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2012
October
Aloha
State BJJ Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
August
King of the Mat
(Submission Grappling)
7/14/12
King of the Cage
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
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Warpath to Mayhem:
Rumble at the Resort
(MMA)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, Kauai)
6/16-17/12
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of Hawaii BJJ Championship
(BJJ
& Sub Grappling)
(Blaisdell Arena
5/19/12
Scrappler's Fest
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
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The Quest For Champions
Martial Arts Tournament 2012
(Sport-Pankration, Submission Grappling, Continuous Sparring)
(St. Louis High School Gym)
5/4/12
King of the Ring
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom)
4/28/12
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(Kickboxing & MMA)
(The Waterfront, Aloha Tower)
4/14/12
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom, Waipahu)
Hawaiian
Open Championship of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kaiser H.S. Gym)
3/29/12 - 4/1/12
Pan
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(BJJ)
(Irvine, CA)
3/3/12
Warpath to Mayhem:
Rumble at the Resort
(MMA)
(Kauai Beach Resort, Lihue, Kauai)
Vendetta 3
(Kickboxing, Triple Threat)
(Waipahu Filcom, Waipahu)
Toughman Hawaii: Challengers
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic, Hilo)
2/11/12
Amateur Boxing Event
(Boxing)
(Palolo District Park Gym)
2/4/12
Man Up & Stand Up
(Kickboxing)
(Waipahu Filcom Center, Waipahu)
1/21/12
ProElite
MMA
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/15/12
Polynesia
International BJJ Tournament
(BJJ)
(King Intermediate, Kaneohe)
1/7/12
Toughman Hawaii
(Kickboxing)
(Hilo Civic Center, Hilo)
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April
2012 News Part 1
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Former
Olympic wrestler Ben Askren could show off striking skills in
Bellator 64 title bout
Nobody
who has seen Ben Askren fight, or knows about his pedigree as
one of the best collegiate wrestlers of recent vintage, would
refer to him as a striker.
Duke
Roufus, one of the game’s best striking coaches, says those
folks are in for a surprise.
Wrestling
is always going to be the staple for Askren, the Bellator welterweight
champion and a member of Team USA in the 2008 Olympics at Beijing.
But those who saw Askren in his early days could see an accomplished
striker when he defends his title tonight at Bellator 64 in Windsor,
Canada, against Douglas Lima.
“He
has hammers for hands,” Roufus said. “I’ve sparred
with Ben myself and I was unpleasantly surprised after getting
hit by him. A lot of people sleep on Ben’s striking. He’s
not an intimidating looking guy and he looks just like an average
Joe. But believe me when I tell you, we have a lot of really
good strikers at Roufusport and they’ll all attest that
he’s a formidable opponent striking.”
Askren
was 8-0 and already the Bellator champion when he started to
work with Roufus in August. With a fight slated in two months,
Roufus didn’t want to tear Askren’s game apart completely.
He
added little touches as best he could to prepare Askren for his
bout with Jay Hieron, which he won by split decision.
But
with five months of work in the gym, Roufus said it will be a
different man on display tonight.
“He’s
got a great aptitude for fighting and he is one of those guys
who, day after day, you see the improvement,” Roufus said.
“He picks up on the little things real well and you can
see it. It’s ridiculous how he picks up on things.”
Askren
has worked assiduously to make himself into a complete fighter.
He was devastated after losing in the Olympics and had a difficult
time accepting it. He decided to try MMA, knowing that if he
didn’t care for it, he could still continue preparations
for the 2012 London Games.
And
while he admittedly doesn’t have the passion for MMA that
he had for wrestling, he decided last year to concentrate full-time
on it. After a glorious wrestling career in which he won two
high school state championships, two NCAA Division I championships
at Missouri and represented his country in the Olympics, he knew
it wouldn’t be easy to walk into another sport and have
the same success.
As
a competitor, though, he felt compelled to try. He’s one
of the sport’s best wrestlers, clearly, but he’s become
a brown belt already in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and his striking
is coming on.
“I’ve
wrestled my whole life and I worked a long time and very hard
to get those [NCAA titles],” Askren said. “Obviously,
that was the pinnacle of a lifetime of work. In MMA, I’m
trying to do the same thing. I want to push myself every day
and see how far I can take this.”
He
faces a tough challenge in Lima, a Brazilian who trained with
UFC veteran Brian Stann in Atlanta. Lima is a hard hitter who
knocked out Ben Saunders in November in the welterweight tournament
final to earn the shot at Askren.
Askren
knows he has to respect Lima’s punching power, but Roufus
pointed out that his fighter is a lot more versatile.
“I
can go in my gym and find a guy who can do what Douglas Lima
can do and we can give Ben work and get him ready,” Roufus
said. “But where is Lima going to find a guy like Ben, with
his level of wrestling and his level of jiu-jitsu and who punches
as hard as Ben does? That’s a lot harder to find.”
Source: Yahoo Sports |
Crunching
Numbers: Why Positional Control Is Key to Understanding Gustafsson
vs. Silva
Apr
8, 2012 - As the long drought in UFC events comes to a close
next weekend, MMA fans will be treated to a thoroughly intriguing
event in UFC on FUEL TV 2. This is notable for two reasons, not
least of which is that this marks the UFC's debut event in Sweden.
The most important consideration, though, is what the main event
between Alexander Gustafsson and Thiago Silva will tell us about
the future of the light heavyweight division.
Gustafsson
enters this bout regarded by some as the next great UFC light
heavyweight. The Swede has demonstrated a growing aptitude for
the game and increasingly defeated better opposition, seemingly
with growing ease. He doesn't appear ready for the Jon Jones
end of the division just yet, but this upcoming fight will tell
us what sort of trajectory he's really on.
Silva,
a perpetual tough task in the light heavyweight division, returns
after a year-long suspension tied to steroid use. He also took
the time to recover from a nagging back injury.
No
one should count Silva out, but it's incontestable that the eyes
and expectations of the MMA world are on Gustafsson. Despite
the attention, Gustafsson still has much to prove to make good
on the promise that's been foisted on him. Against Silva, the
data suggests he's going to have his work cut out for him, but
there could be one shortcut.
If
you're thinking striking is the answer for Gustafsson to defeat
the ferocious Brazilian, think again. It's true Gustafsson's
stand-up has looked increasingly better. And he recently finished
off light heavyweight fixture Vladimir Matyushenko in less than
a minute with complete ease, although striking's never been Matyushenko's
strong suit. But if the numbers tell us anything, they do not
tell us Gustafsson is a better striker than Silva. In virtually
every measurable respect, Silva's got Gustafsson beat in the
stand-up department:
-
Silva blocks 65% of strikes thrown at him to Gustafsson's 48%.
The numbers favor Silva in the other direction, too. Silva is
accurate 52% of the time striking, while Gustafsson only finds
the mark 40% of the time.
-
Per minute, Gustafsson absorbs more strikes than Silva: 1.93
vs. 1.72.
-
Silva is more effective at landing strikes despite having a 2.5
inch shorter reach than Gustafsson. Per minute, Silva lands 3.3
times to Gustafsson's 2.98.
This
isn't to say Gustafsson can't win standing. If there is anything
notable of his game, it's the exponential speed at which he seems
to be improving. It's also true Silva might have a bit of ring
rust from the layoff. Still, Silva's turned in far more effective
striking performances thus far in his UFC career according to
all available data.
That
leaves the wrestling and ground game for Gustafsson to utilize,
right? Maybe, but it's no guarantee.
A
basic look at the numbers tell us the Swede has some slight advantages,
but nothing he can majorly lean on. He's more aggressive with
submissions (he averages 2.63 attempts over the course of a 15-minute
fight compared to .89 for Silva) and is remarkably good at defending
against takedowns: he's stopped 14 of 16 attempts and while a
88% defensive rate isn't MMA's best, it's on pace to be at or
very near the top. UFC light heavyweight champion Jones has a
perfect 100% takedown defense rate, but that's only against 12
attempts.
Despite
being a jiu-jitsu black belt, is Silva really going to take Gustafsson
down? Unlikely. He's not particularly proficient at it and as
aforementioned, Gustafsson is good at defending them. And Gustafsson
isn't much better at takedowns than Silva. Taking this all into
account, Gustafsson doesn't have much room to work with. If he's
only got a marginal advantage grappling and a clear disadvantage
striking, where can he win this bout?
In
turns out there is a commonality in Silva's two total UFC losses.
Yes, he lost to Lyoto Machida striking and Rashad Evans was able
to use wrestling to stifle the American Top Team talent. However,
it is the in-between space - positional control standing or the
ground - where Silva has shown a true Achilles Heel.
For
the purposes of this argument and the data, positional control
is defined as time spent on one's back or being pressed against
the fence.
When
Silva faced Machida, the former light heavyweight champion was
able to control Silva's position for 2:27 of the 4:59 of fight
time. In the Evans fight, it was 7:14 of 15 minutes. Between
those two fights, Silva was held in a disadvantageous position
for approximately 48.5% of the time.
In
all of Silva's other UFC fights, he was positionally controlled
for only 7.5% of the time. It should be noted that last figure
is true of virtually every fighter, but what the data demonstrates
is that it's significantly more difficult for Silva to win when
he's placed and held in bad positions.
Why?
Two reasons.
First,
Silva isn't exactly a rhythm striker in the traditional Thai
boxing sense, but he does feed off momentum. As he's given time
to open up, he's largely able to be effective and to continuously
build on that success en route to wins or stoppages. If he is
constantly forced to reset, however, he is significantly less
potent as a striker. He needs time and few interruptions to be
all he can be. This was evident in the Evans bout. Even when
he's not being controlled, Silva naturally worries about the
takedown or bad positioning that could come his way if the opponent
has been effective in establishing that early in the fight. It's
a natural and understandable response to effective aggression
and positional control, but a clear deficiency in his game nonetheless.
