for a tight armbar, and looks
to lock it on, but time runs out in the round.
MMAWeekly scores R1 10-9 for Cody Floyd
R2
– Floyd comes out strong in the 2nd, blasts Campbell early,
and goes for a flying knee and just misses. In the scramble,
Campbell goes for a takedown and Floyd blocks him, and starts
to land shots, but Floyd throws an illegal downward elbow, and
the referee steps in to pause the fight. Floyd has a point deducted
and Campbell is still down recovering on the mat. The fight re-starts
and Floyd once again starts to punish Campbell at every turn.
Floyd is absolutely battering Campbell with knees to the body,
and punches to the head. The round comes to a close.
MMAWeekly scores R2 9-9 draw due to the point deduction
R3
- Floyd once again comes out strong and just goes after Campbell.
After several strikes land, Campbell drops to the mat and the
referee steps in to stop the fight.
Cody
Floyd def. Thomas Campbell by KO (strikes) R3 (no time given)
STRIKEFORCE
NASHVILLE RESULTS:
Main
Bouts (On CBS):
-Jake Shields def. Dan Henderson by unanimous decision (49-46,
49-45, 48-45)
-Gilbert Melendez def. Shinya Aoki by unanimous decision (50-45,50-45,
50-45)
-Muhammed Lawal def. Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision (49-45,
49-45, 49-45)
Preliminary
Bout (Will air on CBS in some form):
-Jason Miller def. Tim Stout by TKO (referee's stoppage due to
strikes) at 3:09, R1
Preliminary
Bouts (Non-Televised):
-Ovince St. Preux def. Chris Hawk by KO at :47 seconds, R1
-Andrew Uhrich def. Dustin West by submission (rear naked choke)
at 1:36, R1
-Cale Yarbrough def. Josh Shockman by TKO (strikes) R2
-Zach Underwood def. Hunter Worsham by unanimous decision
-Dustin Ortiz def. Justin Pennington by submission (rear naked
choke) at 4:27, R1
-Cody Floyd def. Thomas Campbell by KO, R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
KING
MO TAKES HIS CROWN, DECISIONS MOUSASI
Before Saturday night’s challenge of Strikeforce light heavyweight
champion Gegard Mousasi, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal said,
“I carry more power. My endurance is better. I think my
pacing is better. I’m gonna give what he wants to take,
and I’m gonna keep on giving.”
And
that’s exactly what he did at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville,
Tenn.
He
may not have won fans over, but he won the fight at Strikeforce
Nashville.
King
Mo came out with a game plan and stuck to it. He used his power,
taking down Mousasi at will over the course of their five-round
battle. He flagged during the second and third rounds, but his
endurance held for 25 minutes. And as often as Mousasi tried
to ebb the tide, it was Lawal that dictated where the fight would
happen and at what pace.
Mousasi
spent the better part of the fight on his back, courtesy of Lawal’s
takedowns. Although he had moments where he was effective off
of his back, Lawal was able to control Mousasi for the better
part of the fight, ground and pounding his way to a unanimous
decision victory, 49-45 on all three scorecards.
Lawal’s
face was bruised up, his eye swollen, after the fight. “I
got careless... (but) he didn’t hurt me.”
The
crowd booed Lawal loudly after the fight, but he took it in stride,
saying, “You all go ahead and boo me, but I’m gonna
keep on winning.”
Now
7-0, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal is the new Strikeforce
light heavyweight champion.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Rizzo
ready for Marco Ruas’s former opponent
Marco
Ruas student Pedro Rizzo will face a former opponent of his master
and friend for his next challenge in the cage. On May 15, the
Brazilian will do battle with Gary Goodridge. Ruas and Goodridge
faced off back in 1998, in the now-defunct Pride promotion. On
the occasion, Gary succumbed to a heelhook. This time it’s
Pedro Rizzo’s turn to fight the veteran.
“He’s
an experienced guy who’s fought just about everybody. We’ve
never been in the ring together and I’m stoked. It’s
the greatest thing to train hard and have a fight scheduled,”
says Pedro, who hasn’t yet asked Ruas for advice about the
challenge.
“Marco
fought him a long time ago. He’s changed a lot since then.
Goodridge had good fights in K-1 and is a totally different fighter
now. Everyone’s seen lots of his fights and I don’t
believe there will be any surprises,” he assays.
The
event featuring the matchup is promoted by UFC referee Mario
Yamasaki. With the Ultimate Fighting Championship calling up
heroes from the days of old, could a win lead the fighter back
to the organization that brought him to fame?
“I’m
returning to the United States to fight and, of course, I’d
like to fight in the UFC. But I’m not thinking about that
now and I don’t even know if this fight will add anything
to that hope. But awaking someone’s interest will depend
on how I carry myself. It is a return to fighting top opponents,
though. We’ll see.”
Rizzo
has been plagued with injury, mainly are severe tendonitis afflicting
his elbows. Now recovered, against Goodridge he will be 100%.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Who
was the standout in Abu Dhabi? That will be left for tomorrow
Barral
got the finish in all his matches. Could he be the standout?
In
Abu Dhabi, anything can happen.
At
home, Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed’s eyes didn’t budge
from the TV, “Nice armbar,” he blurted, when Bráulio
“Carcará” Estima taught him the maneuver.
At
dinner after the World Pro, which kicked off this Wednesday in
the capital of the Emirates, the referees ate in peace without
a single athlete from the surrounding tables hissing at them.
With
the finals defined at one in the morning, appointing a standout
for the first day was impossible. Indeed, because every finalist
had at least one sublime showing. Nominating a standout for the
World Pro 2010 really must be put off till the Saturday of the
finals featuring Guilherme and Rafael Mendes (under-65kg), Gilbert
Burns vs Claudio Caloquinha (under-74kg), Braulio Estima vs Claudio
Calasans (under-83kg), Romulo Barral vs Alexandro Ceconi (under-92kg)
and Gabriel Vella vs Ricardo Demente (over-92kg), not to mention
the female and absolute divisions, which start this Friday.
Bellies
full in the wee hours, black belts from six academies laughed
their hearts out in the hotel and peacefully remembered stories
from the days of old. “That was in 1996? Shoot, I didn’t
even train…” laughed Gilbert Durinho, under 74 kg finalist.
A little earlier, his opponent on Saturday, Claudio “Caloquinha”
Cardoso, went to his room to rest. “Rominho and I got the
finish in all our matches today, and I’ve trained with him
at Draculino’s since I was a kid. But I moved on to MMA
and then went to teach in the south of Spain and just wanted
to party,” recounted Caloquinha, explaining where he’s
been.
“When
you threw your weight over me and I pushed and you didn’t
budge, I said to myself, ‘Oh go ahead, pass,’”
Alexandre Souza would tell Gabriel Vella. The Sao Paulo native
beat Souza. Then he played a solid top game against Marcus Bochecha’s
always-threatening guard, in another great bout, and went through
to the final against Demente, who swept Big Mac and withstood
all the pressure from the Tozi student. “I think with a
few more seconds I would have gotten my foot out of his half-guard
and passed,” laughed Big. “He was right at home, I
saw he was just about there,” said Ricardo.
Finalists
in the most stacked division, the under-83 kg, Claudio Calasans
and Bráulio dined at separate tables. On his way to getting
more chicken at the buffet, André Galvão commented
on his loss to Delson Pé de Chumbo in the divisional quarterfinals:
“I hadn’t trained enough in the gi and there wasn’t
enough time in the match; with six minutes there was no way to
break Pé’s base. In the end, I tried to pull a rabbit
out of the hat, but in vain,” he smiled, remembering his
sweep attempt in the waning moments. “I even told Ramon
(Lemos) how this is the first championship where I don’t
come up with any medal at all,” he sighed.
“Chill,
there’s still the absolute tomorrow,” someone reminded
him. André responded with a “hey, that’s right,”
his eyes beaming.
And
besides André, who else from Team Atos will venture into
the absolute? “All eight of them, even the Mendes’,”
Ramon Lemos said, rubbing his hands together. “Someone’s
bound to make it,” he said, while the table of heavyweights
debated the best way not to allow any room for Rafael Mendes,
who got the tapout in both his matches on Thursday.
They
go at it every day in the gym, there’s no reason they shouldn’t
fight” Durinho, on Mendes brothers
“And
will the under-65 kg category see a true dispute between the
brothers for Abu Dhabi Sports TV?” “They have to fight,
we’re lobbying for it,” said Ramon. “They go at
it every day in the gym, there’s no reason for them not
to fight” said Durinho, egging them on.
With
supper out of the way, GRACIEMAG.com bids farewell to the fighters
and is about to enter the room in the Officers Club & Hotel
when someone in the neighboring room sticks his nose out and
asks: “Who’s there?” It was Guilherme Mendes,
who exited the room shirtless, to cackles from the group comprised
of Vella, Durinho and Big Mac. “Hey Big, tomorrow I’m
going to fight you in the absolute, but you have to pull guard!”
“You, too, big guy!” he says to Vella, who cracks an
amused smile.
In
Abu Dhabi, anything can happen.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
KEY
FIGHTS FALL APART, BUT LOCALS HEAT UP KOTC
DETROIT – King of the Cage: Bad Boys 2 arrived at Cobo Arena
with an impressive card and some well known names, but last minute
injuries impacted the show with devastating force.
Jeremy
Horn was set to headline the show against Jake Rosholt until
a neck injury forced Rosholt to withdraw from the contest.
“I had a sharp pain go through my neck and kind of down
my arm... had a lot of numbness and tingling through my arm,
real, real sore,” said Rosholt, describing the injury. “I’ve
seen three doctors since then. I was advised by all of them that
it wasn’t going to be good to fight.
“Pretty
much what I’ve heard is that I need to have an MRI done.
I haven’t had that, just some X-rays. Most likely I’ll
have some bulging discs in my neck that I have to give some rest
to. I should be back and healthy in not too long.”
The
lineup was previously damaged when Ray Mercer withdrew from a
bout with undefeated super-heavyweight Ron Sparks due to a leg
injury, removing both fighters from the event.
Leading
up to and including the day of, the fight injuries dusted fighters
off of the card relentlessly, while Tony Hervey’s opponent
was a complete no-show.
Fortunately
there were some great fights salvaged for the fans at Cobo Arena
and watching on HDNet. Former UFC fighter and veteran of 55 bouts,
Joe Doerksen (43-12-0) headlined the night against Chad Herrick
(7-3-0). The Michigan fighter, Herrick, entered the bout a huge
underdog, but was easily the crowd favorite. What ensued was
a three-round, back-and-forth battle that left Doerksen with
a bloody cut over his left eye and a tough decision for the judges.
In
the first round, Herrick looked like he was the more experienced
fighter, as he confused and frustrated Doerksen the entire round.
A cut Doerksen received had Herb Dean pause the match to determine
the extent of the injury. The second round was relatively even
with each fighter dominating at times during the five-minute
interval. Round three saw Doerksen gain his composure and control
until the bell rang. The judges scored a split decision victory
for Doerksen, but Herrick won a moral victory by putting on a
great performance against a quality fighter.
The
King of the Cage lightweight title was on the line Friday night,
as undefeated David Shepherd (4-0) defended against Dom “I
Hate Him So Much” O’Grady (9-2). The two fighters had
a competitive battle, but O’Grady caught Shepherd in an
armbar to gain the victory and more importantly the belt.
In
another split decision, rising star Daron Cruickshank (3-0) defeated
Jason Holmes (6-1). Ben Lagman (5-1) showed why he is going to
be on the radar in the future as he dismantled veteran Angelo
Popofski (13-7), winning by TKO.
The
knockout of the night came when former Bellator lightweight Waylon
Lowe (7-2) landed a vicious series of blows on UFC veteran Steve
Berger leaving him unconscious for several seconds. This was
the type of knockout that would make most cringe instead of cheer.
The
other televised fight was a rubber match for the middleweight
(185-pound) title. Brandon Hunt (4-2) defeated Brad Burrick (9-9)
by decision the first time they fought, but Burrick won the decision
in the rematch. Hunt left nothing to the judges, as he scored
a decisive knockout to reclaim his belt and proclaim dominance
in his saga with Burrick.
The
undercard saw Caleb Grummet (2-1) defeat Tony Smith, Eric Moon
(2-2) won due to a shoulder injury suffered by Dominic Deshazor
(0-1), and Chuck Mady (2-1) used a triangle to spoil Demetrius
Dean’s debut.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
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Full
transcript of Dana White interview on ESPN with Jim Rome: Anderson
Silva, Chuck Liddell & Tito Ortiz discussion
By Zach Arnold
JIM
ROME: Welcome back. My guest is the UFC President, UFC 112 went
down in the UAE this past weekend. Dana White joins me once again.
Dana, nice to have you back. How are you?
DANA
WHITE: I’m great, thanks Jim.
JIM
ROME: Good, Dana. You were furious after that fight with Anderson
Silva for his performance against Demian Maia. You called it
the most horrible thing you’ve ever seen. Specifically,
what did he do that made you so mad?
DANA
WHITE: Well, you know, nobody’s supported him more than
I have, calling him the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world
and he didn’t act like it the other night. Not only did
he not act like the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,
he didn’t like a champion and, a uh, UFC fighter. Taunting,
not fighting, and then… from the third round on, running,
and not actually engaging, uh, it was a very embarrassing moment
for me. I actually literally have never seen anything that bad,
not even in boxing in all my years of boxing I’ve never
seen anything as bad as what happened on Saturday night.
JIM
ROME: So when you confronted him with that afterwards, what was
his response?
DANA
WHITE: Uh, you know, we had a good talk for about 45 minutes
after the fight and after the press conference and, you know…
you never know. We’ll found out in his next fight if I got
through to him or not. The thing that really, uh, really upset
me after the fight and then the press conference was where he
said he felt like he didn’t owe anybody an apology.
JIM
ROME: Huh. Dana, why did he do that? What was going through his
mind and what did he tell you when you asked him?
DANA
WHITE: I wish I could explain to you and to the fans and the
people that bought that fight why he did it or you know what
was going on. Even if you look at the early rounds in the fight,
the first and second round, the guy shows sign of absolute, you
know, brilliance. I mean, the guy is so talented and I don’t
know what it was. It was like a mental breakdown in there or
something. I don’t know why, but I can tell you this —
like I said, I’ve never been more embarrassed. I got up
during the fourth round, took the belt, and gave it to his corner
and said, “You put it on him because I’m not going
to do it,” and I left the arena. I’ve never done that
in 10 years.
JIM
ROME: All right, so the guy’s great and he’s got skill,
you made that clear, but that’s not the first time he’s
done that. How do you sell him going forward?
DANA
WHITE: Yeah… you know.. he’s got a real tough fight
coming up. His next fight’s going to be against Chael Sonnen
and Chael Sonnen’s one of these guys who’s, you know,
you know not going to lay back, not going to do what these other
guys… when [Anderson's] been in these positions when these
type of fights have happened, they’ve been against real
good jiu-jitsu guys, guys that want to get the fight to the ground.
Well, Chael Sonnen’s going to want to take this fight this
ground but he’s going to double-leg him and bring him down.
You look at a guy like Anderson Silva, absolutely demolished
Rich Franklin twice. Destroyed Dan Henderson. Destroyed Nate
Marquardt. Went up to 205 pounds and destroyed the guy’s
he fought there. Then you see him in fights like this and it
just, it’s uh… it’s unexplainable.
JIM
ROME: All right, so you’re not in a good place. You didn’t
like it, he disrespected you and the sport and the fans. Is there
some sort of punitive, is there a punishment that you’ve
going to drop on him? Is this going to cost him for instance
a shot against GSP?
DANA
WHITE: Oh, I mean there’s, there’s nothing that I can
really do to him financially. You know this thing, you know,
he’s contracted to get paid and he gets paid, it’s
just one of those unfortunate things that happens and you know,
uh, I had the talk with him. I think personally I really believe
that he was embarrassed by what happened that night. Maybe he
did have a mental breakdown, I don’t know what happened
in the ring, but .. uh… all I can say is, I know his next
opponent isn’t going to be a guy whose going to lay back
and let him do stuff like that to him. Chael Sonnen’s going
to take to him and hopefully we never see that again.
JIM
ROME: Yeah, I would have thought…
DANA
WHITE: I’m telling you right now. If he ever acts like that
again in the ring, I will cut him. I don’t care if he’s
the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. I don’t care
if he’s the Middleweight champion.
JIM
ROME: You’ll fire him?
DANA
WHITE: I will cut him, absolutely.
Related:
A week after UFC 112, nobody can stop talking about Anderson
Silva
JIM
ROME: You think after a night like that the big thing we’d
be talking about is Edgar’s win over BJ Penn.
DANA
WHITE: Exactly.
JIM
ROME: Frankie Edgar, I mean… in all your years in the UFC,
have you ever seen a bigger upset than that one?
DANA
WHITE: No, that was probably the biggest upset in UFC history.
Especially, the kid was a 7-to-1 underdog. He’s small for
that weight class, but let me tell you what… the reason
I put Frankie, you know, everybody was talking about me making
the decision, uh, to put him in that position for the title instead
of Gray Maynard. Uh, after Gray Maynard’s last fight with
Nate Diaz, I didn’t think he looked ready. I thought Frankie
Edgar was ready for a fight, uh, with BJ Penn and he proved it
that night.
JIM
ROME: Dana, what happened to Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell? They
were supposed to wrap up The Ultimate Fighter season and fight.
It’s not happening. What happened?
DANA
WHITE: Well, obviously, you know, something happened during the
filming of the show and it’s one of those things that we
can’t talk about so people are just going to have to tune
in, watch The Ultimate Fighter, and see what happened, uh, between
Tito and Chuck.
JIM
ROME: Fans are upset, though, Dana, you know that. Were they
in any way misled? Were they sold something, a bill of goods?
Did you know it was going to happen and mislead them?
DANA
WHITE: Um, did I… no. Were they sold a bill of goods? No.
Before we made the fight up in Vancouver, you know, that it’s
going to be Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell… um… first
day ticket sales, we released it and let them know what the fight
was going to be. But as far as the reality show goes, I can’t
tell you what happens on the reality show. And what happened
was when people went in there to start tearing down the lighting
equipment, one of the workers took a picture on the wall of Rich
Franklin on the wall and then released it to the media, so the
media starts asking questions. IT’S A REALITY SHOW! Guess
what? We’re probably the most open, honest company in sports.
You know we let the fans and media know everything. When we have
a reality show where everything’s a secret, you’re
going to have to watch it… guess what? You can’t know!
And it’s not your privilege to know. And if people are upset
with that, too bad.
JIM
ROME: So there’s no way they’re going to find out exactly
what happened until the show?
DANA
WHITE: Exactly.
JIM
ROME: In a way, Dana, it’s kind of out of character. I get
that you have a show to do, but it’s not like you not to
shoot straight and answer that question.
DANA
WHITE: True, but I can’t! It’s a reality show. This…
first of all, Spike paid for this show. The show costs a lot
of money to produce and for me to go out, you know, as open and
as honest as I am, for me to go out and release this information,
it’s insane. You can’t do it. It would be like finding
out what happens on Survivor after they film it. It ruins, I
guarantee you — there’s a lot of people out there that
don’t want to know, you know, and the people who feel like
they’ve been lied to, too bad. Get over it. It’s a
reality show and uh… oh well.
JIM
ROME: All right, Dana, what about Fedor? You and I have spoken
about him in the past. Not only have you not been discouraged
by not signing him, it’s become something of an obsession.
Where does that stand?
DANA
WHITE: Yeah, you know, listen… I, I… everybody that
thinks that this guy is as good as he is, I want to find out
too. I’m as big or a bigger fight fan than anybody that
watches Mixed Martial Arts. So if somebody believes that this
guy is possibly the best, which I personally do not think that
he is one of the pound-for-pound best in the world, yes, he’s
one of the best top heavyweights in the world. I want to find
out how good he really is, but it takes two to make a deal. Not
just one guy, not “Dana, you got to get this done!”
Trust me, this has become an obsession. I’ve done everything
in my power to try to make this deal happen.”
JIM
ROME: Dana White. Dana, good to have you back. Thank you very
much.
DANA
WHITE: Thank you.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Matt
Lindland to Headline May 21st Strikeforce
By FCF
Staff
Strikeforce
has announced that highly regarded middleweight Matt Lindland
will compete in the main event of the promotion’s upcoming
May 21st event, at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon.
No opponent for the former Olympic Silver Medalist Greco-Roman
wrestler has yet been announced.
Lindland
(21-7) will look to get back on the winning track, after dropping
back-to-back losses to Vitor Belfort and most recently Ronaldo
Souza, for the first time in the UFC veteran’s decade plus
career. Lindland’s last win came in August, 2008, when he
worked his way to a Unanimous Decision victory over Fabio Nascimento
at Affliction’s “Banned” event.
Strikeforce
has also confirmed two bouts for the May 21st event; at welterweight,
the undefeated Tyron Woodley (6-0) will take on Nathan Coy (8-2),
while in the women’s 135lb. division, Kerry Vera (2-0) will
face Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Pena (2-0).
The
event will be televised live on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed
on the West Coast).
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Report:
Dana White angry at BJ Penn and co-author of new Penn book
By Zach
Arnold
The
topic de jour yesterday was Dana White’s interview on Jim
Rome defending his actions in regards to his handling of the
Chuck Liddell/Tito Ortiz situation. What hasn’t gone completely
noticed was an article by Josh Gross of Sports Illustrated that
came out the same day.
The
article claims that Dana white approached BJ Penn and Penn’s
attorney regarding a book titled Why I Fight: The Belt is Just
an Accessory, which Penn worked with author David Weintraub on.
White was reportedly furious about what was said in the book.
White
told SI.com that after he became aware of the book, he approached
Penn and Penn family lawyer, Gary Levitt, with a question: “Why
would you put out a book that is 90 percent not true?”
“I
asked him why he would write lies in there and he swore to me
that he didn’t write it or read it,” White said. “So
did Gary. If today they are saying they didn’t say that,
then I feel sorry for them.”
The
SI article goes on to claim that Weintraub ended up losing employment
with UFC (through a production company called Exit 9 Films) after
his participation in the book with Penn.
“I
never thought for a second that the book would be received by
the UFC in a way they wouldn’t want to promote it or help
B.J. I never thought it would be like that,” said Weintraub,
who worked with the UFC on video projects and penned articles
for UFC magazine before he said he was was let go two weeks ago
based upon his participation with the book. “I thought it
would be something they read, reflected upon, and looked at how
they owned this company. B.J. started at the same time they bought
this company.”
Is
the UFC President upset at the fact that UFC is not in charge
of producing the book and not getting a cut of it? Harper Collins
is a pretty big publisher for Penn to score a deal with.
It’s
the latest controversy for the UFC President, who seemingly is
always involved in starting or putting out a fire one way or
another. The more of these stories we hear, the more a media
narrative will be created about White & UFC management.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Edgar/Penn:
The Sequel
By Jake
Rossen
Most
of the attention last weekend fell on Anderson Silva’s basket-case
behavior against Demian Maia, with only marginal importance given
to B.J. Penn’s closely contested loss to new champion Frankie
Edgar. But the latter might wind up having the greatest number
of victimizations. Think about:
Edgar
Penn made media rounds week to promote an autobiography, and
he all but guaranteed a summer rematch. That gives Edgar just
enough time to sober up from the homecoming party before he begins
sweating it off in the gym again. There’s something genuinely
demoralizing about being asked to climb Everest, barely reaching
the top, and then being asked to do it all over again.
Gray
Maynard Speaking to Yahoo Tuesday, Maynard thinks he “blew
it” by not casting himself as an obnoxious and verbally
aggressive entrant. This is Dan Hardy Syndrome, and its effectiveness
is well-documented. But Maynard has deserved his bid for a long
time now. Penn/Edgar II leaves him to either sit and marinate
in disappointment or risk his shot by taking another fight.
Penn
It has to suck to go on a book publicity tour the day after you
lose for the first time in over eight years in your natural weight
class. Penn’s 170-pound ambitions are out the window for
the time being.
Douglas
Crosby The longtime MMA judge drew heat for giving all five rounds
to Edgar, generous by any standards. Instead of either articulating
his choices or simply shutting up, he reportedly went on a bizarre
Internet spree of Scrabble-vomit essays that explained nothing.
There is a certain posture that should accompany a sports official
-- judge, ref, or commissioner.
The
Fans Edgar/Penn, to put it plainly, was not that exciting. Penn’s
stalking and Edgar’s beehive countering does not make for
fireworks. Five rounds were enough. Ten might be too many.
Source: Sherdog
|
Fedor
vs. Werdum or Silva at Strikeforce?
In
34 fights of MMA, Fedor Emelianenko has fought six times against
Brazilians. He has never lost. For his next fight on Strikeforce,
his probable opponent is Fabrício Werdum, but the champion
of the extinct Pride revealed to a Russian website that his opponent
might change. “My opponent probably will be Fabrício
Werdum. We are dealing with his team. If we not reach an agreement,
then we’ll try to arrange a fight with Antônio Silva”,
said the fighter, revealing the possibility to battle with the
one time EliteXC champion, who recently lost to Werdum.
Source: Tatame
|
Dana
Says Sonnen Next For Silva, Threatens To Cut Anderson If He Acts
Up Again (Update II)
By Steve
Barry
You
won’t see Anderson Silva in a super-fight against GSP or
even another jump to light heavyweight anytime soon. Anderson
Silva’s next fight will be a UFC middleweight title defense
and it won’t be against Vitor Belfort no matter how bad
he wants it. Dana White revealed Chael Sonnen is next for Anderson
Silva on Rome is Burning earlier today.
“We’ll
find out in his next fight if I got through to him or not. He’s
got a real tough fight coming up because his next fight is going
to be against Chael Sonnen. And Chael Sonnen is one of these
guys who’s not going to lay back, not going to do what these
other guys did. When he’s been in this position when these
types of fights have happened, he’s been against real good
jiu jitsu guys, guys who want to get the fight to the ground.
Well, Chael Sonnen is going to want to take this fight to the
ground, but he’s going to double-leg him and bring him down.”
That’s
not all Dana had to say about Anderson on ESPN. Dana claims he
won’t hesitate to cut Anderson if he ever pulls that crap
in the Octagon again.
“Personally
I think he was embarrassed by what he did that night,” White
said. “Maybe he had a mental breakdown — I don’t
know what happened in the ring. All I can say is I know his next
opponent isn’t going to be a guy who’s going to lay
back. Chael Sonnen is going to take it to him, and hopefully
we never see that again. If we do, I’ll tell you this: If
he ever acts like that again in the ring, I will cut him. I don’t
care if he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world,
I don’t care if he is the middleweight champion. I will
cut him, absolutely.”
It’s
pretty clear where Dana White stands on the subject, but what
about Chael Sonnen? He’s seen the fight, or at least as
much as he could get through knowing the outcome. What if Anderson
“disrespects” him?
Look,
I’m not a gang banger. I don’t talk about “respect.”
That term is for street thugs, not me…I expect him to hit
me, and I expect it to hurt. I just don’t care.
Classic
Chael Sonnen… Chael says you can expect one thing when he
steps in the cage with Anderson…”A fight. There is
nothing in my background to make you think I will run, dance,
or hide.”
As
for when and where this middleweight showdown will occur, nothing
is official yet, but MMA Junkie is hearing it could go down at
UFC 117 on August 7 in Salt Lake City.
Image
via Sherdog
Update:
More must-read comments from Chael Sonnen from interview on Hardcore
Sports Radio with Mauro Ranallo (.mp3) via BE:
It
was hard to watch…I didn’t watch the whole thing, but
I tried. I saw the beginning and I saw the end. I was having
plenty of conversations during it, I’m in the same boat
as the rest of the world. Who cares? Nobody cares about Anderson
Silva.
He
talked about retiring and nobody cared. He talked about going
heavyweight and nobody cared. Now he talks about going to 205,
and nobody cares! I did an autograph signing with Anderson Silva,
there was a line around the building to get to my room. You could
have heard a rat piss on cotton in his room! Nobody was in there.
Nobody cares about Anderson Silva, it’s the hardest sell
in the world. Nobody shows up to see him. If BJ Penn wasn’t
on that card that building’s empty Saturday night.
I’ve
stuck my finger in this guy’s chest for 3 and a half years
and he’s fought everyone in the world that isn’t named
Chael Sonnen. I can’t tell you what a nuisance he is. This
isn’t like some exciting thing to get to fight him, it’s
just truly an annoyance, and I’m looking forward to it being
over with just so I can move on and be done with the jerk.
Source: MMA Convert
|
Edgar
settles into life of UFC champ
Frankie Edgar celebrates after Saturday's stunning victory over
B.J. Penn in Abu Dhabi for the UFC lightweight championship.
AP
Calling someone a lightweight in their field isn't necessarily
a compliment. But in Frankie Edgar's world, one could scarcely
come up with a more appropriate description -- well, besides
champion, which works perfectly well now, too.
For
Edgar, whom many believed too small to make a significant impact
at 155 pounds, Saturday's decision win over B.J. Penn in Abu
Dhabi was the validation and vindication needed to make the growing
chorus of "Edgar should move to featherweight" voices
disappear for a while.
Speaking
Tuesday over the phone from his home in Toms River, N.J., Edgar,
28, joked that he "figured the belt would make me a definite
lightweight."
Whatever
Edgar lacks in size -- compared to others in the division, the
new 5-foot-6 UFC champion cuts minimal weight to make the 155-pound
limit -- he makes up for with spirit and competitiveness. From
the day he began preparing for Penn, the consensus top lightweight
in the world heading into Saturday's bout, Edgar said he essentially
mythologized the Hawaiian in his mind.
"I
knew if I was going to beat him I'd have to build him up to be
as good as he was," said Edgar, who improved his record
to 12-1, the lone loss coming two years ago by decision to Gray
Maynard. "If I expected a lesser B.J., I would have lost.
He gave me everything I expected, sure."
Edgar
said fighting Penn (15-6-1) was part of a natural progression
to his career. Early in his UFC experience there were established
names, like Tyson Griffin and Spencer Fisher. Then Hermes Franca,
who fought for the UFC lightweight title. Followed by an ex-UFC
champion in Sean Sherk. And finally the man, Penn. Even before
he entered the UFC in 2007, Edgar met and handled talents such
as Jim Miller and Deividas Taurosevicius.
Despite
his previous performances, few people actually allowed Edgar,
an 8-to-1 underdog on fight night, much of a shot at pulling
off an upset against a champion in the midst of three successful
UFC title defenses -- stoppages over Sherk, Kenny Florian and
Diego Sanchez.
"I
just think you really can't get caught up in that," Edgar
said. "I try to to stay positive. It's the best thing to
do. If you start thinking about the stuff people say, it kind
of makes you negative."
Edgar's
victory -- which didn't come without controversy based on the
cage-side view of judge Doug Crosby, who tallied a 50-45 score
for the former standout wrestler despite many observers believing
Penn, at worst, earned two of five rounds -- was overshadowed
in most places save for Toms River, one of the top sporting enclaves
in the U.S.
Q&A
with Marc Ratner
Marc Ratner was once the most respected fight regulator in the
U.S. He still may be, even if he's working for a promoter. The
man in charge of pushing forward the regulation of mixed martial
arts in the U.S. also coordinates the regulation of UFC events
in locales that lack proper oversight. SI.com spoke with Ratner,
now 65, following UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.
The UFC is regularly promoting in foreign countries, which is
something you're spearheading in terms of handling the regulation.
How is it determined which judges and referees will work the
events?
Ratner:
Depending on where it is, that's also important, we'll use some
United Kingdom judges. We'll use them and bring a couple Americans
in. We've trained some UK referees and we'll also have some American
referees come in. We want to get as world-class an official as
we can, but we also want to deepen the pool worldwide. What I
look at is prior scores and see how they've done domestically
and internationally. I have a pool of maybe about 15, 16 judges
from America that we move around.
Do
you have some sort of grading system in place to identify quality
decisions versus not-so-quality decisions?
Ratner:
Yeah, I have my own paperwork and all the scoresheets from every
fight card. I'm constantly monitoring that. It's an imperfect
science. My concern is not if it's a wide decision as long as
the person who won the fight got the decision. That too me is
the most important part. I look at everything. I have notes on
every show.
When
you bring officials abroad, is the UFC paying for room and board?
Ratner:
We do that domestically. Let's talk about Nevada. Nevada, because
I base everything upon my experience here, will assign judges
and referees. Then they'll give that list to the promoter who
in turn makes the travel arrangements and hotel arrangements.
So it's exactly the same anywhere we go. When we're in New Jersey,
same thing. That's the way boxing does it. That's the way we
do it."
Was
there anything particularly different about the Abu Dhabi card
or was it handled how you've regulated previous shows?
Ratner:
It was outside, so that was different. A very interesting show,
but from the officiating standpoint it was exactly the same system
that I've been using whether it was Manchester or Sydney or wherever
we've been internationally.
There
was some discussion about the inspectors and tape that did not
appear on Anderson Silva's gloves. Can you talk about that? Was
there anything wrong there?
Ratner:
Nothing wrong. There was a miscommunication between the cutman
who put the tape on the gloves. I think really what happened
once the Penn fight went long, they rushed to get Anderson and
Maia out there. Somebody overlooked it. It's that simple. There
was an inspector back there the whole time, but the cutman actually
put the tape on. What the colored tape is to know which guy goes
to the blue corner, which guy goes to the red corner. It's for
the judges as much as anything.
It's
also to make sure velcro won't scratch.
Ratner:
Right, it's just a couple strips of rounded tape. No excuse.
It should have been caught. I was told in the first round that
in fact they had had just overlooked it. And I was aware of it.
And
it's also the final seal of approval to say that gloves have
been inspected, nothing's wrong, no foreign objects are in there.
Ratner:
Certainly, it's the finishing touch. Nothing nefarious was done.
There was an inspector with Anderson the whole time between having
him taped, wrapped and having the glove on there.
When
we spoke yesterday you said you didn't want to discuss individual
officials, but I need to ask you about Doug Crosby, no so much
his scoring the but aftermath including posting on public forums.
Is that something you frown upon your officials doing? Do you
have a response to how he's handled this?
[Ratner
declined to speak on the record.]
A
question on the drug testing, which I know has been an initiative
for you and you've done well with. How did testing play out for
the Abu Dhabi show? Were there facilities available for you to
use?
Ratner:
We brought out people over from the United Kingdom at our expense.
Besides the two title fights, there were four other randoms,
though I didn't ask it's none of my business. All I see is if
the tests are negative or positive. It was handled exactly the
same way.
On
a broader note, how are you feeling these days about the regulation
of MMA, and where do you see things six months from now?
Ratner:
I'm very bullish on the regulatory part of it. Alaska and Wyoming
do not have athletic commissions. So of 48 states, 44 have now
approved the sport. West Virginia, Vermont, Connecticut, and
the state of New York have not. We're in the legislatures in
West Virginia and New York. I talked to our New York people today.
We're still in the governor's budget. So we're cautiously optimistic.
There's huge budgets there. There's deficits there. But hopefully
it will be approved in the next four to five weeks. That's our
goal.
There
is so much MMA now basically in every state where you can have
MMA. Are you liking what you're seeing regarding referee and
judge development, and in the way commissions are able to handle
the fight load that the promoters are asking for?
Ratner:
It's still an evolving process and there are lot of officials
who think they know the sport and understand the sport. I always
try to use, on the undercards especially, some local officials.
But let's say we go to a place and have a sold-out crowd of 13,000
people, this local official, especially when it comes to refereeing,
has never before a crowd like that. Some of them do great. Some
of them freeze up. That's why I have to make notes on every show.
So when we go back to Ohio, or Pennsylvania, or New Jersey or
Colorado, at least I can say I've seen these guys, they did fine.
Or I'd say this guy had a little problem, how's he done recently?
So I have that rapport with the different commissions. I have
a file on every show, at least in my four years.
How
closely are you working with the Association of Boxing Commissions
just as a body? How much influence do you and the UFC have in
how these states, these commission are regulating MMA?
Ratner:
I'm working for a promoter so I certainly don't want to overstep
my bounds. I talk to different ABC members everyday, including
the president. We'll be at the ABC convention in July, as I've
been for the last 20 years, going over some of these things.
There's certainly a lot of MMA out there, and it's all about
health and safety. We've got to keep enforcing that.
How
are you enjoying your role? You're doing a lot of the same things
you did for Nevada, but it must be different because you're working
for a promoter. Are you liking it?
Ratner:
To be on the ground floor of a new sport -- and no matter what
we say, it's still a brand new when we look at all sports --
to be able to be involved and helping get it regulated is great
for me. I'm traveling more than I thought I would, but I seem
to be revitalized maybe. I try to make it fun, but it's very
serious when I go to these legislatures and testify. If I didn't
believe in the sport I would have never taken the job. I've been
involved since the year 2000. When we regulated in Nevada I had
a lot to learn. I'm still learning. I see things every fight
card I didn't know could happen or would happen. It's constant
learning.