Second,
time held is time lost. As I mentioned earlier, Silva isn't exactly
submission hungry. He's got OK takedown defense, but if he's
held he's largely content or unable to do much about the position
problem. The time in which he's controlled adds up for his opposition.
Is
Gustafsson up to the challenge now that the blueprint is clear?
Not so fast. The Swede has well-rounded talents, but he's only
controlled position for 23.2% of his UFC fight time against previous
opposition. That's not bad exactly, but it's not the overwhelming
percentage employed that seems necessary for success by Machida
or Evans.
There
isn't one way to defeat Silva or any fighter for that matter,
but it will be interesting to see if Gustafsson tries to follow
the road map of positional control. Unless his abilities have
taken a demonstrable step up since we've last seen him, standing
toe-to-toe with Silva seems like a very dubious strategy. He's
got to keep Silva contained before anything else is really possible.
Gustafsson's
got talent. No one can or would deny it. But he's under the weight
of great expectations, too. Like any top and surging prospect,
there's both reason for optimism and expectations that have to
managed about potential upside. On Saturday, we'll know if he'll
join two previous light heavyweight champions as the only men
to defeat Silva or if we've been too quick to anoint him the
next big thing.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
UFC
Inks Nova Uniao Featherweight Hacran Dias to 3-Fight Deal
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship has procured the services of another
145-pound member of Andre Pederneiras’ Rio de Janeiro-based
team Nova Uniao.
Hacran
Dias, the 27-year-old cousin of Bellator competitor Marlon Sandro
and main sparring partner of UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo,
signed a three-fight contract with the UFC on Saturday before
the cameras of Brazil’s Sensei SporTV.
“Today
is the happiest day of my life,” Dias told the Brazilian
outlet. “Dede [Pederneiras] has been working on this for
a long time, trying to get me in there, and today he came up
with the contract, super-happy. When he handed it to me, I couldn’t
believe it. Everyone cheered for me. I’m very happy with
everything that’s happening to me.”
Dias
joins teammates Aldo, Renan Barao, Johnny Eduardo and Luis Ramos
under the Zuffa banner. A product of Rio de Janeiro’s Santo
Amaro favela, Dias began fighting at age 18 after a brief career
in youth soccer and has since amassed an impressive 20-1-1 record.
He currently holds the Shooto South America featherweight title
and has won eight straight outings since dropping a decision
to South Korean standout Yui Chul Nam in July 2009.
The
date of Dias’ Octagon debut is still unknown.
Source: Sherdog |
With
Both Coming Off Losses, Brad Pickett Expects Fireworks Against
Damacio Page
Brad
Pickett has lost two of his last three fights.
He
had been on quite a run before those defeats, though, winning
nine straight, and he’ll look to start a similar streak
when he takes on Damacio Page on April 14 at UFC on Fuel 2.
“I
want to be somebody in this sport, in my weight class,”
Pickett told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Savage Dog
Show.” “To do that, you need to keep winning. That’s
why, to me, the pressure’s on. I’m coming off a loss
and I don’t want to take two losses at all.”
That’s
exactly the position Page is in after dropping back-to-back bouts
to Demetrious Johnson and Brian Bowles. If he loses another one,
it could cost him his job.
“It
could also be something that makes him,” Pickett said of
the pressure Page is under. “It could maybe change things
up like, ‘Wow, my last two fights didn’t go very well.
I need to mix things up. I need to change things around here.’
And he could come in with a completely different mentality. That
could happen. I’m not taking him lightly one bit at all.
I’ve only suffered two losses in a row once in my career,
and off the back of that, I won nine straight.”
It
should also be pointed out that Page’s losses came against
quality opposition. Bowles caught him fairly quickly with a guillotine
choke, but Johnson didn’t finish him until the 2:27 mark
of the third round.
“He’s
still very experienced and he’s a dangerous opponent,”
Pickett said. “It just all depends how his training camp
has gone. If he’s had a good training camp or a bad training
camp, I don’t know that, but I’m preparing for the
best Damacio Page.”
Both
Page and Pickett are entertaining bantamweights. The UFC’s
Sean Shelby matched them together on the main card of what will
be the promotion’s debut in Sweden.
“He
sees two guys who are both very aggressive,” Pickett said.
“Me and [Page], we’re both aggressive. We both like
coming forward. Basically, it’s fireworks.”
Pickett
won’t promise to stand toe-to-toe with Page, however. His
strategy is to take what the fight gives him, but with that said,
he expects a barnburner.
“If
you’re going against someone who throws bombs, you’ve
got to make sure your hands are up,” Pickett said. “Your
hands up, chin down and just basically pick your shots and hopefully
catch him when he’s open. He’s probably thinking the
exact same thing. Two guys who go out there wild, throwing bombs,
may both come into this fight being really cautious and boxing,
but I doubt it, to be honest.”
Source: Sherdog
|
Alistair
Overeem files for UFC 146 fight license
This
dutch contender’s fight is far from over. Alistair Overeem
has filed to obtain a license for his possible UFC 146 bout with
champion Junior Dos Santos. This is surprising considering that
it was just days ago that Overeem stupefied the MMA community
when he failing a random PED’s test following a press conference.
Why
would the former Strikeforce champ need bother applying right
after a failed drug test? Well, Overeem was technically not licensed
to fight in Nevada at the time of his failed testing. So can
the Commission technically ‘punish’ an unlicensed fighter?
That could be an argument for the courts on April 24th when Overeem
will need to go before the committee. The only problem with that
argument is that NSAC director Kizer has reported that Overeem
was given a temporary license during the time of testing which
was authorized with the requirement of testing.
Now
that Overeem has filed for a fight license, he will indefinitely
be subject to NSAC punishment’s. If found guilty of using
and illegal substances, he is liable to receive up to a one year
suspended of his license.
Alistair
and his management team have yet to make a statement regarding
the failed drug test. Also, he has not asked for his second sample
to be tested as fighters have the option to request their “sample
B” to be checked. All this insight, overreacting, and speculation
cannot end soon enough. On April 24th there will be a meeting
of the Athletic commission in which it is believed by Executive
Director Keith Kizer that Alistair will in fact need to attend.
Only time can tell as the saga of UFC 146 continues.
Source: Caged Insider
|
Joe
Rogan Supports The Mark Hunt Movement
Ever
since it had ben announced that Alistair Overeem was in danger
of losing his shot at the title because of elevated T/E levels
everyone has been wondering who would replace them. Some fighter
threw their own name in the ring(Dan Henderson), some seemed
like the most logical choice(Frank Mir), some pundits shot out
there in hopes of reviving a long dead idea(Fedor in the UFC),
and then one rally was created entirely by the fans(Mark Hunt).
Mark
Hunt arrived to little fan fare into the UFC back in September
2010 losing his first match. The UFC had offered to pay off his
contract, a debt from the PRIDE days, but he refused. Since then,
with one more shot at glory Hunt has been able to piece together
a 3-fight winning streak and knock-out Cheick Kongo. Now it seems
the movement to get Hunt in the title shot if need be for a replacement
has reached new heights with Joe Rogan’s support.
“There
are some wise people on this board, and I support this movement.
Style wise that might be the most exciting match up. Either way,
even if Hunt doesn’t replace the reem I would still love
to see this matchup down the road, especially considering how
good Hunt looked against Kongo. Has anyone started a twitter
bomb campaign for this?”
Rogan
posted this on the Underground forums. Now, with people actually
taking notice of the movement to get Mark Hunt in the main event
at UFC 146 what will happen if overeem truly can’t compete?
Source: Caged Insider
|
Dana
White Says Mir vs. Cain Will Happen; Where Does UFC Go From Here?
Cain
Velasquez and Frank MirBy now, everyone in the MMA world knows
that Alistair Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of
testosterone at last week’s surprise drug test following
the UFC 146 kickoff press conference in Las Vegas.
After
initially blowing his top when he found out about it, UFC president
Dana White hasn’t had much to say yet about what is going
to happen to the planned UFC 146 heavyweight title fight between
champion Junior dos Santos and Overeem.
Most
fans and pundits assumed that Plan B would be to slot Frank Mir
in again dos Santos if Overeem is unable to pull off the miracle
upset against the Nevada State Athletic Commission and clear
his name. No one in mixed martial arts has overcome a positive
drug test result in Nevada in the past, so it is unlikely that
Overeem would become the first.
Mir,
on the surface at least, appears the most logical candidate.
He’s already been training to fight Cain Velasquez on the
same card, so the timing is right. He is a former UFC heavyweight
champion and interim champion. And although he failed to capture
another interim belt when he faced Shane Carwin two years ago,
Mir has since won three consecutive bouts, knocking out Mirko
“Cro Cop” Filipovic, decisioning Ultimate Fighter winner
Roy Nelson, and technically submitting Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
by breaking his arm.
Mir’s
scheduled opponent, Cain Velasquez, could be another option.
But having lost the belt to dos Santos in his last fight, losing
by a quick first-round knockout, a rematch wouldn’t seem
to be appropriate just yet.
White
on Saturday took to Twitter apparently dousing any speculation
about either Mir or Velasquez, however.
In
response to a fan stating that he really wanted the Mir vs. Velasquez
fight to remain intact, White tweeted, “Mir vs Cain will
happen,” which leads everyone to wonder what the promotion’s
next move will be should Overeem, as expected, be forced out
of the fight with dos Santos.
The
entire UFC 146 five-bout main card on pay-per-view is slated
with heavyweights, so there are a number of other bouts to pull
a participant from, although most don’t make a lot of sense
to challenge for the title.
Roy
Nelson and Antonio Silva are both coming off of losses, while
Shane Del Rosario, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Stefan Struve haven’t
really put together title-worthy runs yet either.
Mark
Hunt has won three consecutive fights – besting Cheick Kongo,
Ben Rothwell, and Chris Tuchscherer – but those names, especially
on the heels of correcting a six-fight losing streak, don’t
typically equate to championship challenger. Hunt has, however,
found a growing legion of supporters on the Internet calling
for him to be the man to step into the title fight.
For
those wondering, Fedor Emelianenko is not an option. White has
emphatically refuted any talk of wanting to sign the former heavyweight
kingpin to any fight, let alone a title fight. Besides, M-1 Global
recently announced Fedor will next fight in Russia on June 21.
There
is the slight possibility, although unlikely, that White could
pull Josh Barnett or Daniel Cormier from the Strikeforce Heavyweight
Grand Prix final to face dos Santos, but considering Zuffa’s
turbulent dealings with Showtime over the Strikeforce brand,
this isn’t much of a legitimate option either.
Showtime
wants the heavyweight tournament to come to a conclusion, plus
they want the winner to fight at least once more on the network
prior to completely dissolving the Strikeforce heavyweight division.
The
UFC, of course, could put JDS on ice if Overeem is out. They
could slot Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez in as the UFC 146 main
event and let those two continue with the No. 1 contender’s
bout that they’re already slated for. The winner then would
face dos Santos somewhere down the road, maybe even as soon as
UFC 152 in Toronto in September if healthy.
Of
course, UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has climbed out of deep holes
before, but Overeem has put him in a seemingly bottomless pit
this time. Can he tap the magic once again?
What
other options could there be?
Source: MMA Weekly
|
The
Bust – Alistair Overeem Drug Test Round-up
UFC heavyweight Alistair Overeem, slated to challenge heavyweight
champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 146 on May, tested positive
for elevated levels of testosterone at a surprise drug screen
following last week’s UFC 146 kickoff press conference in
Las Vegas.
The
bust has put the MMA world into a tizzy over what comes next,
and there has been multitudes of speculation about how things
will play out.
Overeem
is now slated to go before the Nevada State Athletic Commission
on April 24 to plead his case, so the fallout isn’t likely
the come to an end until after that hearing.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Yamasaki
and Dileno disagree about TUF
The
debut of The Ultimate Fighter, on March 25, had Dileno Lopes
and Rony Jason on the first fight to get in the house. Dileno
started better, knocking his opponent down, but when he got knocked
down the referee Mario Yamasaki called the TKO and gave the win
to Jason.
His
decision, however, cause much dissatisfaction and the athlete
from Manaus criticized the early finish.
“I
didn’t understand the referee. I had my moment and Rony
had his. I reacted and was conscious, but Yamasaki claimed I
was off. I was not. To me he had to let it go and he made a mistake
because when I felt I was doing guard and tuned on the bout”,
said the athlete to TATAME.
“I
asked what happened and why he didn’t stop the contest when
I hit Jason. I didn’t understand his criteria. But it’s
alright, mistakes happen and it’s time to keep our heads
up and move on”.
Yamasaki
believes he made the right call
Mario
Yamasaki was at AFC refereeing the fights of the event. As remembered
about the last episode of TUF, the referee affirmed he does not
regret his decision and guarantees he did what thought was best
at the time, and revealed an apology by Dileno.
“Dileno
came and talked to me in the hotel and apologized. He saw it
on the tape and I was right. I guess he said something to you
different than what he told me. At the time the athlete doesn’t
know if he’s knocked out or not. There’re cases on
which the second punch wakes the guy up. My reaction is to stop
the contest when the guy can’t defend himself”.
Curiously,
Yamasaki refereed the contest between Dileno Lopes and the Argentine
Javier Ocampo, last weekend, at Amazon Forest Combat 2. The local
guy submitted his opponent on the first round.
Source: Tatame
|
Gleison
Tibau pleased with new UFC 148 opponent, teaches takedown
With
ten wins in his 15-fight UFC career, Jiu-Jitsu black belt Gleison
Tibau has overcome such stalwart opposition as Josh Neer, Caol
Uno, Rafaello Trator and Rafael Assunção, to name
a few. In his trek up the ranks towards a shot at the divisional
title, now held by Ben Henderson, the Brazilian will need to
get past Russia’s Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 148 this July
7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“It’s
a good fight for me. He’s undefeated in 17 fights, so it
makes me want to break his streak, put my name up there as his
first loss. It’ll be really interesting, and I’m inspired
for this fight. I’ve had a run of good wins, and I want
to add this one. I want a shot at the title; I feel it’s
time. I’ve been battling for seven years; it’s time
to get this title for Brazil,” Tibau told GRACIEMAG.com,
as he makes the rounds in Northeast Brazil in search of training
partners.
TRAINING IN NORTHEAST AND DOUBLE ATTACK IN MMA
“I’ve
been training with my friend Marcos Vinicius in Recife, and I’ve
got some projects going on here. From here I’ll head to
Praia da Pipa to rest this week out, then I’ll head to Fortaleza
and do a tour of Thai boxing master Evilázio Feitoza’s
academies, as well as train Jiu-Jitsu with Sazinho, Guilherme
Santos and Danilo Dragon,” he added.
Tibau
took the time to teach an MMA position exclusively for GRACIEMAG.com
readers. He underscores the importance of never shooting straight
for the takedown, as it makes it easy for the opponent to defend.
Always set it up with a strike before shooting.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
UFC:
Who Should Get the Next Shot at Junior Dos Santos?
Alistair
Overeem is very likely out of his UFC 146 main event against
heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, which means the speculation
is running rampant on the Internet: Who will take his place?
Overeem
registered an off-the-charts level of testosterone in a surprise
drug test administered by the Nevada Athletic Commission after
a March 27 Las Vegas news conference. Since he isn't licensed
in Nevada at the moment, he'd face an uphill climb in obtaining
one in the wake of his test result, which means the planned "May
Madness" heavyweight event—which also features a No.
1 contender's bout between former champions Frank Mir and Cain
Velasquez—has been thrown off.
AdChoices
So
who should get the next shot at the champion? A look at the names
which have been bandied about the Twittersphere:
Frank
Mir The former UFC heavyweight and interim heavyweight champion
was rumored to be the leading candidate to replace Overeem in
the main event. UFC president Dana White seemed to put the kibosh
on this for now by simply tweeting "Mir vs. Cain will happen"
Friday night. But that doesn't prelude the notion of pulling
dos Santos off UFC 146 altogether and making Mir vs. Cain the
main event. Mir has won four of his five bouts since losing the
title to Brock Lesnar at UFC 100. He's 32 and not getting any
younger. And he's coming off his most impressive win in quite
some time, as he snapped the arm of former PRIDE champion Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira with a Kimura at UFC 140. If not now for Mir,
when?
Cain
Velasquez There's a simple, logical argument that Velasquez deserves
the shot at dos Santos: After all, he's the former champ, and
he lost the title to dos Santos in his only career defeat. But
mitigating circumstances suggest Velasquez might be better off
with another bout before getting a title shot, which is why he
was slotted with Mir to begin with. It has been 20 months since
Velasquez steamrolled Lesnar in Anaheim to take the title. Since
then, he spent a year out of action injured, and then returned
to just 1:04 of cage time before dos Santos caught him and finished
him. A bout against another top-tier guy before, be it Mir or
another fighter, before rematching dos Santos is in Velasquez's
best interest in the long run.
Dan
Henderson An intriguing darkhorse of a candidate. The former
PRIDE 183- and 205-pound champion and Strikeforce light heavyweight
champ seems to be holding out for the winner of the Jon Jones-Rashad
Evans bout. Certainly, Henderson has made a career out of taking
on all comers and got up to 207 pounds for his 2011 victory over
Fedor Emelianenko. But while the dos Santos-Henderson option
sounds interesting, the size difference is simply too much of
a gap to make for a realistic fight. Fighting an undersized heavyweight
in Emelianenko is one thing; taking on a 6-foot-4, 240 pounder
with murder in his fists like dos Santos is something else altogether.
Mark
Hunt There's been a groundswell of internet opinion in favor
of giving this New Zealand underdog a title shot. Hunt is on
a bit of a roll in the UFC with three consecutive victories,
including his first-round TKO of gatekeeper Cheick Kongo at UFC
144. No doubt the heavy-hitting Hunt would put on an entertaining
show rich up until the moment the champion inevitably knocked
him out, but let's get serious … Hunt has an 8-7 record
and the Kongo victory is by far the biggest of his career. He
simply isn't ready.
Fedor
Emelianenko. This one would have been more effective if you imagined
a sitcom laugh track while you read his name. Seriously, some
have suggested the Russian as an opponent for dos Santos. The
fighter who was submitted in just over a minute by Fabricio Werdum,
provided Antonio Silva with his only career win of note, and
was run over by the former middleweight champion Henderson. Yes,
that Fedor. Unfortunately for those whose calendars froze over
in 2005, Emelianenko is going to fight again in June in Russia
and thus wouldn't be available to fight dos Santos. No opponent
has yet been named for Fedor, presumably because they're waiting
to see whether Tank Abbott or John Matua answer their contract
proposal first.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Keith
Jardine: The Fighter Who Always Said Yes
Having a reputation as a fighter that will always step up whenever
the UFC or Strikeforce asks you to can be a commendable thing
in the sport of MMA.
Most
fighters in the industry know it as an unspoken rule, but Zuffa
officials love fighters who will step up and help save a fight
card when injury strikes or something pops up on late notice
that requires someone take a chance.