"It's not like the other judges didn't give me the fight
at all and he gave me 50-45," Edgar said. "The other
judges gave me three rounds. I understand some people disagree
with it, but it is what it is."
The
new UFC champion returned home Sunday evening to what he described
as a "champion's welcome."
Police
cars, fire trucks and ambulances led him home, sirens blaring.
"I
got off the parkway, pulled over in some parking lot and there
was some 250 people waiting for me," he said. "It was
a good feeling to walk off the bus with the belt, that's for
sure."
The
strap, which was too large to fit around his waist in Abu Dhabi,
now has a home on the couch in Edgar's living room, and has become
a regular prop in photos for his friends.
"I
surprised myself a little bit, just for the fact of the focus
of it all," Edgar said of his title-winning effort. "In
my early competitive years focus was the hardest part for me.
But now that I focused for 25 minutes, I think that was the biggest
thing."
Though
Edgar prefers to defend the title against the unbeaten Maynard
so he can have a chance at avenging the lone loss of his career,
sources tell SI.com that the UFC is focusing on putting together
a rematch with Penn first.
"Champions
don't get to choose," Edgar said. "Whatever the UFC
wants, I'm down with. B.J. has also earned it being the legend
he is."
Penn
starts book tour without UFC's blessing
It was intended to be a perfect segue. Retain the UFC lightweight
title, fly from the United Arab Emirates to New York and kick
off a successful book tour.
B.J.
Penn still might move copies of Why I Fight, an autobiography
co-authored by 36-year-old freelancer David Weintraub, but he'll
have to do so without the endorsement of his promoter, Dana White
and the UFC.
White
told SI.com that after he became aware of the book, he approached
Penn and Penn family lawyer, Gary Levitt, with a question: "Why
would you put out a book that is 90 percent not true?"
"I
asked him why he would write lies in there and he swore to me
that he didn't write it or read it," White said. "So
did Gary. If today they are saying they didn't say that, then
I feel sorry for them."
Penn
declined to speak directly with SI.com, though he could be heard
over the phone talking to Weintraub. Penn, who made it clear
he hoped to avoid a fight with White, did not back away from
the contents of the book.
"Dana
is trying to make it seem like I wrote a book about B.J.,"
said Weintraub from New York, where he joined the recently deposed
UFC lightweight champion as hard copies hit shelves Tuesday.
"One-hundred-percent false. All the words in that book are
the words and thoughts of B.J. Penn. I'm a co-author, my job
is to help him put his thoughts to words. He's read the manuscript.
The manuscript became the book."
Asked
twice to pinpoint inaccuracies in the 31-year-old Hawaiian's
tome, which was written after he and Weintraub spent over 100
hours speaking in person or via Skype, White could not.
The
UFC president said he was comfortable with Penn's response, and
would not seek legal action.
"I'm
happy with what he said," White texted. "He is a fighter,
not a book writer."
"I
never thought for a second that the book would be received by
the UFC in a way they wouldn't want to promote it or help B.J.
I never thought it would be like that," said Weintraub,
who worked with the UFC on video projects and penned articles
for UFC magazine before he said he was was let go two weeks ago
based upon his participation with the book. "I thought it
would be something they read, reflected upon, and looked at how
they owned this company. B.J. started at the same time they bought
this company."
Weintraub
worked for New Jersey-based production group Exit 9 Films, shooting
behind-the-scenes material used as bonus features on UFC DVDs
and webisodes on UFC.com. Exit 9 Films confirmed Weintraub's
employment, but declined to speak about business related to the
UFC, which goes back to the days of SEG and Bob Meyrowitz.
Weintraub
began working with the UFC in 2006, around the time Penn returned
to the company after mending fences following a contentious departure
to K-1 in 2004, after he stopped Matt Hughes to capture the UFC
welterweight title.
That
period, which is covered in the book, is one reason the Penn
camp believes the UFC took exception to Why I Fight, a HarperCollins
publication.
"I'm
very happy I wrote the book but I'm also very disappointed the
UFC decided to force my employer to cut me loose," said
Weintraub, who alleged UFC executive vice president of operations
and production Craig Borsari told Exit 9 Films that Weintraub
was "no longer welcome to work for the UFC."
"The
line was that I should have come to them before I did anything
with one of their fighters, even though I'm not an employee of
UFC's and I work freelance," he said. "They say that
now, even though they were aware that I was writing the book."
White
said he was unknowing of Weintraub "or his situation with
[Borsari], but that's nobody's business."
"I'm
very surprised that a guy as hands on as Dana White would not
know that they had cut me loose," Weintraub responded.
Weintraub
was at the heart of a controversy last year in the wake of Penn's
rematch with Georges St. Pierre, after which the Hawaiian alleged
the UFC welterweight champion had inappropriately used Vaseline
on his body. Prior to the bout, Penn said Weintraub, in Hawaii
working on the book, received a text message from Kenny Florian
suggesting that St. Pierre should be watched for "greasing."
Florian denied sending a text about St. Pierre.
"The
reason why I even took the opportunity to write the book is I
think he's a special kid and someone I always got along with,"
said Weintraub of Penn. "The reason we connected is he's
an honest guy. He speaks the truth about how he feels. And I'm
the same way. I think we both have the same mentality to write
an honest assessment of things."
Penn's
book tour takes him to from New York to Henderson, Nev., on Thursday,
followed by three stops in California, culminating Monday just
south of Los Angeles, in Torrance.
Said
Weintraub: "We wrote as accurate a book from B.J.'s perspective
as we possibly could relating to mixed martial arts over the
last 12 years of his life."
Weintraub
said in spite of White's protests, he does not believe the UFC
president has read the book. Asked if he read it, White did not
respond.
"If
he had," Penn's co-author extrapolated, "he would have
understood the arc of the book and how B.J. has grown as person
from someone who had contentious issues with them early on and
how it changed as he matured."
Source: SI
|
A
week after UFC 112, nobody can stop talking about Anderson Silva
by Zach
Arnold
Is
Anderson Silva channeling the spirit of the late Andy Kaufman?
If he is, then maybe we can get some answers on how has become
MMA’s most hated man.
A
week after UFC 112 took place in Abu Dhabi, the only topic of
conversation that anyone inside and outside the MMA industry
can talk about is Anderson Silva. What was he thinking? He did
have a mental breakdown? Why does he taunt his opponents the
way he does? Why does he piss off so many people?
At
first, I chalked up Anderson’s behavior to stupidity. However,
I am starting to reconsider my position on this. Maybe the man
is a genius at the public relations game, but in an Andy Kaufman
sort of way.
For
those who don’t remember Andy Kaufman, Andy was a famous
actor on the TV show Taxi who wanted to live out his dream of
being a professional wrestler and did so by working with Jerry
“The King” Lawler in the Memphis territory in the early
80s. Kaufman, who was a Saturday Night Live mainstay, went around
the country wrestling women and humiliating them. This was the
tie-in to Jerry Lawler helping protect a woman named “Foxy”
who Kaufman was beating up on. It culminated in the two feuding
in Memphis. Kaufman went on WMC-TV (Memphis) and insulted the
people of Memphis as a bunch of “stupid hicks” who
didn’t know what soap was or how to use deodorant. He pissed
off so many people that everyone wanted to see him get beat up.
Kaufman would eventually wrestle Lawler and Lawler would get
disqualified for pile-driving him and “breaking his neck.”
Kaufman was interviewed at the local hospital in Memphis and
would soon appear with Lawler on Late Night with David Letterman
when it was on NBC. Kaufman ended up throwing hot coffee on Lawler
after Lawler smacked him around. Everyone couldn’t stop
talking about Kaufman and his antics. People in Hollywood and
people in wrestling were asking, what is this guy thinking? Why
is he doing what he is doing?
Now,
thankfully, Anderson Silva hasn’t been fighting women nor
is he a scrawny pip squeak. But in many ways, his actions and
his fight performances have led to the same kind of reaction
that Kaufman was getting in the 80s as a pro-wrestling. Everyone
wants to talk about the guy and rip on him for the way he acts.
The twist here is that Anderson Silva is considered one of the
most, if not most talented fighters in UFC. That’s what
makes this bizarre situation truly a situation where people are
debating whether or not he’s MMA’s bored version of
Mozart who needs to be constantly challenged.
Poor
Frankie Edgar. Frankie Edgar is the small town kid who made good.
He beat the odds and he beat a legendary name in Mixed Martial
Arts in BJ Penn to win the Lightweight title. And a week later
after his upset win, nobody is talking about him. Everyone is
talking about UFC’s unofficial horse’s ass, Anderson
Silva.
Dave
Farra of RawVegas.tv did a bunch of interviews with fighters
from the Xtreme Couture training facility in Las Vegas to get
their take on the Anderson Silva fight. The interviews made one
thing clear — Anderson Silva has knocked off everyone else
as the #1 topic on the minds of everyone who follows MMA.
Ray
Sefo, K-1 legend, said “What fight?” when prompted
to talk about the Anderson Silva/Demian Maia fight. Sefo has
always has an outsized personality, so when he was asked if he
could defend Anderson based on Anderson’s claims of Maia
“disrespecting” him… well, Ray scoffed at that
notion.
“No,
it’s not excuse whatsoever. I mean, here’s the thing
— Demian Maia was pressuring the action, he ran around and
did nothing and then he stood in the middle of the ring going,
“Come! Come! Let’s fight!” and I’m thinking,
well you’re the one that’s running so why don’t
you fight?”
Another
fighter, Mike Pyle, summarily addressed his opinion of Anderson
Silva.
“Two
thumbs down for Silva in that fight! Booooooooooooooo!”
Tyson
Griffin, one of the few men who have beaten Urijah Faber in Mixed
Martial Arts, was dumbfounded at the way the UFC Middleweight
champion fought.
“I
thought it was pretty lackluster and boring.
“I
don’t know, I guess I looked at it like the whole like perspective
of Anderson’s career and really think about it, he’s
caught a lot of guys and knocked them out or finished them with
one punch and I mean to his credit yeah he’s accurate but
outside of that he doesn’t seem like the kind of fighter
that’s really like out there and wants to push himself and
walk through punches and really get hungry, you know, he couldn’t
figure out Demian Maia and he was happy not to figure it out.
“I’m
not even one for shit talking like in and out of the fight but
the only excuse for anything as far as disrespecting goes would
be to whoop his ass and not showboat and punch in the face and
maybe hit him after the bell, after he’s knocked out, but
not to dance around, I mean he made himself look stupid as well
so… I mean, who’s the real winner there?”
Martin
Kampmann, who used to fight in the UFC Middleweight division
and has moved down to Welterweight, is not impressed with the
way Anderson Silva is fighting lately.
“Bad
fight. Terrible fight. I thought Anderson Silva made himself
look stupid in there, you know, calling out, slamming his chest
and then… backing away. It made him look stupid.
“I
don’t know, man, it was a weird fight. It was a weird fight.
I think he shouldn’t act like he did in the second round,
you know, acting all stupid and crazy and then the next three
rounds just going backwards. That makes himself look stupid.
“I
don’t know how [Maia] disrespected him, but I mean if he
did then I would want to go beat him up instead of running away
the whole fight, you know, it doesn’t make sense, either.”
Amir
Sadollah, winner of season seven of The Ultimate Fighter, thinks
he knows the reason why Anderson Silva was, in the words of Dana
White, acting like a jackass.
“I
think that you know for sure you know Anderson’s the type
of guy who wants to clearly dominate and I think he didn’t
want to take a chance, especially he was doing so well so you
know maybe he was just too much on the side of caution there
for a while, I don’t know.”
Jay
Hieron, who is the complete antithesis of Anderson Silva as far
as personality is concerned, had some advice for Silva in terms
of dealing with criticism and trash-talking.
“Everybody
does it, it’s the fight game, I mean, you know, it’s
one reason why we’re professionals. You got to know how
to deal with kind of the stuff outside the cage like the smack
talk and everything else, you know, contracts, everything else,
your promoters and all that, so I mean for you to bring that
in the cage with you especially on that level, Leave that stuff
outside and do your job.
Ron
Frazier, the boxing coach at Xtreme Couture, thinks that UFC
needs to step up to the plate and challenge Anderson Silva in
a big way after the UFC 112 performance.
“I
think Anderson’s problem, I think he’s just bored right
now with some of the guys who’ve stepped in front of him.”
However,
nobody seems bored talking about Anderson Silva lately.
Source:
MMA Memories
|
Bruno
Bastos in GP with Barnett and Monson
The
black belt Bruno Bastos will join a tournament of Grappling in
July on California, US. The championship, which will have a ten
thousand dollars reward for the champion, will still count with
great international names of MMA, such as a former champ of UFC,
Josh Barnett, the heavy weight Jeff Monson. The organization
of the tournament has already fulfilled seven of the 32 spots.
Source: Tatame
|
Yahya
Eager to Rebound against Mizugaki
By Frank
Curreri
I’ve
said it before and I’ll say it again: Two of the greatest
teachers of all-time go by the names “Pain” and “Defeat.”
Rani Yahya received a visit from both highly acclaimed educators
during his last bout against Joseph Benavidez courtesy of a monster
right hand the Brazilian never saw coming.
But
with another dangerous slugger up next, Japan’s Takeya Mizugaki
(12-4-2), Yahya insists he has a short-term memory and will not
be shackled by the psychological ghosts of the 95-second TKO
loss.
“I
like to watch that fight,” Yahya said, referring to the
Dec. 19 setback, which halted a three-fight win streak. “I
like to remember that fight. It motivates me to train. That’s
why a loss is good. I feel more motivated than ever because I
got knocked out in the last fight.”
Yahya,
25, said he is determined not to repeat the same mistakes that
caused his devastating undoing against Benavidez. Famed for possessing
one of MMA’s most feared ground games, the distinguished
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt became overly infatuated with
his improving striking skills and paid dearly for his overconfidence.
“I
wanted to exchange punches with him and I hit him (Benavidez)
a couple of times and got excited,” he said, “so I
exposed myself a lot and opened myself up to get knocked out.”
Mizugaki
packs quite a punch himself and, like Benavidez, owns a strong
wrestling base which makes him difficult to take down. Not too
long ago Mizugaki was widely regarded as a Top 10 bantamweight,
but a brutal schedule of elite opponents – Miguel Torres,
Jeff Curran and Scott Jorgensen – has left him with a misleading
1-2 record here in the States. As he showcased in decision losses
to Torres and Jorgensen, Mizugaki owns a first-rate chin and
uncommon valor. He has only been finished once in his career
– by TKO four years ago to fellow countrymen Kenji Osawa.
Yahya
is no stranger to Japanese foes and has experienced much success
against them. He is 6-1 against fighters from the Land of the
Rising Sun, his lone blemish a TKO loss to Japanese star Norifumi
“Kid” Yamamoto – a performance that nevertheless
raised Yahya’s stock because of the amount of damage he
absorbed yet continued fighting on. Yahya detects similarities
between Yamamoto and the man he will face on April 24 in Sacramento.
“Almost
all of my wins were on the floor so I think all of my opponents
come with a strategy to avoid the ground game and submissions,”
said Yahya, who trains at Team Constrictor in Brazil along with
top welterweight contender Paulo Thiago. “There’s nothing
to hide; it’s pretty obvious that I’m going to try
to take him down the fight to the floor and finish the fight
there. I think Mizugaki will come with a different strategy to
avoid my ground game. I’ve been training a lot of Muay Thai
and boxing. I’ve actually been training more standup than
ground. It’s all about strategy. I keep trying to always
remind myself that I’m not Superman, that if I get busted
in the chin I might end up in the hospital.”
Yahya,
whose biggest wins were submissions over former bantamweight
champ Eddie Wineland, Mark Hominick and Yoshiro Maeda, said there
are general stylistic differences between fighters from different
nations.
“I
feel Americans are more athletic and Brazilians are very technical,”
he said. “Japanese fighters, they have good resistance.
They fight with their heart and push themselves to the end, so
it’s always difficult against a Japanese fighter.”
Yahya,
a past winner of the prestigious ADCC Submission Wrestling World
Championship, still occasionally competes in such tournaments
but assured that his main focus is MMA.
“Fighting
reflects my whole life,” he said. “So if I can control
myself before a fight then I can control all of the other things
in my life.”
Source: WEC
|
Varner
vs. Shalorus to Headline WEC Canadian Debut
By FCF
Staff
World
Extreme Cagefighting has confirmed today that former lightweight
champion Jamie Varner will face Kamal Shalorus in the promotion’s
first Canadian event, which is scheduled to take place June 20th,
at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta.
“We
are really excited to bring WEC to Canada for the first time
on June 20,” WEC General Manager Reed Harris was quoted
saying on the promotion’s official website. “We’ve
learned that Canada is home to some of the most passionate mixed
martial arts fans in the world. With that said, we can’t
wait to get to Edmonton and put the best lighter weight fighters
in the world on display.”
Varner
(16-3) will look to get back on the winning track, after being
submitted with a third round guillotine choke by Ben Henderson,
at WEC 46 in January. The bout was Varner’s first since
January, 2009, as injuries the Arizona fighter incurred during
his Technical Decision victory over Donald Cerrone at WEC 38,
kept the former champ on the sidelines for months.
Shalorus
(6-0-1) has gone 2-0 in WEC competition thus far; in November
he stopped Will Kerr in the first round, before working his way
to a Unanimous Decision victory over Dave Jansen in January.
The
WEC has also confirmed that 3 Canadians will be on the card;
Mark Hominick will square off with fellow countryman Yves Jabouin,
while the former’s teammate, Chris Horodecki, will fight
Ed Ratcliff.
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
Strikeforce
Saturday Night
Today!
On CBS, Channel 7
Hawaii Air Time:
8:00 - 10:00 PM
Strikeforce 4/17 in Nashville: A make-or-break event for the
company on CBS
By Zach Arnold
Venue:
Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee)
TV: CBS (all network affiliates)
Dark
matches
¦Tom
Campbell vs. Cody Floyd
¦Chris Hawk vs. Ovince St. Preux
¦Dustin Ortiz vs. Justin Pennington
¦Andy Uhrich vs. Dustin West
¦Josh Schockman vs. Cale Yarbrough
¦Zach Underwood vs. Hunter Worsham
¦Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Tim Stout
Main card
¦DREAM
vs. Strikeforce (SF Lightweight Title match): Gilbert Melendez
vs. Shin’ya Aoki
¦Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Title match: Gegard Mousasi
vs. King Mo
¦Strikeforce Middleweight Title match: Jake Shields vs.
Dan Henderson
Source: Fight Opinion
|
CompuStrike
Preview Strikeforce: Nashville
4/17/10
- Nashville, TN
Jake
Shields vs. Dan Henderson
Shields-Henderson Comparison | Shields 6-Fight Avg. | Henderson
5-Fight Avg.
Shields,
winner of 13 straight fights, defends his StrikeForce middleweight
title vs. Henderson, making his StrikeForce debut. Henderson
is the only fighter to hold duel Pride championships.
Shields
has won five of his last six fights by submission, with 85% of
his landed strikes coming from the ground. He was successful
on 15 of 23 takedown attempts (65%), while opponents hit on six
of seven takedowns. Shields was on the ground better than 33
minutes out of a possible 43 ½ minutes in those six fights.
Henderson has fought three champs in his last five fights (A.
Silva, Jackson and Franklin), going 3-2 overall. Opponents landed
42% of their arm strikes. Henderson has been submitted just three
times in his 32-fight career.
Henderson has the huge edge in arm strikes thrown and landed
over Shields, who has not stopped an opponent on strikes since
his mma debut in 2000. Henderson has landed an average of 22
of 64 arm strikes in his last five fight to just 3 of 10 for
Shields, who would clearly like to get this one to the mat. As
mentioned above, 85% of Shields’ landed strikes came from
the ground. Henderson, a two-time Olympic wrestler, has some
ground game himself, hitting on 6 of 14 takedown attempts, while
stuffing four of his opponents eight takedown attempts.
Gegard
Mousasi vs. Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal
Mousasi-Lawal Comparison | Mousasi 5-Fight Avg. | Lawal 4-Fight
Average
The
stoic Mousasi, winner of 15 straight fights, defends his StrikeForce
Light Heavyweight title vs. Lawal, 6-0, 5 ko’s in his limited
mma career.
Mousasi has been the model of efficiency in his last five fights,
averaging just 20 landed strikes (six arm strikes) and 33 thrown
strikes (10 arm atrikes). Opponents have landed an average of
just two arm strikes per fight and four total strikes per fight.
Lawal, born in Tennessee, has outlanded his last four opponents
by a better than 4-1 margin in total strikes (51 landed strikes
per fight). 36 of his 51 averaged strikes landed per fight came
from the ground (71%). He was successful on 24 of 25 takedown
attempts (96%), including 17 of 17 in his decision win over Ryo
Kawamura.
Lawal has averaged twice as many strikes landed than Mousasi,
throwing nearly three times as many. Like Shields vs. Henderson,
Lawal, a Division I wrestling All American at Oklahoma State,
should want to get the fight to the ground, yet he has vowed
to strike with Mousasi.
Gilbert
Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki
Melendez 6-Fight Avg. | Aoki 5-Fight Avg.
Melendez,
a two-time StrikeForce champ, defends his Lightweight championship
vs. Dream Lightweight champ Shinya Aoki, who has 23 wins in his
career, only one by knockout with 14 by submission. This fight
is for supremecy in the mma lightweight division following BJ
Penn’s upset loss to Frankie Edgar.
Melendez has averaged 239 total strikes thrown and 97 landed
in his last six fights. He threw 467 total strikes and 396 arm
strikes (80 per round) in his decision win over Josh Thomson
in December. He landed 125 arm strikes in the Thomson rematch.
Opponents were 11 of 24 (46%) on takedowns attempts.
Aoki, nicknamed “Tobikan Judan”, or “Master of
flying submissions” scored three submission wins in his
last five fights- needing just four attempts. He broke the arm
of Mizuto Hirota with a hammerlock at Dynamite 2009 on New Year’s
Eve. Aoki averaged just nine arm strikes thrown in his last five
fights and did not land a single arm strike vs. Hirota, Hansen,
Sakurai and Gardner. Aoki did average more leg strikes thrown
than Melendez in their last five fights.
Melendez will want to keep his distance from the Japanese submission
machine, but lacks the one punch power to dissuade Aoki, who
has displayed a distaste for punishment in past fights.
Source: CompuStrike
|
Hawaiian
Triple Crown of BJJ
Today!
First Event
is 4/17/10
Kaiser High School Gym
Registration fees:
Register early and guarantee a cool competitor t shirt
Kids: $ 50
Adults: $ 70
We will be accepting registrations the morning of the event with
a $20 late fee.
Weigh-in times:
Kids: 8:30 – 9:30 am
Adults: 9:30 – 11:30 am
Weight class divisions:
http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/weigh_in.html
Prizes for Hawaii Triple Crown Champions:
Kids: Championship belt – Gi / Championship belt –
No-Gi
Adults: $1000 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Open Advanced (Absolute)
Division
$500 + HTC Belt – Purple and Brown Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – Blue Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Intermediate Division
A Justap GI ($120 value) + HTC Belt – White belt Division
HTC fight Shorts + Rash Guard ($100 value) + HTC Belt –
No-Gi Novice Division
2009 Hawaii Triple Crown Champions defend their belts without
charge in the 2010 circuit.
For more information please visit: www.Hawaiitriplecrown.com
or check out MMAHawaii Magazine for our 2-page layout about the
upcoming HTC series .
- Hawaii Triple Crown
|
Team
Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu World Championship Fundraiser Tomorrow
Email questions
by clicking here.
|
BJ
Penn's Trainer Says Penn Had a Sinus Infection, Wants a Rematch
With Frankie Edgar
by Anton
Tabuena
BJ Penn's Coach, Rudy Valentino says that while Frankie Edgar
deserves credit, BJ Penn's performance was hampered by a Sinus
infection:
One
judge scored every round for Edgar but what I saw in the fight
when I was watching it, and I haven’t watched it again on
tape, but watching it as it happened, I felt that BJ won the
first three rounds. The fourth round was even and I think he
lost the last round. So I feel BJ won the fight. He was also
battling a sinus infection and was on antibiotics, so he was
not one hundred percent. I’m not making any excuses, that
is just what happened. I didn’t see him lose that fight
but I did see him lose the last round. As for effectiveness of
punches, I thought BJ had it. Frankie got two takedowns but BJ
got up real fast and nothing happened on the ground there, so
I don’t know if they could score the fight based on those
two takedowns.
I’m
not taking anything from Frankie Edgar. He fought a real good
fight and had a good strategy. His stand-up was good, he was
moving a lot in and out real fast. Frankie fought a very good
and strategic fight. I don’t want this to be about criticizing
Frankie because I like him and he fought well.
He
says that infections aside, he thinks that Penn still won the
bout, but felt that BJ should've taken things to the ground,
instead of countering with one punch at a time:
One
of the mistakes, well, I wouldn’t say mistakes, but one
thing that BJ couldn’t this fight was get his combinations
off. He would throw one punch at a time. It was one punch and
then come back with one punch. When he came back in the corner
in between rounds I told him to try and get more punches in and
to go from punches to takedowns - to work something on the ground.
From the second round on I was telling him to take it to the
ground. I even told him that if Edgar took him down to keep it
on the ground that way as well. Once I saw that Edgar was doing
pretty good with his standup, I thought it was a good idea to
take it to the ground.
Going
into the 5th round I told BJ that he had to win this round to
win the fight. But sometimes things don’t go the right way.
Being on antibiotics and struggling to get better from being
sick and having a fever over the course of two weeks, these were
some of the factors that slowed him down. That wasn’t the
BJ Penn that we had in camp for three months going through sparring
partners the way he did. We never took Frankie Edgar like he
wasn’t a world contender. We took him very serious. We knew
he could do damage to BJ in stand up and with takedowns. We were
working BJ Penn wasn’t 100 percent, what you saw in the
fight was him battling being sick. He didn’t want to call
Dana three weeks before the fight and cancel because he was sick.
BJ being the champion that he is just went in there and fought.
But
yeah, in my opinion, BJ was countering too much and just waiting.
What happened was he was trying too hard in a couple rounds.
He needed to relax a little bit more. He could feel something
was going wrong in the fight.
Like
what his trainer said, BJ did look like he was landing the more
effective shots in the first few rounds, and Frankie seemed to
get the better of the exchanges towards the end. Penn might have
still done enough to win the fight, but I agree with him saying
that taking things to the ground might have been the better approach
to things.
valentino
also went on to say that Penn looking a bit softer compared to
his last few fights, wasn't from moving his camp back to Hawaii,
or from taking Edgar lightly. He says they ran the camp and Penn's
conditioning program the same way they did the last two bouts,
but the infection had prevented him from training well for a
couple of weeks.
He
finished up by saying that Penn isn't thinking about moving up
to 170, and that he wants a rematch with Edgar:
we
had long talks about what he was going to do and he wanted to
stay 155 to make his legacy in that weight division. We are now
just waiting for Dana to give us the call for Frankie Edgar again...
I was talking to BJ and we are looking for a straight automatic
rematch. We don’t know when but we’d like it in Hawaii.
There is no moving up right now. That is not in our plans BJ
wanted to have another fight in 155 after Edgar before trying
welterweight again. I just spoke to him and he has no plans to
move up again. We want to fight Frankie again as soon as possible.
The
loss may also turn out to be a good thing, as Penn seems to be
more focused on getting his belt back and building his legacy
at lightweight, instead of thinking about jumping around in different
weight classes to face bigger challenges.
While
BJ Penn did look sluggish and slower than usual, it is almost
impossible for us to confirm - or dispute - these statements
from his trainer. That being said, even if I felt that Valentino's
assessment of the fight was pretty fair, I'm pretty sure people
are still going to knock on Penn and his camp for "coming
up with excuses" for yet another loss.
Source: Bloody Elbow
|
Galbraith
Replaces Injured Vitale
By FCF
Staff
Shine
Fights has announced this afternoon that Travis Galbraith will
replace an injured Falaniko Vitale, and will fight fellow Pride
veteran Murilo “Ninja” Rua, at the promotion’s
upcoming May 15th event in Fayetteville, Carolina. The bout will
take place at a catchweight of 190lbs.
Galbraith
(17-7) is coming off a loss to Tom Watson, who KO’d the
Elite XC veteran with a head kick at MFC 24 in February. Prior
to that, the former King of the Cage Canadian champion put together
winning performances over UFC vet David Heath and fellow Canadian,
Nick Hinchliffe.
Rua
(18-10-1) is coming off back-to-back victories over Alex Stiebling
and most recently, Jason Jones, after losing by Unanimous Decision
to Riki Fukuda at Dream 8 last April.
"I'm
very happy to be fighting Travis. I think he is an experienced,
well-rounded fighter who will look at this fight as a great opportunity,
and will do his best to turn this fight into a war,” Rua
was quoted saying in a release from the promotion. “I'm
excited about this fight, and I have been training hard since
early January, doing a lot of jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and wrestling,
so I think our fight can turn into Fight of the Night this coming
May 15th.”
Shine
Fights “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas,” will feature
former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga making his MMA debut against
accomplished MMA veteran, Din Thomas. The card will be available
by pay-per-view.
Shine
Fights 3 Confirmed Line-Up to Date
Ricardo
“El Matador” Mayorga vs. Din “Dinyero” Thomas
Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Travis “The Gladiator”
Galbraith
Nick “The Goat” Thompson vs. Eduardo Pamplona
Braulio Estima vs. Rick Hawn
Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira vs. Jamal “The Suit”
Patterson
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
No
Ortiz: Liddell-Franklin set for UFC 115 in Vancouver
2
Recommend Make that two seasons in a row for The Ultimate Fighter
without an immediate fight to wrap-up the rivalry between the
original coaches.
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship on Monday confirmed rumors that
Chuck Liddell would face Rich Franklin in the main event of UFC
115 on June 12 in Vancouver.
Liddell
and fellow light-heavyweight ex-champion Tito Ortiz were chosen
as coaches for TUF Season 11, which is currently airing.
But
reports cropped up last month that Franklin would replace Ortiz
as Liddell's opponent in June. Ortiz denied that he was injured
and insisted that he would still be fighting Liddell.
This
will be the second consecutive season without an immediate blow-off
fight between the coaches. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
and Rashad Evans were supposed to square off in December following
TUF 10, but Jackson's movie work and temporary dispute with UFC
pushed that fight back to UFC 114 in May.
Also
Monday, a June 20 date in Edmonton was confirmed for UFC's fellow
promotion under the Zuffa umbrella, World Extreme Cagefighting.
Source: USA Today
|
Edgar-Penn
Rematch in Works for Late Summer, Fall
by Loretta Hunt
A
rematch of last Saturday’s UFC 112 lightweight championship
tilt between Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn is looking likely for
late summer or fall.
Representatives
in both fighters’ camps told Sherdog.com on Tuesday that
UFC officials have approached both sides to lock down a second
bout between the lightweight fighters. No date or venue has been
solidified yet. Edgar earned a unanimous decision over Penn at
UFC 112 on April 10 in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., to become the promotion’s
lightweight champion.
Edgar’s
victory, which delivered Penn his first loss in the 155-pound
division since 2002, did not come without controversy. Both the
media and fans were split on the bout’s outcome, as the
28-year-old New Jersey fighter was awarded 50-45, 48-47 and 49-46
scores in a tight contest some thought Penn had won.
Edgar
told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “It’s Time”
show host Bruce Buffer on Tuesday that he’d agree to the
rematch.
“If
anybody’s earned a rematch, it’s B.J.,” said Edgar.
“He’s a legend at 155. I’m ready for it if that’s
definitely going to happen. I’m the champion. I don’t
get to pick who I fight; they tell me who I fight.”
Edgar,
who trains under UFC middleweight Ricardo Almeida and others
in the tri-state area, said he’d watched the fight on Monday
and had given himself three rounds. Edgar said he felt the first
round could have gone to him as well.
“It
was definitely was a close fight, but I truly do feel I won,”
said Edgar, “There’s going to be people that think
one way and people that think the other, but all three judges
felt I won.”
Sherdog.com
has learned that two dates are being considered for the championship
bout -- Aug. 28 at the TD Garden in Boston or Aug. 7, possibly
in New Jersey.
“Honestly,
I’d like a little bit more time,” Edgar said of an
August rematch. “My wife’s due (with a second son)
in mid to late June. And again, I want to improve, I want be
different every fight. I want to be ready. I know if I get a
rematch, B.J.’s going to be coming better than ever, so
I want to be able to make sure that I can too, for me and the
fans.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Demian
Maia
By Guilherme Cruz
Demian Maia is back from Abu Dhabi without what his most wanted:
the UFC middleweight title. The fight against Anderson Silva
on UFC 112 didn’t go his way as well, but, besides the loss,
the black belt has his head up. On the chat, that you can read
below, Demian talked about the complains made by Rafael Cavalcante,
who said Demian "offended Anderson as a man”, talked
about his comeback to octagon and analyzed the next dispute for
the belt of his category, which should be between Anderson and
Chael Sonnen, who was submitted by Demian on UFC.
What did you think about the fight?
Man, it was a warm fight in the beginning, it took me a while
to get into the fight, but I got better in the end. I expected
to win, but I will train to the next one.
What is your opinion towards Anderson’s posture, provoking
you during the fight?
Everybody knows what happened, I don’t have to explain it.
Everybody makes mistakes and I think they are thinking about
theirs.
Did you get bothered by the insults?
Not at all. I think it’s bad for the sport and the show
a little, but I got there focused and ready to fight, not for
anything else.
He said he acted this way in response “towards yours provocations
before the fight”, and Rafael Cavalcante told us you has
not been respectful with him as a person. What really happened?
Those who know me knows that I never disrespect anyone, especially
with someone who is friends with several of my friends, like
Anderson. In fact, they were wrong and want to find a justification.
No need to justify, just assume "I was wrong". Everyone
does mistakes, we're there to learn. There's some jokes to promote
the fight, that is very light compared to boxing and other sports.
The problem is when you think you are so good that nobody can
joke with you, then you have to review the path and size that
your ego is taking you to. Regarding the lack of respect, I don’t
disrespect anyone, especially one who is brave enough to go into
the octagon, which is not for everyone. I'm a martial artist,
a Jiu-Jitsu fighter, I learned it since my childhood.
Did Dana White say something to you after the fight?
I haven’t have time, because I went straight to do a MRI
too know if there was something serious, but it was nothing.
My flight was early in the morning. I talked to the people in
my room and went straight to the airport.
When will you come back to UFC? What are the expectations?
I’ll wait for them, let’s see what they’ll say
about it. I’ll go back to my trainings as fast as I can.
How do you face this comeback? Thales lost a battle after fighting
for the belt and got fired… Do you worry about that too?
No, not at all. I think my fight was different.
Anderson may confront Chael Sonnen, who you submitted. What do
you think about this fight?
He’s
got a chance, he has good takedowns... He can take Anderson down
and fight with him there. I’m not saying Anderson doesn’t
have the tools to fight on his guard, but Chael is a high level
athlete and has the chance to be the champion.
Source: Tatame
|
Mir
Wants Catchweight Match With Anderson Silva
Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir says he would like
to fight current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva at
a catch weight if Anderson’s planned super fight with Georges
St. Pierre is now off.
Silva
has previously talked of a move to heavyweight but more recently
talked about dropping for a catch weight fight with welterweight
division boss St. Pierre. However, UFC president Dana White said
yesterday he has gone off that idea somewhat after Anderson put
on another bizarre and disappointing show in the headline bout
of UFC 112.
“I
would love to fight Anderson Silva!” Mir told Fighters Only
in a text message last night. “I would even make it a 235
catch weight to make it more appealing to his manager and the
commission.”
Silva
has fought at light-heavyweight twice in the UFC and finished
both his fights there with TKO stoppages. 235lbs would be the
highest weight he had ever fought at although he walks around
at a similar weight when bulking up for his light-heavyweight
excursions.
Whether
the UFC would be interested in matching Mir and Silva is unclear
but Anderson would certainly have his work cut out for him if
they did. Mir is a jiu jitsu player like Maia but his significant
size advantage alone would make him a much more threatening prospect.
Source: Fighter Only Magazine
|
Kyra
Gracie Still Weighing Offers for MMA Debut
By Ray
Hui
24-year-old Kyra Gracie has already established herself as a
top female grappler and it'll be only time until she makes her
move to MMA. But with no contracts signed, Gracie fans that have
been waiting will have to wait a little bit longer.
"I
got some offers, but I'm not sure yet," said Gracie, who
would not reveal the interested parties.
Gracie
has been training MMA with Claudio Coelho in Brazil and will
be making a trip to New York to train again with her uncle, Renzo.