Throughout
Keith Jardine‘s long career from his days in King of the
Cage to his stint on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter
to his recent Strikeforce fights, he’s always been the fighter
willing to say “yes.”
When
the UFC needed someone to face Chuck Liddell after his loss to
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a bout most assumed would
be the former champion’s way to blaze a comeback trail,
they called Jardine.
As
UFC 96 fast approached and no main event had been named, the
UFC picked Rampage as one of the fighters, but they needed an
opponent, so they called Jardine.
When
Strikeforce needed an opponent on eight days notice for Gegard
Mousasi after Mike Kyle suffered an injury in training, they
called Jardine.
And
when Tim Kennedy was injured and unable to take a title fight
against Luke Rockhold in January and Strikeforce was desperate
for a main event, they called Jardine once again.
Why
did they call Jardine so often? Because he was a performer and
fighter that always showed up, that always gave it his all, and
left his heart and soul inside the cage. He was the fighter who
always said yes.
But
after the loss to Rockhold, Jardine decided he needed to take
some serious time to reflect. Throughout his nearly 11 year pro
career, Jardine has never taken any long stretches of time away
from the sport, and after suffering a devastating knockout loss
to Rockhold in January, he decided it was long past time to step
away from active competition.
“I’m
taking a little bit of time off working on a few things back
here, trying to get healthy, and I’m not sure when I’m
going to come back and fight yet, but I’m not going to do
it until I feel like I’m 100-percent healthy and ready to
go,” Jardine told MMAWeekly.com.
“I
feel like I didn’t show up in that last fight. That’s
the first time ever in my career I felt like I was just kind
of a shell of myself. I should have had a test fight first, but
how can you turn down a title fight? I’m going to stay the
course, I’m going to give it another shot and see what happens.”
The
test fight Jardine was speaking about was a first attempt at
cutting down to 185 pounds after spending almost his entire career
fighting at 205 pounds. Sure, the cut was hard, but Jardine counts
the loss to Rockhold as his house of cards that came tumbling
down.
“Right
now in my career, realistically I have to take things one fight
at a time, and in my last fight I don’t think I gave all
of myself. I think I held a lot back and I need to be in a position
where I can give 100-percent,” Jardine stated.
This
may be the first time ever that if the UFC or Strikeforce came
calling right now, Jardine may actually say no to a fight.
“Now
I’m in a weird position because for maybe for the first
time in six years, ever since I was fighting in the UFC, I’m
not interested to jump in a fight. I haven’t been 100-percent
healthy in a long time, and just really want to concentrate on
myself a little bit,” Jardine commented.
The
road back to the cage is going to be a long and winding one,
but it won’t be something Jardine will jump into blindly.
He’s getting back to his roots, traveling around to a few
different gyms to see what new tricks he can learn, and most
importantly he’s letting his body heal up for maybe the
first time since he started fighting in 2001.
“I’m
training a lot of different places. I spent some time with Rashad
(Evans) down in Florida. I spent some time up at Renzo’s
(Gracie) in New York. I’m just really going to take this
time to mix it up and when I feel like I’m ready to go give
100-percent, I’m going to go do it,” Jardine said.
“That
fight two fights ago when I fought (Gegard) Mousasi, I fought
on eight days notice and I was out of shape, but one thing I
was confident in was I gave everything I had. I didn’t come
away with that feeling in my last fight.”
Does
Jardine see a light at the end of the tunnel as far as his fight
career goes? That is yet to be determined, but if there’s
one thing Keith Jardine can guarantee, it’s when he says
yes to his next fight, he will leave everything – his heart,
his soul and everything he can give – in the cage.
“If
it is my last fight my next fight, I’ll know I gave 100
percent and I gave all of myself,” said Jardine.
“Usually
they know whenever they want me I’ll fight, and this is
the first time where I want to wait until I’m ready to go
out there and put it all on the line.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Source: Romolo Barros
|
Alistair
Overeem’s Chances of Fighting at UFC 146 Are Dim, Kizer
Reveals 14 to 1 Ratio in Testing
by Damon
Martin
The
chances of Alistair Overeem fighting at UFC 146 seem to be dwindling
by the minute as the former K-1 Grand Prix champion deals with
a positive drug test from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
On
Wednesday, Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director
Keith Kizer released results from testing done after the UFC
146 kickoff press conference in Las Vegas. Overeem was the lone
fighter that tested positive.
Overeem’s
results came back with an elevated level of testosterone at a
more than 10 to 1 ratio (testosterone vs. epitestosterone). Nevada
allows up to a 6 to 1 ratio for testosterone, which has been
a point of debate, which Kizer explained when speaking to MMAWeekly
Radio on Thursday.
“In
this situation, we did get a positive test of elevated T/E ratio
for Mr. Overeem. I notified the commission, I notified the promoter,
and had them notify Mr. Overeem, and that’s where we stand,”
Kizer told MMAWeekly Radio.
“The
ratio came back greater than 10 to 1. We use the old WADA (World
Anti-Doping Agencey) cut off, which is 6 to 1, some places use
4 to 1, there’s still a bit of debate on that. Because there
are some athletes that are naturally 5 to 1, I for one would
not want to brand them cheaters and tout false positives, but
I guess other people would. But we use the 6 to 1 ratio there,
and this was greater than 10 to 1.”
On
Thursday morning, Kizer received the final results back from
Overeem’s test and they totaled out at a 14 to 1 ratio for
his testosterone levels.
Now
the next move for Overeem will land in one of a couple places.
He can either contest the testing and have his “B”
sample tested or opt to appear in front of the commission for
a licensing hearing.
As
of today, Overeem’s camp has not requested his “B”
sample be tested.
“He’s
got some time,” Kizer said about how long Overeem has to
request a second test be done. “As I understand it, if an
‘A’ sample comes back positive, the lab keeps that
for quite a long time. If it comes back negative, they basically
toss it after a couple of weeks assuming there is no further
request for the ‘B’ sample. So they’d have the
‘B’ sample for quite a while, but I would assume if
he’s going to request a ‘B’ sample testing, he
should do it sometime this month.”
The
“B” sample was taken at the same time as the “A”
sample following the UFC 146 press conference in late March.
“We’ve
had that in about 10 or so cases where athletes have asked for
that,” Kizer said about a potential “B” sample
test. “They can either ask for the original lab, in this
case Quest Diagnostics, to run the ‘B’ sample test,
or they can ask for it to be transported to some other accredited
lab. It can be any other lab in the country as long as they have
proper accreditation, and proper legitimacy, and in that case
there would be a slight delay because there would have to be
lab-to-lab communications, to find out how the second lab wants
the sample transported, make sure the chain of custody is kept
intact, security, safety, things like that. It then gets to that
lab, they run the tests, and then they’d report both to
us and the athlete.”
If
Overeem makes the request and allows Quest Diagnostics to run
the tests, the results would come back in approximately a week.
If he requests the tests run at another lab, Kizer said he would
expect a slight delay, but would hope for results in about two
weeks.
Here’s
where Overeem’s problems then mount. In the history of the
Nevada State Athletic Commission’s drug testing, no ‘B’
sample has ever fully exonerated a fighter for a positive ‘A’
sample.
“They
always come back positive, except for one case we had a fighter,
I think he was positive for six different, the lab found six
specific prohibitive substances in his sample, the ‘B’
sample was tested and it did come back negative for one of those
drugs, which myself and the attorney generals, we immediately
dropped that from the complaint, dropped that one prohibitive
substance,” Kizer explained.
“We
weren’t even asked to do so, we did it on our own accord,
the tie goes to the runner as I said back then, and I still say,
but we still proceed with the others and he ended up getting
a 12-month suspension and a big fine. Not with us (has a fighter’s
test ever come back at a legal level). It may have happened with
other drug testing groups, WADA or USADA (United States Anti-Doping
Agency) may have had it, or other groups, but not with us.”
So
unless something unprecedented happens and a second sample comes
back negative, Overeem’s only choice is to appear before
the commission for a licensing hearing.
“There
would be no disciplinary punishment, but it would be grounds
of denial of a license, and if the commission denies him a license,
he’d be barred for at least a year for reapplying,”
Kizer said.
“Unless
the ‘B’ sample is tested and comes back negative, he
would need to appear before the commission and the commission
would make its decision and they could use the failed drug test
as grounds for denial of license.”
A
hearing would be held for Overeem with the commission where he
would be held accountable for the positive drug test, and then
they would make their final ruling regarding his application.
“It
would be a commission hearing and then it would be no different
than any other similar situation where a fighter had some issues
and had to appear before the commission. We had it with Mr. Overeem
back in December,” said Kizer.
As
of now, the situation would appear to be pretty bleak for Overeem
to end up appearing on the UFC 146 fight card, but as of right
now no decision has been made by the promotion regarding his
status in the main event fight against UFC heavyweight champion
Junior dos Santos.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
ABC
letter expresses concern over quality of New York regulation
By Zach
Arnold
ASSOCIATION
OF BOXING COMMISSIONS
April
2, 2012
Dear
Membership:
Recently,
the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board has made me aware
of some matters that I wish to share with the membership. In
New Jersey’s neighboring State of New York, amateur and
professional kickboxing and Muay Thai is overseen by sanctioning
bodies, not the state athletic commission. Reportedly, as of
May 2012, New York has seen fit to also now allow amateur MMA
under the direct control and supervision of sanctioning bodies.
While
the below examples just involve New Jersey and New York, it is
an important issue for the entire membership because contestants
frequently travel to various jurisdictions. In addition, it is
important because many sanctioning bodies are regional or national
in nature, so that their actions/inactions are likely standard
policy regardless of contest location.
In
the past few months, combat sports competitors have been allowed
to compete in the State of New York while underage, well past
age 40, and under drug, medical or disciplinary suspension in
New Jersey. All of the New Jersey suspensions in place were listed
and denoted on the ABC’s official MMA record keeper database,
mixedmartialarts.com, and also sent to FightFax, the ABC’s
official boxing record keeper database.
In
short, it is concerning that combat sports contestants have very
recently been granted eligibility to compete in New York while
under suspension in New Jersey for reasons such as positive Hepatitis
C results, the need for retinal surgery, failed stress echocardiograms,
and MRI scans. A contestant on permanent suspension for a history
of subdural hematoma was also granted clearance and fought in
New York without any testing.
Furthermore,
the sanctioning bodies have not reported the results of any of
these competitions in New York. Thus, absent voluntary and complete
disclosure from the contestant, or attendance at each event,
there is no way of knowing whether a contestant has competed
in New York and the results of such competition. The sanctioning
body, as it fails to report results, also fails to list any medical
suspensions. Thus, it is difficult to determine whether a contestant
was KO’d last week, and it is also difficult to determine
whether a contestant has the experience of 5 or 15 combat sports
competitions.
As
Commissioners, we need to suggest that sanctioning bodies register
their events and check for yellow labeled suspended fighters,
and follow up with the suspending commission regarding the suspension.
Sanctioning bodies should also report results to the proper registries.
In the absence of that, Commissioners need to be aware of the
need to directly inquire as to the contestants last competition,
as such may not show on the database if regulated by a sanctioning
organization.
It
is strongly suggested that Commissions who allow and utilize
sanctioning bodies consider requiring minimum medical testing,
medical insurance, on site safety precautions, drug testing and
weigh-in controls. Currently, in New york, such are, at times,
not even required or can simply be waived on fight night. Despite
detailed operating procedures denoted in some sanctioning body
manuals, these procedures are frequently waived. It may be prudent
to have the sanctioning body advise the appropriate athletic
commission of proposed event dates in advance, so that the state,
province or tribal agency can send a representative to the event
or follow up on the receipt of bout results and suspensions.
All
combat sports have inherent medical risks and safety concerns,
and proper regulatory oversight is needed at all levels. We should
always remember that the health and safety of the contestant,
and the fairness and integrity of the contest are our primary
goals.
Thank
you for your consideration of these concerns.
Very
truly yours,
Tim
Lueckenhoff
President
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
NEW
COMBAT SPORTS SCORING APPLICATION AIMS TO ELIMINATE ERRORS
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
It
was about one month ago when Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall
fought a match that was supposed to send the winner to a championship
bout. Because the match was contested under a tournament format,
the UFC had thought to add an unprecedented clause providing
for an overtime-style fourth round in case of a draw.
Despite seemingly having all their bases covered, the UFC was
robbed of a victor that night due to simple math error that led
to an incorrect decision. By the time the mistake was discovered,
it was too late to correct. Instead of fighting an overtime round,
Johnson and McCall will have to rematch.
The
mistake angered many, with UFC president Dana White memorably
asking commissions to "get a f---ing calculator." According
to one athletic commission, that blunder would have never happened
on their watch. Why? Because they are already utilizing a new
scoring application that takes human error out of the equation
wherever possible, and they are hoping to spread the technology
throughout both MMA and boxing.
The new system, tentatively named "Ringside Scoring,"
was created by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation
in Connecticut. It is essentially an electronic application that
replaces the longtime standard paper and pencil.
Each
judge is given a wireless, touch-screen pad that can only be
unlocked by a personal code. During an event, a commission rep
will have control of a mainframe that will display the current
bout on each judges' pad. Readouts will include photos of the
respective fighters in the blue and red corners, while extra
identifying information including shorts colors can be added
as well.
At
the conclusion of a round, judges will be prompted to enter their
score, and asked to verify it a second time before transmitting.
The mainframe computer then tabulates scores round by round.
According
to the department's director Michael Mazzulli, the Mohegan tribe,
which has patented and copyrighted the system, originally conceived
the design about four years ago with the goal of "moving
boxing and MMA into the 21st century."
The
program was written by information technology specialist Michael
Spellman in 6-8 months, and the tribe has quietly used it for
events ever since, making changes and addressing issues along
the way. But after tinkering with it for three years, it's reached
maturity, according to Mazzulli.
"I'm
99.9 percent confident that this is going to always work,"
he said. "We've always had paper backup, but I'm at the
point today where I don't think we need paper backup. We'll always
have it because it's easy, but this is a great system."
During
last year's Association of Boxing Commissions meeting, Mazzulli
demonstrated it for several in attendance. At that time, even
though reception was strong, the system was not quite ready to
be spread. Now it is. They'll soon demonstrate it to other Native
American athletic commissions and make it available for purchase.
One
prospective issue in spreading the technology is cost. According
to Mazzulli, the hardware and computer costs between $3,800-$4,000,
but the tribe is discussing ways to make it more affordable or
to lease it.
"We’re
not looking to make money," said Mohegan Tribe information
systems chief information officer Chuck Scharnagle. "There
aren’t thousands of commissions to sell it to. This is just
an opportunity for Mohegan to help spread its brand and help
boxing and MMA."
Because
of the time they've spent developing the system, it has safeguards
in place for security and has been designed for ease of use in
scoring. When it comes to the latter, things like point deductions
have been integrated, while the administrator in charge of the
main computer can view scoring in real time for any inconsistencies.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Why
Is Akihiro Gono Fighting Michael Chandler? Because He’s
the One Fighter That Said Yes
by Damon
Martin
There
were more than a few confused faces and raised eyebrows when
Bellator Fighting Championships announced that their lightweight
champion Michael Chandler, fresh off of his Fight of the Year
performance over Eddie Alvarez to close 2011, would face journeyman
fighter Akihiro Gono in his next bout.
At
9-0, Chandler has rocketed past rising prospect to legitimate
top ten lightweight over the last year, so when looking at his
next challenge very few people expected it to be a fighter coming
off back-to-back losses.
Throughout
his career, Akihiro Gono has been a tough challenger for a lot
of fighters including hard fought battles in the UFC with names
like Jon Fitch and Dan Hardy. Still Gono’s career would
appear to be past its peak, and more recently the one-time Pride
fighter has lost two fights in a row and has gone just 3-5 over
his last eight bouts.
The
question then has to be asked of Bellator CEO and Chairman Bjorn
Rebney, why was Gono given the chance to face their lightweight
champion in a super fight?
The
simple answer is because Gono was the one fighter who said yes.
“There’s
a balance, you get a guy and I’ll try to give you as straight
forward an answer as I can, when you get a guy who is good as
Michael Chandler and I think we can all agree that Michael Chandler
should be among everybody’s top list at 155lbs in the world.
When you get a guy that good, good names who are not currently
engaged in a Bellator tournament or beholden to a UFC contract,
are not jumping out of the gym to take that fight,” Rebney
revealed when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio.
“When
you look at the list and you say to yourself who can we get that’s
got a good history in the game, that’s got some huge wins
behind them, could conceptually be a guy who could compete if
he can re-ignite the flame and Gono was that guy.”
The
fact is according to Rebney the call was made to several other
lightweight fighters trying to find the best name possible to
face Chandler, but all of them except Gono turned down the challenge.
“We
went through a lot of different names trying to fight somebody
to fight Mike, because we’ve got this tournament going on
now, Mike vs. Eddie (Alvarez) was a while ago, you’ve got
to keep a guy like that busy. It’s incumbent upon us to
keep him busy, and you look through the list and you call a lot
of fighters. You call a lot of 155lbers and say are you interested
in this fight? And the answer across the board with a lot of
guys is no. I’m not interested in that fight in any way,
shape or form,” said Rebney.
Bellator’s
current super fight format has been their way of keeping a champion
busy while they complete tournaments to crown new contenders
to fight in title bouts. With a move to Spike TV on the horizon
in 2013, Rebney is hoping to do away with the super fight scenario
all together, but for now they just don’t want Chandler
sitting out for the majority of 2012 while their next lightweight
tournament comes to a close.
Rebney
admits that the call was even made to some welterweights who
might have been interested in cutting down to 155lbs for the
chance to face the Bellator lightweight champion, but again no
one was jumping at the opportunity except for Akihiro Gono.
“Absolutely
no disrespect to Gono, he’s had a spectacular career and
he’s been at the top level of this game. He’s not been
on a great run as of late, but he did say yes, and he said yes
with a lot of time to train, and he said yes with an amazing
amount of enthusiasm for the opportunity, and one that could
change the direction of his career,” said Rebney.
No
matter what money was offered or what opportunity was laid on
the table, no one was chomping at the bit to face Chalder on
May 4, so Gono gets the chance to pull off one of the biggest
upsets in Bellator history.
“You’re
looking for the best guy you can get, but a lot of the best guys
that are available, it doesn’t matter about the money, they’re
not interested in fighting a Michael Chandler at this stage of
his career,” said Rebney.
“Michael
Chandler is a beast in this game so you do the best you can with
the situation.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Pan
2012: the day Rafael Mendes was waiting for and other stories
Ivan Trindade
Though
it was the day known around the world as “Fools Day,”
what happened this Sunday, the last day of the 2012 Pan, was
very much serious business, however hard to believe it seemed.
Ever
since 2009, when they first faced each other, every time Rafael
Mendes and Rubens Cobrinha have stepped into the competition
area together all eyes turn their way and they put on truly riveting
displays.
The
score between the two was already amply in favor of Mendes. Still
there was something missing, and Rafael knew it.
At
ADCC 2009, what was missing almost ended up coming true, but
Cobrinha, as valiant and relentless as ever, gritted it out.