Gracie
has been busy with her jiu-jitsu endeavors. Earlier this year,
she held her first-ever Kyra Gracie 2010 women's only BJJ camp
and has already planned another for 2011.
Gracie,
who has considered MMA over the years (see above video from 2006),
recently told MMAFighting.com that she has no time frame for
a debut and would only say that it will be "soon."
"I'm
still checking the best one," Gracie said. "Soon I'll
make my MMA debut."
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
112 judge Doug Crosby owes UFC management an apology
By Zach
Arnold
OPINION
As
Dana White noted in an interview with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting
after Saturday night’s main event debacle with Anderson
Silva, UFC 112 was the company’s first impression not only
in a new market but also with their new minority business partners,
Flash.
“It’s
all about first impressions and you know one of the things that
I’ve always been proud of every time we go into a new market
we always leave a good first impression. People always leave
the event and spread what I call the virus, they infect 15 other
people with what they saw that night.”
A
lot of pressure was on the shoulders of Mr. White, Mr. Lorenzo
Fertitta, and members of UFC management to get the job done right.
One of those members who had to deal with the scrutiny of the
event was Marc Ratner, who managed the regulatory side of the
show for the Abu Dhabi card. As Marc noted in an interview with
Ariel last week as the arena was being constructed at Ferrari
World, he was in charge of bringing in the judges (a mix of USA
and UK judges) and also for the rules, weigh-in, and drug testing
of the fighters. Given that Abu Dhabi has no athletic commission,
regulating the event went squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Ratner.
Given his excellent track record, Marc deserved to get the very
best out of the people he hired to do their job. From the referees
to the judges to the adminstrators, everyone at UFC 112 was hired
to do their job both at the arena and out of the arena in a professional
manner. On shows where the territory has no commission, the spotlight
is more firmly in place on Mr. Ratner.
Which
is why Doug Crosby’s bizarre, troll-like rants online about
his judging performance for the Frankie Edgar/BJ Penn UFC Lightweight
title fight should be viewed as an insult not only to all MMA
judges but also as a slight on the boss who hired Mr. Crosby
in the first place.
By
now you’ve seen Mr. Crosby’s online tirades about how
he judged the Edgar/Penn fight. He wrote a post online stating
that he would defend his scoring of the fight as 50-45 in favor
of Mr. Edgar. Instead of explaining his rationale for why he
judged the fight the way he did, he started trolling fans immediately.
He started trolling UFC fans. He started trolling customers who
bought the UFC PPV. Why? I don’t know and I don’t care.
For troll jobs like these, use Occam’s Razor and come up
with your own conclusion. The idea that Mr. Crosby decided to
publicly show his contempt for MMA fans is not a new revelation
for someone who works in the Mixed Martial Industry. There are
plenty of people in the business who think the fans are nothing
more than a bunch of marks and rubes and couldn’t give a
damn about what they think, paying customers or not. Conversely,
there are plenty of fighters, agents, and promoters who do care
about what the fans think and do care what fans want to pay to
see.
The
problem for Mr. Crosby is not his contempt for MMA fans in general
but the fact that he thinks he is no different than a random
keyboard warrior on a message board. He’s wrong on this
front and if he hasn’t realized it already, he better learn
this lesson very quickly. He is a judge in Mixed Martial Arts.
He is paid to be a professional — a professional who judges
prize fights where fighters are putting everything on the line
to win the fight, to win money, and to win titles. The last time
I checked, trolling and insulting fans on the Internet is not
part of the job description for being an MMA judge.
On
this level, Mr. Crosby has tarnished not only his reputation
but has also helped add to the laundry list of complaints that
we often see fans express with both MMA judges and referees.
Remember, it is Mr. Ratner’s job as UFC regulatory czar
to not only make sure new states approve MMA legislation but
also provide the proper training. It may not say in the rule
book to act like a professional, but Mr. Ratner shouldn’t
have to put that down in writing for Mr. Crosby. He should have
known the standards that the fans, the media, and the fighters
have for MMA judges in general. End of story.
Mr.
Crosby owes Mr. Ratner an apology — one in private and one
in public. In private, he should tell Mr. Ratner that he is sorry
for his behavior and for the attention he has drawn to himself
for his behavior. He should tell Mr. Ratner that he made a mistake
and he will strive to do better in the future. After a private
apology, he should issue a public apology to Mr. Ratner, UFC
President Dana White, UFC management, and MMA fans for acting
as foolishly as he has and by creating negative attention to
the company’s event in Abu Dhabi. The apology should not
be a half-assed one, either. Not the “I’m sorry if
I offended you in any way” kind of apology, but a truly
sincere one in which Mr. Crosby expresses regret for the comments
he made and the way he has treated the fans. If he wants to be
a keyboard warrior and not an MMA judge, then give up the job
title of being a judge and ramble on to your heart’s content
on The Underground Forum for as long as you want. If you want
to be an MMA judge, develop a better sense of professionalism
and a better sense of respect for the people you are talking
with and for the people who you may impact based on your personal
and public actions.
As
for Mr. Crosby’s weak and almost non-existent defense of
the way he scored the fight 50-45 in favor of Mr. Edgar, Mr.
Crosby would be well served to provide a more coherent defense
in regards to how he scored each round and why he scored each
round the way he did. His initial defense of having fighters
and staff cheer him on because he judged a fight and “not
fighters” is an insult. His attacks on fans and paying customers
who thought BJ Penn won the fight or lost a close decision is
frankly beneath him and reflects poorly not only on his character
as an MMA judge but also on his ability to intellectually defend
his actions as a judge. Will we see Mr. Crosby apologize to fans
and perhaps to Mr. Penn for his behavior? Highly unlikely, but
he would be well-served to try to make amends very shortly.
It
would be one thing if a random troll on a message board said
something goofy or indefensible, but the words carry more weight
and meaning when said by someone in a position of power. Mr.
Crosby was in a position of power to influence the decision of
a title fight. A fight featuring a prize title and big money.
A fight featuring an underdog who was, at the minimum, a +550
underdog. Dana White pegged Frankie Edgar as a 7-to-1 underdog.
With an underdog that big, the scrutiny on the officiating and
the judging is that much greater. The last thing Mr. Ratner needs
to deal with are accusations that a judge was “on the take”
or that someone “made a lot of money” on the side.
With so much on the line for UFC to make a first impression in
Abu Dhabi in front of their new business partners, the last thing
Mr. Ratner needs to deal with is an employee that he hired for
the event to possibly create doubt into the validity of the judging
process. Any action by an official or a judge that brings into
question the integrity of the rules being enforced at the event
is not only an attack on the validity of the fight process but
also an attack on the integrity of Mr. Ratner.
Humans
make mistakes all the time. Some mistakes are just bigger than
others. This was not Mr. Crosby’s finest hour.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Kenny
Florian’s Brand New Day
By Thomas
Gerbasi
After
following up his UFC 101 loss to BJ Penn last August with impressive
back-to-back wins over Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi, many dubbed
Kenny Florian the best lightweight fighter in the world without
a UFC championship belt around his waist.
High
praise indeed, but probably not much of a consolation to the
Boston fighter, who knew that after losing to Penn in his second
try at the belt, a third shot wasn’t going to come anytime
soon – at least not as long as the Hawaii native still sat
on the throne.
Then
Frankie Edgar entered the picture last Saturday and took the
belt from ‘The Prodigy’ via five round unanimous decision
at UFC 112. Now Florian’s not a jump up for joy and run
around the house kind of guy – but he probably had a smile
on his face when he heard the result.
“It
makes things that much more interesting,” said Florian of
Edgar’s upset victory, which opens up the 155-pound class
that had been ruled by Penn since January of 2008. “Without
bias, I think what it really does is confirm that the 155-pound
weight class is the most difficult in the world. When you look
at it skill for skill and the competitiveness and depth of the
division, there’s no question that the 155-pound weight
class is the deepest and the best. I think Frankie Edgar, in
beating BJ Penn, confirms that. On any given day, with the top
five, and possibly the top seven in the world, the belt could
change hands like that, and that’s exciting for the fans
and will keep people on the edge of their seats.”
That
was certainly the case with Edgar-Penn, a closely contested five
rounder that built in drama as the gritty challenger from New
Jersey employed a nearly flawless stick and move strategy that
was in contrast to Penn’s stalking attack. When it was over,
the division had a new champion via scores of 50-45, 49-46, and
a 48-47 verdict that reflected the nip and tuck nature of the
bout.
“Every
decision that’s close is gonna be controversial, but honestly
I had no problem with it,” said Florian. “I could have
seen either of those guys winning, but I think Frankie really
did a great job and deserved the win at the end of the night.”
As
for the night’s work put in by Edgar, Florian is full of
superlatives for his fellow east coaster.
“I
think it was a great performance,” he said. “He did
exactly what I should have done in the fight against BJ and what
I was instructed to do against BJ, and that was to get in and
get out, strike and get out and use movement. BJ was a flat-footed
boxer, that means that when he hits you, he’s gonna hit
you hard, and he’s gonna look to counter. Frankie never
gave him a real chance to counter him. It was like BJ was trying
to fight a mosquito with a giant hammer and that was the difference
– Frankie was in and out before he even got a chance. It
was a masterful performance.”
It
was also one that didn’t surprise Florian too much, considering
that he had crossed paths with the future champion during his
own training camp trips to the New York area, where he worked
with the likes of Renzo Gracie and Kru Phil Nurse.
“When
I saw how well Frankie was training and how focused he was in
his training in New York and New Jersey, you could see that this
kid was on a mission and he was doing all the right things,”
said Florian, who didn’t train with Edgar, but who ran into
him in New York. “He was looking very sharp in training
and you could just see it; he was very calm and comfortable like
he is in all his fights and being an underdog myself and seeing
the way he was out there, I wasn’t that surprised because
he had the ability to do it. He had the wrestling, he had the
striking and he had the movement to get it done. Did I think
he was gonna go out there and submit BJ or knock him out? No,
but I knew he had the potential to win, and that’s exactly
what he did. It’s definitely an upset, but Frankie had the
tools to get it done and he went out there and executed unbelievably.”
Speaking
of unbelievable execution, that phrase could describe the clinic
Florian put on against Takanori Gomi on March 31st in North Carolina,
spoiling the former PRIDE superstar’s UFC debut by submitting
him in the third round. For the first two rounds of the bout,
Florian drilled Gomi with jab after jab, beating the striker
at his own game, and in the third round, ‘KenFlo’ closed
the show, submitting his foe with a rear naked choke.
“It
worked out well,” said Florian in a humble understatement.
“If you were looking at the old Kenny Florian, you might
have said that the one way Kenny Florian would lose for sure
against Takanori Gomi was if he stands up and strikes with him.
Even more important will be if he stays in the pocket with Takanori
Gomi. He’ll definitely get knocked out eventually. And I
went out there, stayed in the pocket, boxed with him - a guy
who everybody recognizes as a heavy-handed striker - I pressured
him, didn’t throw any elbows, and I pulled off the win.
I have to credit that to my coaches and the new style that they’re
trying to get me to play, which is definitely a more boxing based
style – a lot of movement and really utilizing the jab.
I think that was the difference. My ability to find my range
during the fight adds a whole new element and it gets people
to make a lot of mistakes.”
And
what the win over Gomi showed was that Florian is taking each
hole that was in his game, and closing it shut with each passing
fight. Some fighters don’t recover from a title fight loss
– let alone two – but Florian has upped his game considerably
after losing to Sean Sherk in 2006 and Penn last year and his
performances have made it clear that just because something worked
a year or two ago, that doesn’t mean it’s going to
work today or tomorrow.
“You
can’t go any longer in this sport without evolving, and
I think Takanori Gomi was in good shape and was motivated for
the fight, but I think I had the advantage in the evolving aspect,”
said Florian. “He hasn’t evolved and added in the sweet
elements of boxing, which is really the footwork. Your hands
come from your feet, and I have to give credit to the great coaches
that I had – they gave me a lot of confidence. I had the
best training that I ever had going into that fight, and I was
pretty confident that I was going to be able to get it done.”
Currently
getting ready for minor surgery to treat a staph infection in
his knee, Florian’s fight game is at its peak right now,
but he’s not calling out the new champ just yet. He’s
going to heal up, get back in the gym, and wait and see what
the UFC wants to do. But if it is a title shot, he’ll most
certainly take it.
“I
think it (Edgar’s victory) definitely brings me the ability
to get a shot at the title quicker,” he said. “I haven’t
fought Frankie before; I have fought BJ before, and (fellow lightweight
contender) Gray (Maynard) has fought Frankie before. Do they
want to do a rematch with Gray, or do they want to do a new fight
with me and Frankie, who never fought each other? I don’t
know. And it also gets a little tricky too because we (Florian
and Edgar) have trained at the same places and we have trained
at the same facilities and worked with some of the same guys.
But when the UFC comes calling, you don’t really say no
to a fight and my job is to go out there and fight, and based
on the recommendations of what my coaches say, I’m gonna
go out there and do that with whoever they come calling with.
“But
I still have work to do and I’m training hard to make that
(a world championship) happen,” he concludes. “I know
it’s attainable; I just have to keep working with the great
coaches that I have and keep doing the work, and I know it will
happen. That would be a dream come true; I’ve just got to
take it one step at a time and I can’t wait for that third
opportunity.”
Source: UFC
|
Letter
from Abu Dhabi V
by Luca
Atalla
I enter room 436 of Rotana Hotel at around two Saturday morning
with neither a camera nor a notepad, not as a reporter, but as
a friend. Renzo is stretched out on one of the beds, Cristina
by his side. Also in the room are Ralph and Flávia, Sérgio
Ignácio, Zé Alfredo, Cora, Ruran and Rilion.
I
give him a friendly embrace and, almost faint, Renzo mutters:
“What a fight, huh?”
We
spoke a bit about the fight, him complaining that he couldn’t
hear anything, and had no idea there were less than 20 seconds
left on the clock when the fight was interrupted.
“I
would have lowered my chin and taken punches till time ran out,”
he says, almost without the energy to smile.
And
he asks me why they stopped the fight, if he had dropped to the
ground to play guard. I explain:
“You
were in slow motion. Between your going to all fours and getting
up your guard, there was a stretch where you were motionless,
when the referee intervened. The way I see it, he was right.”
He shrugs.
And
he drags himself to the tub to soak, trying to rehydrate. And
everyone exits, leaving him in the care of Cristina and his thoughts.
The
next evening, still limping but with his usual good cheer, Renzo
tells me he watched the fight. “I saw it; there was a ‘delay’.
I didn’t even remember it. Truth is I was knocked out, from
one moment to the next, and when I awoke and turned I was grabbing
the referee’s leg,” he admits.
At
43 years of age, and a legend in the fight world, Renzo made
his UFC debut far from his best days as a fighter. Regardless,
he brought tremendous value to the organization. So much so that
on Friday, the day of weigh-ins at Abu Dhabi’s Marina Mall,
the crowd that made it impossible to even photograph the episode
boisterously cheered the idol, who unbelievably shed 15 kg (33
lbs) since signing the contract returning him to action.
And,
even with the loss, at 4:46 of the third and final round, he
had a dignified showing. His opponent, Matt Hughes, won the division
title on two occasions, and successfully defended it another
five times. He is considered such a monster of the UFC that Dana
White proclaimed that fighting or not, he will never leave the
event. He is known for plowing through opponents the way does
the fields of his farm with his tractor back home in Illinois.
Even
so, he such was his respect for Renzo that he hardly looked to
try and take the fight to the ground, even if it cost him earning
some points on the scorecards that he would have managed through
takedowns, his specialty. And, while the Brazilian wasn’t
running of fumes, Hughes was getting the worst of the striking
game. His tactic of kicking Renzo’s leg, incorporated into
his game especially for the bout, took everyone by surprise.
Despite
the superior start, though, Renzo showed his worth precisely
at the end when, already gassed out and without a chance, he
would lose. He turned on automatic pilot and trudged forth with
his characteristic valiance, visibly not in any condition to
continue. And, even so, he managed to bring further honor to
his adversary, for instance, when Hughes helped him to his feet,
after falling to the ground from a kick.
Arab
custom dictates that when a member of the royal family arrives
at a location, everyone rises to their feet. Renzo didn’t
realize it because he left the Octagon carried by his seconds,
gazing at the ground lost, but the front row at one end of the
Octagon was occupied by illustrious local guests. And, when Renzo
drug himself past them, everyone stood. Even beaten, the prince
of fighting was revered as he made his exit.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
TUF
11 EPISODE THREE DRAWS 1.6 MILLION VIEWERS
Three weeks into season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter”
it seems that viewership is finding a norm.
“The
Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz” opened to
1.9 million viewers for its premier episode, dipped to 1.5 million
viewers for episode two, and rose slightly to 1.6 million viewers
for episode three, according to Spike TV officials.
The
numbers have been good enough to consistently land the show in
the number one or number two spot in the key advertiser demographics
of Men 18-34 and Men 18-49.
Coaches
Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz were initially expected to fight
each other once the season concluded, but according to UFC president
Dana White, something occurred during the filming of the show
that lead to a different scenario. Liddell is now slated to headline
UFC 115 in Vancouver, facing former UFC middleweight champion
Rich Franklin.
White
told ESPN’s Jim Rome that due to the reality show nature
of the program, he could not and would not reveal what lead to
the change, viewers will just have to watch and see what happens
during the course of the series.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
808
Battleground Challenge
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu, Hawaii
April 16, 2010
5:00PM Doors Open
6:00PM Fight Starts
$25 Presale
$35 At the door
2 Belts
2 Champions
1 Night
145lbs Tournament
Max Halloway
Paul Lopez
Josh Santos
Jared Iha
185lbs Tournament
Gino Venti
Steve Burroughs
Miller Ualesi
Maki Pitolo
|
2010
Hawaii State/Regional Junior Olympic Boxing Championships
Boxing matches will be the 2010 Hawaii State/Regional Junior
Olympic Boxing Championships at the Palolo District Park Gym.
Match bouts and, if needed, quarterfinals on Friday, April 23
at 6 p.m., match bouts with semi-finals on Saturday, April 24th
at 6 p.m., and Finals on Sunday April 25th at 1 p.m.
15/16 year old Champions advance to the USA National Junior Olympics
in Camp Lejune, North Carolina June 13- 19, 2010.
Thank You for Your Support!!
Bruce Kawano
Source: Bruce Kawano
|
Hawaiian
Triple Crown of BJJ
Tomorrow
First Event
is 4/17/10
Kaiser High School Gym
Registration fees:
Register early and guarantee a cool competitor t shirt
Kids: $ 50
Adults: $ 70
We will be accepting registrations the morning of the event with
a $20 late fee.
Weigh-in times:
Kids: 8:30 – 9:30 am
Adults: 9:30 – 11:30 am
Weight class divisions:
http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/weigh_in.html
Prizes for Hawaii Triple Crown Champions:
Kids: Championship belt – Gi / Championship belt –
No-Gi
Adults: $1000 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Open Advanced (Absolute)
Division
$500 + HTC Belt – Purple and Brown Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – Blue Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Intermediate Division
A Justap GI ($120 value) + HTC Belt – White belt Division
HTC fight Shorts + Rash Guard ($100 value) + HTC Belt –
No-Gi Novice Division
2009 Hawaii Triple Crown Champions defend their belts without
charge in the 2010 circuit.
For more information please visit: www.Hawaiitriplecrown.com
or check out MMAHawaii Magazine for our 2-page layout about the
upcoming HTC series .
- Hawaii Triple Crown
|
Strikeforce
Saturday Night
Tomorrow
On CBS, Channel 7
Hawaii Air Time:
8:00 - 10:00 PM
Strikeforce 4/17 in Nashville: A make-or-break event for the
company on CBS
By Zach Arnold
Venue:
Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee)
TV: CBS (all network affiliates)
Dark
matches
¦Tom
Campbell vs. Cody Floyd
¦Chris Hawk vs. Ovince St. Preux
¦Dustin Ortiz vs. Justin Pennington
¦Andy Uhrich vs. Dustin West
¦Josh Schockman vs. Cale Yarbrough
¦Zach Underwood vs. Hunter Worsham
¦Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Tim Stout
Main card
¦DREAM
vs. Strikeforce (SF Lightweight Title match): Gilbert Melendez
vs. Shin’ya Aoki
¦Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Title match: Gegard Mousasi
vs. King Mo
¦Strikeforce Middleweight Title match: Jake Shields vs.
Dan Henderson
Source: Fight Opinion
|
Strikeforce
preview: Aoki wears flag on his sleeve for lightweight bout
Recommend Dream lightweight champion Shinya Aoki has five submission
victories in his last seven fights.
When Aoki (23-4, 1 no contest) and Strikeforce titleholder Gilbert
Melendez (17-2) square off Saturday in Nashville on Strikeforce's
show (9 p.m. ET CBS), it will be the second showdown with another
lightweight champion in as many fights for Aoki, the champion
of Dream, one of two major promotions in Japan.
Aoki
and colorful behavior go hand-in-hand, starting with his entrance
music, whose title translates as "Foolish Survivor."
He typically wears bright, multicolored spandex pants, although
U.S. rules will force him to wear shorts. He wheedles referees
to get favorable treatment. He has cried in the ring after a
loss and taunted enemies after wins -- most notably his latest
one.
On
New Year's Eve he made short work of Mizuto Hirota, champion
of Dream's main Japanese rival, Sengoku Raiden Championships.
Aoki broke Hirota's right arm with a submission hold known as
a hammerlock, waved a middle finger in his fallen opponent's
face and later said he had no regrets.
"I
don't care if people think I have a bad boy image," Aoki
said. "When I fought Mizuto Hirota, he wouldn't submit,
so I broke his arm."
Melendez
agrees with Aoki that Hirota should have tapped out to avoid
injury. The Strikeforce champion also has no problem with Aoki's
post-fight actions for now.
"It's
really not my style, but I'm not one to judge Aoki," Melendez
said. "But if he continues to act like that over and over,
I'd probably think he's kind of weird. It just comes with the
game. Sometimes when you see blood, you act a little crazy."
Weird
and crazy easily could describe Aoki's fighting style.
Nicknamed
"Tobikan Judan" -- meaning "Master of Flying Submissions"
-- Aoki is among the most aggressive grapplers in mixed martial
arts, using quickness and above-average flexibility to take down
opponents or climb their backs before they can react. On the
mat, he incorporates a jiu-jitsu variant called "rubber
guard" that requires extremely flexible legs to control
the head and posture of an opponent on top.
Other
mixed martial artists have better credentials in the grappling
world. In fact, he has avoided ground fighting against more accomplished
grapplers, such as three-time jiu-jitsu world champion Vitor
Ribeiro, who lost a decision in July when Aoki spent most of
their fight kickboxing him.
But
few mixed martial artists match the grappling creativity of Aoki.
While many fighters rely on favorite chokes or joint locks, Aoki
has used 10 different holds in his 14 MMA submission victories.
Aoki
won his fifth fight with a rare standing armlock that resulted
in an elbow injury before the target could tap out. He was the
first fighter at the elite level of MMA to succeed with a choke
called a gogoplata, which involves driving a shin into the neck
so an opponent can't breathe. He remains the only fighter in
a major organization who has won via gogoplata when mounted atop
the victim on the ground.
Melendez's
longtime training partners include two fellow Strikeforce champions,
welterweight Nick Diaz and middleweight Jake Shields. Diaz became
the second man to pull off a gogoplata submission in MMA, two
months after Aoki's accomplishment. Diaz's build, flexibility
and legendary endurance also offer some similarities to Aoki's
physical traits.
A
perfect fight for Melendez would see him using wrestling to stay
out of the jiu-jitsu realm entirely and set up Aoki for a knockout
on the feet. Melendez regained Strikeforce's lightweight belt
in December by luring Josh Thomson into brawls and knocking him
down in three of five rounds.
Aoki's
chin has let him down in the past. Three of his four losses were
knockouts.
The
Japanese star also was battered during his first fight in March
2008 with Gesias Cavalcante before the bout was ruled a no-contest
after referees ruled that Aoki was incapacitated by illegal elbows
to the back of the head and neck, although replays seemed to
show that they hit Aoki in the shoulder.
Official
rulings have helped Aoki in other cases. When he won the belt
from Joachim Hansen in October, he took more than two minutes
to recover after the fight was halted because of a low blow,
although Aoki appeared to be hurt mainly from two legal kicks
to the head rather than the illegal hit itself. He also has a
disqualification win over UFC fighter George Sotiropoulos because
of a kick to the groin.
Aoki
did nothing illegal in either instance. But he makes sure referees
hear his complaints.
"He
has a dialogue with his referees and he takes a little bit extra
time out over there," Melendez said. "They favor him
out there."
Aoki
sees the Melendez bout as a nation-vs.-nation encounter that
transcends championship belts.
"If
I can take his title, fine, but this is about Japanese MMA versus
American MMA," Aoki said. "I want to show that Japanese
MMA is stronger."
Actually,
both men owe much to Japan's fighting scene.
Melendez's
first Japanese fight took place in December 2004, 13 months after
Aoki started his professional MMA career. Melendez has fought
seven times for Japanese organizations and five times in Japan
itself, including a decision win over Dream's current No. 1 contender,
Tatsuya Kawajiri.
If
Aoki wins on Saturday, Melendez wouldn't mind going back to Japan
one more time for revenge.
"I've
done it before and I'll do it again," Melendez said. "I
am definitely aware of all the risk of going out there and I
have no problem doing it."
Source: USA Today
|
Bellator
14: Askren, Reis, Curran, Imada Advance
By Michael David Smith
CHICAGO -- Ben Askren, Wilson Reis, Pat Curran and Toby Imada
all won Thursday night at Bellator 14 to advance to the semifinals
of their respective tournaments.
The
biggest fight was also the most controversial, as Askren, a former
Olympic wrestler who's widely regarded as one of the best prospects
in MMA, won by first-round submission -- even though his opponent,
Ryan Thomas, didn't submit. While Askren had Thomas in a neck
crank on the ground the referee apparently thought Askren had
choked Thomas out, but Thomas immediately popped up and said
he was fine. There was nothing that could be done once the fight
stopped, though, so Askren advances in Bellator's welterweight
tournament.
Reis,
the former EliteXC bantamweight champion, beat Shad Lierly in
a very exciting fight in the Bellator featherweight tournament.
The crowd in Chicago was fairly sparse, with more empty seats
than fans at the Chicago Theatre, but Reis and Lierly had the
few fans who were there going wild as they traded hard punches
at the start of the first round and then stayed active after
they went to the ground. But for all the action of the first
round, the second was much more a tactical ground battle than
a slugfest. In the third round, however, Reis finished the job,
taking Lierly down, getting into mount and then transitioning
to get his back where he sunk in a rear-naked choke that forced
Lierly to tap.
Imada,
who became a YouTube star last year when his inverted triangle
choke was viewed hundreds of thousands of times on YouTube, earned
another submission in the Bellator cage against James Krause
Thursday night. In the second round Imada had Krause trapped
against the cage, and when he sunk in the arm bar Krause couldn't
move either hand, so he started yelling "Tap!" to get
the ref to stop the fight.
In
the first fight on the televised card, Curran knocked out Mike
Ricci with a brutal punch in the first round. It was such a slow-paced
fight in the early going that the crowd started booing less than
a minute into the first round, but three minutes into the fight
Curran landed a right hand to Ricci's chin that knocked him cold,
and although Curran pounced and landed a few more punches on
the ground, Ricci was already out and the ref jumped in to stop
the fight.
Bellator's
four lightweight semifinalists are now Curran, Imada, Roger Huerta
and Carey Vanier. Huerta was considered the favorite heading
into the tournament, and although Curran and Imada both looked
good Thursday night, nothing that happened in the first four
lightweight tournament fights has changed that. For Bellator,
which is banking big-time on Huerta doing well, that may be the
best news coming out of Bellator 14.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
No
Fedor, No Problem: Strikeforce CBS Ads Sold Out
by Loretta
Hunt
Even without the cachet of the world’s No. 1 heavyweight,
commercial spots for CBS’s “Saturday Night Fights”
broadcast of Strikeforce “Nashville” have completely
sold out, according to Kelly Kahl, executive vice president for
primetime programming for the network.
“The
more we do this, the more we find that advertisers are becoming
increasingly interested,” said Kahl, who noted that Saturday’s
spots are booked “heavy” across the movies, DVDs, and
video gaming genres. “Every card makes it easier.”
Kahl
said the absence of Fedor Emelianenko, who anchored the network’s
first Strikeforce broadcast last November, did not slow Saturday’s
sales, which will also include commercials for men’s grooming
products and automobiles. Under Armour, a performance sports
apparel brand that employs UFC welterweight champion Georges
St. Pierre as a spokesman, will also make its advertising debut
on Saturday, said Kahl.
Aside
from ratings, advertising sales are a second way that networks
can gauge interest in its programming.
Like
November’s show, Kahl said CBS would pay interest to ratings
movement in the young male demographics, particularly in the
male 18-49 and 18-34 demographics. CBS averages a .7 rating in
that demo on Saturdays, its lowpoint of the week, said Kahl.
Compared
to the network’s average, Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Rogers”
saw gains across the board in those demos last November, up 117
percent in men 25-54, 178 percent in men 18-49 and 283 percent
in men 18-34.
Source: Sherdog
|
Vitor
Belfort
By Guilherme Cruz
Former UFC champion, Vitor Belfort would have a chance to conquer
his third title in three different categories against Anderson
Silva, but because of an injury he cancelled his participation
on the UFC 112. Focusing on his recovery, Belfort watched from
the US the fight between Anderson and Demian Maia, that took
place in Abu Dhabi yesterday, and talked with TATAME about the
duel and criticized Anderson’s posture and showing his way
of acting if he were in Demian’s shoes.
How is your shoulder recovery going?
Pretty good. I’m in the middle of a treatment, going to
the UFC’s doctor that Lorenzo (Fertitta) arranged for me.
He’s really liking it. I’ll go there on Tuesday and
we will establish the date of my comeback, between August and
October.
Are you already back to the trainings?
Almost there. Doing leg preparation, a lot of running and physical
preparation so that I don’t overload my shoulder. Now it
the time to regain my shoulder’s moves, make it more stable.
I can’t do much, but our cross training has been nice, preserving
my weigh. It’s all going really, really well, never better.
I’m motivated and exited.
Do you intend to fight for the title on your comeback?
I’m working in this direction. My goal is to fight for the
belt. That is what I’m waiting for and is all settled. The
shoulder did not made things easy last time, but that’s
exactly the reason of my motivation.
What did you think about Anderson and Demian’s fight, yesterday
on UFC 112?
Well, I don’t have to say much about it. The audience and
Dana White has already spoken for me. This is the way I’m
feeling about it now.
On Forrest’s fight, Anderson teased, but won quickly. He
did just the same yesterday and couldn’t submit it and the
points were the decisive tools. Do you think he exaggerated?
We think just the same. This answer was given by Dana and everyone
else.
He defeated Forrest, but it seems that Demian didn’t know
what to do, how to act. What would you do in such a situation?
It would only have given me strength to go there and show what
I do best.
Do you want make a last comment?
I
want to say something to my fans, thanks for their support on
Twitter and other networks. I’m coming back. I hope you
can understand that an athlete depends on his body, so I ask
for patience and even more support for my comeback. God bless
you.
Source: Tatame
|
BJ
PENN RELEASES BOOK, HEADS OUT ON PR TOUR
Former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn is
one of the most enigmatic characters in the history of mixed
martial arts.
He
entered the sport as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu prodigy, but transformed
into one of the most successful fighters fans have ever seen.
He captured both the UFC lightweight and welterweight titles.
Penn moved on to explore fighting at various weights, even going
up as high as heavyweight to fight Lyoto Machida in Japan. He
returned to the UFC, regaining the lightweight title and becoming
the most dominant 155-pound champion ever in the promotion.
Though
he recently lost a controversial decision and his title belt
to Frankie Edgar, Penn is in the midst of trying to secure a
rematch.
While
talks are underway, he has left the comfortable confines of his
home in Hawaii to venture out on a press junket in support of
his new autobiography, “Why I Fight: The Belt Is Just An
Accessory,” which he wrote with author David Weintraub.
The
book is Penn’s answer to fans and critics alike, “explaining
what led a scrappy teenager from the rough streets of Hilo, Hawaii,
onto the biggest stage in all of mixed martial arts.”
He’ll
be at the Barnes & Nobel in Henderson, Nev., on Thursday
night at 7:00 p.m. PT to meet fans and sign copies of his book.
For more dates and locations, check out BJPenn.com.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Rizzo
ready for Marco Ruas’s former opponent
by Carlos
Eduardo Ozório
Marco
Ruas student Pedro Rizzo will face a former opponent of his master
and friend for his next challenge in the cage. On May 15, the
Brazilian will do battle with Gary Goodridge. Ruas and Goodridge
faced off back in 1998, in the now-defunct Pride promotion. On
the occasion, Gary succumbed to a heelhook. This time it’s
Pedro Rizzo’s turn to fight the veteran.
“He’s
an experienced guy who’s fought just about everybody. We’ve
never been in the ring together and I’m stoked. It’s
the greatest thing to train hard and have a fight scheduled,”
says Pedro, who hasn’t yet asked Ruas for advice about the
challenge.
“Marco
fought him a long time ago. He’s changed a lot since then.
Goodridge had good fights in K-1 and is a totally different fighter
now. Everyone’s seen lots of his fights and I don’t
believe there will be any surprises,” he assays.
The event featuring the matchup is promoted by UFC referee Mario
Yamasaki. With the Ultimate Fighting Championship calling up
heroes from the days of old, could a win lead the fighter back
to the organization that brought him to fame?
“I’m
returning to the United States to fight and, of course, I’d
like to fight in the UFC. But I’m not thinking about that
now and I don’t even know if this fight will add anything
to that hope. But awaking someone’s interest will depend
on how I carry myself. It is a return to fighting top opponents,
though. We’ll see.”
Rizzo
has been plagued with injury, mainly are severe tendonitis afflicting
his elbows. Now recovered, against Goodridge he will be 100%.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Heavy
Artillery: MMAmania.com Strikeforce interview exclusive with
Alistair Overeem
by Derek
Bolender
Strikeforce
will officially welcome back its heavyweight champion Alistair
Overeem to the United States at "Heavy Artillery" on
Saturday, May 15.
It
has been a long time coming, to say the least. The last time
we witnessed Overeem stateside was in November 2007 when he earned
his Strikeforce title by defeating mixed martial arts veteran
Paul Buentello.
In
the roughly two and a half years since, he's stayed extremely
active, fighting in seven MMA and six K-1 bouts.
The
Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri will play host to Overeem's
first title defense as he takes on contender Brett Rogers in
the main event of the evening.
The
"Demolition Man" took some time out of his training
schedule to discuss why Fedor and M-1 are ducking him, Rogers'
recent smack talk and crushing his knee on Brock Lesnar's head.
Check
it out:
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Over the past six months you have fought
a total of six times - three under MMA rules and three under
K-1 rules. Many fighters go 3 - 4 months in between fights or
even longer. Why have you chosen to be more active than most?
Alistair
Overeem: I feel I am at my peak. I have no injuries and my decision
with my management to also participate in K-1 turned out really
well. I had no injuries and scored many KO victories in round
one. The training is harder then the fight itself. Also, my management
Golden Glory did an excellent job in me signing a contract where
I could fight in different organizations.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): How is your body handling it physically?
How are you feeling right now? Are you 100% healthy and ready
to fight Brett Rogers on May 15?
Alistair
Overeem: Yes, I am 100% fit. I have been fit for all my fights
lately. I do not have to cut weight anymore and I am 100% focused
on fighting. In the past, when I was fighting for PRIDE I was
doing a lot of other stuff in between my fights. I bought an
MMA magazine so I was running around with a camera to take pictures
for my magazine. Then, personally at home, things did not go
really good. The worst was originally my weight was like 103
kg and every time I came down to 93 kg sometimes I was pissing
blood as I think my body was eating muscle tissue. That's one
of the reasons I could feel the power run out of me after a few
minutes. All of that has changed now since I became a heavyweight
fighter.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Rogers has been pretty vocal already
leading up to the fight and calling you anything from a "coward"
to an "egomaniac" and so forth. Has anything he has
said bothered you up to this point?
Alistair
Overeem: Yeah, I read "chipmunk" lately somewhere.
I do my talking in the ring. I've got nothing much to say. I
do not even read the forums that much anymore. I'm too busy with
training. I was laughing about a Dutch forum called "Mix
Fight." They posted Brett doing pads. People thought it
was staged, the footage, that's how bad it was! But I go by my
own game plan. I got my trainer Martijn de Jong and Cor Hemmers,
and I got great management in Golden Glory, as well as tons of
big named and skilled sparring partners. I will be very ready
for this fight!
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Why do you feel Rogers has gone out
of his way to trash talk leading up to the fight?
Alistair
Overeem: I don't know. Something I said in an elevator? I don't
know what he is talking about. He says he does not like me because
of several reasons. I just see him as a next opponent and will
do my talking in the ring with my knees, fists, or subs. If Rogers
wants to profile himself the way he does that's his business.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Rogers is coming off a loss to Fedor
Emelianenko in November 2009. Have you seen tape of the fight?
If so, what did you think of his performance against Fedor?
Alistair
Overeem: I think Fedor is not the Fedor he was in PRIDE like
so many of that generation of fighters. Fedor is the best and
has beaten the best, but he is not unbeatable. Vadim (Finkelstein)
recently made comments about me being a "steroid bully,"
and that's why they do not want to fight me? But then fighters
who got caught three times with steroids in the past they want
to fight.
Or
when Vadim does a co-promotion on New Years Eve, the unranked
Hong Man Choi can be picked as an opponent for Fedor, who is
20 cm taller than me and 40 kg heavier. Rogers showed some strength,
but gassed in my eyes and gave Fedor room to come back because
Fedor could smell that!
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Do you feel Brett Rogers has done enough
to deserve a shot at your Strikeforce heavyweight title?
Alistair
Overeem: I am not really busy with that. I wanted to fight Fedor
but my management knows the management of Fedor very well. There
is too much risk business-wise to make that fight happen for
M-1. If they lose they cannot play their co-promotion card anymore
and M-1 will be over. Scott (Coker) will terminate all bindings
with M-1 and continue with me and Golden Glory as he knows we
are reasonable and we have been around for 10+ years. I think
he got gray hairs from them already (laughs).
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Is there any aspect of MMA that Brett
Rogers is superior to you in?
Alistair
Overeem: He looks strong. I will not get into the trainings video
which appeared on YouTube. Many approached me and were laughing
their heads off about Rogers' training performances. I take every
opponent seriously, especially for the belt. Brett Rogers is
just the next one on my list decided by promoter Scott Coker
and my management.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): What is your official prediction for
the fight?
Alistair
Overeem: This will happen - if Brett keeps his promise and comes
to fight and comes to me as he is saying in all of his interviews
within two minutes he will get KO'd. He'll eat one of my devastating
knees or I will sub him on the ground.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Fedor Emelianenko is fighting Fabricio
Werdum in June. His camp has also expressed interest in possibly
fighting Josh Barnett in the future. Are you starting to feel
like Fedor and his management are ducking you?
Alistair
Overeem: I explained this in the press before. Of course they
are ducking me. I am a risk to their whole organization. Vadim
is embarrassing all the Russians. First not fighting Couture
and now ducking me. At the same time he calls me a steroid bully
in the Russian press. My manager will reply to that soon. But
he still wants to fight fighters who have been caught three times
using steroids! I will even wonder if Fedor is fighting in June.
It always is a surprise party dealing with M-1. I got a nice
scenario - Werdum gets injured and I have to fight Fedor in June.
Just wishful thinking!
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): If you could pass along a message to
Fedor directly, what would you say to him regarding this situation?
Alistair
Overeem: Fedor, you are a great fighter and like many other great
Russian fighters in history you do your talking in a ring or
cage. Leave this M-1 circus and start fighting the best. It's
okay to lose sometimes but hiding makes you look like a coward,
which Fedor is not, Vadim is!
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Moving forward, should we expect your
next fight to be under the K-1, Strikeforce, or DREAM banner?
Alistair
Overeem: I am a fighter and fight as much as possible against
anybody if the UFC would have a policy that fighting outside
their organization was okay. I wanted to fight Brock Lesnar,
Frank Mir, or anybody in their top flight right now. So my answer
is I do not care about which banner. I care about beating my
opponents under whatever banner.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): In that case, is fighting in the UFC
even a possibility in the future? What are the chances that Dana
White can get you to fight for him?
Alistair
Overeem: My management is okay with Dana White. I met him one
year ago when I went with my manager and Semmy Schilt to UFC
in Ireland. We made pictures and talked about the UFC. If they
want me to fight there, no problem, but right now I have a contract
with Strikeforce and I will honor that agreement.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): How do you feel you would matchup against
the UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar?
Alistair
Overeem: I would love to fight Lesnar. It would not be too difficult
to crush my knee on his head!
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Is your next major goal to become the
K-1 Heavyweight Champion?
Alistair
Overeem: Yes, it was not my initial planning, but I must say
the last tournament of K-1 was electrifying for me. I got such
a good vibe; the atmosphere, the tournament. And I know I can
beat teammate Semmy Schilt, who is also from Golden Glory. Semmy
recently defended his K-1 heavyweight title against another Golden
Glory fighter Errol Zimmerman.
Derek
Bolender (MMAmania.com): Thank you for the time Alistair. Is
there any message you would like to pass along to your fans out
there or any sponsors you would like to thank before we go?
Alistair
Overeem: I would like to thank Fight Game clothing and Full Tilt
Poker and all other sponsors who helped me in the past and the
near future. I want to thank my fans. Anybody who is interested
in sponsoring me for my title fight with Rogers please contact
my management www.goldenglory.com. Alistair will do some serious
damage in 2010. Be prepared!
Derek
Bolender is a frequent contributor to MMAmania.com. He is also
a freelance writer who has contributed to outlets such as CBSSports.com,
FoxSports.com, and SI.com in the past. Follow him on Twitter
at @DerekMMAWriter.
Source: MMA Mania
|
Taking
back the belt, an interview with Urijah Faber
By Jaclyn
Hughes
When you envision a family that encompasses a holistic, organic
more “hippy-ish” way of life, you certainly don’t
imagine a Mixed Martial Arts champion to evolve from that walk
of life. That is the life story of 30 year old Urijah Faber who
just so happens to fit the aesthetic appearance of a surfer more
than a dangerous professional fighter. Urijah grew up in Sacramento,
California with that organic lifestyle where he didn’t even
endure immunizations as a young child, he did however eat healthy
and excel in a variety of sports as a kid. It was his dominating
wrestling matches that served as the platform that would catapult
his way into becoming a professional fighter. The “California
Kid” utilized those wrestling talents through his high school
and college careers, where he received a B.S. in Human Development
from the University of California-Davis and quickly began working
as a wrestling coach following his graduation.
With
a current record of 23-3, Faber is scheduled to regain his featherweight
title belt against fellow WEC competitor Jose Aldo (16-1) in
Urijah’s hometown of Sacramento on April 24th. Faber suffered
a loss during WEC 41 to Mike Brown, which broke his accomplished
winning streak of 13 consecutive wins since his loss to Tyson
Griffin back in 2005. His most recent fight was a win over Raphael
Assuncao at WEC 46 in January by way of submission in the third
round. Urijah is anxious to win and focusing on his training
at Capital City Fighting Alliance, where other fighters such
as James Irvin and Scott Smith are bread. Aside from his eventful
MMA career, Faber was recently featured in an Amp Energy Drink
commercial and launched his MMA clothing line “Form Athletics”
earlier this year. Juggling his hectic schedule, he was able
to squeeze in a few questions on his new clothing line and upcoming
title fight.
How
is the preparation going for the Aldo match and has your camp
changed the way you train at all for this particular fight?
Hasn’t
really changed too much. Different things I focus on, but pretty
run of the mill. I’ve had some of my training partners mimic
Aldo’s style. Would you say your wrestling is your strongest
fighting ability in the cage?
No,
I would say my strongest attributes are creativity and conditioning.
Given
there currently is not a featherweight division in the UFC, would
you consider changing weight classes to compete for the organization?
No,
the UFC and WEC are owned by the same company, they will be the
ones that will dictate where I fight. I just want to fight the
fights the fans want to see.
We
know you’ve stated previously that growing up your Mother
was a free spirit, what was her role in your desire to start
training to be a fighter?
Her
role was her not wanting me to do it, but raising to me to follow
my heart. Both my parents have been supportive but never pushy.
If
you could fight any opponent in any weight class whom would it
be?
I
would fight Jose Aldo for the 145 pound world championship.
Form
Athletics, your recent MMA clothing launch is doing well. Was
this a part of the business you were anxious to get into?
I
feel that the Form Athletics style was something that needed
to happen in MMA. I feel that this style fits me better than
the skull and crossbones theme that are very prevalent.
Do
you train fellow fighters or would you enjoy taking that on when
you retire?
I
have a whole team of guys that are at different levels. I help
train people and it will be a part of my life for a long time.
Will
we be seeing the “Faber heads” waived by your fans
at this fight? (The Faber heads are Urijah’s face on a stick
that were recently banned from fights, but fans should be able
to use them for his upcoming hometown title match.)
I’m
sure there will be some Faber heads in the stands, but we will
have a surprise memento for the fans to bring home.
What
are your thoughts on the debate skeptics have brewing on you
being chosen for the title shot versus Mike Brown?
I
don’t really pay much attention to skeptics. I’m sure
I will fight Mike Brown again and he will probably fight Aldo
again as well, but that fight just happened.
After
having a successful MMA career with a large fan base and taking
on the retail markets of the fans, what’s next for you?
Will you continue competing or is there another career you would
like to dive into?
I’m
doing my best to create business opportunities surrounded by
my passions and I will spend time working with those.
Source: MMA Opinion
|
Do
the statistics point to Penn edging out Edgar at UFC 112?
10
Recommend At least one set of statistics suggests BJ Penn deserved
to remain a titleholder.
Frankie
Edgar's win over Penn on Saturday to capture the Ultimate Fighting
Championship's lightweight belt has already provoked plenty of
debate. Several observers saw the fight in Penn's favor, including
writers for Bloody Elbow, MMA Fighting, MMA Mania, Sherdog.com
and SI.com. USA TODAY's Fighting Stances, MMAjunkie.com and Yahoo
Sports ' Kevin Iole scored it for Edgar. Most of them agreed
that the fight was close enough to swing either way.
UFC
112: Penn played into Edgar's hands
AS
IT HAPPENED: UFC 112 play-by-play
The
analysts at FightMetric fall into the Penn camp with a 49-47
score for him. By FightMetric's count, Penn landed a greater
number of significant strikes than Edgar in each of the first
three rounds.
Two
rounds seem clear -- every site had the second round for Penn
and the fifth for Edgar. Most of them also saw the first round
for Penn.
Rounds
three and four seem up for grabs. FightMetric sees the fourth
round as practically a tie, with Edgar landing 14 strikes to
Penn's 13.
The
third round saw Penn outstrike Edgar 11 to 10, but Penn landed
more often to the head. FightMetric's internal "Effectiveness"
formula generated a 55 to 43 score in favor of Penn for the round.
UPDATE,
4:25 p.m. ET: Compustrike's figures tell a slightly different
story for the entire fight, with a 90 to 81 edge for Edgar in
total strikes, but Penn landing 74 so-called "power strikes"
compared to 72 for Edgar.
On
a round-by-round basis, Compustrike's observers lend weight to
the notion of a narrow victory for Penn. They saw him landing
four more power strikes than Edgar in each of the first three
rounds.
The
difference largely boils down to determining which strikes matter.
If a Penn shot glances off when Edgar is already backing out
and thus rolling with the punch, should it be counted as a power
strike? When Edgar is rushing through so quickly that his blows
seem like quick slaps, do they really do any damage? Even statistics
leave gray areas.
Source: USA Today
|
Comments
from UFC judge Doug Crosby who scored Edgar/Penn fight 50-45
in Abu Dhabi
By Zach
Arnold
CompuStrike
stats for Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn fight at UFC 112.
Jordan
Breen says this is legitimate and it is Doug Crosby.
This
is really a highly sober, rational and mature way for a judge
to act after helping torpedo an athlete.
For
those asking if it’s really Crosby, yes. He routinely posts
on the UG. You can check his post history.
Let’s
take a look at (supposedly) his comments:
THE
JUDGING GENIUS RETURNS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST
So….Just
returned from Abu Dhabi, and I haven’t been in my duplex
more than 20 minutes, when the Doorman calls me on the intercom
in a state of panic…
Seems
there are hundreds of moaning, howling ghouls in “RVCA”
and “Prodigy/Hilo Boy” T-shirts surrounding the building
like extras from “Zombieland”…
And
they’re chanting “50/45!” over and over, and trying
to push their way into the lobby…..
Which
gives me a little time to talk to you, my dear friends.
So
I’m wondering…..Should I tell you how I scored Penn/Edgar,
and why, right now, up front?
But
that seems kinda like the Pope or the King back in the day, just
writing down what he wants to say, and having one of his burly
churls nail it to the door of the church for everyone to read…It
seems a bit…distant, a bit ‘above it all’, don’tcha
think?
Because
God knows I have plenty to say and no shortage of burly churls;
no dearth of hulking familiars to do my bidding have I….
Perhaps
just announcing my presence is enough for now. Perhaps simply
allowing some of you, my faithful friends and fellow MMA devotees,
to say what YOU want to say is more….Democratic; more…..Enlightened.
A
behaviour more consistent with a Progressive such as myself.
After
all, isn’t that my job? Isn’t it incumbent upon me,
as a Judge, to make myself available for your criticism? If I
take the plane ride, and get to the venue, and score the fights,
I have a kind of….Contract with the fans; a contract that
specifically allows you to criticize me. And I will be glad to
defend the terms of that agreement, even if it means I have to
take the weight sometimes.
I
knew this was coming as I scored the fight. I knew the inescapable
inevitability of criticism was waiting back here. I saw the ride;
and I bought a ticket.
So
what I’m thinking is…… why deny you guys? You
earned the right to say what you think by buying the PPV. Don’t
I owe you a little time to say everything you want to say? Isn’t
that a better way to continue to build a bridge to the fans?
By giving them their say? Isn’t that what I owe you?
Shakespeare
wrote
“THE
TIME APPROACHES, THAT WILL, WITH DUE DECISION, MAKE US KNOW;
WHAT WE SHALL SAY WE HAVE, AND WHAT WE OWE….”
And
we all HAVE my scores…..
But
what do we….OWE???
So
allow me to cast up my accounts with you as equitably as possible,
won’t you?
Interestingly,
I’ve been slightly taken aback by the response my score
for the Penn/Edgar fight has engendered…but not in the way
(some of) you guys have responded….I kind of expected that.
What’s
been surprising is how many people, at the event, in the hotel,
at the airport, fighters, production staff, etc., have told me
how glad they were that I scored the FIGHT, and not the FIGHTERS.
Are
you guys with me on that, even just a little? Can you understand
what I mean by that?
May
I also mention that I forgive you?
For
your anger, your insults, and your crassness? NOT all of you….You
know who you are. Yes; YOU: Over there, with the purple Nikes
on, waiting for the spaceship in the tail of comet to come take
you to a world where everyone agrees with you….and YOU over
there…the one who thinks his heroes never lose….
So
yes, I forgive you. I started this thread knowing that a percentage
of you would behave the way you have. I knew you would when I
scored the fight as well. I forgave you then.
And
even as I forgave you, I prepared myself to defend your right
to criticize me, and make myself available for that criticism.
Isn’t that something I kind of…started out by saying?
As
fans, I owe you that. Remember me saying that….Pages ago?
That you have the right to criticize me? Wasn’t I the person
who brought that up? Wasn’t I the person who gave you the
opportunity to be heard? By the person you are angry with?
Should
I even mention that most of the virulent criticisms aren’t
even consistent with each other? Or is that ‘condescending’?
Which is to say…..are the things you’ve written in
these last 7 pages available for criticism as well? Or does suggesting
that constitute a similar heresy to my scoring in Penn/Edgar?
The
reason last question is because I have to make bit of a decision…..Like
I said pages ago; do I just lay out why I scored Penn/Edgar the
way i did, and leave it at that? Or do I entertain a….dialogue
with you (yes, YOU)? Do I go post-by-post and address your issues,
both the rational and the ridiculous, for the sake of a democratic
dialogue? Do I pick and choose among the posts for the ones (dissenting
or otherwise) I feel are worthy of explanation, refutation, argument?
Do I respond to ridicule with ridicule? Viciousness with viciousness?
Do I pay each and every one of you with your own currency? Or
do I just say what I think as far as that fight, and move on?
I
posed that question pages ago. What direction would any of you
be inclining towards, were you me? I wonder.
I
just took a few moments to go back to the beginning of this thread
and re-read everything I said, and the responses it engendered.
I recommend it to all of you. My intellectual mentor, Dr. Jacques
Vallee’, years ago told me “Seek out your enemies,
Douglas, and listen to what they have to say. Than go think for
awhile.”
Reading
over what’s been said, in both tone and content, has been
enlightening.
All
of that being said…..
I’ve
mentioned numerous times on other threads that the scoring criteria
exist for a reason, just like the 10-point “must” system
exists for a reason; and that the scoring criteria are guidelines
within which Judges arrive at a decision on a round-by-round
basis.
It
is a Judge’s obligation to interpret the fight and use the
criteria as guidelines. But a fight is an observed event that
does require interpretation, observation, wisdom.
And,
in my considered opinion, Edgar dictated the tone of the fight,
successfully implemented and executed a strategy, landed better
strikes, and basically outworked Penn.
And
that is an interpretation by a ringside observer with an understanding
and appreciation of MMA, who has Judged numerous (hundreds) of
fights.
I
re-watched the fight in my hotel in Abu Dhabi and saw nothing
that would influence me to score it any differently.
I
support and encourage your right to criticize my scoring. And
I forgive you for your attacks of both a professional, and, regrettably,
personal nature.
From
commenter Mortality – “50-45 does not mean a fight
was lopsided. Every round could have been razor thin but still
had the same winner. Some of you don’t seem to understand
scoring at all.”
I
just printed this out and dropped it out my window. The RVCA/HILO
BOY Zombies read it and they all just walked into the sea. Thanks!
DC/NYC
Remember,
this man was selected as a judge for the event by UFC management.
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
112: Frankie Edgar’s win over BJ Penn has everyone stunned
by Zach
Arnold
There
was a very odd comment made by BJ Penn the week leading up to
his fight with Frankie Edgar at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Quoted
by UAE newspaper The National, Penn was asked about what he thought
about being the UFC Lightweight champion.
“I
never really think about the belt anymore. I never carry it with
me or walk in with it.”
Now,
we don’t expect BJ Penn to be a “belt mark” like
Tim Sylvia was when he was UFC Heavyweight champion. However,
BJ Penn tore through Lightweights such as Kenny Florian and Diego
Sanchez. Being the champion means taking pride in your work and
loving not just the aspect of fighting but also the prize that
comes along with the winning.
In
retrospect, should Penn’s comment have been a warning sign?
Maybe. I don’t know. All I know is that Penn lost on Saturday
night in a big upset to the uber-tough Frankie Edgar, the Jersey
kid who made it big. Now that’s A Situation. (And a horrible
attempt at humor, I might add.)
Edgar
has wanted to fight Penn for over a year. His strategy? Take
the fight the distance and win on points. Stretch it out and
gas Penn to the point where you can score a couple of takedowns
and out-box him and win in the cardio game. Given Penn’s
unbelievable stamina in his fights against Florian and Sanchez
last year, the strategy seemed to be outdated. Perhaps because
Penn was injured and didn’t say or perhaps because Penn
had a bad training camp, Frankie Edgar was able to not only test
his fight plan out but also execute it in perfect fashion. The
fight was much closer than the score cards indicated (one judge
had the fight 50-45) and Penn didn’t even get an edge with
the judges for being the champion.
Going
into the fight and coming out of the fight, Frankie Edgar remained
unbreakably confident.
“Every
fight I go into I go in confident,” exclaimed Edgar in a
UFC media interview. “That’s the 100% truth, man. I
know BJ was supposed to win. I mean, uh, you know when I got
the call for it I knew it would the toughest fight of my life.
It might be the toughest fight, ever, to be honest with you.
It’s BJ Penn.”
Did
he suspect that Penn was ripe for the pickings?
“Yeah,
I felt slowing a little bit, you know but I knew he was still
dangerous so I just had to keep you know all my p’s and
q’s.”
When
he took Penn down in the late stages of the fight, that gave
him the nod on the scorecards.
“I
knew that would seal the deal. I feel I was getting the better
of the exchanges, I was being more active, I was pressing more,
but you know the takedowns always look good.”
Edgar
was in a celebratory mood after his fight during an interview
with MMAFighting.com. Frankie Edgar, the new UFC Lightweight
champion.
“It’s
just the best thing I’ve ever heard out of anybody’s
mouth. I mean, it’s unbelievable. I’ve been at it for
a long time. You know I’ve only been fighting for four years,
but I’ve been wrestling my whole life. This feels good.
“You
know, every fight I go into I think I can win, I’ve been
that way forever. That’s just the best way to do it —
you know, don’t doubt yourself. I understood, I mean, he
was a great champion. He reigned, he’s the best Lightweight,
ever. Hands down. But you know I was just focused and I knew
I could beat him.
“BJ’s
really hard to take down so you got to have great stand-up, you
know. I think the two takedowns I did get did you know win me,
you know maybe close rounds won me those rounds. Stand-up, you
know, BJ’s very fast, I think I was just a little bit quicker
tonight.”
That
extra burst of speed and proper fight planning made all the difference
in the world. Gray Maynard is next in line for a title shot.
BJ Penn is heading back to the drawing board.
Dana
White reveals his inner Vince McMahon
Vince
McMahon is notorious for taking loyal wrestlers for granted and
constantly obsessing over wrestlers he can’t get or who
play hard-to-get. Count Dana White in that same category when
it comes to making attempt after attempt to acquire Fedor.
In
a recent media roundtable session, White openly blurted that
he was in discussions with Fedor’s management to bring him
into the UFC fold and away from Strikeforce.
“He
has become my obsession, man, you know. He has become my obsession.
I want it worse than the fans want it now, believe me.
“Listen,
it’s no different than you know than any guy who’s
considered one of the best in the world, you know we want and
I talk to guys every day and they’re no different. Just
because you know we’ve had some, I wouldn’t call it
bad blood, but you know we’ve just had some you know I talk
some smack about them, they talk some smack about me, it doesn’t
mean that we can’t get deals done.”
Isn’t
Fedor under contract with Strikeforce?
“That
would be (tortious interference) and I would never interfere
with someone else’s contract. I mean you’ve never,
ever, even think back to the days of PRIDE or Affliction or IFL
or any of the millions that have come and gone, we’ve never
ever heard of me messing with anybody’s fighter or trying
to mess with anybody’s contract. Never. It’s never
happened and it never will. I wouldn’t mess with somebody’s
else contract.”
When
asked if Fedor is fighting under Strikeforce without a contract,
White coyly answered, “I don’t know.”
Source: MMA Memories
|
UFC
112: The end of the line for both Matt Hughes & Renzo Gracie
by Zach
Arnold
Two
legends in Mixed Martial Arts fought at UFC 112 in a match that
was anticipated for one reason — to see where both men stood
in the current pecking order of the MMA landscape. The verdict
— bad (Matt Hughes) and ugly (Renzo Gracie). This was not
the kind of fight that anyone wanted to see. It was expected
that we would see a classic ground war with Hughes the strong
wrestler versus Renzo the jiu-jitsu master. Instead, Hughes kept
the fight standing and did just enough poor kickboxing to wear
down Renzo and pummel him with an empty gas tank in round three.
To
say that the fight was a disappointment for the fans was a major
understatement.
There
were several storylines going into this fight. The first storyline
was that Renzo Gracie would be fighting on his home turf in Abu
Dhabi. Abu Dhabi has become a second home to him, as he has spent
a lot of time in the country training very wealthy people in
the fight game. In fact, it was Renzo who ended up being the
wire-puller to set up UFC with their business partner, Flash.
So, the pressure was definitely on Renzo’s shoulders to
at least put on a good fight performance for the fans in Abu
Dhabi. This made Hughes instantly a heel — a role that he
loves to play.
“Yesterday
after the weigh-in, you know when I weigh in people says Huuuughes
and people drag that U and it sounds like a boo, but then I got
boos on top of that,” noted Hughes in an interview with
MMAFighting.com. “So I mean I walked away from that weigh-in
telling myself that, OK people, you people who booed at me you
just motivated me and now Renzo’s got to pay the price.”
He
paid a heavy price.
Renzo
was not only fighting for the fans of Abu Dhabi but he was also
fighting for revenge, to avenge Royce Gracie’s loss to Hughes
a few years ago at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Renzo publicly
noted that he was upset with the way Royce came into the Octagon
to fight Hughes as far as training and preparation was concerned.
In the end, Renzo ended up eating his own words because his performance
against Hughes wasn’t all that much better than how Royce
performed.
Yet
another twist to the Renzo/Hughes fight is that Renzo helps train
Georges St. Pierre in his jiu-jitsu. St. Pierre was the man who
knocked Hughes off his perch as UFC Welterweight champion and
sent Hughes’ career into a gradual decline.
Now
that I’ve told you all the interesting storylines that went
into the fight, let me note that the fight sucked to watch and
both men did themselves a disservice. That said, as you would
expect, both men tried to put a positive spin on their own performances.
“I
was real happy with my performance,” exclaimed Hughes. “I
had a lot of things on my side, though. The weather was great
for me, I’m an outdoor, I’m a farmer so I’m outdoors
all the time. I wasn’t fighting in front of my hometown
crowd like maybe Renzo was where he felt pressure to perform
in front of his people. Had a great camp, you know I was in shape,
so I mean I really felt that you know I was going to do well.
With my wrestling I knew I could dictate where the fight was
going to be at, so I had a lot of things on my side. I’m
a little younger, I really trained hard so I thought I was going
to have cardio on my side as well. But Renzo’s a great guy,
he’s a very friendly guy and I really like him, but you
know that’s what I do is get in there and fight.
“I
thought that on the ground Renzo was going to have a full gas
tank, you know that’s what he does is ground work. I knew
if I kept him on his feet I was going to have the advantage the
longer the fight went. So I mean I just felt comfortable, I was
never… I got hit a few times but nothing to where I said,
hey, I even thought about taking him down. I was just very comfortable.
“I
think in the middle of the second round I could really see his
shots coming, you know. He gave me a lot of time to move or get
out of the way and block, so he definitely was getting tired
and I think my leg kicks really put his mind in a place he was
ready for the rounds to be over, he was ready for the fight to
be done.”
Everyone
was rightfully shocked that Hughes did not go for a takedown.
Think about this for a second — Matt Hughes couldn’t
or wouldn’t go for a takedown on Renzo?
“Renzo
was doing such a good job [of defense]. I’ve got a pretty
good jab, but he was doing such a good job reading my jab and
fleeing away from me that I couldn’t get my gloves on him,
I could just barely touch his nose sometimes. So I started throwing
the kicks just because you cover more range with a kick, so that
was nothing planned. It was just… I started doing it and
then my corner picked up on it and they saw that Renzo didn’t
like it so I could hear my cornermen to keep throwing my kicks,
set my kicks up with my hands and stay on the kicks.”
Backstage
after the fight, Hughes had ice bags on both legs.
“I
feel great. My right ankle, this is bruised from actually me
kicking Renzo and Renzo kicked me one time and I checked it so
I just got some ice on there as a precaution. When your knuckles
or your elbows or your shins hurt, it’s usually because
the fight went your way.”
Even
with his gregarious personality in tact, Renzo Gracie noted after
the fight that he felt like he let a lot of people down.
“A
little saddened, but I knew it was going to be a tough one. You
know, after two years and a half without doing one chin-up, you
know, I knew it was a little time to be ready for Matt. Like,
I could manage the first two rounds without a problem, but then
I get tired for the third one… I trained very smart for
this fight and I was able to get ready in six months, I lost
40 pounds… and I was able to put a game together to be able
to fight a top guy like Matt Hughes, you know, and I see that
I can fight him in a much better condition if I keep my training
all the way to next year.
“I
just run out of gas and I couldn’t keep the same game that
I did in the first and second round.”
As
for why Hughes didn’t go for a takedown, Renzo noted that
he was surprised by this but that in retrospect it was a great
game plan.
“Yeah,
I think he was a little bit [afraid] of my ground work which
was very smart for him. You know he did the right game and he
made me go into a game that I’m not strong, which is my
stand-up, and I think this was one of the things that it was
the right strategy because he ended up making me more energy
than I should than I would probably spend on the ground, I could
go on the ground for hours, and I couldn’t do that standing
up.”
It
was one thing for Renzo to fight in Abu Dhabi, a country where
he has a high profile and can do good business for UFC. After
his performance at UFC 112, does he think he can continue on
as a fighter in UFC?
“Oh
hell yeah, hell yeah.”
Will
it be as a Welterweight or a Middleweight?
“I
really don’t know. I walk in the ring today I was 172, 173,
so it’s like this is the weight that I can walk around so
I could easily make 155. But now that one of our boys have the
belt, you know, I like I have the belt at 155, I have the belt
at 170, I probably go to 185 or 205 now.
“I
will keep training hard. Now I have felt the joy, winning and
losing, I was the happiest man in the whole world. I had a great
time. I think results are something that people will forget,
but the feeling that I had in there was unforgettable. You know
people claim that I’m old, that I’m this, that I’m
that, that I couldn’t keep it up, you go ask him now how
tough the fight was and he will tell you.
I
love what I did today and I’m looking forward to it again
with much better results.”
The
night was not all lost for Renzo. One of his friends, Frankie
Edgar, won the UFC Lightweight title in an upset over BJ Penn.
For Renzo as a trainer, he received much joy from the upset victory.
“This
little Italian guy from Toms River is one tough cookie, you know,
and I knew he had a chance. I knew it. Whatever he lacks in size
he has in heart and he proved that tonight.”
As
for the future of Matt Hughes, Hughes is playing his cards close
to the vest. When he was asked if he wanted to have a more active
fight schedule, he made it very clear that he has other priorities
that take top ranking right now in his life.
“You
know, I just had a kid January 2nd, a little girl. And, uh, got
a good family at home, so, no… once, twice a year is fine
with me. I just, I want my kids to know who their Dad is. I’m
36 years old and I still got more fights left in me."
Source: MMA Memories
|
Overreem,
"If Fedor Loses, M-1 Is Over"
Dutch heavyweight Alistair Overeem pulls no punches in his assessment
of M-1 Global’s reluctance to have him fight Fedor Emelianenko,
the former PRIDE heavyweight champion who is now on the Strikeforce
roster alongside Overeem, holder of the organisation’s title
belt.
Speaking
to MMA Mania, Overeem had some choice things to say about Fedor,
the Russian’s management and the likelihood of a match ever
being made.
“I
wanted to fight Fedor but my management knows the management
of Fedor very well. There is too much risk business-wise to make
that fight happen for M-1. If they lose they cannot play their
co-promotion card anymore and M-1 will be over,” he said.
“[Strikeforce
CEO] Scott [Coker] will terminate all bindings with M-1 and continue
with me and Golden Glory as he knows we are reasonable and we
have been around for 10+ years. I think he got gray hairs from
them already!
“Of
course they are ducking me. I am a risk to their whole organization.
Vadim is embarrassing all the Russians. First not fighting Couture
and now ducking me… I will even wonder if Fedor is fighting
in June. It always is a surprise party dealing with M-1. I got
a nice scenario - Werdum gets injured and I have to fight Fedor
in June. Just wishful thinking!”
Fedor
is considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world by
many MMA media outlets (although not this one, it has to be said).
But Overeem thinks that the Russian is no longer the same man
that held such sway over the PRIDE heavyweight division.
“I
think Fedor is not the Fedor he was in PRIDE like so many of
that generation of fighters. Fedor is the best and has beaten
the best, but he is not unbeatable. [M-1 president] Vadim [Finkelstein]
recently made comments about me being a "steroid bully,"
and that's why they do not want to fight me? But then fighters
who got caught three times with steroids in the past they want
to fight,” he said, a reference to Josh Barnett.
“Or
when Vadim does a co-promotion on New Years Eve, the unranked
Hong Man Choi can be picked as an opponent for Fedor, who is
20 cm taller than me and 40 kg heavier. Rogers showed some strength,
but gassed in my eyes and gave Fedor room to come back because
Fedor could smell that!”
Addressing
Fedor directly, the Strikeforce heavyweight champion said, “Fedor,
you are a great fighter and like many other great Russian fighters
in history you do your talking in a ring or cage. Leave this
M-1 circus and start fighting the best.
“It's
okay to lose sometimes but hiding makes you look like a coward,
which Fedor is not, Vadim is!”
Source: MMA Fan House
|
Cote
Excited to Face Belcher; Says Silva “Crossed the Line”
at UFC 112
By Kelsey
Mowatt
Since
Patrick Cote announced that he was fully healed and would return
to action in 2010, for the first time since a knee injury ended
his bout with middleweight champ Anderson Silva in October, 2008,
the Canadian has consistently stated that he wants to face a
top fighter in his return. It would appear that the UFC was more
than willing to grant Cote his wish, as the former “TUF”
competitor will face Alan Belcher on May 8th, a fighter who has
impressed many in his recent 3-1 Octagon stretch.
“I
truly feel like he won against (Yoshihiro) Akiyama,” Cote
commented about Belcher, who aside from a Split Decision loss
to Akiyama at UFC 100 has defeated Ed Herman, Denis Kang and
most recently Wilson Gouveia in his last 4 bouts. “I don’t
think he lost that fight. He won. He also won 2 Fights of the
Night and one Submission of the Night in his last four fights,
so he’s a gamer man. I think some people don’t give
him enough credit. He’s a really good fighter and has a
lot of skills.”
Of
course on paper, this bout appears to be one that could produce
plenty of fireworks for the Montreal fans in attendance, as both
Cote (13-5) and Belcher (15-6) have forged reputations for being
powerful strikers.
“Everybody
knows my style; I like to stay on my feet and I’m not scared
of anyone on my feet at 185,” said Cote. “For sure
I’m going to exchange on my feet. I know my wrestling is
better than his wrestling, and the ground game, I think he has
a good ground game. I’ve improved my ground game a lot too.
I don’t want to have a boring fight for this one though.
This is my comeback fight; I think this fight is ten times more
important than my fight with Silva. I have to come back with
a huge performance. I want to get a big knockout or big submission;
I don’t want a decision, so I’m going to go in there
and push the pace.”
“I
know it’s like a cliché but it’s really true;
I’m in the best shape of my life,” Cote added. “I
took three more weeks for this training camp. Normally I do eight
weeks but I did eleven for this training camp to get off the
rust. Man, my training camp is going ten times better than I
expected and I’m so ready to go. I can’t wait to get
back in the Octagon at home.”
Of
course the MMA world is still buzzing with discussion about Silva’s
title defense this weekend, where after dominating and taunting
Demian Maia for the first couple of rounds, the champion rarely
engaged the challenger throughout the remainder of the fight.
“I
don’t want to comment on his performance, because that’s
his style and something is going on in his head where he has
to perform, but this is martial arts; the main thing in martial
arts is respect,” said Cote. “I think he had a lack
of respect for Demian Maia. You can be cocky, I don’t have
a problem with someone being cocky, but there is a difference
between being cocky and showing a lack of respect, and I think
he crossed the line.”
“The
thing is if you do that that you have to back your words,”
Cote furthered. “You have to at least finish the fight with
something huge. The last couple of rounds he just ran away from
Maia. He’s the best in the world, so he can do whatever
he wants with his performance, but the lack of respect, I don’t
back that at all.”
Source: Full Contact Fighter
|
After
UFC, MMA in Abu Dhabi to pay out one million
by Marcelo
Dunlop
Sergei's
knockout over Rizzo, at Pride. Photo: Susumu Nagao / GRACIEMAG
archives
Anyone thinking Abu Dhabi stopped talking about MMA with the
end of UFC 112 is mistaken. Under the official patronage of Sheikh
Mohamad Bin Zayed, the Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship event
promises to gather heavyweights like Sergei Kharitonov, Marcio
Pé de Pano, Jeff Monson, Marcos Oliveira and other beasts
to duke it out for a hefty one million dirham payout, which comes
to approximately 350 thousand dollars.
One
of the favorites, Russia’s Kharitanov was even making the
rounds at UFC 112, to promote the event. The first stage of the
Grand Prix takes place May 14, and will include various fighters
from the region, besides Italians, Turks, English, French and
Polish fighters, not to mention Brazilians and Russians.
Find
out more at www.abudhabifc.com.
Million
dirham GP in Abu Dhabi card takes shape
by Marcelo Dunlop
Athlete,
teacher and star in the United Arab Emirates, Brazil’s Marcos
Oliveira is already training with Abu Dhabi’s first MMA
tournament in mind. Set for May 14, the Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship
will pay one million dirhams to the winner of the heavyweight
GP, and Marcos is one of the favorites to win. “Cezario
came over here to work on my boxing. My first fight will be against
France’s Romming,” remarked the wrestler and Jiu-Jitsu
black belt.
Also
to appear in the Emirates, Sergei Kharitonov will face off with
Marcio “Pe de Pano” Cruz, while Jeff Monson takes on
Shamil Abdurahimov in the first of three stages. The promoters’
intention is to hold 12 events, and a middleweight GP is in the
works.