Then
came a series of evenly balanced affairs, the outcomes of which
were determined by advantages or a slim margin of points.
So,
in the featherweight final of the 2012 Pan, they again found
themselves face to face.
What
he was planning to do with Cobrinha Rafael had already done with
his three prior opponents in the weight class, including two-time
world champion Mário Reis.
Rafael
wanted the finish!
The
action began with both pulling guard, fooling their regular viewers
into thinking another incessant sweep swap would transpire.
But
no.
While
spinning in hopes of taking his opponent’s back, Rafael
latched on to an arm.
The
armbar surfaced already fully in place; but you don’t finish
a four-time world and Pan-American champion that easy.
Cobrinha
used all the technique and strength he could muster to hold out,
flipping over in an attempt to alleviate the pressure on his
elbow.
The
expression he bore on his face, however, indicated the situation
had gotten critical.
At
a given moment Cobra nearly escaped, but it was just false hope
during the calm before the ultimate storm.
With
a twist to Cobrinha’s wrist, Rafael created the torsion
that left his prey no recourse.
The
finish was fact!
As
he left the match area, Rafael muttered to André Galvão,
who often served as his coach,” I told you I’d catch
him, didn’t I?”
He
would explain his certainty later on: “I feel this was my
best championship performance. I let my game flow and went for
different finishes. I did modern Jiu-Jitsu, which a lot of folks
are already being influenced by.”
Caio
Terra, another of the day’s winners, chimed in, asserting,
“Rafael, to me, is the best at Jiu-Jitsu in the world right
now. I trained with him, and it was depressing; I couldn’t
do a thing. I even think he’d win the absolute if he were
in it.”
OTHER
JIU-JITSU TALES FROM THE PAN
The
Pan also marked the consolidation of two names in ascension:
Marcus Vinícius “Bochecha” and Antônio
“Cara de Sapato” Barbosa, a pair of Rodrigo Cavaca
students who closed out the absolute and sent a message advising
that they’re ready to hold their own against the big medal
winners.
Kron
Gracie left Irvine with two bronzes, one from the open class
and the other from the middleweight class, but he returned to
dazzling one and all with his forward-going Jiu-Jitsu, unfearing
of getting finished and untempted to stall. A game that even
punishes him with defeat because of the points scored against
him during his incessant hunt for the finish. If Rickson’s
son can manage to temper his impulsiveness in pursuing the tapout
and immense talent with a bit more strategy, the results would
certainly do his value as a fighter justice.
Kayron
Gracie returned after a year sidelined from big-tourney action
due to injury, and he calmly navigated the turbulent medium heavyweight
waters. With his well-known, nearly insurmountable guard and
pinpoint attacks, the Gracie promised to soar to even greater
heights: “Competing in the absolute is one of my objectives!
Perhaps I’ll enter at the Worlds.”
Bruno
Malfacine decided not to pick a fight with the scale, and it
served him well. The Rio de Janeiro native entered the light
featherweight contest to test himself, and left with a gold medal
dangling from his neck for his efforts. In the final he outdid
Guilherme Mendes in a highly strategic affair. Still he promises
to return to his roosterweight roost: “I played according
to his game, which is really tight. I wanted to let loose, I
just couldn’t. In the end it all worked out, though.”
Caio
Terra defined the roosterweight final as being an activity between
friends. Humorously, he said, “If I lose to him I’ll
be happy. But if I win I’ll be even happier!” With
his thoughts on the greater joy, Terra stalked Rafael Barata
until he had him helpless in a leglock. Was competing at rooster
easy with Malfacine out of the picture? “Malfacine is a
cut above the rest, that’s why our fights are so evenly
matched, but there’s no smooth sailing at black belt anyways,”
he said in analysis, this time seriously.
Bernardo
Faria was wounded on Sunday. Not physically, it was his pride
that was bruised. The world champion from team Alliance lost
the absolute semifinal to Cara de Sapato on Saturday but refused
to accept defeat: “I feel I was the victim of a grave refereeing
mistake; but I recognize how good Cara de Sapato is. He’s
beaten me before.” So, when they faced off again in the
super heavyweight final, Faria knew the match had to go differently.
“I had the same match today as I did yesterday. We’re
always evenly matched!” If he used the same strategy as
he did on Saturday, Bernardo was more efficient about it on Sunday.
Trailing by 5-0, he got back control on two occasions and scored
a sweep, rallying back to win by 10 to 5.
The
lightweight final was their first encounter ever! Leandro Lo
had never faced Lucas Lepri before. And the São Paulo
native from Cicero Costha’s stable took the title by a sweep.
The meager score is indicative of the strategic and studied affair
it was: “I got the sweep early on and managed to avoid letting
him sweep me back. Against an athlete like Lepri you can’t
make mistakes, and it’s a good thing I didn’t.”
The
ultraheavyweight final was an awkward situation for Rodrigo Cavaca.
As Alexander Trans and Bochecha are from the same team but don’t
train together, the CheckMat headmaster ended up being a sort
of double coach. He was silent for most of the time, but every
now and again he’d chime in with the time remaining on the
clock, first in Portuguese, then in English. Some moments he
could contain himself no more, barking instructions at Bochecha.
After all, the Brazilian is his student. When Bochecha scored
a sweep towards the end for the win, Cavaca just cracked a smile,
acknowledging his student’s effectiveness.
At
middleweight, 50/50 guard and not much action to speak of. Except
the occasional attempt at a footlock. Claudio Calasans swept
one more time than Victor Estima did and took his second Pan
title. “I won because I managed to impose the pace and stay
ahead on the scorecards the whole time. Victor is really tough,”
was Calasans’s synopsis.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
“We’re
the most tested sport in the world” ain’t cutting it
no more
By Zach
Arnold
What’s
that, you say? MMA doesn’t have a major drug problem? MMA
doesn’t have a major scandal brewing over testosterone usage?
Alistair
Overeem reportedly tested over a 10/1 T/E ratio for high testosterone
levels on a Nevada drug test today. He’s out of his upcoming
fight against Junior dos Santos in late May. Since Overeem hadn’t
been licensed yet by Nevada, he can’t be suspended —
he just can’t get licensed. As Victor Conte recently noted,
6:1 T/E levels is practically rolling out a red carpet. To fail
that standard is utterly confounding.
You
can look at this development in one of two ways: a) the current
drug testing protocols being used are working or b) if this many
fighters are failing a standard IQ test, imagine what the hell
would be revealed using a combination of blood testing &
Carbon Isotope Ratio urine testing.
I
choose door B. Keith Kizer will go around parading that his ‘out
of competition’ drug testing works when basically he did
the minimum by waiting for a bunch of fighters to show up in
Nevada for a presser and then bringing out the urine collectors
there. That’s not exactly ‘out of competition’
testing by traditional standards.
No
wonder guys are crying foul about hypogonadism and trying to
get a proverbial hall pass from athletic commissions to use testosterone
as opposed to taking their chances just using a standard Vitamin
S diet. The S means… Strikeforce… yeah, that’s
the ticket.
A
person I respect very much tried to make the argument to me the
other day in defense of TRT passes from AC’s and it can
be paraphrased like this: “We know guys are using and aren’t
getting caught, so we might as well encourage guys coming forward
for some sort of regulation.” I view this as the ‘let’s
legalize prostitution, let’s legalize marijuana use’
viewpoint. The problem with this is that those activities are
about your personal activity. If you want to do those activities
at your own risk, then so be it. But using testosterone and getting
into a cage to beat the hell out of another fighter? That’s
an issue of public safety and not simply individual responsibility.
There’s
a very simply solution for fighters, promoters, and athletic
commissions who want to clean up the sport – work with associations
like USADA & the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, two organizations
that do have the tools to test for the proper drugs that should
be scrutinized. Trying to mete out punishment for a guy over
marijuana metabolites on the same level as a steroid user is
preposterous.
The
biggest change in terms of drug testing for combat sports needs
to be a tactical change. There should be a heavy emphasis on
drug testing before a fight happens as opposed to simply waiting
until after the fight actually occurs. If this is a health &
safety issue (which it is), then out-of-competition drug testing
combined with CIR/blooding testing protocols is the responsible
method of drug testing. The current pre-fight/post-fight urine
drug testing standards being used now simply is more about routine
than it is about really attacking the problem of drug usage itself.
The whole point of drug testing should be to keep the drug users
out of the ring/cage and from brutalizing opponents while using
PEDs.
As
for what the media can do to help shine a light on drug use in
the sport? Simple — start naming names of mark doctors who
are hooking the fighters up with drugs. Put the spotlight on
the drug fixers. If they want to be mark doctors, then call their
bluff and out them. Give them the spotlight and let’s see
if the old adage ‘be careful what you wish for’ applies
for these doctors who like the fame of being associated with
their favorite fighters.
However,
will that happen? I have my doubts. The most common headline
for today’s developments? “UFC boss irate with Alistair
Overeem over failed drug test.”
There
was an interesting quote from Dana White in this Kevin Iole article
at Yahoo that just went online:
“We
have to have a rapport with these guys,” White told Yahoo!
Sports Wednesday. “We’re not the police, we’re
not the commission, we’re not their mothers or their fathers.
If you do something stupid, at least be honest with us so we
can help you deal with it and fix it.
“He
lied straight to our faces. That has me so [expletive] angry,
I can’t even tell you. He said to us, ‘The last thing
you have to worry about is me popping. I’m the most-tested
athlete in the world.’ Yeah, [expletive] right.”
Interesting
that Dana says he’s not the commission because, guess what,
for many shows UFC is the commission. One of the major poster
boys of testosterone usage, Chael Sonnen, is fighting in Brazil
this Summer against Anderson Silva. Notice Chael’s not fighting
in California, Nevada, or New Jersey? Rampage admitted that he
fought at UFC Japan while using testosterone. Other guys who
are using TRT also fought on overseas UFC events.
Bottom
line — it’s getting harder by the day for people in
the sport to MMA to defend the drug culture that currently exists.
As Beau Dure adroitly noted, the MMA media’s stance of legalizing
PED usage is in stark contrast to how writers in major sports
feel about the issue. There’s great irony in seeing boosters
of baseball get worked up over someone using testosterone in
order to hit a homerun while boosters of MMA shrug at PED usage
in a sport where one punch or kick could permanently disable
an opponent.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
ALISTAIR
OVEREEM'S T/E RATIO WAS 14:1 IN FAILED PED TEST
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
UFC
No. 1 heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem produced a testosterone-to-epitestosterone
ratio of 14:1 in his failed urine test, Nevada state athletic
commission executive director Keith Kizer told MMA Fighting on
Thursday, shortly after he learned of the final result.
The average male produces a T/E ratio around 1:1. The World Anti-Doping
Agency (WADA) uses a 4:1 standard for positive tests, and NSAC
uses 6:1 as its cutoff, a number used by WADA up until 2006.
In
NSAC's original statement announcing the flagged result, Overeem
was said to have tested at a level higher than 10:1.
Overeem
has the right to ask for his B-sample to be tested to ensure
the accuracy of the result. That would likely trigger a carbon
isotope ratio test, which would determine whether the testosterone
in his body was natural or synthetic.
Because
Overeem (36-11, 1 no contest) is unlicensed in Nevada, he cannot
be punished for the test, but he would face an uphill task in
trying to gain a license to fight Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146
as originally scheduled.
Overeem's number is slightly lower than that of Chael Sonnen
when he was caught with an elevated level in 2010. Sonnen, who
lost to Anderson Silva the day after the test was taken, produced
a sample with a 16.9:1 ratio.
To date, the UFC has still not addressed any potential replacement
for Overeem, though a source with knowledge of the situation
said the promotion would most likely choose former champion Frank
Mir to face dos Santos.
UFC 146 takes place on May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden
Arena.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Gabi
Garcia wants to break all Jiu-Jitsu records
Report
by Erik Engelhart, directly from California
For
the third consecutive year, Gabi Garcia and Luanna Alzuguir got
to the absolute finals at Pan American, and the conquest this
time had a special taste for the “biggest sister”.
“I
spent two nights sweating in fever, my throat was closed, so
I overcame myself today. I caught jetlag pretty bad, but I’m
really happy to have this title shared with Luanna again”,
reveals Gabi, hunger for titles.
“It’s
the third time we get the title at Pan and it only shows the
female power our team has. It’s been three years we beat
Gracie Humaita and we’re going for the World too”.
The
golden medal goes to Luanna, but it’s Gabi’s name who’s
there on the papers as the champion. Got confuse? It’s ok,
she explained it.
"Last
year she got the title, and now it’s mine. I’ll get
World’s medal too in case we close the division… The
title is mine, but the medal I leave to her as a souvenir (laughs)”.
Gabi
comes back to the mats this Sunday (1st) to fight on her weight
class and, after many seminars, she is focusing on both Worlds
– Abu Dhabi and California’s.
“I
want to fight for my third Abu Dhabi title, but my goal is World.
I want to train a lot more for World than I trained for Pan.
I’m going for the third absolute title, something no woman
has ever done in history”.
Source:
Tatame
|
Is
this the kind of acting career Rampage wants to give UFC up for
to pursue?
By Zach
Arnold
“How
to Pick Up a Gurl – Fast.” Wonder when he recorded
this — before or after testosterone usage? (Someone go ask
Karyn Bryant.) Before or after his claims of double knee surgery
with Dr. Steve Mora?
Yesterday,
Victor Conte pondered if Rampage Jackson is now the Jose Canseco
of MMA in terms of exposing the floodgates of testosterone usage
in MMA. After watching this video, you might actually think that
the Canseco comparison is a little too accurate when describing
Rampage as a man who is not exactly a genius of judgment.
If
acting and UFC careers go awry for Rampage, he’ll always
have his induction into MMA’s Testosterone Hall of Fame
to put on his résumé. With such fellow luminaries
as Alistair Overeem (allegedly), Dan Henderson, Todd Duffee,
Shane Roller, Nate Marquardt, Chael Sonnen, Dennis Hallman, Bristol
Marunde, and Ken Shamrock.
Mark
April 24th on your calendar
That’s
the date set for the next Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing
where the fate of Nick Diaz will be determined. It will be fascinating
to see what kind of impact Ross Goodman (of the royal Vegas family)
has on the outcome of the proceedings.
I
think this hearing is a huge test for Keith Kizer’s credibility
in many ways. Why? He’ll be sending one hell of a message
if Nick Diaz, a second time marijuana ‘offender’, gets
punished on the same (if not higher) level as current steroid
users are getting punished at. Will the book get thrown at Nick
here?
While
I’m not a cheerleader for guys getting into a cage high
as a kite, I also do not consider marijuana to be a significant
Performance Enhancing Drug when compared to anabolic steroids/testosterone.
Call me crazy, I just don’t see someone having marijuana
metabolites in their system to be the same as someone getting
caught for, say, elevated levels of testosterone at fight time.
Since
Keith Kizer loves to be a politician in the media, I would love
to see someone confront him on the marijuana issue. If somebody
can get past the boilerplate ‘a banned substance is a banned
substance’ rhetoric, I’d love to see him get grilled
on the following questions:
Do
you consider marijuana to be a performance enhancing drug for
fighters in combat sports?
If you consider marijuana to be a PED, do you consider the effects
of marijuana to be of similar enhancement to anabolic steroids
& testosterone?
Would you treat someone equally if they applied for a marijuana
Therapeutic Use Exemption the same way you claim to treat guys
who ask for testosterone TUEs?
If Keith Kizer wants to run to his media friends whenever he
wants to get his side of a story in public, then let’s see
the tables get turned on him here and actually answer some serious
questions about the way drugs are currently weighted in terms
of testing for performance.
By
the way, I’m not the only one who has serious questions
about Nevada’s Director. Victor Conte is on the warpath
about what’s going on right now with all the positive drug
tests in MMA. Take a look at what he’s had to say recently:
As
soon as you start to use drugs you become a liar RT @ShokoAsahara:
thought he said he got yolked from eating horse meat?
If
UFC’s Overeem had a 5:1 T/E ratio, then he would have been
negative under Nevada rules, but positive under California rules.
BIG PROBLEM!
The
6:1 T/E rule in NEVADA needs to be CHANGED! Period. California
& most of the world have been using a 4:1 limit over 5 yrs.
GET REAL!
When
is @danawhite going to wake up and smell the UFC testosterone
abuse party! How much more obvious can this rampant problem become?
@danawhite
needs UFC to use an independent anti-doping entity like VADA.
Does MMA need the fox guarding the hen house? Hope you don’t
plan to have a UFC anti-doping program that will be run by a
UFC employee.
The
protocol is for an elevated T/E ratio is confirmed by B sample
testing w/ witnesses. Follow up CIR testing for “synthetic”
test confirms. Simple. CIR (Carbon Isotope Ratio) testing for
“synthetic” testosterone as a screen test would quickly
reduce testosterone abuse in the UFC.
@danawhite
The answer to cost effective drug testing for the UFC is right
there in Las Vegas. VADA is on stand by. So do the right thing.
Keith
Kizer. Answer the 64K ? Why does NEVADA use a 6:1 T/E ratio when
the Olympics, MLB, NFL all use 4:1. Is it to help athletes cheat?
Poor
excuse. RT @Rick_Guy: @VictorConte To attract big fights. Vegas
is hurting and a stringent testing policy would only deter promoters.
Is
@danawhite more mad because Overeem tested positive or because
he lied to him about it? Still trying to sort that one out. Could
@danawhite have possibly thought Overeem was not juicing before
he tested positive?
On
April 9th, there’s a hearing in Sacramento over what to
do regarding Therapeutic Use Exemptions and the testosterone
issue. MMA fans who want the sport cleaned up need to make a
vocal stand now so that the commission and George Dodd hear you
loud and clear. For commissions, money talks but so does political
pressure and the testosterone issue is a loser for everyone.
This
right here is the rule up for debate to amend. If you would like
to send a public comment (e-mail), the guidelines are right here.
The primary person to contact to send comments is: Kathi Burns
(Kathi.Burns@dca.ca.gov) & back-up contact is Elizabeth Parkman
(Elizabeth.Parkman@dca.ca.gov). Make sure to title your e-mail
like this or with the identifying key words:
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Will
Free Agency Take Both Eddie Alvarez and Hector Lombard from Bellator?
by Damon
Martin
In
the realm of baseball names like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and
Willie Mays are synonymous with most sports fans, but if you’ve
ever heard the name Curt Flood, he’s a player that helped
change baseball forever.
In
1969, Flood challenged the status quo of the contracts in Major
League Baseball, and although it took a few years, the ultimately
decision led to free agency in the national pastime.
Free
agency has become commonplace in every sport from football to
baseball to basketball and even mixed martial arts.
For
Bellator Fighting Championships, they are about to feel the real
bite of free agency for the first time in their 4 years of existence.
Former
Bellator lightweight champion and arguably the face of Bellator
Eddie Alvarez, along with middleweight champion Hector Lombard
are both coming up to the end of their respective deals and now
the organization has to get into the business of negotiating
to keep two of their biggest and most popular stars.