ADFC
1
ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, UAE
May 14, 2010
GP
– 1st Stage
Johan
Romming vs Marcos Oliveira
Przemyslaw Mysiala vs Neil Wain
Sergei Kharitonov vs Marcio Cruz
Shamil Abdurahimov vs Jeff Monson
Other
bouts
Hassan
Al Rumaithi vs Massimiliano Pecchia
Abdallah Abou Hamdan vs Loic Marty
Tam Khan vs Evasio D’onofrio
Malik Omarov vs Arzan Quasid
Aymen Ben Ali vs Michele Mirabella
Miaco Reiter vs Frank Slater
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Diaz
vs. Sakurai finally made
Strikeforce
welterweight champion Nick Diaz will return to action on May
29, facing Japanese heavy hitter Hayato “Mach” Sakurai,
according to GracieFighter.com, the web site of Diaz’s trainer
and manager, Cesar Gracie.
GracieFighter.com
says that the bout will take place under the fighter sharing
partnership between Strikeforce and Dream. A Diaz rematch with
Dream champion Marius Zaromskis for his belt was under consideration,
according to the report.
The
Japanese promotion instead decided to match Diaz up with Sakurai,
who is an extremely popular fighter in his native land.
Diaz
welcomed the bout, saying, “Good, I’ve been trying
to fight this guy for a long time now.”
Diaz
(21-7) hasn’t lost since he faced K.J. Noons for EliteXC
in late 2007. He has racked up six straight victories since that
time, including his most recent win, capturing the vacant Strikeforce
welterweight title in a bout against Zaromskis in January.
Sakurai
(35-10-2) hasn’t faired as well recently losing back-to-back
bouts to Akihiro Gono and Zaromskis.
The
two had originally been expected to fight two years ago at Dream
5 for the inaugural Dream welterweight championship, but the
bout never came to fruition.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Alves
puts surgery behind him, readies for Fitch
There
may not be a scarier moment in a fighter’s life than when
they are told something could be “career ending.” That’s
the nightmare that Thiago “Pitbull” Alves faced just
before his fight at UFC 111 when an MRI and CAT scan revealed
a brain anomaly that concerned doctors enough that they would
not clear him to fight.
At
that point, Alves started to deal with the harsh realities of
not only his fight career being in jeopardy, but simply said
when the word “brain” is uttered by any doctor followed
by “problem,” the worst thoughts start trolling around
in your head.
“When
my manager called me on Wednesday he told me I was not going
to fight, I got really frustrated and upset,” Alves told
MMAWeekly Radio in an exclusive interview. “When I heard
the next day that it could be career ending, I was just going
nuts for about two days.
“I
was really, really scared about not fighting again. I would say
it was the longest week of my life.”
Further
examination proved that while Alves wouldn’t be able to
fight on the New Jersey card, the problem in his brain would
not stop him from competing again. A wave of relief washed over
the Brazilian.
He
underwent surgery in New York last Wednesday and explained the
issue, and how doctors fixed the problem.
“You’ve
got a vein, you’ve got an artery. A vein is low pressure;
an artery is the high pressure. Once they touch inside your brain
they cause bleeding, and they saw a vein and an artery were pretty
close from each other, and they didn’t know if it was something
that I was born with, or if it was something that happened over
the years,” said Alves.
“So
what they do with the angiogram is they make a small incision
on my groin, and they put a catheter inside. They shoot dye all
the way into my brain and with the dye they can see clearly what
it is, if it’s something that needs to get fixed.”
The
dye revealed the vein and the artery were causing a minor problem,
and doctors were able to go in and fix the issue right away.
“They
put superglue between the vein and the artery. That’s what
the doctors told me ‘just tell everybody you’ve got
superglue in your brain right now, and you’ll be alright.’
So that’s what I’m going to tell everybody,” said
Alves. “That was the procedure pretty much.”
Alves
was released and back home two days later, and has already begun
to work out again with light cardio and weightlifting. Doctors
advised Alves to avoid any contact to the head for at least two
weeks following the surgery, and his coaches at American Top
Team have advised all teammates to keep him out of sparring no
matter what he says. Following the two-week layoff, he can resume
a full training regimen.
Looking
back on what was a very scary situation, Alves is able to smile
now and appreciate the future laid out in front of him.
He
also says that the UFC stood close by him the entire time. The
Ferttitas and Dana White checked on him constantly to make sure
he was doing okay.
“It
makes you feel kind of special in a way,” Alves said about
the UFC staff. “They were great, I couldn’t do it without
them.”
When
it was all over, the only reminder Alves is left with for the
whole procedure is a small scar on his hip.
Now
he’s not only hungry for his comeback, he says he’s
starving. The hunger will be satisfied in June when Alves finally
gets the rematch with Jon Fitch that he’s been gunning for,
for almost four years.
“It
was perfect, it needs to happen,” Alves said about the fight
with Fitch. “That fight was supposed to be done in December,
and that’s the second time it couldn’t happen, but
I’m really happy. I’m sure he wants to fight me, too.”
While
Alves was sidelined for the UFC 111 fight, his teammate, Ben
Saunders, ended up getting to fight Fitch and lost a unanimous
decision. Watching the fight might have actually been more painful
to Alves than any surgery he endured, because he wanted to be
in the cage that night so bad he could taste it.
“It
was torture,” Alves said. “Especially the way Fitch
fought, I trained for that, I was prepared. I was 100-percent
prepared for his kind of fight. I wish it was me, but there’s
nothing I can do, it is what it is. I’m just going to try
to make the best of it.”
The
best of it will be the fight with Fitch actually happening this
time around. The two will square off on June 12 at UFC 115 in
Vancouver.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Hughes
batters another Gracie for record win
Aging
Gracies keep hitting the Octagon in search of Matt Hughes, and
they keep leaving bruised, beaten and exhausted. Renzo Gracie
came out of semi-retirement to face the former UFC welterweight
champ. He dropped from 210 to 170 pounds to meet Hughes at welterweight.
The weight drop and his age proved to be too much to overcome.
Gracie was competitve early but because he didn't check leg kicks,
his front leg was destroyed by the middle of the third round.
It was part exhaustion, part pain as Hughes dropped Gracie to
get another UFC win via TKO at 4:40 of the third round.
The
win was the 17th UFC victory in Hughes' career, setting a UFC
record he had shared with Chuck Liddell.
"I
was actually pretty happy [with my performance]," said Hughes.
"I knew Renzo came in throwing wide, looping, slow punches.
I tried to stay on the outside. I definitely wanted to stand.
You're fighting a Gracie. I got to put the odds on my side."
Gracie
comes from the famous fighting and teaching family out of Brazil.
His cousin Royce was the winner of UFC 1 and 2 often fighting
against much bigger opponents. The family's jiu-jitsu was revolutionary
at the time and has now become a staple of any mixed martial
artists' game. Royce attempted a comeback at age 41 in 2006 at
UFC 60 against Hughes. The UFC 170-pound champ at the time, Hughes
destroyed a very old looking Gracie inside of one round. His
cousin Renzo fared much better for a while but faded badly in
this fight.
Hughes
(44-7, 16-5 UFC) fought cautiously early choosing to fight from
a distance landing the occasional leg kick. Gracie developed
a limp as his front leg was battered in the second. In the final
round, he had no answer for the kicks, his hands dropped and
Hughes starting landing heavy shots. Thing approached embarrassing
down the stretch as Gracie got knocked down several times on
leg kicks. On each occasion, he laid for a prolonged amount of
time, once even asking Hughes to give him a hand up. Hughes,
36, obliged and did help him up one time. It actually appeared
Gracie was going to quit on the floor with 50 seconds left in
the fight.
Gracie
said he would definitely be back. The UFC may be better served
using the 43-year-old as a spokesperson and ambassador for the
sport.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Bigfoot
ready for Arlovski, Werdum next
The
man of the heavyweights, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva is
training hard for his next battle against Andrei Arlovski, on
May 15 in Strikeforce. Coming off a loss to Fabricio Werdum,
Silva guarantees he’ll be more thirst for this victory.
In an exclusive interview for TATAME straight from Florida, US,
the Brazilian told us how is his preparation like and what is
his strategy to face Arlovski as well as his training on American
Top Team and the desire for revenge against Werdum.
Antônio
Silva
The
man of the heavyweights, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva is
training hard for his next battle against Andrei Arlovski, on
May 15 in Strikeforce. Coming off a loss to Fabricio Werdum,
Silva guarantees he’ll be more thirst for this victory.
In an exclusive interview for TATAME straight from Florida, US,
the Brazilian told us how is his preparation like and what is
his strategy to face Arlovski as well as his training on American
Top Team and the desire for revenge against Werdum.
How
is the training at ATT? Today you can count with trainings partners
as Jeff Monson, Bobby Lashley and Todd Duffee...
On
ATT I’m practicing my Jiu Jitsu with the master Ricardo
Libório and Parrupinha. As for the others training for
the physical preparation and striking, I’m working with
André Benkei and Mohammed Quali in another gym. Also being
helped by Marcus Aurélio, who’s adjusting my Jiu
Jitsu. Well, about Jeff Monson and Bobby Lashley, I can say it’s
a pity they just practice using ATT’s name, but since they
live far and unfortunately they can’t practice with us in
Coconut Creek and Duffee is no longer a member of ATT. My current
trainings partners are Thiago Silva, Luis Cane "Banha",
Jorge Santiago, Danilo Índio and Guto, who has come from
Brazil to help me.
What
are the expectations to confront Andrei Arlovski, a former UFC
champion?
Great
ones. Besides that he is a former UFC champion, he is also on
the top 10 and that brings a greater motivation. It will be a
great fight, because I’m sure he must be killing himself
out to train as I do, after all both he and I are coming from
defeat, so we want to win and have all the spotlights on us among
our category.
What
strategy will you use for this fight, knowing he has a high level
boxing and is dangerous on the ground?
See,
I want to be fast and in a good shape, after all, like you said,
he is a hell of a boxer, so I must be alert on my defenses, counterattacks
and timing. The ground part is not my concern.
After
your defeat against Fabrício Werdum, a victory on Arlovski
would put you on the top of your category, right?
Yeah,
for sure. Defeat is never a good thing, but unfortunately it’s
a part of our profession. After that fight I spend four whole
weeks with my left hand immobilized because I broke it in the
beginning of the second round. Right after it I went back to
the hard trainings, trying to make a good comeback.
In
case of winning this Arlovski fight do you think about revenge
against Werdum or will you wait for the Strikeforce to set you
up with Fedor?
I’m
focusing on my fight against Arlovski and when I have won I’ll
ask for Werdum, independently of his result against Fedor. There’s
nothing to do with him or rivalry, it’s just a Professional
thing because he and master Rafael Cordeiro are wonderful persons
and we got along pretty welling the week before the fight. I
admire and respect the people from Chute Boxe besides cheering
a lot for Cris Cyborg.
What
do you think your mistake was in the Werdum fight? What would
you do differently if you got another chance to beat him?
Well,
some practice a lot, others pray too much. My mistake was my
self-confidence. I had the victory in my hands and let it spill.
The two knockdowns on the first round plus another in the second
weren’t enough because I broke my hand in the beginning
of that round. After that I wasn’t the same fighter. We
cannot take off the credit of Werdum. He stayed firm after all
of my attempts, he is a great athletes. I’m pretty sure
that, if I was on my best for the whole fight, the results would
be different because it wouldn’t have to be made a decision
by the judges.
Say
something to your fans...
I
want to send a special and big hug for everyone that is cheering
for me, to my team on ATT, the coaches Benkei and Quali, to my
daughters and my wife that are always on my side supporting me
and everyone that admires and keep up with the sport.
Source:
Tatame
|
Vitor
Belfort
Former
UFC champion, Vitor Belfort would have a chance to conquer his
third title in three different categories against Anderson Silva,
but because of an injury he cancelled his participation on the
UFC 112. Focusing on his recovery, Belfort watched from the US
the fight between Anderson and Demian Maia, that took place in
Abu Dhabi yesterday, and talked with TATAME about the duel and
criticized Anderson’s posture and showing his way of acting
if he were in Demian’s shoes.
How
is your shoulder recovery going?
Pretty
good. I’m in the middle of a treatment, going to the UFC’s
doctor that Lorenzo (Fertitta) arranged for me. He’s really
liking it. I’ll go there on Tuesday and we will establish
the date of my comeback, between August and October.
Are
you already back to the trainings?
Almost
there. Doing leg preparation, a lot of running and physical preparation
so that I don’t overload my shoulder. Now it the time to
regain my shoulder’s moves, make it more stable. I can’t
do much, but our cross training has been nice, preserving my
weight. It’s all going really, really well, never better.
I’m motivated and exited.
Do
you intend to fight for the title on your comeback?
I’m
working in this direction. My goal is to fight for the belt.
That is what I’m waiting for and is all settled. The shoulder
did not made things easy last time, but that’s exactly the
reason of my motivation.
What
did you think about Anderson and Demian’s fight, yesterday
on UFC 112?
Well,
I don’t have to say much about it. The audience and Dana
White has already spoken for me. This is the way I’m feeling
about it now.
On
Forrest’s fight, Anderson teased, but won quickly. He did
just the same yesterday and couldn’t submit it and the points
were the decisive tools. Do you think he exaggerated?
We
think just the same. This answer was given by Dana and everyone
else.
He
defeated Forrest, but it seems that Demian didn’t know what
to do, how to act. What would you do in such a situation?
It
would only have given me strength to go there and show what I
do best.
Do
you want make a last comment?
I
want to say something to my fans, thanks for their support on
Twitter and other networks. I’m coming back. I hope you
can understand that an athlete depends on his body, so I ask
for patience and even more support for my comeback. God bless
you.
Source:
Tatame
|
Anderson
Silva Should Move to Heavyweight
Since
defeating Dan Henderson to unify the UFC and Pride 185-pound
titles a little more than two years ago, Anderson Silva has defended
his middleweight belt three times. They were, by far, the three
worst showings of his UFC career.
In
case you've forgotten how those fights went, here's a quick refresher:
--
At UFC 90 in 2008, Silva toyed with Patrick Cote for two rounds
before Cote slipped and hurt his knee in the third, ending the
fight just as the fans were starting to get restless with Silva's
fooling around.
--
At UFC 97 in 2009, Silva toyed with Thales Leites for five rounds
before winning a unanimous decision that left the fans booing.
--
At UFC 112 on Saturday, Silva toyed with Demian Maia for five
rounds before winning a unanimous decision that left the fans
booing.
Silva
has made it clear in his last three UFC middleweight title defenses
that he just isn't particularly interested in fighting guys he
knows he can beat easily. Part of this is that Cote, Leites and
Maia didn't bring the fight to Silva, but a larger part of it
is that Silva thrives on being challenged, and there aren't any
challengers for him at 185 pounds. Yes, I know, Chael Sonnen
and Vitor Belfort would beg to differ, but I just don't believe
there's anyone in the middleweight division who's going to bring
out the best in Anderson Silva.
You
might think that means Silva should move up to light heavyweight,
where he's had a couple of spectacular first-round knockouts
against James Irvin and Forrest Griffin. But I just don't see
that working out very well, either. The top four light heavyweights
-- Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua, Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson
-- are all busy fighting each other right now, and other than
those four, I don't see any light heavyweights giving Silva much
of a challenge, either.
So
I propose that Silva's next fight should be at heavyweight.
It
seems crazy for a middleweight to move all the way up to heavyweight
-- especially when it's Silva, who said this week that he could
actually move down and fight at welterweight. Is a guy who was
just talking about fighting at 170 pounds really capable of beating
opponents who weigh up to 265 pounds?
Yes,
he is. Silva is capable of beating anyone.
So
which heavyweight would Silva fight first? In my fantasies, he'd
fight Fedor Emelianenko, but in the real world that's not going
to happen. It also wouldn't be Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin,
who are going to fight each other for the heavyweight title in
July, and it wouldn't be Cain Velasquez, who will get the Lesnar-Carwin
winner, or Junior dos Santos, who's a friend and training partner
of Silva's.
So
that leaves Frank Mir as my top choice. That's a fight Silva
has asked for in the past, so we know he'd be motivated, and
Mir has said he'd love to do it. It would be a fascinating fight:
Is Silva's lethal striking enough to beat a much bigger, stronger
man like Mir? I'd be thrilled to find out.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Anderson
admits: “I lacked humility”
Anderson
Silva has a style all his own. Honest, but controversial. During
his bout at UFC 112, he attacked Demian Maia with provocations,
in a fight that even became monotonous starting in the third
round.
The
belt remains the champion’s but, at the end of the affair,
the shower of boos showed the level of discontent in the stands.
Still in the octagon, Anderson reflected:
“Demian
is a great fighter and fought really well. He used some moves
I didn’t expect and caught me by surprise. It wasn’t
me in there and I want to beg everyone forgiveness. I think I
got excited,” he said.
“It’s
time for me to reflect on humility. That’s what got me here
and today, definitely, it wasn’t me that was here,”
added Silva who, despite his apology, was met with a round of
boos.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
EDGAR
MAY FACE MAYNARD FOR FIRST TITLE DEFENSE
A champion very rarely gets a moment to celebrate his victory
before the next challenger comes knocking at their door. Such
is the case with Frankie Edgar, who captured the UFC lightweight
title by pulling off a stunning upset of B.J. Penn, a fighter
widely considered to be the top 155-pounder in the world.
Edgar
will try to soak it all in over the next few days, traveling
home to New Jersey to spend time with his family, but the polish
on the gold might not even get a chance to dry because a list
of lightweights gunning for the belt has already started to form.
The
top fighter on that list is Gray Maynard. Yes, the same Gray
Maynard who holds the only victory over Edgar. The two fought
in April 2008, and Maynard used his superior size and wrestling
to earn a decision.
UFC
president Dana White seemed to lean towards Maynard getting the
first shot, especially considering that the shot at Penn was
basically down to Edgar and Maynard before UFC 112 ever happened
on Saturday night.
"Yeah,
could be Gray," White answered.
The
new champion sounded happy to oblige, while also hoping to erase
the only loss on his otherwise unblemished record.
"I
think it'd be great," said Edgar. "It's a great storyline.
It's great to promote the fight; the only guy who's beat me is
coming for my belt. Yeah, I think that'd be a great fight."
If
the shot does go to Maynard, there's no doubt he'd be quick to
accept the fight. When responding to MMAWeekly.com via text message
on Saturday about whether he’s hopeful to get the first
shot at Edgar's title, Maynard responded accordingly.
"God
I hope so! Please let that be the case," he replied.
It
looked like a potential showdown between Maynard and former top
contender Kenny Florian could be looming on the horizon, but
Edgar's win throws a whole new element into the lightweight division
and the top fighters vying for a title shot. Florian could also
be a candidate after submitting Takanori Gomi in his last fight,
but at this point all signs are pointing towards an Edgar vs.
Maynard rematch later this year.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
WHITE
APOLOGETIC OVER SILVA "EMBARRASSMENT"
Anderson Silva's performance at UFC 112 on Saturday night may
have earned him a victory, but it didn't gain him many fans as
the crowd in Abu Dhabi voiced its displeasure and chanted not
only his opponent's name, but also that of UFC welterweight champion
Georges St-Pierre, who happened to be cageside for the fight.
One
person in particular who was disgusted with Silva's antics was
UFC president Dana White, who got up during the fourth round
of the fight and left admitting he could no longer watch the
performance going on in the Octagon.
"I’ll
answer the questions about what a disgrace the main event was
and what an embarrassment it is," said White at the post-fight
press conference. "I don’t think I’ve ever been
more embarrassed in the 10 years being in this business. It’s
the first time I’ve walked out during a main event and given
the belt to a guy’s manager and told him to put it on him.”
Coming
to Abu Dhabi for the first time, along with their new business
partners at Flash Entertainment, the UFC was hopeful for a great
event to showcase the sport at its highest level. While Silva
looked solid early on, punishing Maia with an array of strikes,
the later rounds took on a whole other life.
Almost
refusing to engage, nearly having a point taken away by referee
Dan Mirgliatta at one point, Silva circled and threw random shots
at Maia, but simply bounced around for the better part of two
rounds, much to the disapproval of the UFC president and the
fans in attendance.
White
vowed to make it up to the fans that paid for the show.
“The
was an historic fight for us. The arena tonight was incredible.
The energy was amazing. And to end it the way that we did was
an embarrassment for me, the Fertittas, the UFC, and the sport
in general, so I apologize," White said. "And I will,
I don’t know how yet, but I will make this up to the fans
that bought this (expletive) tonight.”
Even
though Silva was dominant early on, hitting Maia with several
big shots, including a knee strike that quite possibly broke
the submission specialist's nose, White didn't appreciate the
games that the champion played all night long.
“I
didn’t like it from the first minute of the first round,"
said White. "Nobody has been more supportive of Anderson
Silva than me, talking about him being the best pound-for-pound
fighter in the world, etc., etc. Even after a couple of goofy
performances, I still stood behind him and supported him. I still
think this guy is incredibly talented.
“If
you’re that talented, be Mike Tyson. Go in there and finish
it in two minutes. I’d rather have somebody say let’s
not buy the Anderson Silva fight tonight because he knocks people
out in two minutes other than he runs around like a jackass for
five rounds.”
Because
of the lackluster performance, White went so far as to say that
Silva could be the first champion in UFC history to be relegated
to a preliminary fight, and although that's not likely to happen,
that's how upset the UFC president was on Saturday night.
It
remains to be seen what's next for Silva. A title defense against
either his original opponent for UFC 112, Vitor Belfort, or a
fighter that has called out Silva and earned his spot as the
top contender in the division in Chael Sonnen, could be next.
But
it might be a while before Dana White is ready to see Anderson
Silva on a pay-per-view again after Saturday though.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MATT
HUGHES NOT RIDING INTO THE SUNSET YET
It’s inevitable in sports. When an athlete hits a certain
again the question comes time and again about calling it quits.
Despite
a dominating performance over an again foe on Saturday night
at UFC 112, the question was once again fired at 36-year-old
Matt Hughes.
He
is easily one of the most decorated champions in UFC history,
a shoe-in for the promotion’s Hall of Fame, but Hughes certainly
doesn’t sound as if he’s ready to ride off into the
sunset.
“I
have three more fights on my contract. I don’t know how
long I’m gonna stay fighting. I’m 36 years old. I’ve
had a lot of changes over the last five years, but I still love
to compete and I still love going to the gym,” said the
two-time welterweight champion. “As long as I still love
to compete in the Octagon and as long as I still enjoy working
out, I’ll still be here.”
And
when you rack up two title reigns, seven title defenses, and
17 victories in the Octagon, you’ve become a lifer. That’s
exactly where Hughes finds himself as he decides what direction
his future is headed.
“He’s
another one that’s been a good guy,” declared UFC president
Dana White on Saturday night. “He’s been an incredible
fighter, a loyal friend, a great partner, and Matt Hughes will
always be with the UFC no matter what, whether he’s fighting
or not fighting.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
112: ANDERSON SILVA MAKES NO APOLOGIES
“I don’t think I’ve ever been more embarrassed
in the 10 years being in this business. It’s the first time
I’ve walked out during a main event and given the belt to
a guy’s manager and told him to put it on him,” stated
UFC president Dana White following middleweight champion Anderson
Silva’s baffling display at UFC 112.
The
champion’s antics against Demian Maia left his boss, fans,
and critics alike bewildered.
“This
was an historic fight for us. The arena tonight was incredible.
The energy was amazing. And to end it the way that we did was
an embarrassment for me, the Fertittas, the UFC, and the sport
in general, so I apologize,” said an exhausted White.
“And
I will, I don’t know how yet, but I will make this up to
the fans that bought this (expletive) tonight.”
The
champion, however, offered no apologies.
Not
for flopping around and slapping the canvas, repeatedly yelling
at Maia to engage, while he hung back and waited for his challenger
to make a move. Not for failing to unleash his furious array
of strikes. Not for lapping the Octagon enough to be warned repeatedly
by referee Dan Mirgliatta to stop running or start having points
deducted from the scorecards.
Anderson
Silva, widely regarded as the pound-for-pound best fighter on
the planet, felt he did what he was supposed to do in the Octagon.
Or at least that’s what he said at the post-fight press
conference.
“I
came here well trained, but Demian disrespected me, not as a
person, but he disrespected me as a fighter,” explained
Silva. “I take that very seriously. I came here to do my
job and that was to beat him up and punish him and that’s
exactly what I did. Unfortunately everyone wasn’t pleased,
but that’s what I came here to do was punish him.”
Evidently
the disrespect that Silva felt stemmed from Maia’s pre-fight
trash talk, indicating that Maia said things like, “I’m
gonna take one of the arms with me... I’m gonna take his
arm. I’m gonna take his neck.”
Asked
outright if he felt he owed fans an apology, Silva responded,
“Sometimes fights don’t turn out the way people would
like them to, but I don’t feel I owe anybody an apology
right now. Sometimes fights turn out good; sometimes fights turn
out bad.”
In
Silva’s eyes, he accomplished what he set out to do, which
he said was to punish Maia... unfortunately, he punished fans,
who accounted for $3.5 million in ticket sales at the event and
millions of dollars more for pay-per-view, along the way.
But
he was steadfast in his answers.
“I
went in there to do a job. Sometimes fans aren’t always
happy with the way you fight... The way I feel, my mission was
completed. I came in and dominated the fight and did what I had
to do.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Unrepentant
Silva makes mockery of sport
ABU
DHABI, United Arab Emirates – As the fourth round ended
in the middleweight championship fight on Saturday at UFC 112
at Ferrari World, Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana
White picked up Anderson Silva’s title belt and tossed it
in the direction of Silva’s manager, Ed Soares.
White
was nearly becoming physically ill watching Silva clown in the
cage and avoid fighting. He wanted nothing to do with presenting
the champion with his belt after the fight with Demian Maia ended.
Silva
pranced around the ring, making odd motions and strange faces,
banging the mat, running in circles and generally behaving as
if he had no understanding that people paid significant money
to watch him fight.
He
looked like a fool and he disrespected his opponent, the sport,
his employers and, most significantly, a live crowd which paid
a gate of $3.5 million as well as the hundreds of thousands of
people who purchased the pay-per-view to watch him.
White
seethed at the postfight news conference and tossed verbal hand
grenades in Silva’s direction. After meeting with reporters
following the news conference, White headed to Silva’s trailer
for a showdown.
He
said he didn’t know how he would punish Silva, who won by
scores of 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46, but said he would find a way
to make it up to the fans for having to sit through such a poor,
confounding main event.
Perhaps
the best way White can get even with Silva, who was defiant at
the postfight news conference, is to have Silva fight on the
card he is planning to benefit the military in Afghanistan.
White
looked extraordinarily angry when he walked into the room and
didn’t pull any punches when he began to speak.
“I’ll
answer the questions about what a disgrace the main event was
and what an embarrassment it is,” White said almost immediately
upon taking the lectern postfight. “I don’t think I’ve
ever been more embarrassed in 10 years of being in this business.
It’s the first time I’ve ever walked out of a main
event.”
By
the time the fifth round was winding to a close, the sellout
crowd of 11,008 was chanting Maia’s name.
Silva
meekly apologized in the cage in an interview with television
analyst Joe Rogan, but he struck a more defiant chord at the
postfight news conference.
“Unfortunately,
not every fight turns out the way everyone would like,”
Silva said through Soares, who was interpreting for him. “I
came here well-trained, but Demian disrespected me, not as a
person, but he disrespected me as a fighter. I take that very
seriously. I came here to do my job, which was to beat him up
and punish him. That’s exactly what I did.”
Silva
dodged the question several times, but finally said vaguely that
he felt Maia disrespected him in prefight interviews when Maia,
a jiu-jitsu black belt, talked about breaking his arm.
What
didn’t make sense about Silva’s answer was that if
he felt disrespected was that he spent much of the last three
rounds running and clowning and not punching or kicking. He had
the opportunity to make Maia pay for his words, if Maia actually
said anything incendiary, but he chose instead to circle, wiggle
his back side, make faces and essentially make a fool out of
anyone who either purchased a ticket or bought the pay-per-view.
“The
way I feel, my mission was completed,” Silva said. “I
came in and dominated the fight and did what I had to do. That’s
how I feel.”
Silva
was clearly a far better fighter than Maia, whose only hope of
winning was to somehow get the fight to the ground and catch
Silva in a submission hold. Silva was faster and could nearly
land his punches at will.
He
had a far more varied attack and broke Maia’s nose with
a flying knee in the second.
The
highlights for Silva, though, lessened as the fight wore on and
he spent more time mocking Maia and making a jackass of himself.
His
actions will have deep repercussions. For one, the fight was
aired live in the U.S. at 1 p.m. ET, but was still going to be
replayed in its normal pay-per-view time slot beginning at 10
p.m. ET.
Fans
who may have purchased the fight in its normal slot likely didn’t
buy it after catching word of Silva’s antics.
Even
more, Silva did the same thing at UFC 90 and then had a lackluster
performance at UFC 97.
White
glared at Silva as Silva answered questions from the media. Clearly,
Silva’s words did not soothe his boss’ feelings.
“I’m
more unhappy than I was when I walked in the door,” White
said after hearing Silva’s lame answers at the news conference.
“That’s why I ended the news conference. I couldn’t
stand to listen to that [expletive] any more.”
Silva
cost himself a big chunk of his reputation as well as a lot of
money. He lost the respect of the ownership of the UFC, who were
embarrassed in front of their new partners, the investment group
from Abu Dhabi who bought a reported 10 percent of the company.
He
may have lost his status as the top pound-for-pound fighter in
the world.
He
lost his opportunity to drop to welterweight as he said he wanted
to do before the fight and challenge 170-pound champion Georges
St. Pierre.
“He
doesn’t deserve to fight GSP,” White fairly spat.
Early
in the news conference, White said Silva might become the first
champion to fight on the preliminary card.
Wherever
he fights, Silva had better pray that White stacks the card with
a lot of fights people want to see.
Because
if Anderson Silva is the main attraction, don’t be shocked
if the fans stay away in droves.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Edgar
has an answer for Penn
ABU
DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Frankie Edgar spent the better
part of two months listening to all of the reasons why he couldn’t
beat B.J. Penn and win the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight
title.
He
was too small – and truth be told, he would be a hellacious
featherweight – he wasn’t as good of a boxer and he
couldn’t compare to Penn when it came to jiu-jitsu.
But
Edgar left Ferrari World on Saturday with the gaudy gold-championship
strap slung over his shoulder, with the unanimous decision he
scored over the legendary Penn a testament to his courage and
desire and the brilliance of his game plan.
The
Toms River, N.J., native won by scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47
in a fight in which he defeated perhaps the greatest lightweight
ever by coming into the cage in superb condition and executing
a plan that confused Penn and neutralized his strengths.
When
Bruce Buffer announced Edgar as the new champion and the sellout
crowd of 11,008 roared, Edgar dropped to his knees and looked
skyward.
It
wasn’t divine intervention that brought Edgar the belt,
though Penn seemed to have an advantage pretty much everywhere
the fight might go – Penn had much better jiu-jitsu, he
was perceived to have the better standup and he had the kind
of takedown defense that would have seemed to have neutralized
Edgar’s wrestling base.
Edgar,
though, fought brilliantly. He moved left to right as well as
front to back, not allowing Penn to get set to throw his frequently
lethal jab. Edgar took Penn down twice, becoming the first lightweight
to do so in six years. And Penn’s world-famous submission
game was a non-factor. Edgar managed the distance expertly and
didn’t permit Penn to come charging at him to blast him
with a knee like he did against Diego Sanchez and Sean Sherk.
“Everybody
gave up on this kid and nobody wanted to give him a chance, but
he fought a great fight,” said UFC president Dana White,
who gave Edgar the title shot in January only after he wasn’t
impressed enough by Gray Maynard in a Maynard win over Nate Diaz.
Penn
took the center of the cage as soon as the fight began and kept
it for most of the first round, but he wasn’t able to do
much damage to Edgar other than landing an occasional jab.
Edgar
would go left and dance in, then move right and fall back. He
was never in the same place for more than a second or two, and
he left Penn reaching and guessing all night.
At
one point Edgar faked a shot as if he were going to try to take
Penn down. When Penn moved back, Edgar followed him and laced
him with a hard kick to the rib cage.
He
completely kept Penn off-balance and didn’t allow the Hawaiian
to put together any consistent offense.
“B.J.’s
timing is great and you just can’t go in without something
behind it,” Edgar said. “Movement was key in that fight.”
By
the end of the third round, Penn’s corner was urging him
to find a way to get the fight to the ground. Though each round
was close, it was apparent that the fight was moving in Edgar’s
direction.
Penn’s
coaches asked him to get the fight to the ground, where his legendary
jiu-jitsu skills would come into play.
Inexplicably,
Penn never made an effort to take Edgar down. In the fourth round,
when Edgar took him down, Penn quickly scrambled back to his
feet.
Thus,
the fight in essence became a boxing match, and Edgar executed
the plan perfectly. Penn seemed to wilt a bit in the later rounds
and Edgar picked up a bit extra.
“I’ve
always seemed to be a guy who gets stronger as the fight goes
on, especially in a five-round fight” Edgar said. “I
typically feel stronger as the fight goes on. That one takedown
I got, in the fourth round, got the ball rolling for me.”
Edgar’s
victory also breathed life into a division that, like the UFC’s
welterweight and middleweight classes, was threatening to become
dull because of the dominance of the champions.
Penn
did not attend the post-fight news conference, nor did he release
a statement to the media, but White seemed at least amenable
to a rematch.
First,
though, will likely be a match between Edgar and Maynard. Maynard
defeated Edgar at UFC 90, handing him his only career loss.
White
said if Penn wanted a rematch, one could be arranged after a
bout with Maynard.
As
angry as White was at Anderson Silva for Silva’s ridiculous
performance in the card’s main event, he was equally as
pleased with Edgar’s.
“You
have to love a story like this,” White said. “Everybody
told him he couldn’t do this, but he believed that he could
and so he went out and got himself into great shape and he fought
hard and he did it. You have to give the kid a ton of credit.”
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
Melendez
fight is Aoki’s proving ground
On
April 17th, Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez
will be the measuring stick used to find out exactly how good
Shinya Aoki is.
Aoki,
the DREAM lightweight champion, is the highest ranking pound-for-pound
fighter of those who complete almost exclusively in Japan. He’s
not the biggest mainstream fighting star in Japan because he
doesn’t have the crossover appeal of the charismatic Norifumi
“Kid” Yamamoto, recently retired kickboxer Masato or
boxing’s Kameda brothers. But for the hardcore mixed martial
arts audience that follows the sport closely, Aoki, 26, with
his bevy of incredible submissions, has been the country’s
top star the past four years.
Tall
and skinny, with enough of a bookworm look to almost make the
cerebral Kenny Florian seem like a thug in comparison, Aoki’s
demeanor belies his skill and his mean streak.
Aoki
is headed to his U.S. debut against Melendez on April 17 in Nashville
amid a good deal of controversy in Japan. The annual New Year’s
Eve television event in Japan was based on Japan’s two leading
companies, DREAM and Sengoku, doing a best-of-nine series. The
score was even at four wins leading to a battle of lightweight
champions. Aoki took Mizuto Hirota down immediately, maneuvered
him into an old-fashioned, schoolyard chicken wing maneuver,
and cranked. Hirota refused to tap, and Aoki wrenched on the
hold until you could see the arm break, whereupon the fight was
stopped. Aoki then channeled Brock Lesnar, celebrating in Hirota’s
face and flipping him off. He was forced to apologize for his
post-fight antics.
Aoki
(23-4, 1 no contest) is ranked in many places No. 2 in the world
at lightweight, behind only UFC champion B.J. Penn. Three of
Aoki’s four losses have been while fighting at welterweight.
While
some may question his ranking, what can’t be argued is that
if the fight goes to the ground, few are in Aoki’s league.
He has 14 wins via submission, including a finish of current
Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez at the 2008 New Year’s Eve
show with a heel hook in 1:32.
But
after so many Japanese MMA superstars have come to the U.S. and
struggled – most recently former PRIDE champ Takanori Gomi
– many have come to question their high rankings based on
the Japanese competition.
Melendez,
though, disagrees with anyone questioning Aoki’s ranking.
“He’s
great,” said Melendez. “I think he totally deserves
to be ranked No. 2 in the world. B.J. Penn is No. 1. He’s
the master. Aoki is next. Then there are a group of us below
them.”
In
what is the first major match in history between a world champion
of a still-active Japanese promotion and a major American promotion,
Aoki and Melendez will meet in Nashville in a match that airs
on CBS. Only Melendez’s title is at stake. But the Strikeforce
champion says he will take a challenger’s mentality into
the fight.
“Rankings
are more important than championships, and he’s No. 2,”
said Melendez. “I just hope that if I beat him, people don’t
start saying that he really never deserved that ranking.”
Where
Aoki differs from someone like Florian, Melendez, Frankie Edgar,
or other top lightweights is that he doesn’t have a great
stand-up game. Aoki has good takedowns, particularly from the
clinch, but almost nobody in the sport can match his submission
game.
“In
my mind, the two best submission guys in the sport are Aoki and
Jake Shields,” said Melendez, who feels a big advantage
he has in this fight is his years of training with Shields and
the Diaz brothers, who are all great on the ground.
“I
think about [Aoki] constantly,” he said. “Sometimes
I have to watch a comedy movie or take some time out with my
girl just to get away from it.”
Melendez,
17-2, is coming off a win over Josh Thomson on Dec. 19 in San
Jose in one of 2009’s most exciting encounters, where he
regained the Strikeforce belt he had lost to Thomson in 2008.
Melendez, whose most recent fights aired on Showtime, will be
making his network television debut. Between the skill level
of his opponent and the large number of people will see the fight,
Melendez considers this the biggest match of his career. It’s
the final fight of his contract with the company, but while Melendez
recognizes advantages of going to UFC, mentally he’s already
committed to staying. “I’m very happy with Strikeforce,”
he said. “Being in UFC gives you an advantage when you look
at the top ten rankings. But [Strikeforce promoter Scott [Coker]
has always been good to me. He’s got me a fight with the
No. 2 guy in the world and he’s putting me on CBS. I can
say it looks like I’ll be staying.”
The
April 17 fight is a long time in the making. In late 2006, when
both competed in PRIDE, there were challenges issued back and
forth for a match on that year’s New Year’s Eve show.
Instead, the promoters decided to go with Aoki vs. Hansen and
Melendez vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri. Both won on that evening, seemingly
setting up the bout, but PRIDE folded before the match could
be made and another three years passed before their paths finally
crossed.
Source:
Yahoo Sports
|
SUPPORTING
CAST SCORES UFC 112 $75,000 BONUSES
In a night that ran the gamut from drop down exciting fights
to a surprising upset to a baffling quandary, there were a few
fighters that stood out at UFC 112, the promotion’s first
trip to the Middle East.
Mark
Munoz fought his way back from sure defeat, crushing Kendall
Grove with one of the most brutal ground and pound assaults in
recent memory to claim victory in the second round. But that
came only after Grove punished him with hammerfists and nearly
finished him with a number of choke attempts in the first round.
For each fighter’s efforts, Munoz and Grove were awarded the post-fight
honor of Fight of the Night, both taking home a $75,000 bonus.
The
second fight of the main card didn’t disappoint either.
Terry Etim scored a near submission in the opening round, but
Rafael dos Anjos displayed the skills that make him one of the
most formidable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts in the UFC, fighting
off Etim’s submission attempts before securing his own.
He finished the fight in round two, transitioning from a Kimura
attempt to an armbar that left Etim tapping out. The finish earned
dos Anjos his own $75,000 check for Submission of the Night.
It
took him until nearly midway through the third round of his fight
with Brad Blackburn, but DaMarques Johnson earned the Knockout
of the Night bonus by ending the former IFLer’s night with
a TKO flurry.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Cigano:
“If I win my next one, I’ll fight for the belt”
Recently
chubby knockout artist Roy Nelson stated he would love to face
Junior “Cigano” dos Santos in the UFC. Riding a series
of five wins in the organization, all before the final bell,
the Brazilian admits the matchup is not in his plans. According
to Cigano, his shot at the UFC heavyweight belt is nigh.
“He’s
a tough guy, who works hard. But as the UFC told me, I’m
close to getting a shot at the title. So to me this fight doesn’t
make much sense. But if they pencil it, I’ll fight him for
sure. I feel he’s a dangerous guy, who has been doing good
work,” the fighter tells GRACIEMAG.com.
On
a chance at the title in the near future he says:
“They
told me Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin are going to fight now
and that Cain Velasquez awaits the winner between those two.
I’ll have one more fight and, if I win, I’ll get a
shot at the belt. Something like that,” he explains.
While
he awaits word on his next opponent, the Brazilian’s attention
is on the fight between Anderson Silva and Demian Maia this weekend.
“I
think Anderson has an 80% chance of winning and Demian 20%. But
a fight’s a fight, and you never know how it will go. If
Demian is successful in getting the takedown or keeping Anderson
on the ground, he can surely get the submission. I’ve trained
with him too, and Demian’s Jiu-Jitsu is really, really good.
Nevertheless, it’s really hard to take Anderson down, and
we know he’s the pound-for-pound best in the world. Demian
will be a handful, but I think Anderson wins it,” he wagers.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Anderson
idolizes José Aldo
“José
Aldo is better than me.”
Yes,
Anderson did say that. And that’s not all he said. He went
on to say that if Junior were in his division, he would be a
major threat to his middleweight belt. The best featherweight
fighter in the world is the featured figure in the next edition
of Brazil’s Sensei Sportv television program.
The
show has some potent surprises in store for José Aldo.
The only clue given is that the tribute includes his greatest
passion: Flamengo soccer team.
In
the interview, Nova Uniao’s Junior talks about his conquest
of the WEC belt, his first title-defense against Urijah Faber
at the end of the month, training with Freddie Roach (Manny Pacquiao’s
coach), the inevitable comparison to Anderson Silva and much
more.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Karate
coach analyzes Shogun x Lyoto
Seven
times champion of Karate on Paraná, João Gilherme
Bendly was responsible for the sparring on Maurício Shogun’s
karate on the first fight for the belt against Lyoto Machida.
Chosen
between over ten karate fighters that were tested on Paraná
by Shogun, he told us how was the whole preparation for the fight.
“I
memorized Lyoto from the top to the bottom so that I can impose
myself in front of Shogun, because what he needed was the karate’s
timing, the defense techniques of Lyoto. This timing is different
and requires years of practice in Karate and that’s exactly
what he needs. I adapted my game to Lyoto’s and did what
he does in front of Shogun to do this specific training”,
commented João.
For
the second fight, that will happen on May 8th for the UFC 113,
João Guilherme does not believe that Lyoto is changing
main characteristics. “I think that Lyoto won’t change
much his style because it’s been working very well for him.
You can’t change ten years of practice in four months. I
guess he will still be defensive since he’s really good
at it, counter attacking. He may work on this timing and be more
prepared just as Shogun. But I think Shogun will win”, said
João about the challenge. “I think it will be like
the last fight, the kicks from Shogun are certain and I think
this fight will be aggressive, rather than the previous one,
because both need to show service”
Source:
Tatame
|
Rafael
dos Anjos
Owner
of the best submission of the night at UFC 112, Rafael dos Anjos
talked with TATAME after taking the arm of the English Terry
Etim and then there was all about celebrating the victory and
the bonus for best submission of the night. "The Chubby
taught me several outputs, the output of" dead arm ",
exactly what I did there ... I was not hitting the gym, I would
not hit there, "said Rafael, who took home a check for US$
75 thousand. In the chat that you see below, the black belted
commented victory, talked about the future in the event, the
fight for the belt between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, the experience
of fighting in Abu Dhabi and more.
That
guillotine first got it or were you calm?
Man,
I was calm at first, but then he was shaking ... The difficult
part was that I'm ‘kinda’ cold and because of this
a little complicated, but it was quiet. Neither thought of tapping
there.
Have
you already trained this position?
Well,
that’s what I practiced more… Gordinho taught me several
outputs, the output of "dead arm", exactly what I did
there ... It was what he taught me, I did it very much. I was
not tapping at the gym, I would not tap there.
What
is your expectation? Did they tell you when you’re coming
back?
I
am in a strong sequence, but let's take a two weeks break, then
come back to training and stay prepare in case anything happens
all of the sudden.
On
your contract, how many fights you still have?
In
the new contract, two.
Do
you expect a bonus for last night’s submission?
I’ve
already got it (laughs)...I got US$ 75 (thousand). I’m saving
it for training.
And
now, are you coming back to Rio or are you going to Singapore?
I’m
going to Singapore and I’ll stay there until the 16th, when
I’ll go to Rio. We’re analyzing this Singapore thing,
we’re studying it. The trainings there are really heavy,
I can improve a lot of my Muay Thai and even more my Jiu Jitsu.
How
did you feel about fighting for the belt on this category?
It
was a tough fight, standing in the five rounds, but Frank saw
the train several times, we were training in the same room. I
was not surprised with this win.
How
many fights you think you have to do to get near the belt?
Still
do not think about the belt, I'm young. We are working hard and
when I get the chance, I’ll go for it.
Many
Brazilians eventually are dismissed from the UFC after a few
defeats, but you stayed firm. Do you have this fear?
The
UFC has this problem, always sifting, draws a crowd, but I have
done good fights and I am well in the event, even with this victory.
I'm stronger than ever.
Do
you seek for and specific rematch?
No...
There are many people in that weight, it is difficult choice.
What
did you think of fighting in Abu Dhabi?
I
liked it, an event open, peaceful, it's good that it has a strong
air conditioning. I liked it, it was great experience.
Source:
Tatame
|
HUGHES
NOW 2 FOR 2 AGAINST GRACIE FAMILY
Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes made it 2 for 2
against the Gracie family on Saturday in Abu Dhabi as he decided
to out strike Renzo Gracie for three round, punishing the Brazilian
with leg kicks before blasting him with punches to end it late
in the fight.
Two
ground fighters stepped into the octagon at UFC 112, but a stand-up
fight broke out with both Hughes and Gracie deciding to stand
instead of ever hitting the mat during the bout.
The
early going showed a strong counter attack from Renzo Gracie,
who tried to time Hughes and catch him with punches, but never
connected with anything heavy. On the other side, Hughes employed
a disciplined striking attack centered around leg kicks that
punished the Brazilian's legs at every turn.
By
the third round, Gracie's legs were like rubber as he started
to wear out and fell to his back a couple times in the round
as Hughes continued to blast away at his lead leg. Hughes knew
Gracie was fading so he stepped in and threw heavy uppercuts,
as Gracie wilted under the pressure and referee Herb Dean stopped
the fight.
"I
was actually pretty happy," said Hughes about his performance.
"I knew Renzo came in throwing strong, wide looping punches,
so I tried to stay in tight, move away and just do things real
simple."
Traditionally
a wrestler who uses his ground and pound to soften up opponents,
Hughes admits that he had a specific stand-up gameplan to employ
against Gracie, and he stuck to it the entire time.
"I'm
fighting a Gracie, somebody like Renzo, I've got to put the odds
in my side," said Hughes.
As
for Gracie, the legend had the crowd on his side in Abu Dhabi,
but looked tired as the fight wore on. UFC commentator Joe Rogan
asked him very simply after the fight if he believes he should
have taken a tune-up fight before stepping in with someone like
Hughes for his first bout back in over 2 years.
"What
kind of fighter would I be if I did that?" Gracie answered.
With
the win, Hughes has defeated another legend, but he might have
another Renzo Gracie blackbelt staring him down in the future
with both Matt Serra and Ricardo Almeida in his division.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
FRANKIE
EDGAR HAS THE ANSWER TO THE PRODIGY
Frankie Edgar did on Saturday what no 155-pound fighter has done
since Jens Pulver in 2002. He defeated B.J. Penn to win the UFC
lightweight championship in Abu Dhabi at UFC 112.
"Speed
kills" could be a t-shirt for Edgar following his performance
at UFC 112, as he used superior movement to out quick Penn, sticking
and moving, while slipping in punch after punch to catch the
Hawaiian.
Penn
looked like he had more power, but just couldn't catch Edgar
who was able to move side to side and keep the champion guessing
at every turn.
Edgar
also accomplished something that no other lightweight has done
in Penn's title reign, which is land a takedown, although it
didn't put the champion down for long, it was a statement of
the fight for the New Jersey native.
The
fourth and fifth rounds saw Penn slow down, which proved that
Edgar's movement was not only winning the fight, but effecting
the Hawaiian's new found gas tank. Edgar never stopped moving
and in doing so popped Penn with quick and furious punches.
As
the judges scores were announced, elation washed over Edgar as
he was awarded the decision and the UFC lightweight belt.
"This
is it, B.J. is the greatest lightweight ever and I just beat
him," said Edgar after winning the title. "I just hope
I can be half the champion he was."
The
celebration will carry back to the Jersey shores, Edgar with
his new championship belt in tow.
The
next challenge for the new champion may be quick to jump out
of the shadows as Gray Maynard is probably smiling somewhere
in Las Vegas. He is the only fighter to ever defeat Frankie Edgar.
For
tonight though, the night belongs to Frankie "The Answer"
Edgar.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
112: ANDERSON SILVA WINS IN BAFFLING FASHION
Anderson Silva defended his middleweight title for the sixth
time on Saturday at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, but he may not have
gained many fans following a baffling performance against Demain
Maia in which he lacked to engage any real offense after the
first two rounds.
It
was evident early on that Maia was in no man's land when it came
to standing up with Silva. The champion toyed with Maia at every
turn, landing good punches, and a devastating knee strike that
rattled the brain of his fellow Brazilian.
Like
watching Muhammed Ali in boxing so many years ago, Silva continuously
pawed at Maia while playing to the crowd and begging his opponent
to engage with him. It was after the second round when things
started to get strange.
Instead
of motioning Maia in as he did early on, Silva basically circled
and avoided anything from his opponent, but never went after
him with any kind of real offense. Similar to the fight with
Thales Leites, Silva knew the ground was where his opponent wanted
to be, so he did anything he could to avoid that aspect of the
fight.
As
the rounds moved on, the crowd in Abu Dhabi voiced their disapproval
of Silva's antics, booing him loudly and chants started not only
for Demain Maia, but for UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre,
who sat cageside for the fight.
The
judges gave the nod to Silva, who definitely won the fight, but
didn't win over any critics with the baffling performance.
"Demian
actually surprised me with some of his punches, and I apologize
to everybody," said Silva following the fight. "I don't
know what got into me tonight, I wasn't as humble as I should
have been, and it was just the ring rust and a little bit of
everything. I'm really sorry to all you guys. I can guarantee
you next time it won't happen."
The
last time Silva was backed into a corner like this after a questionable
performance, he obliterated Forrest Griffin in less than five
minutes when they met at 205 pounds.
Can
Silva recapture that same spirit in his next fight?
All
night long, UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg teased
at a potential fight at 170 pounds between Silva and champion
Georges St-Pierre.
That
could the answer for whatever seems to be ailing Anderson Silva,
but at the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White
didn't sound too thrilled with the prospect of that fight following
Silva's performance against Maia.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
112 LIVE RESULTS AND PLAY-BY-PLAY
The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its Middle East debut
on Saturday, landing in the home of its new business partner,
Flash Entertainment, in Abu Dhabi.
UFC
112 features two title fights, middleweight champ Anderson Silva
defends against Demian Maia and lightweight titleholder B.J.
Penn tries to fend off Frankie Edgar, and a welterweight feature
bout pits Renzo Gracie against Matt Hughes.
UFC
112 airs live on pay-per-view at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, with
a delayed broadcast in the evening in the U.S. MMAWeekly.com
will be providing live coverage of Saturday’s event, starting
with the preliminary bouts, which are expected to start at approximately
7:30 a.m. PT / 10:30 a.m. ET.
Refresh
this page frequently for the latest results and play-by-play...
UFC
112 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
ANDERSON
SILVA VS. DEMIAN MAIA
R1
– Silva starts his unorthodox, toying style, lands a back
kick, Maia staying orthodox, but looks confused. Silva starts
chopping at the legs of Maia, Silva with his hands at his sides.
Silva just moving all over the place, almost mocking Maia, popping
him with kicks and punches from crazy angles. Maia goes down
on his back, Silva keeps his distance, kicking at Maia’s
legs and hands, as Maia butt scoots across the Octagon.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Silva
R2
– Maia comes out orthodox again, Silva at a very wide, apelike
stance, acting very awkward, kicking out Maia’s leg. There
has got to be no way to prepare for the looks that Silva is giving,
the crazy stances and feints. Maia shoots and gets stuffed. Back
up and then immediately dives for a leg and misses. Silva just
pushing him off and taunting Maia, yelling at him to fight. Taunting
him, mentally breaking him down. Silva throws a kick to the body
then shucks off another desperate takedown attempt. Silva again
yelling at Maia to fight, kicking at Maia’s calves and then
pot-shotting him.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Silva
R3
–Silva again starts taunting and pot-shotting with his jab
and low (sweeping) kicks. Silva lands a spinning back kick, misses
with another kick, slips, gains his balance, and starts in with
his wild stance low leg kicks again. Silva actually punches Maia
to the thigh moves away and continues to just toy with Maia,
not really pushing to finish.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Silva
R4
– Lots of dancing around for round four. Just lots of moving
around the Octagon, Maia trying to dive in with punches, Silva
avoiding, but not firing back, then acting like he’s upset
that there’s no action. But he’s not really making
a move to finish the fight himself. Maia throws his hands up
and Silva does the same back.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Maia
R5
– Maia shoots and misses the takedown. Maia rushes in and
catches Silva with a couple punches. Moves in again and catches
him with a wild left hook, Maia on his knees swinging away, Silva
backs off. Shaking his head like he’s appreciative of Maia’s
burst. Silva lands a spinning back kick. Maia swinging, but looking
really tired. Silva walking away. Maia shoots and snags a leg,
Silva steps out of it and backs away. Maia’s nose is busted
up. The referee warns Silva for running away from Maia. Maia
throws up his hands in frustration. Ref calls time and tells
Silva that he’s going to take a point away if he keeps running.
The
crowd is chanting “Maia, Maia” after the fight.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Maia, the fight 48-47 for Silva
Anderson
Silva def. Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision (No Scores Read),
R5
B.J.
PENN VS. FRANKIE EDGAR
R1
– Both men looking to box early, Edgar showing a lot of
movement, Penn holding the center of the Octagon. Penn being
patient starts to establish his jab. Edgar continuously moving
gets caught with several uppercuts as he moves in trying to take
Penn down. Edgar trying to find an opening, but eats several
shots every time he moves in on Penn. Penn lands a shot to the
body as the two clinch and then tosses Edgar aside just before
the round ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Penn
R2
– Edgar eats a stiff jab trying to move in for a takedown
then backs off and starts searching again, constantly staying
in motion. Penn seems content to hold the center of the Octagon,
patiently waiting for Edgar. Penn doing a good job sticking Edgar
with the jab and landing short two and three punch combinations.
Edgar is showing good hand speed and movement, but isn’t
as accurate as Penn. Edgar gets in and takes Penn down, pushing
him, but Penn is immediately back to his feet, again in the center
of the Octagon.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Penn
R3
– Edgar moves, but is stung with a hard combination by Penn.
A lot of pop in Penn’s jab, snapping Edgar’s head back.
Edgar gets through with a couple individual punches, but isn’t
landing the combinations that Penn does. Edgar getting more creative
with his striking, throwing superman punch, trying to set up
the takedown. Penn missing more in this round, and Edgar moves
in and lands a kick to the body. Edgar has stepped up the movement
even more now, throwing Penn off a bit.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Edgar
R4
– Good body kick by Edgar. Edgar really mixing up, throwing
combinations, and trying to shoot the takedown, but stuffed.
Edgar lands the right hand off the combination, doing a much
better now keeping Penn off guard. Penn still landing the jab
though, but not as frequently as earlier in the fight. Penn lands
a counter right and couple jabs. Edgar tries a jumping knee,
but misses. Another good counter left from Penn.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-10
R5
– Edgar scores the takedown, but Penn right back up. Edgar
moves in with a good combination and just misses with the head
kick. Good jab from Edgar, but a leg kick from Penn. Midway through
the round and Edgar lands a strong right cross. Penn looks tired
and a little frustrated. Edgar shoots, but gets shucked off,
twice. Edgar lands a left hook and leg kick. Penn is managing
his jab, but not much more offense than that. Edgar finding some
sting in his own jab and follows with a kick to the body. Penn
finishes strong with a right and knee, but is it enough?
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Edgar, the fight 48-48 for a draw.
Frankie
Edgar def. B.J. Penn by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 48-47, 49-46),
R3
MATT
HUGHES VS. RENZO GRACIE
R1
– Neither fighter willing to commit early, both gauging
range. Loud chants of Renzo roll through the crowd. Gracie launches
a boxing combination, but Hughes pushes him against the cage
and dirty boxes him for a moment before they split. Again they
clinch and Hughes pushes Gracie to the cage, this time kneeing
his legs. Gracie tosses him off and separates. They dance around
the center of the Octagon, Hughes landing a few individual leg
kicks, and Gracie trying to get his boxing started.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Hughes
R2
– Gracie tries to establish the jab, while Hughes goes back
to his most effective move of round one, the leg kick, visibly
stinging Gracie a couple of times early in the round. They clinch
and trip to the ground, but are quickly back on their feet for
the stand-up. Hughes again chopping at Gracie’s lead leg
with the low kick. The crowd boos as there’s still no sustained
action midway through the round. Gracie finally lands a leg kick
of his own, but eats a short left hook from Hughes, who then
goes back to the leg kicks on Gracie’s lead leg. Hughes
land a good jab-leg kick combo before eating a straight right.
Gracie shoots and almost gets caught in a guillotine. They clinch
and Hughes pushes Gracie to the fence as the round ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Hughes.
R3
– Hughes again starts chopping away at Gracie’s lead
leg with the low kicks and Gracie does nothing to check the kicks
or move away from them. Hughes lands a straight right, and Gracie
looks very frustrated, can’t seem to get anything going.
Hughes pushes him to the fence, lands a few knees, then pulls
him away from the fence, keeping his weight on him, then separates
and rocks Gracie with a strong boxing combination, but doesn’t
really push to finish. Hughes throws the leg kick and Gracie
falls to the mat. Referee Herb Dean motions from Gracie to get
up and Hughes actually extends a hand to help him up. They start
up and Hughes kicks out the leg again dropping Gracie, who gets
back up, but is wavering, just trying to finish the fight. Hughes
drops him again with a right hand, but backs off, making Gracie
stand again. Hughes then moves in and drops Gracie once again
with a boxing combination and the fight is waved off.
Matt
Hughes def. Renzo Gracie by TKO (Strikes) at 4:40, R3
TERRY
ETIM VS. RAFAEL DOS ANJOS
R1
– They start off trading kicks, but Dos Anjos quickly switches
to shooting in for the takedown, but gets caught in a guillotine
choke on the way down. Etim combines the choke with a triangle
body lock, but Dos Anjos remains calm, eventually popping his
head out. Dos Anjos immediately passes to side control and starts
kneeing. Referee Mark Goddard warns Dos Anjos for kneeing too
close to the spine and stands the fight back up. They clinch
and Dos Anjos trips Etim down, but lands on bottom. Etim starts
working from Dos Anjos’ guard, but isn’t able to amass
much damage before the round ends.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Etim.
R2
– Dos Anjos starts off with a couple strong inside leg kicks.
They clinch and Etim lands a knee to the chin before getting
taken down by Dos Anjos, who starts working from side control.
Dos Anjos tries to gain mount, but moves back to side control
and drops a couple hard elbows to the face of Etim then transitions
to full mount. Etim quickly defends and gains half guard, but
Dos Anjos moves back to side control and dropping elbows. He
moves to north-south and tries for a Kimura on Etim’s left
arm, can’t get it, and then transitions to an armbar for
the finish.
Rafael
Dos Anjos def. Terry Etim by Submission (Armbar) at 4:30, R2
MARK
MUNOZ VS. KENDALL GROVE
R1
– As expected, Munoz quickly scores a takedown, but Grove
is back to his feet quickly and made Munoz pay with an uppercut
that hurt him. As Munoz continues to work for a second takedown,
Grove punishes him with hammerfists. Munoz won’t give up
on the shot, but they are separated when the action stalls. Grove
sprawls out on a Munoz shot and nearly locks up a choke, but
Munoz escapes and clips Grove with a couple punches. Munoz shoots
again and gets caught in a guillotine choke, but once again escapes
what looked to be a tight choke. Munoz won’t give up on
the takedown, and again gets caught in a guillotine, but escapes
before the bell.
MMAWeekly.com
scores the round 10-9 for Grove
R2
– Munoz lands a strong right hand, but Grove drops him with
a knee to the head from the clinch. Grove follows him down and
takes Munoz’s back. Munoz escapes and starts ground and
pound from Grove’s guard, punishing the body. Grove trying
to kick Munoz off, but Munoz dives in and brutalizes Grove in
a brutal assault until the referee stops the punishment.
Mark
Munoz def. Kendall Grove by TKO (Strikes) at 2:50, R2
UFC
112 QUICK RESULTS:
Main
Bouts (On Pay-Per-View):
-Anderson Silva def. Demian Maia by Unanimous Decision (No Scores
Read), R5
-Frankie Edgar def. B.J. Penn by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 48-47,
49-46), R3
-Matt Hughes def. Renzo Gracie by TKO (Strikes) at 4:40, R3
-Rafael Dos Anjos def. Terry Etim by Submission (Armbar) at 4:30,
R2
-Mark Munoz def. Kendall Grove by TKO (Strikes) at 2:50, R2
Preliminary
Bouts (Non-Televised):
-Phil Davis def. Alexander Gustafsson by Submission (Anaconda
Choke) at 4:55, R1
-Paul Taylor (10-5-1) vs. John Gunderson (22-7) - CANCELLED
-Rick Story def. Nick Osipczak by Split Decision, R3
-DaMarques Johnson def. Brad Blackburn by TKO (Strikes) at 2:08,
R3
-Paul Kelly def. Matt Veach by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 3:41, R2
-Jon Madsen def. Mostapha Al-Turk by Unanimous Decision, R3
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Follow
the Pan 2010 finals
From
Brazil to Abu Dhabi, the technique of the black belts in the
Pan 2010 managed to keep a lot of people awake until late.
Check
out all the action live on Budovideos.com, and check the complete
results here on GRACIEMAG.com. We apologize for the technical
problems afflicting our site the last few days.
Heavyweight:
Bernardo Faria defeats Rafael Lovato Jr.
After
earning his spot in the absolute final on Saturday, the young
talent from Alliance repeated the feat at heavyweight. In the
final, he overcame Lovato on points. “I got the finish in
all my matches, except this final with Lovato. I respect him
a lot, and I’m so happy to be champion of the Pan. Many
thanks to my team, especially Ecuador’s Léo Iturralde,
who made way for me at weight and is a champion too. And to Léo
Nogueira, who trains with me in São Paulo,” remarks
Bernardo.
Superheavyweight:
Antonio Braga Neto defeats Marcel Fortuna
Both
representing the academies of Ralph Gracie, old opponents Neto
and Mãozinha opted not to compete in the final. Marcel
also appears to be limping.
Roosterweight:
Bruno Malfacine submits Felipe Costa
Good
match between world champions, with the consistency of Bruno
“Bad Boy” prevailing, who has been winning every competition
he enters.
Light
featherweight: Caio Terra vs Carlos “Esquisito” Holanda
After
contracting swine flu, Caio showed up in the light featherweight
division untrained, but valiant. He was not up to par with the
good shape and category of Carlos Esquisito (Check Mat), who
won on points. “I’m impressed, to tell you the truth.
I fulfilled a dream in the Pan: I fought in the absolute, where
I won my first match against Bill Cooper, then I fought Bruno
Bastos and lost. But the power of team CheckMat was worthwhile,”
said the Amazonas state native.
Featherweight:
Rubens Cobrinha vs Marcelino Freitas
Cobrinha
sweeps Marcelino, who made it really hard to pass his guard.
With 30 seconds left, the Alliance Atlanta teacher freed his
leg from Marcelino’s half-guard, made it to side-control
and tried to take the back, but time ran out. With his fifth
title, Cobrinha bids farewell to the Pan in grand style!
Lightweight:
Michael Langhi vs Lucas Lepri
Langhi
and Lepri, being teammates, chose not to fight in the final.
Middleweight:
Abmar Barbosa vs Kayron Gracie
Kayron
Gracie went on a tear as a black belt and won gold at the Pan.
The final was a sweep show. Abmar started out losing, but drew
the score with a sweep. Kayron reciprocated, and then was swept
again. Score tied at 4 to 4, Abmar got on top, trying for advantage
points. In the end, Kyron swept again and secured gold for himself.
Medium
heavyweight: Otávio Sousa vs André Freitas
Otávio
didn’t allow any breathing room on top and beat André
Freitas. The Gracie Barra fighter passed guard and mounted to
secure gold.
Ultraheavyweight:
Gabriel Vella vs Luiz Felipe Big Mac
In
a match that played out entirely standing, Gabriel Vella defeated
Luiz “Big Mac” on his return to Ryan Gracie Academy.
Vella managed an advantage point at a moment when he moved to
Big Mac’s back and nearly got a wrestling-type takedown.
The move earned him the win.
Absolute
final: Antonio Braga Neto vs Bernardo Augusto Faria
From blue
to brown, names made through Pan
The
Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American comes to a close this Sunday in California,
when all the black belt champions will be known. However, the
other belt groups already have their winners, some of whom GRACIEMAG.com
pointed out as being likely to succeed in 2010.
Brown
is the last belt before black. Among those who may make life
hard on the Gentle Art’s biggest stars in the near future,
Lucas Rocha (Gracie Barra) carries on doing his homework. The
fighter beat all opposition at middleweight. Other brown belt
standouts are Marcus Almeida “Bochecha” (CheckMat),
at superheavyweight; Ian McPherson (Alliance), middleweight;
Zak Maxwell (Gracie Humaitá), lightweight; and the youngest
of the Langhi family, Michel (Alliance), winner at light featherweight.
At
purple belt, the big name was Alec Baulding (Alliance), winner
of the middleweight and absolute divisions. Another to stand
out is João Gabriel (Soul Fighters), winner at medium
heavyweight. Among the girls, Renzo Gracie’s dangerous student
Kay Stephenson took both the medium heavyweight and absolute.
At
blue belt, after winning the World Pro qualifiers in Rio, Mateus
Luckmann (Alliance) took featherweight gold at the Pan. He heads
to Abu Dhabi riding a wave of success. The Lloyd Irvin athletes
also showed their mettle. Willie Leonard first won the ultra
heavyweight, before closing out the absolute division with teammate
Jackson De Alonzo. Also from Lloyd Irvin, Tracy Godell won at
weight and the absolute in the female category.
And
not to leave out the juvenile division, Christian Broadnax (Nova
União) was top among medium heavyweights and the absolute.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
HERSCHEL
WALKER TO RETURN IN FALL 2010
One of the most polarizing athletes to ever step foot in mixed
martial arts will return later this year. Herschel Walker is
expected to compete for Strikeforce again this fall on a yet
to be announced show.
The
news comes courtesy of Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker who made the
announcement on MMAWeekly Radio Wednesday night.
"Herschel
will be fighting in Strikeforce again. I think we're going to
do something in the fall with him," Coker said.
Rumors
had circulated that Walker may end up on the upcoming Strikeforce
show in June, but Coker put water on that and says that while
he is definitely going to return, it won't likely be until the
latter part of the year.
"The
exact date hasn't been determined. He will come back to AKA (American
Kickboxing Academy) and start training I think in the next 30
days," said Coker.
A
Heisman Trophy winner, former NFL running back, and Olympic bobsled
team member, Walker has accomplished just about everything an
athlete could want to accomplish, but he still has a competitive
fire in him that burns to do more.
That
fire led him towards mixed martial arts after training in traditional
martial arts virtually for his entire life. Walker made a successful
debut in the sport a few months ago defeating Greg Nagy by TKO.
"It's
an unbelievable story, it really is," the Strikeforce CEO
said. "We're so proud to have him come fight because here's
a guy that's such a great guy. He doesn't need to do this, but
loves mixed martial arts, so he wants to support the sport."
Coker
believes Walker's involvement can only do great things, and it's
good for everyone that he's decided to be a part of MMA.
Nothing
has been set in stone as far as opponents either, but Walker
will look to make his return to action later this year. MMAWeekly.com
will have more information on Walker's next fight as it becomes
available.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
112: PAUL TAYLOR OUT DUE TO MEDICAL ISSUE
A UFC 112 preliminary bout between Paul Taylor and John Gunderson
has been scrapped, according to a UFC.com report.
“Due
to last-minute medical issues, Paul Taylor has been removed from
today's UFC 112 event in Abu Dhabi, scrapping his preliminary
bout with the United States' John Gunderson,” read the UFC
statement.
The
bout was due to be Taylor’s first at 155 pounds in the Octagon.
The Brit has been on a rocky path at welterweight, racking up
a mediocre 3-4 record in the UFC.
It
was to be Gunderson’s chance at redemption. He carries a
solid 22-7 overall record, but lost his Octagon debut at UFC
108 in January.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MUNOZ
AND DOS ANJOS PUT ON GROUND DISPLAYS
It was a ground game showcase in the first two fights at UFC
112 with Mark Munoz displaying a vicious ground and pound attack,
while Rafael Dos Anjos made the Abu Dhabi crowd happy with a
brilliant submission to finish off Terry Etim.
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu was in full effect for Rafael Dos Anjos as he showed
another level of grappling expertise putting British fighter
Etim away with an armbar.
A
back and forth first round saw both Dos Anjos and Etim have strong
moments, including a guillotine choke from Etim that looked to
put an end to the fight early, but the Brazilian sat back, relaxed
and worked his way out of the hold.
The
second round was where Dos Anjos decided to put Etim on his back
and make him pay for going to the ground with a submission expert.
Dos Anjos broke Etim down like a great NFL quarterback would
work a defense's weak points, and within moments he was moving
in and out of the Brit's guard.
Opting
for north-south position, and then moving in for a Kimura, Dos
Anjos got Etim to make just the right move to switch to a straight
armbar. The Brazilian moved quick to lay out with the arm extended,
and while Etim did try to roll out he wasn't going to escape
and he was forced to tap.
Dos
Anjos picks up his third win in a row in the UFC, and showed
that if the fight hits the ground with him, anybody could be
in trouble.
Mark
Coleman may have the nickname of the "Godfather of Ground
and Pound" but Mark Munoz may have just become the new boss
of ground and pound with a thunderous performance against Kendall
Grove.
It
looked in the first round like Munoz was going to be heading
back home to California with a loss on his record as Grove popped
him early with an uppercut and the Hawaiian looked to finish.
Locking
on an Anaconda choke, followed up by two different guillotine
chokes, Grove kept the pressure on Munoz, who even by his own
admission knows he was in trouble at that point.
"Yeah,
I was," Munoz admitted. "You've got to have will to
survive in the cage."
Survive
he did and Munoz came out with a whole new ferociousness in the
second round, as he got Grove to the ground early and unleashed
a vicious ground attack. Grove swiveled his hips, pushed away
and tried to do whatever he could to keep Munoz off him, but
the former Oklahoma State wrestler was like a shark smelling
blood in the water.
Unrelenting
with his attack, Munoz blasted away at Grove until he turtled
up and continued to take punishment until the referee saw enough
and stopped the fight, giving Munoz the win.
"That's
one of my strong points, and I just love when I'm on top,"
Munoz said. "I just know I've got heavy hands when I'm on
top."
With
his wrestling pedigree and ground attack, Munoz will be a tough
test for anybody at 185 pounds in the UFC's middleweight division.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Anderson
beats Demian under boos on UFC
The
first edition on the Middle East of UFC happened yesterday afternoon,
but not everything went as the audience was expecting. Read below
the vent details and stay tuned on TATAME to to check out, exclusive
interviews about the show straight from Abu Dhabi.
ANDERSON
WON BUT APOLOGIZED
Coming
from a spectacular victory over Forrest Griffin, the UFC champion,
Anderson Silva, promised another show in the octagon against
Demian Maia. When the Bell rang, Anderson showed that his striking
is definitely the most technical of the MMA. But the champion
did not seem to want to set the fight. From the third round,
Anderson dropped his guard and asked for Demian to hit him, but
the black belted, but his opponent didn’t want to attack
him while standing.
On
the fourth round, the Abu Dhabi audience began booing and Demian,
nervous, complained about it to Anderson. The champion answered,
but with words, and the two briefly "discussed". The
audience, which applauded Anderson early in the fight, switched
sides, shouting "Maia! Maia."The crowd didn’t
manage to change Silva’s posture towards the fight. In the
final assault, the referee complained with Anderson, saying he
would take off one point if he did not attack.
The
fight didn’t have much action after all, and at the end
of 25 minutes of fighting, Anderson got the victory. Before it
announced the official decision, Smith knelt in the octagon and
apologized to Demian, before apologizing to the entire audience.
"Demian is a great fighter, he fought very well struck me
in a way I didn’t expected. I guess I got excited, it's
time to go back and reflect on my humility here, what brought
me here. Today I was not me" said, under boos.
FRANK
EDGAR BEATS BJ PENN
Considered
by many the best lightweight in the history of UFC, BJ Penn was
different ON the UFC 112. Away from the aggressive style shown
against Diego Sanchez, the Hawaiian BJ was dominated by Frank
Edgar. Without much incisiveness of the blows, yes, but Frank
was better at stand up and took the title in the UFC by unanimous
decision.
HUGHES
KNOCKS RENZO
One
of the greatest legends of the national MMA, Renzo Gracie started
well in his debut on the UFC. Working well up against the former
champion Matt Hughes, Renzo took advantage in the first round,
but the U.S. changed his strategy and did not seek for the ground
fighting and ground and pound, he began to dominate the fight
from the second round. The definition of the fight came at the
end of the last round, working well and taking the kicks low
Gracie, exhausted, to the canvas with a good sequence of punches.
RAFAEL
DOS ANJOS SUBMITS IN A BIG FIGHT
Being
the first Brazilian to fight in the competition, Rafael dos Anjos
showed a big heart in the fight against Terry Etim. In the duel
between Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling, who started better
was Terry, fitting a guillotine in the first instants of the
fight and giving a hard time for the Brazilian. Better in the
second round, Rafael was able to make a good fall and worked
ground and pound to fit the arm-lock, getting the victory.
MUNOZ
SHOWS BIG HEART
The
Philippine Mark Munoz, who has helped out the trainings of Wrestling
of fighters like Rodrigo Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum, went through
a hard time in the first fight of the main card. Having Kandall
Grove as his opponent, the middleweight took a knockout in the
first round and almost was penalized several times, but survived
the massacre and, on the second round, he came back willingly
and beated Grove technical knockout, punishing his opponent,
on ground and pound.
Source:
Tatame
|
Applause
and boos at UFC 112
UFC
112, the promotion’s first event in Abu Dhabi, came with
applause and boos this Saturday. If on one hand the grit of Mark
Munos and technique of Rafael dos Anjos, with the best submission
of the night, pleased; the performances from BJ Penn and Anderson
Silva disappointed the crowd present in the stadium. Check out
the description of the fights on the main card and all the results
below.
Anderson
Silva vs Demian Maia
As
was to be expected, Anderson Silva avoided the ground fight.
In the first and second round, the “Spider”, with kicks
and punches, nearly defined the outcome, opening a cut on his
opponent’s face. Nevertheless, starting in the third round,
what most stood out were the champion’s provocations. Demian
started going on the attack and went all or nothing in the fifth
stanza, but to no effect. In the end, to boos from the crowd,
Anderson hung on to his middleweight belt with a unanimous decision.
BJ
Penn vs Frankie Edgar
Despite
the ground savvy of both parties, what transpired were five rounds
on the feet – basically a bout of boxing. BJ controlled
the center of the ring and worked the counter-attack the entire
time. Edgar attacked throughout and managed two takedowns. In
the end, via decision, the scorecards crowned a new lightweight
champion: Frankie Edgar.
Matt
Hughes vs Renzo Gracie
Renzo
had a good first round against Hughes, landing solid strikes
while standing. Nevertheless, starting in the second, he began
to gas out. In the final round the Gracie demonstrated clear
signs of fatigue and Hughes made the most of it, landing effective
strikes and kicks to the legs. In a flurry of punches, Hughes
managed the knockout 20 seconds from the final bell.
Rafael
dos Anjos vs Terry Etim
In
the first round, Etim caused some discomfort with a guillotine
but dos Anjos ended up on top, gaining the upper hand. Rafael’s
master, Roberto Gordo, told the black belt between rounds: “You
turned up the heat halfway through the round. Now go for it.”
And that’s what he did. Dos Anjos got the takedown and went
to work on the ground, landing strikes and elbows from side-control
and the mount. At the end of the round, he went from a kimura
lock to armbar and got the tapout. The result is the tie-breaker
in the fighter’s UFC career, now with three wins and two
losses.
Kendall
Grove vs Mark Munoz
Munoz
saw storm clouds in the first round. He was punished in the standup
and weathered some snug choke holds. Gove’s mistake was
to land on bottom in the second, after trying for a submission.
Munoz launched a ground and pound assault resulting in the technical
knockout. Rodrigo Minotauro rushed in to celebrate his victory.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Edgar
Shocks Penn; Silva Plays with Maia
by Brian
Knapp
A man who had been urged by many to drop to 145 pounds ended
the reign of the sport’s most dominant lightweight Saturday
in the co-main event of UFC 112 at the Ferrari World Concert
Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Frankie
Edgar used his speed, movement and a pair of takedowns, as he
outpointed B.J. Penn to capture the lightweight crown. Scores
were 50-45, 48-47 and 49-46, all in Edgar’s favor, as he
authored what will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest
upsets of 2010. The decision seems certain to inspire debate
in the mixed martial arts community.
“This
is it. B.J. is the greatest lightweight ever, and I just beat
him,” Edgar said. “I just hope I can be half the champion
he was.”
Penn,
bearing bruises under both eyes, seemed resigned to defeat as
he awaited the decision from the judges. The 31-year-old Brazilian
jiu-jitsu black belt had not lost as a lightweight in more than
eight years.
Edgar
grounded the Hawaiian with authority and punctuated his stunning
triumph with a strong fifth round. There, he consistently beat
the champion to the punch and stayed out of danger. Edgar, who
has won four in a row, utilized feints and a multipronged stand-up
attack throughout the competitive five-round encounter. Penn
landed the more powerful punches but never shook the challenger,
who appeared unfazed by the pound-for-pound great’s considerable
aura. Penn again relied heavily on his stiff left jab and flurried
late, but he seemed to slow noticeably after chasing Edgar for
the full 25 minutes.
Silva
toyed with Maia.Silva Defends in Another Strange Performance
Anderson
Silva looked very much like a man who has grown bored with his
profession, as his latest outing devolved into the theater of
the bizarre.
The
promotion’s longest-reigning champion attacked for two rounds
and then disengaged from the fight, mentally and physically,
as he posted a unanimous decision victory over Demian Maia in
the UFC 112 headliner. Scores were not announced.
Unbeaten
in 11 UFC appearances, Silva spent as much time clowning and
taunting as he did competing, even with a potential box office
blockbuster matchup against welterweight king Georges St. Pierre
on the immediate horizon. Boos and chants of “Maia”
and “GSP” rained down upon the embattled champion,
who has drawn criticism for similar disjointed efforts in the
past. Silva seemed disinterested at times, disgusted with Maia
at others. The performance was eerily reminiscent of his April
2009 title defense against Thales Leites.
“Demain
actually surprised me with some of his punches, and I apologize
to everybody,” Silva said through his translator, Ed Soares.
“I don’t know what got into me tonight. I wasn’t
as humble as I should have been. It was just the ring rust and
a little bit of everything. I’m really sorry.”
Silva
-- who appeared as if he could have ended the match at a moment
of his choosing -- battered Maia for the first 10 minutes, as
he popped him with powerful leg kicks and dropped him with a
beautiful flying knee. From the third round forward, however,
he did little more than circle the challenger, which resulted
in referee Dan Miragliotta threatening to take away a point in
the fifth round.
Overmatched
and outgunned, Maia did all he could to keep the fight interesting.
He even resorted to punching from his knees in the fifth.
Hughes
Batters Gracie
Former
UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes used a steady stream of
leg kicks to chop down Renzo Gracie en route to a technical knockout
4:40 into the third round.
After
an uneventful first period, Hughes went to work on Gracie’s
lead leg. He landed 18 thudding low kicks over the final two
rounds and methodically chipped away at Gracie’s pride and
resolve. By the time the third round rolled around, the two-time
Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships
winner could barely stand.
Hughes
knocked down Gracie four times in the final period, twice with
leg kicks. With the Brazilian wilting, Hughes zeroed in on the
finish. He peppered Gracie with a pair of left jabs against the
cage and hammered him with a three-punch combination that forced
referee Herb Dean to intervene with just 20 seconds to go.
“I
was actually pretty happy,” said Hughes, who joins Japanese
legend Kazushi Sakuraba as the only men to defeat both Renzo
and UFC hall of famer Royce Gracie. “I knew Renzo came in
throwing wide, looping, strong punches, so I tried to stay in
tight, move away and do things real simple. Fighting a Gracie,
somebody like Renzo, I have to put the odds on my side.”
Fighting
for the first time in more than three years, the 43-year-old
Gracie succumbed to strikes for just the second time in his career.
“It
was very hard,” Gracie said. “I [went] two years and
a half without training at all. Then I got six months and I have
a tough guy like Matt Hughes to fight; it wasn’t an easy
task.”
Dos
Anjos Taps Etim
Dos
Anjos put away Etim.Rafael dos Anjos posted his third consecutive
victory, as he submitted former Cage Gladiators champion Terry
Etim with a second-round armbar in a featured lightweight matchup.
The end came 4:30 into round two.
A
decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, dos Anjos weathered
an attempted guillotine choke for more than a minute in the first
round and reversed to top position in a scramble. There, he was
warned for delivering knees to Etim’s spine, as the referee
returned the two men to their feet. Etim finished a competitive
opening round on top but failed to exact much damage.
Dos
Anjos seized control in the second period, as he ate a knee from
the clinch before scoring with a takedown. Etim never regained
his footing. Dos Anjos worked over the 24-year-old Team Kaobon
standout on the ground, passing deftly to side control and landing
a series of short elbows to the head. Dos Anjos later mounted
and moved to the North-South position, where he transitioned
to the fight-ending armbar.
Munoz
Rallies to Stop Grove
Nearly
finished inside the first round, the resilient Mark Munoz roared
back from the brink and stopped “The Ultimate Fighter”
Season 3 winner Kendall Grove with savage second-round ground-and-pound.
Grove met his demise 2:50 into round two.
Wielding
a six-inch height and eight-inch reach advantage, Grove had Munoz
on the proverbial ropes for much of the opening period. He dropped
Munoz with a right uppercut and battered the two-time collegiate
All-American wrestler with hammerfists against the cage while
Munoz desperately clung to a single-leg. Grove then unleashed
his submission game, as he threatened with an anaconda choke
and a pair of modified guillotines, his long arms tightening
around Munoz’s thick neck. Still, Grove could not put away
the 32-year-old father of four.
“Man,
yeah, I was [in trouble],” Munoz said. “But you know
what? You have to have will to survive in the cage, and that’s
what I have. I want to make it to the top, and that’s what
you need in order to be a champ.”
Grove
delivered a crackling knee to the side of Munoz’s head to
open round two and briefly seized back control. However, Munoz
freed himself, moved to a dominant top position and let loose
with a flurry of powerful blows that had Grove cradling his face
in his hands.
“That’s
one of my strong points,” Munoz said. “I just love
when I’m on top. I just know I have heavy hands on top,
and I’m wrestler and that’s where I’m at -- I’m
on top a lot.”
Quick preliminary results:
Jon Madsen def. Mostapha Al-Turk Decision (Unanimous:29-28 x3)
R3 5:00
Paul Kelly def. Matt Veach Submission (Guillotine Choke) R2 3:41
DaMarques Johnson def. Brad Blackburn TKO (Strikes) R3 2:08
Rick Story def. Nick Osipczak Decision (Split) R3 5:00
Phil Davis def.Alexander Gustafsson Submission (Anaconda Choke)
R1 4:55
News:
Paul Taylor has withdrawn from his bout with John Gunderson.
Kendall
Grove vs. Mark Munoz
Round 1
Kendall keeps Munoz at bay early with his long reach. Munoz shoots
and takes Grove down with a slick double. Munoz throttles Grove
with a right hand and the Hawaiian stands to his feet. Grove
connects with an uppercut that drops Munoz to his knees. Munoz
is hurt. Munoz grabs an ankle and Grove balances himself as he
drops right-handed hammerfists down on the head. Referee Marc
Goddard warns Grove for holding the fence. Munoz switches to
a double and Grove defends beautifully. Goddard separates the
fighters. Munoz lazily attempts a double without dropping levels
and Grove rolls for an anaconda choke. Munoz escapes and shoots
again. Grove this time slaps on a guillotine. The hold is tight,
but Munoz frees his head. Grove again works for a guillotine
at the end of the round.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Grove
Greg Savage scores the round 10-8 Grove
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-8 Grove
Round
2
Munoz blasts Grove with a right hand. Grove returns the favor
with a knee to the head as Munoz attempts a shot. Grove hops
on his back and transitions to an armbar. Munoz escapes and lays
the wood on Grove with two right hands. Munoz dives into the
guard and misses a right hook. From Grove’s closed guard,
Munoz pounds the body with his right hand and misses a haymaker.
Munoz stands and holds the left foot of Grove to defend the upkick.
Munoz goes back to guard and begins to tee off with both hands.
Grove is hurt. Grove rolls over to avoid punishment following
a right hand. Munoz keeps punching until Goddard pulls him off
at the 2:50 mark of round two.
Terry
Etim vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Round 1
A head kick from Etim is blocked. Etim goes to the outside of
dos Anjos’ lead leg with a low kick. Dos Anjos shoots and
Etim locks on an arm-in guillotine. Etim closes his guard and
squeezes with all his might. Etim has a loose body triangle while
holding the choke. Dos Anjos frees the grip of Etim and escapes.
Etim looks for an armbar and dos Anjos has none of it. He pulls
his arm out and passes to side control. Referee Goddard warns
dos Anjos for kneeing the spine and restarts the fighters on
their feet. Etim closes the distance and dos Anjos flops and
looks for a heel hook. Etim defends and takes the top position.
Dos Anjos shows an offensive guard, looking for a kneebar from
the bottom as time expires.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Etim
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Etim
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Etim
Round
2
Etim works the lead leg of dos Anjos with low kicks early in
round two. Etim connects with a knee to the chin. Etim follows
with a low kick that is caught by dos Anjos, who takes Etim to
the canvas. Dos Anjos passes to side control. Dos Anjos goes
to knee-on-belly and Etim puts him back in half guard. Dos Anjos
passes and ties up the head. The Brazilian connects with elbows
and a right hand. More elbows rain down from dos Anjos. Dos Anjos
goes back to knee-on-belly. Dos Anjos goes to the mount. Dos
Anjos lands an elbow and a punch before Etim gets to half guard.
Dos Anjos passes again and goes back to work with elbows from
side control. Dos Anjos advances to north-south and sets up a
kimura. Dos Anjos transitions to an armbar. The elbow is bent
backwards and Etim taps at 4:30 of the second period.
Matt
Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie
Round 1
Hughes backs Gracie away with his jab. Gracie connects with two
left hooks. Hughes clinches with Gracie and pushes him against
the fencing. Hughes knees the left thigh. Gracie gets off the
cage and returns to the center of the Octagon. Hughes ties up
his opponent again with an underhook. Gracie wants none of the
clinch. He gets free and runs away to get distance; Hughes follows.
The action is slow as neither fighter is able to connect with
a strike. Missed punches and kicks are the flavor of the round.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-10
Greg Savage scores the round 10-10
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Gracie
Round
2
Hughes lands to Gracie’s left leg with two low kicks. Gracie
opens up with his hands and fails to connect. Hughes scores with
another low kick. The Abu Dhabi crowd boos both fighters as there
still hasn’t been a flush strike in this bout. Hughes lands
a left and a right. Gracie throws a right-hand lead that falls
short by a foot. The crowd boos again. Hughes lands a low kick
and is hit by a straight right. Gracie drops down for a single
and Hughes stuffs it. Hughes moves Gracie to the fence as time
runs out.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Hughes
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Hughes
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Hughes
Round
3
Hughes is trying to win this fight with low kicks. He lands a
stiff one to start round three. Hughes lands a right hand and
backs away. Hughes cuts the cage off and lands another low kick.
Hughes feints with a takedown and connects with a right hand
before going to the clinch. Referee Herb Dean warns Gracie for
holding the shorts. Hughes opens up with his hands and lands
an uppercut. And another. Hughes goes back to Gracie’s leg
with a kick. Hughes lands two more low kicks that knock Renzo
down. Hughes kicks the leg and Renzo falls again. Renzo sticks
his hand out and Hughes helps him to his feet. The crowd appreciates
the sportsmanship. Gracie retreats to the cage and Hughes smells
blood. Hughes jabs and lands two right hands to the chin. Gracie
falls and Dean steps in to save him at 4:40 of round three.
B.J.
Penn vs. Frankie Edgar
Round 1
Penn stands in the center of the Octagon as the challenger circles
around him. Both fighters seem tentative to let their hands go
through the first 90 seconds. The lightweights trade jabs and
Edgar misses a front kick. Edgar grazes a left hook off the chin
of Penn. Edgar shuffles his feet and scores with another left
hook. Edgar sneaks in a low kick. Edgar shoots and Penn stuffs
it. Penn roughs Edgar up with some brief dirty boxing before
Edgar retreats. Edgar steps forward and Penn scores with a left.
Penn lands a right hand. Edgar again comes forward and Penn connects
with a left hook. Penn jabs and lands. Penn has a small ding
under his left eye.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Penn
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Penn
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Penn
Round
2
Penn jabs with his left hand to kickoff the second period. Penn
lands a hard left hand and Edgar fails on a shot. Penn checks
a low kick. Penn’s jab has set the tempo. He lands it at
will from a wide array of ranges as Edgar moves laterally. Penn
mixes in his left hook and keeps Edgar away. Another left-hook
lead finds its target for the champion. Edgar is moving beautifully,
but whenever he plants to strike, Penn’s jab greets him.
Edgar takes Penn down with a single, but he doesn’t pounce.
Penn stands up and lands an uppercut at the bell as Edgar grazes
a right hook.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Penn
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Penn
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Penn
Round
3
Edgar is soaking wet and referee Dean calls time to wipe him
down. The round begins and Penn lights Edgar up with a left and
a right hook. Edgar connects with a left hook as Penn feinted.
Edgar sneaks in another left hook and it leaves its mark on Penn’s
right eye. Penn now has small cuts and swelling under both eyes.
Edgar fakes a right hand and drops levels for a single. Penn
effortlessly defends it and cracks Edgar with a right hook. Edgar
feints with a single and connects with a kick to the body. Penn
stuffs another takedown. A low kick from Edgar is checked.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Penn
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Penn
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Penn
Round
4
Edgar takes control of the center of the cage for the first time
in the bout. He backs Penn up against the fence, but the champion’s
jab keeps him at a safe distance. Penn blocks a head kick. The
fighters clash heads at the 2:40 mark. Luckily, neither fighter
is cut. Penn is in complete control as his jab and short right
stop any Edgar offense in its tracks. Edgar rushes in and misses
a wild left and a jumping knee. Edgar’s right eye is busted
up from a left hook.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-10
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Edgar
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Penn
Round
5
Edgar gets a much-needed takedown early in the final frame. He
can not hold Penn down, as the champion springs back up to his
feet quickly. Penn scores with a low kick that makes Edgar grimace.
Edgar lands a double jab and a right-hand lead. Edgar drops down
for a single and Penn shucks him off. Again Edgar drops for a
takedown and Penn stops it. Edgar lands a low kick and a left
hand. Edgar’s jab finds a home on the chin of Penn. He connects
again with the jab. Penn lands a left hand and a knee to the
body.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Edgar (49-47 Penn)
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Edgar (48-47 Penn)
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Edgar (49-46 Penn)
The
scores are announced, and they’re shocking:
50-45
48-47
49-46
All
for Frankie Edgar, the new UFC lightweight champion.
Anderson
Silva vs. Demian Maia
Round 1
A feeling-out process unfolds for the first 100 seconds. Silva
lands a low kick that nearly knocks Maia off his feet. Silva
misses a spinning-back kick and then begins to shuffle his feet.
Silva drops a knee to the canvas, trying to bait Maia in. Silva
dances around Maia and connects with a right hand. Silva stocks
Maia and floors him with a jumping knee. Maia flopped after tasting
Silva’s power. Silva starts to taunt Maia. He backs him
to the fence with a right hand and sprawls on a takedown.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Silva
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Silva
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Silva
Round
2
Silva is playing with Maia. He shows a karate stance and then
transitions directly into a hardcore boxing game. He clips Maia
with a right hand and the challenger dives for a desperate single
attempt. Silva easily defends and backs away. Silva lands a hard
low kick. Maia dives in for two more takedowns and Silva just
steps away. Silva is frustrated with Maia’s lack of gameness.
Silva waves him on angrily and Maia refuses to be baited in.
The crowd boos as Silva just stands stationary, waving his opponent
on. Silva grows more angry as he screams at Maia to bring it
on. This is such a strange scene. Silva continues to voice his
displeasure and then he kicks Maia’s feet right out from
under him.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Silva
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Silva
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Silva
Round
3
Maia is bleeding on the bridge of his nose. Silva kicks the body
early in round three. A short right hand connects with Maia’s
nose and it’s opened up. Maia continues to do nothing and
the crowd lets both fighters hear it. Silva is toying with challenger,
kicking his body and legs at strange angles. Silva dances and
charges. He roughs Maia up with his hands and stops a shot. Maia
misses a left hook and fails on another takedown. Silva seems
content to just cruise and embarrass his challenger through the
first three rounds.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-9 Silva
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Silva
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Silva
Round
4
Maia, sporting a bloody nose and a mouse under his left eye,
lands a left-hand lead. Silva takes the first two minutes of
the round. He does absolutely nothing. He misses two right-hand
counters with 2:45 remaining in the frame. Silva begins to just
dance around the cage, refusing to engage at all as Maia chases
him down. Maia dives in with a lunging right hook that Silva
easily bocks. Silva steps away and taunts him.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-10
Greg Savage scores the round 10-9 Silva
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Maia
Round
5
Maia’s left eye is closed. Maia lands a left and a right
hook. Maia is swinging for the fences, and he’s connecting
on the champion. A left hook scores for Maia. The challenger
loses all momentum with a weak single attempt. Silva defends
and walks away. Maia transitions from a single to pulling guard.
He sucks Silva in, but Silva will not be held into the guard.
He elbows the head and steps up and out of danger. Maia takes
the center of the cage and chases after Silva. The champion runs
away and referee Dan Miragliotta calls time. He confronts Silva
and threatens to take a point if he runs around the cage again.
Time expires.
Jordan
Breen scores the round 10-10 (50-47 Silva)
Greg Savage scores the round 10-10 (50-46 Silva)
Mike Fridley scores the round 10-9 Maia (48-47 Silva)
Anderson
Silva takes a unanimous decision, the scores are not announced.
Source: Sherdog
|
Hawaiian
Triple Crown of BJJ
First Event
is 4/17/10
Kaiser High School Gym
***BREAKING
NEWS***
For every school that registers 10 or more competitors, we will
be giving the academies back $10 for each adult and $5 for each
kid that registers prior to midnight this coming Sunday (4/11).
Registration fees:
Register early and guarantee a cool competitor t shirt
Kids: $ 50
Adults: $ 70
We will be accepting registrations the morning of the event with
a $20 late fee.
Weigh-in times:
Kids: 8:30 – 9:30 am
Adults: 9:30 – 11:30 am
Weight class divisions:
http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/weigh_in.html
Prizes for Hawaii Triple Crown Champions:
Kids: Championship belt – Gi / Championship belt –
No-Gi
Adults: $1000 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Open Advanced (Absolute)
Division
$500 + HTC Belt – Purple and Brown Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – Blue Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Intermediate Division
A Justap GI ($120 value) + HTC Belt – White belt Division
HTC fight Shorts + Rash Guard ($100 value) + HTC Belt –
No-Gi Novice Division
2009 Hawaii Triple Crown Champions defend their belts without
charge in the 2010 circuit.
For more information please visit: www.Hawaiitriplecrown.com
or check out MMAHawaii Magazine for our 2-page layout about the
upcoming HTC series .
- Hawaii Triple Crown
|
Team
Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu World Championship Fundraiser
Email questions
by clicking here.
|
AMADI:
B.J. Penn's place in the pound-for-pound discussion is not at
the top
By; Jason
Amadi, MMATorch Columnist
Now that Georges St. Pierre has turned in his latest dominating
performance and we’re approaching UFC 112 where B.J. Penn
and Anderson Silva will be competing, the most infuriating MMA
topic imaginable, the pound for pound discussion, is back in
full swing.
Most
rational thinkers, for the sake of their own sanity, have called
it a three-way tie between Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre,
and Fedor Emelianenko. Unfortunately this three way tie has left
the greatest lightweight in the world, B.J. Penn, on the outside
looking in when it comes to pound for pound supremacy. However,
recently I’ve heard a few whispers about B.J. Penn being
the greatest pound for pound fighter in the world again, and
I must admit that I’m perplexed as to why that is.
In
the interest of impartiality, I’m not going to disclose
who I feel is the pound for pound best in the world, but obviously
I don’t think that it’s B.J. Penn. Whether you’re
basing your pound for pound picks on skill level, or the dubious
“if they were all of equal size” argument, I just don’t
see how when you add it all up, you get B.J. Penn.
Based
purely on skill, Penn is very close to the perfect fighter, but
he isn’t. Skill wise, Penn is probably better rounded than
Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva due to the glaring wrestling
holes in their game; but just like when they met in their two
outings, in this area, Penn has been bested by Georges St. Pierre.
St.
Pierre is the most complete fighter in the world, bar none. He
is widely considered to have the best functional wrestling in
MMA, even taking into account Division I All-Americans and Olympic
medalists. Unfortunately, we don’t see it as much as we
used to, but St. Pierre is also the quite proficient striker.
On the ground there is no guard that GSP can’t pass, and
while Penn does get the edge in this area because of his elite
grappling credentials, GSP is just the total package, at least
on paper.
In
terms of record and legacy, I still don’t see how you get
B.J. Penn. The 31 year old “Prodigy” is just as dominant
at 155 as all the other pound for pound kings are in their weight
classes. Problems for Penn only arise when he attempts to actually
put his pound for pound skills to the test.
Penn
has lost three out of his four forays into the UFC’s welterweight
division, and outside of the UFC, Penn lost to a 206 lb. Lyoto
Machida, which is just insane to think about. Really, had he
never fought outside of his weight class, he’d have just
one blemish on an otherwise dominant career. But he did, so he
doesn’t.
Fedor
Emelianenko routinely fights and defeats opponents much larger
than himself, such as the 7’2 “Techno Viking”
Hong Man Choi, the 6’8 Tim Sylvia, and the 6’11 kickboxing
legend Semmy Schilt. Anderson Silva, who has fought as low as
167 lbs in the past, now regularly moves up a weight class, and
dominates in that weight class, while maintaining his svelte
physique at 185 lbs. where he remains Champion.
The
problem I have with placing BJ Penn at the top of the pound for
pound list is that he really has tested the theory that is being
discussed, and he’s come up short quite a few times. You
can’t really hold it against him too much because the size
difference is very real, and he has the guts to actually fight
much larger men, but you can’t really place him above the
rest because of it either. Well, at least not yet.
At
UFC 112 Penn might notch what could end up being his final 155
lb. performance for the foreseeable future. Penn has suggested
more than a few times that, should he defeat Frankie Edgar this
Saturday, he would be looking to move back up to 170 lbs., but
this time putting on the weight properly. If Penn really moves
up properly, and dominates the 170 lb. division, I could definitely
see some pound for pound points swinging back in his direction.
But as of now, B.J. Penn is in fourth place. Perhaps trying and
failing isn’t really better than just being content in your
weight class after all. Well, only if the fictional pound for
pound argument means anything to you.
Source: MMA Torch
|
HUERTA,
WARREN DELIVER AT BELLATOR 13
by Ken
Pishna
Bellator Fighting Championships kicked off its second season
on Thursday night with a quartet of tournament bouts that certainly
must have left the promotion brimming with promise for an exciting
season.
Bellator
went all out to land former UFC fighter Roger Huerta and he did
not disappoint. Despite this being just his third bout in the
past two years, he showed no signs of rust. He was taken down
several times early by a powerful Chad Hinton, but he adjusted,
taking Hinton down in the second stanza and softening him up
with ground and pound for the majority of the round.
Hinton
tried to overcome his visible fatigue, storming out in round
three. He clinched Huerta from behind after the former UFC fighter
missed with a flying knee, but Huerta rolled out of it. A scramble
ensued.
Huerta
emerged on top, dropping down hammerfists, but Hinton’s
leg was served up for the taking and Huerta took it, finishing
the fight with a kneebar.
“That
guy was so strong,” Huerta later commented. “I was
trying to finish by TKO, ground and pound, but I had to take
the leg.”
In
the second of the lightweight bouts, Greg Jackson trained Carey
Vanier showed that there’s more than Huerta and current
champion Eddie Alvarez in the Bellator 155-pound division.
He
faced a game last minute replacement in Joe Duarte, but Vanier
fought a smart fight, patiently working to negate Duarte’s
size and strength advantage by taking him late into the fight
for the finish.
Vanier
had opportunities throughout the bout, taking Duarte down a number
of times in the opening round, but he never lost focus, instead
patiently picking away at Duarte.
Sensing
Duarte getting weary, Vanier used a stinging straight left in
round two to keep the pressure on. Then, in round three, he went
back to the takedown and brutalized Duarte for a little over
four minutes before finally ground and pounding him into a TKO
stoppage.
Huerta
and Vanier move on to the next round of the lightweight tournament,
promising some fireworks before a challenger to Alvarez is determined.
Bellator’s
second featherweight tournament also kicked off with two quarterfinal
bouts on Thursday night, promising some strong competition for
current champion Joe Soto when he faces the eventual tournament
winner in season three.
The
featherweights kicked off with a barnburner of a fight. Former
professional soccer player Georgi Karakhanyan, known more for
his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, surprisingly went headhunting
with veteran striker Bao Quach.
Karakhanyan
caught Quach off guard early, landing some head kicks that rocked
the Team Oyama fighter. But Quach battled back, using his boxing
skills to stun Karakhanyan on a couple of occasions. In the end,
it was Karakhanyan’s knees that proved the deciding factor.
Making
his way back to his feet after a Quach takedown, Karakhanyan
backed his opponent across the ring and drove two knees to Quach’s
chin, the second of which put him out cold.
“I
took my time, capitalized and knocked him out,” said Karakhanyan
after the fight. “I’m very confident. I’m just
looking forward to my next fight.”
Team
Quest fighter Joe Warren said in the lead-up to his fight that
he was ready and willing to grind it out for all three rounds
all the way through the tournament if necessary. And that’s
just what he did.
Warren
immediately went for the takedown and started grounding and pounding,
but not without Eric Marriott giving him a scare in the first
round. He caught Warren in a deep armbar then transitioned to
a tight triangle, but he didn’t have the time he needed
to finish it before the bell.
“I
give Eric Marriott credit, that was a tight, tight triangle,”
Warren said after the fight. “I just toughed that out, wait
until they snap the bell.”
Rounds
two and three were much the same, sans the near submissions from
Marriott. He kept trying, but was unable to stop Warren from
taking him down and pounding away at him for the duration.
“I’m
real happy to get this win and move to the second round,”
said Warren of the unanimous decision.
With
their victories, Karakhanyan and Warren move on to the semifinal
round.
Lightweight
Tournament Bouts:
-Roger Huerta def. Chad Hinton by Submission (Kneebar) at 0:56,
R3
-Carey Vanier def. Joe Duarte by TKO (Strikes) at 4:14, R3
Featherweight
Tournament Bouts:
-Joe Warren def. Eric Marriott by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Georgi Karakhanyan def. Bao Quach by KO (Knee) at 4:05, R1
Preliminary
Card (Non-Televised):
-Vagner Rocha def. Francisco Soares by TKO (Strikes) at 2:07,
R2
-Edson Diniz def. John Kelly by Submission (Kneebar) at 4:36,
R1
-Mikey Gomez def. Moyses Gabin by Unanimous Decision, R3
-Chris Manuel def. Ralph Acosta by Submission (Guillotine Choke)
at 0:35, R3
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
KOs Ken Shamrock in Court Again
By Michael
David Smith
Ken Shamrock's last three UFC fights were first-round knockout
losses. Now he's been knocked out by the UFC in a court of law.
The
UFC distributed a press release Thursday trumpeting its latest
legal victory over Shamrock, a UFC Hall of Famer who took the
UFC to court and may now have to pay a steep price for that decision.
According
to the press release, the UFC's parent company Zuffa LLC was
awarded a legal victory Thursday when Judge Susan H. Johnson
of the Eighth Judicial District Court for Nevada, granted the
UFC's motion for attorney's fees and costs, totaling close to
$175,000. Shamrock lost a lawsuit to Zuffa regarding his UFC
contract and will now have to pick up the tab.
"This
latest legal victory on behalf of Zuffa demonstrates, once again,
that the UFC is fully committed to vigorously enforcing all of
its contractual rights," the UFC's lawyers said in a statement.
"Judge Johnson has determined Mr. Shamrock's hard lesson
learned in this case will cost him approximately $175,000."
From
the UFC's perspective, collecting $175,000 isn't nearly as important
as sending a powerful message to other fighters that he who messes
with the UFC does so at his peril. Any other fighters who have
problems with their contracts are going to think long and hard
before trying to go to court about those problems.
But
while $175,000 isn't a lot of money to the UFC, it likely is
to Shamrock. He's 46 years old, hasn't fought since February
of 2009 and failed a steroid test last year, but he may need
to return to the cage to make up some of the money he lost to
the UFC. Which means the knockout loss Shamrock suffered at the
hands of the UFC probably won't be his last one.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Remaining
Bouts for UFC 113 Announced
THE
ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® CONFIRMS REMAINING BOUTS
FOR UFC® 113: MACHIDA vs. SHOGUN 2
MAIN
EVENT
LYOTO “THE DRAGON” MACHIDA vs. MAURICIO “SHOGUN”
RUA
CO-MAIN
EVENT
JOSH KOSCHECK vs. PAUL DALEY
SAM
STOUT vs. JEREMY STEPHENS
KIMBO SLICE vs. MATT MITRIONE
PATRICK COTE vs. ALAN BELCHER
TIM CREDEUR vs. TOM LAWLOR
MARCUS DAVIS vs. JONATHAN GOULET
YOSHIYUKI YOSHIDA vs. MIKE GUYMON
JOEY BELTRAN vs. CHAD CORVIN
TJ GRANT vs. JOHNY HENDRICKS
NICK CATONE vs. JOHN SALTER
SATURDAY,
MAY 8, 2010
Live
from the Bell Centre – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Tickets
on Sale Now
Las
Vegas, NV (USA) – The light-heavyweight title will be on
the line on when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® returns
to the Bell Centre in Montreal. At UFC® 104 last October,
light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida
and challenger Mauricio “Shogun” Rua engaged in a back-and-forth
five round battle resulting in the champion retaining his belt
via a razor-thin unanimous decision. On Saturday, May 8, these
two warriors will square off once again with the championship
on the line for UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2, live from the
Bell Centre.
Now
the remainder of this stellar card has been confirmed. UFC 113:
Machida vs. Shogun 2 will feature a full slate of action-packed
matchups, including a welterweight showdown with title-shot implications
when Josh Koscheck takes on British KO artist Paul Daley. The
big time fight card consists of other memorable bouts such as
Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens, Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione,
Patrick Cote vs. Alan Belcher, Tim Credeur vs. Tom Lawlor, Marcus
Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet, TJ Grant vs. Johny Hendricks, Joey
Beltran vs. Chad Corvin, Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Mike Guymon and
Nick Catone vs. John Salter.
UFC
113 will be available live on Pay-Per-View on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV,
DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and
Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99
US/$49.99 CAN for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts
(where available).
Tickets
for UFC 113 are on sale and are available at the Bell Centre
box office, by phone at (514) 790-2525 / 1-877-668-8269 or at
www.geg.ca.
A
veteran of the UFC, welterweight Josh Koscheck (fighting out
of Fresno, Calif. / professional record 16-4) has been involved
in battles with some of the best the UFC has to offer. A winner
of two straight over Frank Trigg and Anthony Johnson, the Waynesburg,
Pennsylvania native looks for another epic battle when he puts
his streak on the line against feared striker Paul Daley (fighting
out of Nottingham, England / 23-8-2). Swarming onto the scene
with an impressive TKO victory over Martin Kampmann, Daley followed
up that performance with another vicious knockout, this time
against Dustin Hazelett. Always looking to stand and exchange,
Daley hopes to collect another impressive victory and cement
himself as a top contender in the welterweight division.
A
winner of his last two fights over Matt Wiman and Joe Lauzon,
Sam Stout (fighting out of London, Ontario, Canada / 16-5-1)
is known for his impressive striking ability. The eight-fight
veteran of the UFC will be taking on an equally exciting striker
when he squares off with Jeremy Stephens (fighting out of Des
Moines, Iowa / 17-5). Stephens is coming off a win of his own
over Justin Buchholz and looks to start a winning streak in what
could be a candidate for the night’s “Knockout of the
Night” honor.
Making
his return to the Octagon™ after a unanimous decision victory
over Houston Alexander in his UFC debut, Kimbo Slice (fighting
out of Miami, Fla. / 4-1) intends to show his continued evolution
as a mixed martial artist and build off his first UFC win. The
famed brawler and contestant of Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter®
draws a familiar face in this fight as he takes on fellow The
Ultimate Fighter® 10 castmate Matt Mitrione (fighting out
of Indianapolis, Ind. / 1-0). A graduate of Purdue University
and an NFL veteran of six seasons, Mitrione has only one professional
bout under his belt, a knockout victory over another TUF 10 cast
member, Marcus Jones, and he hopes a win over Slice will help
him to continue his climb in the heavyweight division.
After
suffering a knee injury in a middleweight title fight against
Anderson Silva, Patrick Cote (fighting out of Quebec City, Quebec,
Canada / 14-5) makes his return to the Octagon after a nearly
two-year layoff. Fully recovered, Cote hopes to pick up right
where he left off and get himself back into the middleweight
title picture with a win. He draws a difficult task in Alan Belcher
(fighting out of Biloxi, Mississippi / 14-5). Coming off of an
impressive TKO victory of Wilson Gouveia, the UFC veteran looks
to spoil the return of Cote and add another highlight reel knockout
to his resume.
Winner
of three of his last four fights in the UFC, fan favorite Tim
Credeur (fighting out of Breaux Bridge, La. / 13-5) always puts
on an entertaining fight. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
Credeur has proven to be comfortable wherever the fight goes
as was shown by his three round standup war with Nate Quarry
in his last fight. His opponent is TUF® 8 alumnus, Tom Lawlor
(fighting out of Orlando, Fla. / 6-2, 1 NC). An accomplished
wrestler at the University of Central Florida, Lawlor is the
winner of two of his last three fights. The eccentric 26-year-old
faces a difficult task when he takes on Credeur.
A former professional boxer who made the leap into the realm
of MMA, Marcus Davis (fighting out of Bangor, Maine / 21-7) has
had a successful 12-fight career in the UFC. Known for his impressive
power, the “Irish Hand Grenade” looks to return to
his winning ways when he faces Canadian welterweight Jonathan
Goulet (fighting out of Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada / 22-10,
1 NC). Having won two of his last three fights, “The Road
Warrior” looks to utilize the lack of travel time and put
together another impressive performance in front of his countrymen.
A
fourth-degree black belt in Judo, Yoshiyuki Yoshida (fighting
out of Albuqurque, N.M. / 11-4) has made his mark in Judo competitions
and looks to further assert himself on the MMA scene. A four-fight
UFC veteran, Yoshida owns wins over Brandon Wolff and Jon Koppenhaver,
both by submission. His opponent, 35-year-old Mike Guymon (fighting
out of Lake Forest, Calif. / 12-3-1) plans to use his experience
and determination to collect his first UFC win when he squares
off with Yoshida.
Joey
Beltran (fighting out of Carlsbad, Calif. / 11-3) caught the
attention of fans after taking a fight with Rolles Gracie on
short notice and promptly knocking him out in the second round
of their UFC 109 matchup. The San Diego native has 11 career
wins, all by way of stoppage (10 TKO/KO, 1 Submission) and plans
to tally another victory against UFC newcomer Chad Corvin (fighting
out of Elizabethtown, Ky. / 6-0). With plans of his own, all
six of Corvin’s wins have come by way of first-round stoppage.
When the highly touted Corvin and Beltran collide, it is sure
to be an action-packed battle.
A
brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jorge Gurgel, TJ Grant
(fighting out of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia / 15-3) is 2-1 in
his three fights in the UFC. The 26-year-old native of Calgary,
Alberta, Canada, draws a difficult task when he takes on the
undefeated Johny Hendricks (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. /
7-0). A two-time Division I national champion wrestler at Oklahoma
State, Hendricks has transferred his skills over to MMA in dominating
fashion. Currently on a four-fight win streak in the UFC, Hendricks
has recent wins over Amir Sadollah and Ricardo Funch, and looks
to put his perfect record on the line against the seasoned Grant.
A
three-time Division I national qualifier in wrestling for Rider
University, Nick Catone (fighting out of Brick, N.J. / 8-2) is
a four fight veteran of the UFC. A brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
Catone hopes his well-rounded skills will help him build off
of his recent split decision victory over Jesse Forbes. He will
be taking on another talented wrestler, John Salter (fighting
out of Tuscaloose, Ala. / 4-1). A NAIA national champion wrestler
in 2007, Salter holds his purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
and hopes his similar skill set will prove superior to his opponent’s
as he looks for the first UFC win in his young career.
For
more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com,
GERMANY.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com. All bouts live
and subject to change.
Source: UFC.com
|
Boxing:
Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. recap
by Damian
Calhoun, OCVarsity.com since 2004
OK, I admit it. After weeks of saying I wouldn't watch, I actually
watched. I didn't pay for it (I would love to see the number
of PPV buys for this one). I sat down in front of my computer
and watched via the internet.
One
word can sum up the night: farce. OK, I have more than one word:
Joke. Boring. Embarrassment. I just lost an hour of my life that
I can never get back.
The
highlight of the fight came in the sixth round.
Jones
appeared to "hit" Hopkins behind the head, even though
it looked more like a love tap. Hopkins went to the ground as
if was shot by a sniper. He took all five minutes to recover.
When he did resume fighting, the two really got at it and even
traded punches after the bell. By the time the fighters were
separated, someone from Jones' corner was in the ring trying
to get over to Hopkins. What a joke.
That
was the first significant punch of the night for Jones. His second
came in the eighth, when he hit Hopkins again behind the head
again. For good measure, he fired a shot that hit Hopkins below
the belt in the 10th.
Other
than these fleeting moments of weirdness, the fight was clench,
feint, clench, feint, punch, feint, clench.
The
highlight of the night for me was seeing a fat Roberto Duran
on camera. Hopkins won by unanimous decision 117-110 (on two
scorecards) and 118-109.
Here's
hoping Jones doesn't want a third fight.
Source: Orange County.com
|
Moosin
Stages Tim Sylvia vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski Press Conference
MMA promotion newcomers Moosin held a press conference in Boston
today to talk about a planned May 21st event at the DCU Center
in Worcester, Massachussets. The card is set to play host to
a heavyweight clash between former UFC heavyweight champion Tim
Sylvia and former World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski.
“I’m
stoked that this fight is in Boston. This guy is a world champion.
It’s not something I’m going to take lightly. I don’t
want him getting hold of me,” Sylvia said, adding “He’s
a big boy, but I can tell he’s scared. He wouldn’t
stare at me straight on, eye to eye. He kept turning away. So
he’s definitely worried already.”
Pudzianowski
spoke in Polish with a translator on hand. “For the first
time, I’m going to test myself against someone who is serious.
Tim is a big man, so I’ll have lots of targets to bash up.
I promise it’s going to be a rough, tough fight.”
World-famous
strongman Pudzianowski also has a fight booked in his native
Poland for two weeks before the Moosin event. It will be only
his second-ever MMA fight and means that he will be 2-0 at best
when he steps up to face Sylvia.
“I’m
crazy. I like challenges,” was Pudzianowski’s laconic
response to this proposition. But the newly-formed Masachissets
State Athletic Commission may not relish the prospect of “crazy
challenges” taking place on the first under MMA card to
be staged under its jurisdiction.
Paperwork
is apparently being pushed through and Moosin promoters say they
expect no snags but it is difficult to see how an athletic commission
can sanction a fight between a former UFC world champion (25-6)
and a man with a 2-0 (possibly 1-1) professional record.
More
news on this match as it comes in.
Source: Fighter's Only
|
MMA
Officials Training Part 1:
So You Want to Be a Ref
MMA ref trainer Daryl Guthmiller wants you to get in your corner.
When I heard that the Minnesota Combative Sports Commission was
running an MMA officials training seminar, I knew I had to be
there. Even the more educated MMA fans sometimes miss key details,
and as media I think it’s important to strive for knowledge
the way a fighter hungers for refining a technique. Luckily,
the Commission was okay with media coverage at the four-hour
seminar which took place on Saturday, April 3rd in Maple Grove.
I’ll break the event and key information down into three
posts. In the first piece, I’ll cover MMA reffing. In the
second, I’ll give you somewhat obscure information on MMA
judging. In the final piece, I’ll list some thoughts and
concerns that came up for me.
The
referee seminar was conducted by Daryl Guthmiller and Brock Larson.
Guthmiller, a former MMA fighter, said that the trademark of
a good ref is that nobody remembers that they were there. The
pay, it came out later, is also quite low. And the training is
extensive; in addition to passing a test, prospective refs must
work 50 official amateur bouts for free to advance beyond provisional
status. Bouts are reviewed by the Commission and Commission-certified
trainers and provisional refs must be able to explain all actions
when their decisions are challenged. Furthermore, provisional
refs can have their license revoked without explanation and with
no right to appeal. So it looks like you need a fair bit of dedication
to become a ref–even more so than a judge (who can score
both pro and amateur bouts–nobody will let a provision ref
work a pro fight.)
Although
(from my own observation) not every ref always follows this to
the letter, the code of conduct for officials prohibits drinking
at afterparties or even expressing opinions of a bout, all to
maintain a neutral appearance. Refs are not supposed to officiate
their own show, refs who are also fighters shouldn’t work
within their own weight class and coaches/corners aren’t
supposed to officiate potential future opponents of their fighters.
Refs can also decide to get a second ref if they feel they have
a conflict of interest–like if they’re related to or
currently training with a fighter–but not for the reasons
you might think. Rather than letting the fight go too long, refs
are likely to actually stop a fight too soon to protect their
guy.
During
the training I was most impressed by the level of detail and
professionalism exhibited by the referee trainers and their high
expectations both for attendees and for themselves when refereeing
a bout. For example, Guthmiller described how he’d check
the fighters’ gloves one last time before a bout, partially
to condition them to his voice (amidst the noise) and to gauge
their reaction to a verbal command. He’d make a mental note
if they were slow to respond as that may play out just a few
minutes later in the bout. He also explained in detail how to
keep control of the cage–everything from interactions with
fighters, language used to explain the rules and the way warnings
are given should exude confidence, expertise, and, to borrow
a made-up word from my past life as a middle school teacher,
with-it-ness.
As
a huge MMA fan, I was really excited about this training because
I think it’ll help the sport–both by having more consistency
between bouts but also by having better-educated refs who know
what to say and how to say it. Although the safety of the fighters
and enforcement of the rules are the primary duties of a referee,
I feel that a well-informed ref can really make for a better
fight. Giving clear and detailed explanations of the rules, for
example, helps keep fighters both informed and honest. Refs reminding
fighters to tap visibly, if they listen, helps the audience understand
what’s going on. Having a working knowledge of common ground
strikes, submissions and variations (both by recognizing who
is in control and recognizing a good solid choke vs. a lax one)
prevents early stand-ups and stoppages and again, makes for a
better fight. And reminding fighters to protect themselves before
a standup or stoppage can help bring them out of brain freeze
mode and make the fight all that much more competitive. So even
though it’s not the job of the referee to please the crowd
or make for a better fight, I do think that’s the outcome.
As a fan first and writer second, I was extremely pleased to
see ALL of the above covered clearly and explicitly. And I was
even happier to see many common techniques in standing, clinch
and ground demonstrated for ALL attendees–prospective refs
and judges.
A
few other things that leaped out at me that I should probably
know but didn’t:
•“A
combatant shall not gain a tactical advantage from a foul.”
We know it when we see it–like when Florian was elbowing
Lauzon in the back of the head and the ref stood up the fight,
taking away Lauzon’s takedown advantage. But there’s
been fights where I wondered why a ref was ignoring a blatantly
illegal act. Turns out that stopping the fight to give a penalty
which would reward the offending combatant (by getting them out
of the compromised position) is a bad idea. It makes sense–if
the guy on the bottom is getting GNP’ed and commits a foul,
why stop the fight to give a penalty when they foul?
•A combatant should never benefit from an illegal act–even
if it’s accidental. And no warnings are required. So you
can actually take a point away without a warning for an accidental
foul. (I always assumed you had to give a warning first and that
accidents wouldn’t result in point loss.) Of course, refs
have a lot of discretion.
•Although deliberately striking the back of the head or
spine is illegal and can result in disqualification, a fighter
turning their head or back and getting hit in illegal targets…
that’s their fault. It makes sense–turning into what
would’ve been a legal punch not making it illegal–but
just something I was unaware of.
•I didn’t realize that refs didn’t look at each
round individually but look at the fight as a whole under many
circumstances. For example, a ref may look for cumulative damage
when trying to determine when to make a stoppage. And if two
fighters stall on the ground a lot in round 1, the ref’ll
be more likely to stand them up in the second round. (So it’s
not always because the ref doesn’t understand what it looks
like to try to set something up on the ground, even if it seems
that way.)
•Reffing seems to be more of an art than a science, especially
when trying to determine when to, say, stop the action to get
a fighter to put their mouthguard in, whether a foul is intentional
or not, when to stand up a fight, etc. As with many activities,
this seems to be something people either get the hang of and
develop an intuitive sense for or not.
Hopefully that helps round out your MMA knowledge base a bit;
we know that more informed fans get more enjoyment out of watching.
In the next piece I’ll explain technical draws, technical
decisions and what the books actually say abut how to score a
round.
Source: MMA HQ
|
The
Case for Legalization: MMA is a Sport
By Kelsey
Philpott
I’ve
established how and why a fundamental shift in MMA’s approach
to seeking legalization is necessary for MMA to progress further.
It’s essentially a renewed approach to educating the naysayers
and fence-sitters about MMA to correct the misconceptions about
the sport. Once MMA is able to clear up any false pretences about
its sport and its safety record, it can then move on to preaching
the economic spinoff benefits that accompany its events.
The
first step in educating the masses about mixed martial arts is
to actually teach them how and why MMA is a legitimate, bona
fide sport.
It’s
certainly strange to write something like this, but it’s
necessary because MMA can no longer afford to let assumptions
rule the minds of those making decisions. MMA has to state its
position outright.
What
is a sport? To most it means some sort of activity which requires
both skill and physical prowess to compete.
I’d
argue that not only does MMA combine several different interdisciplinary
fighting styles such as boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and muay
thai – all of which require a tremendous amount of skill
and physical prowess - but the requisite level of mastery of
these techniques easily parallels that of the mastery required
at the highest levels of any other sport.
The
sport of MMA and its many different disciplines are also highly
regulated under a universal set of rules, procedures, and guidelines
– including over 30 different in-cage rules and a strict
drug testing policy – that have been designed to protect
the health, well-being, and integrity of MMA and its athletes.
It’s
foolish to assume that the naysayers or fence-sitters know about
the rules and regulations that MMA abides by, because, quite
frankly, it seems as though they often don’t. And for as
much as the MMA community complains of the ignorance of others,
it ought to look in the mirror to realize that not everyone cares
to find the right information themselves!
That’s
why it needs to be said: an MMA fighter cannot scratch, eye gouge,
hair pull, groin kick, hit an opponent to the back of the head,
or use steroids, amongst other things.
The
diversity of technique and strict regulation of the sport also
demand that its athletes be of the highest standard. It’s
simply not enough to be a one-dimensional fighter anymore; and,
as a result, MMA features some of the most physically-gifted,
skilled, hard working, and disciplined athletes on the planet.
Further, the professionalism and benevolence that is by-and-large
displayed by the entire MMA community only adds to the reputation
of its athletes.
Georges
St. Pierre is the type of person and athlete that exemplifies
what mixed martial arts is all about and the community should
take greater strides to use him an ambassadorial role.
Answering
MMA’s Critics
MMA
is essentially bargaining with mass opinion and in order to win
that battle, the sport must meet the interests (i.e., answer
the concerns) of the public.
The
most common complaint or criticism of MMA that I often hear opponents
use is that technique, rules, and athleticism are irrelevant
when the objective of MMA is to hurt the person standing across
the cage. But is that really the true objective of the sport?
I
would argue the true objective of any MMA fighter is to be victorious
over his opponent, not to bring real harm to his opponent. More
importantly, MMA is the ultimate physical and spiritual test
that pits a fighter not just against another person, but against
himself.
Is
the anguish two fighters put themselves through any different
than the strife two competing marathon runners experience when
pushing each other towards the finish line in the dying minutes
of a race? The sport of MMA is as much about conquering oneself
as it is conquering others. And that explains why the sport exhibits
the level of class and sportsmanship that it does.
MMA
is further criticized for perpetuating violence, particularly
amongst youth, in our society. I suppose this isn’t really
a huge surprise considering that just about everything associated
with Generation Y is certain to be responsible for the world
going to hell – television, videogames, cell phones, facebook,
etc.
It
might surprise critics to know, however, that the fact of the
matter is quite the opposite. I’ve seen far more evidence
of MMA pulling troubled teens off the street and giving them
a healthy and controlled way to channel their aggression. Furthermore,
I think you’ll find that if you surveyed the incidence of
illegal, underground fighting – something that occured well
before MMA began - in areas where MMA is sanctioned to areas
where MMA is not, you’d find even more correlating evidence
to support this position.
Lastly,
and this is probably my favourite, there exists this notion out
there that MMA somehow compromises the morality of our society;
in other words, it’s simply wrong. It’s certainly closely
related to the earlier criticisms and misconceptions of the sport
and is something I feel will disappear if MMA can manage to do
a better job of educating people about the sport.
There
will, however, undoubtedly remain some people that still disagree
with the idea of MMA and in this regard, I’m not sure there
is much MMA can do. Therefore, why worry about it?
The
issue of morality itself opens a whole other can of worms: it’s
not only highly subjective but also greatly influenced by one’s
surrounding environment (again we broach the subject of cultural
relativism). I’m not about to tell anyone what’s right
or wrong - apart from the obvious – and MMA certainly doesn’t
encroaches upon that obvious line. The sport does not infringe
upon any fundamental human rights; it features willing, competent
combatants duelling in a controlled setting; and it does not
further perpetuate that combat outside of the proper channels.
What
more is there to say? Difference exist, I respect those of others,
but I’m not about to force MMA on anyone that doesn’t
like it. Nor am I about to let them tell me what I should or
should not be doing.
Payout
Conclusion
The
bottom line, here, is the public perception that MMA is a violent,
bloodlust akin to human cockfighting could not be further from
the truth. Everyone in MMA understands this, and it’s about
time the public did too.
MMA
is a legitimate sport and deserves to be legalized.
Source: MMA Payout
|
NCAA
CHAMPION ERIC LARKIN MOVES TO MMA
by Damon
Martin
A few years ago the best of the best from the world of collegiate
wrestling had basically one option to keep their career going.
It was the Olympics or bust.
Now
that path leads more and more towards mixed martial arts
The
2003 NCAA national champion at 149 pounds, Eric Larkin, made
his professional debut last weekend in South Dakota, winning
by rear naked choke in the first round.
The
most decorated wrestler to ever come out of Arizona State, the
four time All-American had a great team around him in college
and after school they helped him get ready for his MMA debut.
Funny thing about Eric Larkin though... he never intended on
becoming a fighter in the first place.
After
leaving Arizona State, Larkin coached at the school alongside
current UFC middleweight Aaron Simpson, while he trained and
competed for a spot on the Olympic wrestling team. Unfortunately,
Larkin never quite attained that goal, but the competitive itch
still drove him to do something else.
"I
started coaching over at the Lion's Den. It was hard for me to
get out of it altogether, the competition, so I started doing
that and that's kind of how I got into it," said Larkin
in an interview with MMAWeekly.com "I kept telling the guys
I wasn't going to fight, but they kept asking me when I was going
to do it and here I am."
Working
with UFC fighters like Ryan Bader, C.B. Dollaway, Jesse Forbes,
and of course, his friend and fellow coach Aaron Simpson, Larkin
started to get ready for his professional debut. Training at
the Lion's Den in Scottsdale, Az., Larkin polished his stand-up
with Dan Brandt, and before he knew it, the first fight was drawing
near.
"When
I got in there, I was nervous before just cause it was my first
fight. I never was really a fighter growing up or anything, so
I was a little nervous," Larkin admitted. "As soon
as I literally got in the cage, I wasn't even nervous anymore.
I just wanted to fight. Then it ended so quickly, I really wanted
to keep fighting."
The
urge to continue fighting will keep Larkin busy over the next
few months as he's already scheduled to fight again in South
Dakota on May 15, and again in June. He says his plan will follow
his teammates where he hopes to get a few wins under his belt
and then make the move to one of the major organizations.
While
Larkin wrestled in college at 149 pounds, and internationally
at 145 pounds, his first pro fight took place in the lightweight
division at 155 pounds. He says that ultimately because he only
walks around at 162 pounds at his highest, his eventual plans
are to fight at 145 pounds in the featherweight division.
"That's
the plan, just as long as I stay healthy and everything's going
well," Larkin said about making his way to the WEC or another
top promotion.
Working
with fighters like Bader, Dollaway, and Simpson won't just help
Larkin make it to the big time, they can also help him mature
in the sport and learn from the lessons they've already endured.
He says it's already paying off.
"It's
just surrounding yourself with good people and training correctly,"
Larkin said "A lot of fighters, especially starting out,
don't know really how to train correctly, and I think that makes
a big difference."
The
training will continue in Arizona as Eric Larkin looks to become
the next NCAA champion to make MMA his new home.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Antônio
Silva
By Bruna Almeida, international correspondent of TATAME
The man of the heavyweights, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva
is training hard for his next battle against Andrei Arlovski,
on May 15 in Strikeforce. Coming off a loss to Fabricio Werdum,
Silva guarantees he’ll be more thirst for this victory.
In an exclusive interview for TATAME straight from Florida, US,
the Brazilian told us how is his preparation like and what is
his strategy to face Arlovski as well as his training on American
Top Team and the desire for revenge against Werdum.
How is the training at ATT? Today you can count with trainings
partners as Jeff Monson, Bobby Lashley o Todd Duffee...
On ATT I’m practicing my Jiu Jitsu with the master Ricardo
Libório and Parrupinha. As for the others training for
the physical preparation and striking, I’m working with
André Benkei and Mohammed Quali in another gym. Also being
helped by Marcus Aurélio, who’s adjusting my Jiu
Jitsu. Well, about Jeff Monson and Bobby Lashley, I can say it’s
a pity they just practice using ATT’s name, but since they
live far and unfortunately they can’t practice with us in
Coconut Creek and Duffee is no longer a member of ATT. My current
trainings partners are Thiago Silva, Luis Cane "Banha",
Jorge Santiago, Danilo Índio and Guto, who has come from
Brazil to help me.
What are the expectations to confront Andrei Arlovski, a former
UFC champion?
Great ones. Besides that he is a former UFC champion, he is also
on the top 10 and that brings a greater motivation. It will be
a great fight, because I’m sure he must be killing himself
out to train as I do, after all both he and I are coming from
defeat, so we want to win and have all the spotlights on us among
our category.
What strategy will you use for this fight, knowing he has a high
level boxing and is dangerous on the ground?
See, I want to be fast and in a good shape, after all, like you
said, he is a hell of a boxer, so I must be alert on my defenses,
counterattacks and timing. The ground part is not my concern.
After your defeat against Fabrício Werdum, a victory on
Arlovski would put you on the top of your category, right?
Yeah, for sure. Defeat is never a good thing, but unfortunately
it’s a part o four profession. After that fight I spend
four whole weeks with my left hand immobilized because I broke
it in the beginning of the second round. Right after it I went
back to the hard trainings, trying to make a good comeback.
In case of winning this Arlovski fight do you think about revenge
against Werdum or will you wait for the Strikeforce to set you
up with Fedor?
I’m focusing on my fight against Arlovski and when I have
won I’ll ask for Werdum, independently of his result against
Fedor. There’s nothing to do with him or rivalry, it’s
just a Professional thing because he and master Rafael Cordeiro
are wonderful persons and we got along pretty welling the week
before the fight. I admire and respect the people from Chute
Boxe besides cheering a lot for Cris Cyborg.
What do you think your mistake was in the Werdum fight? What
would you do differently if you got another chance to beat him?
Well, some practice a lot, others pray too much. My mistake was
my self-confidence. I had the victory in my hands and let it
spill. The two knockdowns on the first round plus another in
the second weren’t enough because I broke my hand in the
beginning of that round. After that I wasn’t the same fighter.
We cannot take off the credit of Werdum. He stayed firm after
all of my attempts, he is a great athletes. I’m pretty sure
that, if I was on my best for the whole fight, the results would
be different because it wouldn’t have to be made a decision
by the judges.
Say something to your fans...
I
want to send a special and big hug for everyone that is cheering
for me, to my team on ATT, the coaches Benkei and Quali, to my
daughters and my wife that are always on my side supporting me
and everyone that admires and keep up with the sport.
Source: Tatame
|
TUF
11 Sherblog: Third to Last
by Court
McGee
After the preliminary fights were done, the guys who’d won
were driven straight to the house. The fighter house was more
like a small compound with a front gate, 30-foot lights erected
at each corner of the property and grass skirt surrounding the
whole thing. I call it a compound because I've been locked up
in county jail before. This was kind of like being locked up,
only with way better food and nicer living quarters. In this
case, you didn’t have to poop in the middle of a room that’s
full of dudes. There were cameras in the bathroom, though, but
oh well. I’d signed up for this.
Everybody
rushed into the house to get first bed picks, but I didn’t
give a s---. I felt like I’d been in a war with Seth Baczynski.
I went upstairs and there were a few different rooms. The first
one I walked into had six beds in it. I grabbed the last bed
by the window, but agreed to trade up with Joe Henle because
he said he was claustrophobic. After my sleeping arrangements
were situated, I went to check out the house.
At
this time, there hadn’t been any team picks yet. So, everybody
was getting to know each other and sizing them up. Prior to the
show, we didn’t who was going to be there, because we’d
been locked up in hotel purgatory. We were checking out each
other’s wounds and were all still full of adrenaline. Everybody
seemed happy to be there. In the backyard, there was a big pool,
a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen with a bad a-- grill, and a small
palm tree island.
The
refrigerator was chuck full of food, which was fantastic. Everybody
was issued earplugs and a sleeping mask (We’d figure out
how valuable these were later). We went to sleep knowing that
the team picks were the next day. I didn’t care whose team
I’d get on; I knew both Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz were
great coaches and competitors and both had been dominant champions.
I
was picked third to last by Chuck. I know in previous seasons
it bothered some people to get picked last, but I didn’t
really feel bothered. Plus, that made me an underdog. I like
being the underdog. You fly under the radar, work you’re
a-- off, and who knows what can happen? The only thing that really
bothered me was my right elbow, my chest, and maybe Jamie Yager,
a little…
The
first thing I thought after the groups were selected was that
I liked all the guys on my team. I knew we would get along well.
Four of my six teammates also roomed with me, which was cool.
A
few days passed and some of the guys’ personalities were
beginning to come out. Brad Tavares, Jamie Yager, and Kris McCray
were the noisy ones at first -- definitely full of “personality.”
That night, they blasted the air horns at three in the morning
and woke everybody up, which mainly p---ed off Tito’s team
and frustrated a few of the guys on Chuck’s team as well.
It was funny because when we’d first gotten in the house
Yager had said, “Nobody mess with the food or people’s
sleep!” It was actually a mutual agreement between everybody.
We
had the first fight pick -- Kyle Noke versus Clayton McKinney.
Kyle won by triangle choke in the first round. During practice,
I’d noticed that Kyle was very talented. He had sharp striking
and jits skills. Not to mention, he was Chuck’s No. 1 pick
-- not surprising with 16-4-1 pro record and five years’
training with Greg Jackson’s camp.
Chuck
and the coaches were very helpful and enthusiastic before, during,
and after the fight. And let me say this now: CHUCK IS THE MAN.
I didn’t know what to think of him because I don’t
follow the hype too much. I knew who he was, of course. Everybody
does. He’s a big deal, but in person and as a coach, it
doesn’t seem that he cares of much else during the show
other than what’s good for the fighters on his team.
The
first week or so was a big culture shock. There were lights and
cameras EVERYWHERE inside the house. I counted about thirty-five
thousand lights -- give or take a few -- during my stay. I assumed
they were there to get rid of shadows for the cameras. At night,
it was hard to sleep because there were no doors and the lights
outside the bedroom were beaming through the giant doorways and
underneath my sleeping mask. Add 14 loud dudes in the house and
it makes for some sh--ty sleep.
I
missed my wife, Chelsea, and my son, Isaac. My boy usually wakes
me up in the morning or climbs all over me while I pray and meditate.
This time, instead of Chelsea and Isaac, it was a cameraman pushing
large equipment in my face. I got over that quick.
The
morning I’d left Utah for the show, on the way to the airport
my wife told me, “I don’t want you to worry about me
or Isaac while you are there. We will be taken care of. I want
you to just focus on the fights and stay true to yourself.”
I
kept those words close to me.
Source: Shedog
|
Legacy
Combat MMA Event at the MMA Expo!
We are holding an MMA event in conjuction with the MMAHAWAII
Expo on June 11th in the Blaisdell Ballroom called Legacy Combat
which will feature amateur fighters.
If
you do have fighters that would like to participate please contact
us with the following information:
-Fighter's Name
-Weight Class
-Contact #
We look forward to working with you in the future. Please contact
us by clicking here.
Thank you,
Legacy Combat |
808
Battleground Challenge
Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu, Hawaii
April 16, 2010
5:00PM Doors Open
6:00PM Fight Starts
$25 Presale
$35 At the door
2 Belts
2 Champions
1 Night
145lbs Tournament
Max Halloway
Paul Lopez
Josh Santos
Jared Iha
185lbs Tournament
Gino Venti
Steve Burroughs
Miller Ualesi
Maki Pitolo
|
Hawaiian
Triple Crown of BJJ
First Event
is 4/17/10
Kaiser High School Gym
Registration fees:Register early and guarantee a cool competitor
t shirt
Kids: $ 50
Adults: $ 70
We will be accepting registrations the morning of the event with
a $20 late fee.
Weigh-in times:
Kids: 8:30 – 9:30 am
Adults: 9:30 – 11:30 am
Weight class divisions:
http://www.hawaiitriplecrown.com/weigh_in.html
Prizes for Hawaii Triple Crown Champions:
Kids: Championship belt – Gi / Championship belt –
No-Gi
Adults: $1000 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Open Advanced (Absolute)
Division
$500 + HTC Belt – Purple and Brown Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – Blue Belt Division
$250 + HTC Belt – No-Gi Intermediate Division
A Justap GI ($120 value) + HTC Belt – White belt Division
HTC fight Shorts + Rash Guard ($100 value) + HTC Belt –
No-Gi Novice Division
2009 Hawaii Triple Crown Champions defend their belts without
charge in the 2010 circuit.
For more information please visit: www.Hawaiitriplecrown.com
or check out MMAHawaii Magazine for our 2-page layout about the
upcoming HTC series .
- Hawaii Triple Crown
|
Team
Papakolea Jiu-Jitsu World Championship Fundraiser
Email questions
by clicking here.
|
Galaxy
MMA: Worlds Collide
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
May 1, 2010
Doors open at 5:00PM
Show starts at 6:00PM
Scott Junk vs. Fabiano Scherner
Tyson
Nam vs. Keola Silva
Preston
Louis vs. Koa Giddens
Zack
Pang vs. Chivas Antoque
Fight card subject to change.
Also
featuring the Galaxy MMA Lightweight Grand Prix Tournament featuring
fighters from the Bulls Pen, Combat 50, Team Quest, 808 Fight
Factory, Arena MMA, Gracie Barra & More.
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact:
Galaxy MMA Marketing
galaxymma@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/galaxymma
www.twitter.com/galaxymma
Galaxy MMA Launches its Premiere Event at Blaisdell Arena, May
1, 2010
Honolulu, HI March 10, 2010 – Galaxy MMA will present its
premiere mixed martial arts events at the Blaisdell Arena on
May 1, 2010.
Mark Pang, President of Galaxy MMA, and his creative team are
dedicated to bringing exciting live events to the MMA fans of
Hawaii. Galaxy MMA’s first event, Worlds Collide, is scheduled
for Saturday, May 1, 2010 and will feature two UFC veterans.
K-1 veteran, cast member on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 reality
show, and MFC Heavyweight Champion Scott Junk from Kailua, Hawaii
will headline the main event against Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black
Belt and UFC veteran Fabiano Scherner from Team Quest of Oregon.
Prior to these two explosive heavyweights locking horns, the
co-main event will feature the return of popular local boy Tyson
Nam (Team Quest) against HMC wrestling stand out Keola Silva.
The fight card will also launch a Grand Prix 155lb light weight
tournament to establish a hierarchy for the top 155lb fighter
in Hawaii with fighters from the following schools: 808 Fight
Factory, Arena MMA, Bulls Pen, Combat 50, HMC, Team Quest, and
more. As a Grand Prix fighter wins, he will advance rounds culminating
in the crowning of the top 155lb light weight in Hawaii.
The Galaxy MMA team’s mission is to produce top level talent
in Hawaii and to give their fighters branding, marketability,
and exposure to fight fans around the world. While doing so,
Galaxy MMA will also give a portion of their proceeds from each
of their events to local charities and non-profits.
Tickets are on sale at the Blaisdell Box Office & all Ticketmaster
Outlets, 1-800-745-3000.
For online ticket availability and information visit the following
sites:
www.GalaxyMMA.com
www.ticketmaster.com
www.facebook.com/GalaxyMMA www.twitter.com/GalaxyMMA
Source: Event Promoter
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Scrappla
Fest 2
Kauai's
Scrappla Fest 2
Gi & No Gi Tournament
May 15, 2010
$50 entry fee
Tentative
times:
Kids Rules 930am.
Kids Gi Start 10am.
Kids No Gi Start 11am.
Adult
Rules 12:30pm.
Adults Gi Start 1pm.
Adults No Gi Start 3:45pm.
We
will be running 4-6 matches at the same time to keep the tournament
running smoothly. More info to come about weights and weigh ins.
kids ages-weight divisions will be made on sight
5-below
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
women
125-below
126-140
141-above
menbeginner
white , blue
131-below
132-145
146-159
160-173
174-187
188-201
202-215
216-above
men
advanced, purple and above
159-below
160-180
181-201
202-above
Thank
you,
Pono
Pananganan
Kauai Technical Institute
ktirelson_gracie@hotmail.com
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X-1:
Nations Collide
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
June 4, 2010
7:30PM
www.x1events.com
(808) 591-2211
170lbs X-1 World Championship Bout
Brandon Wolff (Champion) vs. Dylan Clay (#1 Contender)
8-Man
Heavyweight Tournament
Bracket A
Maui Wolfgram (Hawaii) vs. Ricky Shivers (Alaska)
Adam Akau (Hawaii) vs. Hae Joon Yang (Korea)
Bracket B
Poai
Suganuma (Hawaii) vs. Vitaly Shemetov (Russia)
Tasi Edwards (Samoa) vs. Daniel Madrid
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Garden
Island Cage Match 9: Mayhem at the Mansion Sponsorship
Hi All,
I am excited to let you all know we have the date set for our
next show :
"
Mayhem at the Mansion", June 26th 2010 - Kilohana Carriage
House
Since
this venue is a little smaller than the Stadium the tickets will
sell out twice as fast so be sure to get on board quickly! This
an exclusive venue for us and very please to have acquired this
merger.
Sponsorship
packages now available! Please contact me for further information!
Looking
forward to working with you all again!
Mahalo!
Vance Pascua
808-634-0404
Source: Event Promoter
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In
October 2010, Eternal Fight Wear proudly presents...
ETERNAL SUBMISSIONS! 1st Annual BJJ GI/NO-GI tournament on Kauai
Kauai Beach Resort, Kauai
This will be a 3 Day Event.
Friday, October 15th. beginning at 5pm will be weigh-ins with
Live local entertainment, Exhibitions, Door Prizes & more.
Saturday Oct. 16th we will host the GI portion of the event starting
with kids at 10am.
Sunday we will finish off our tournament with the NO-GI portion.
Outer island competitors will be allowed to weigh in on Saturday.
Kauai residents must weigh in on Friday.
NO same day registrations will be allowed.
Cut of for pre-registration is October 7th (for free tshirt)
all other registrations must be in by October 13th (if mailing
registration, it must be postmarked by the 11th) We have locked
in the dates and will be offering special discounted rates at
the hotel. There will be food/beg. for sale at the event. We
will be having superfights as well (TBA). All pre-reg competitiors
will receive a free competitor tshirt. There will be door prizes
each day too! Winners of the matches will receive very nice medals,
we will be awarding team trophies and best -of awards. Absolute
and Superfights winners will be awarded championship belts.
We will be hosted a first ever in Hawaii 'kids absolute' and
as well!!!!
This will be an event Hawaii does not want to miss!!!!
Pre-Reg is be up shortly and we will be notifying you as soon
as it is or updated info add us on facebook: ETERNAL FIGHT WEAR
Any questions you can call me (Shauna) at 808.652.6849 or email
me shauna@hawaiilink.net
Source: Event Promoter
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