“We’ve
got two fights left, we’ve got the (Shinya) Aoki fight then
we’ve got one more after that,” Bellator CEO Bjorn
Rebney told MMAWeekly Radio about Eddie Alvarez’s contract.
“The guy has been just unbelievably good and positive for
this organization. He’s been good and positive for Bellator,
he’s also been good and positive for the entirety of MMA.
Much like our situation with Hector Lombard, right now Hector’s
a little bit further along cause I signed him earlier than I
signed Ed, but you remember Hector and Ed were signed in 08'.
“It’s
coming up on four years and that’s the length of the deal
when you win world titles and the extensions are done. We don’t
have any champion’s clauses in our contracts, which locks
guys in for life, so those contracts are going to come to an
end. You’re going to have a brief exclusive negotiation
period, and when that ends you’re going to have the right
to match an offer that anybody else would make, and we’ve
got the right to match.”
Currently,
Alvarez is gearing up for his rematch with Shinya Aoki on April
20 in Ohio, and then he will have one more fight remaining on
his Bellator deal. Obviously, Rebney would love to keep Alvarez,
who has been one of the mainstays of the promotion for the past
few years, but he also understands this is a business and all’s
fair in love and money.
“We’ll
see what happens in the Aoki fight, and we’ll see what happens
in Ed’s last fight under the banner and then we’ll
address the Ed situation, much like we’ve addressed the
Hector situation,” Rebney explained.
“I’ve
maintained really good relationships with both guys, I kept an
open dialogue with both guys. I consider them both friends.”
As
far as Hector Lombard goes, the reigning and defending Bellator
middleweight champion, his contract situation is a further along
than Alvarez’s and they are hopeful to have a final decision
made on him in the coming weeks.
Rebney
approached the situation with Lombard as a friend as well as
an employer because he understood that fighters are like any
other worker. They need to go where they feel the best opportunity
presents itself for them to succeed, whether that’s in Bellator
or another promotion like the UFC.
“I
had a sit down with Hector Lombard, this was about 8 months ago,
and we’re coming up on the end of our deal, but it’s
getting closer and he asked me what’s going to happen. I
said I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can
tell you that 2012 is going to be an awesome, epic year for Hector
Lombard. And whether it’s an awesome, epic year in the Octagon,
or whether it’s an awesome, epic year at Bellator, I’m
not sure. I can’t tell you how that’s all going to
play out, but I can tell you it’s going to be a great year
for you, you’re going to make a lot more money,” Rebney
said.
“I
would say we’ll know where the whole Hector thing falls
out in very short order.”
Alvarez
will have at least one more fight with Bellator beyond the bout
coming up with Aoki in April, and then they will once again enter
into a negotiating period with their former champion.
In
a perfect world, of course Rebney would like to keep both fighters,
but in a realistic situation he knows that may not happen.
“I’d
love to keep them both,” said Rebney. “But I don’t
know if that’s going to be how it all plays out.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Frank
Mir Ready to Take Alistair Overeem’s Slot in UFC 146 Title
Shot
by Ken
Pishna
Frank
Mir is slated to face fellow former UFC heavyweight champion
Cain Velasquez in a No. 1 contender’s bout on May 26 at
UFC 146 in Las Vegas, but in light of current challenger Alistair
Overeem’s positive drug test result for elevated levels
of testosterone, Mir may get a shot a little sooner than expected.
Mir
had hoped to defeat Velasquez and then six or eight months down
the road get a shot at the winner between current champion Junior
dos Santos and Overeem, who were to fight on the same card. But
unless something miraculous happens, Overeem is more than likely
out of the fight and the UFC will have to tap a replacement for
dos Santos.
Mir
would be more than happy to step in.
“I
would be excited if given the opportunity to compete for the
UFC’s heavyweight title at UFC 146 if the reports released
earlier today regarding Alistair Overeem failing his ‘A’
sample drug test are true,” Mir said on Wednesday.
“I
have been fortunate to be able to fight in the UFC for more than
a decade, and it is a dream of mine to become the first three-time
heavyweight champion in the UFC. Being able to fight Junior dos
Santos would put me one step closer to that dream.”
UFC
president Dana White has yet to say what he intends to do, the
situation is just too fresh. Right now, he’s still venting.
“It’s
beyond — what’s the word I’m looking for —
it’s beyond belief. It’s beyond comprehension. You’re
an absolute moron, a brain-dead absolute (expletive) dummy. It
goes beyond a guy have any common sense whatsoever,” White
told the StarPhoenix on Wednesday, still reeling from the news
of Overeem’s positive drug test result.
Having
just learned of the test prior to talking to the StarPhoenix,
White added, “I don’t have a plan-B,” when asked
what he intended to do.
Mir
would be the most logical choice to replace Overeem in the title
fight. Velasquez’s last fight was a knockout loss to dos
Santos, so an immediate rematch wouldn’t make much sense.
Mir, on the other hand, has won his last three fights and seven
of his last nine, including a win over UFC 146 cardmate Roy Nelson.
Just
what happens next remains to be seen, but the UFC generally moves
rather swiftly in such cases.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
FRANK
MIR WOULD BE 'EXCITED' TO REPLACE ALISTAIR OVEREEM IN UFC 146
TITLE FIGHT
By Ben
Fowlkes - Senior Writer
Frank
Mir knows a golden opportunity when he sees one. The former UFC
heavyweight champion wasted no time volunteering to take Alistair
Overeem’s spot in the UFC 146 main event bout with Junior
dos Santos, according to a statement sent out over email by his
management team on Wednesday afternoon.
Less
than two hours after Nevada State Athletic Commission executive
director Keith Kizer announced that Overeem had tested positive
for an increased testosterone/epitestosterone ratio after a recent
press conference, Mir tossed his hat in the ring with an offer
to fight current UFC heavyweight champ dos Santos if Overeem
is indeed ruled ineligible for the May 26 fight in Las Vegas.
"I
would be excited if given the opportunity to compete for the
UFC's heavyweight title at UFC 146 if the reports released earlier
today regarding Alistair Overeem failing his 'A' sample drug
test are true," Mir is quoted as saying in the statement.
"I have been fortunate to be able to fight in the UFC for
more than a decade, and it is a dream of mine to become the first
three-time heavyweight champion in the UFC. Being able to fight
Junior Dos Santos would put me one step closer to that dream."
It’s
not the first time Mir has played the role of the eager opportunist
in the UFC. Following his brutal submission victory over Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140 in Toronto last December, Mir seized
on rumors that Overeem might be ruled ineligible for his UFC
141 bout with Brock Lesnar later that same month, telling media
members gathered for the post-fight press conference that he
"wouldn’t mind" stepping in against his old foe
Lesnar on only three weeks’ notice.
"I
only fought a three-minute fight, so I'm feeling pretty good,"
Mir said at the time. "My wife might not be happy about
Christmas but, eh, she can deal with it."
As
it turned out, Overeem was granted a conditional license by the
NSAC that allowed him to stay in the fight with Lesnar, so Mir’s
services weren’t required. This time, however, it could
be a different story.
Overeem’s
title fight against dos Santos could be in jeopardy after he
tested above a 10-1 T/E ratio in his recent drug test -- far
above the acceptable 6-1 limit.
Mir
is currently slated to fight former UFC champion Cain Velasquez
on the UFC 146 main card, which features an all-heavyweight lineup.
Velasquez recently told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that
it was his understanding that the winner of that fight would
receive a title shot. If the UFC decides to take Mir up on his
offer, who knows exactly how those plans could change.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
JZ
Cavalcante Draws Isaac Vallie-Flagg at Strikeforce: Barnett vs.
Cormier
The
Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier fight card is filling up fast.
Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced the line-up’s latest
addition on Wednesday via Twitter: a lightweight bout pitting
Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante against Isaac Vallie-Flagg.
Cavalcante
(16-4-1) has gone 1-1 with one no contest in his three starts
for Strikeforce. He’s hoping to build some momentum coming
off of a win over Bobby Green at last summer’s Fedor vs.
Hendo event.
Vallie-Flagg
(12-3-1) has had just one start for Strikeforce, winning a split
decision over Brian Melancon in his promotional debut. Vallie-Flagg,
however, has won his last three fights, and surely hopes to keep
that streak alive against Cavalcante, likely the toughest fight
of his career.
The
bout is part of the card that features Josh Barnett vs. Daniel
Cormier in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix final in the
main event, with a co-main event pitting Strikeforce lightweight
champion Gilbert Melendez in a rubber match against Josh Thomson,
on May 19 in San Jose, Calif.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Caio
Terra: “Rafael Mendes is Jiu-Jitsu’s number one pound
for pound”
Marcelo
Dunlop
Top
roosterweight Caio Terra (Cesar Gracie) wasn’t content to
just win his division at the 2012 Pan this weekend in Irvine,
California. The Rio de Janeiro-San Jose, California transplant
beat his friend Rafael “Barata” Freitas (Gracie Barra)
in the weight group final and then went straight to matside to
study the Jiu-Jitsu going on in the match areas, forming opinions
as hard-hitting as his style of fighting.
“To
me Rafael Mendes would also win the absolute at the Pan, if he’d
competed in it. I’d put money on him,” he told friends
shortly after Rafa Mendes grabbed Rubens Cobrinha’s arm
and coaxed a tapout in the featherweight final.
“I
have no doubt in my mind that he’s the pound-for-pound best
fighter in the world right now. I don’t think anyone doubts
that anymore, especially with the superiority he showed at this
Pan,” said Caio in conclusion.
The
very Rafael Mendes (Atos) caught wind of Caio voicing his opinion,
promptly disagreeing: “No way, no way…”
What
do you think, gentle reader, who is right, Caio or Rafael?
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
RAMPAGE
JACKSON'S LATEST EFFORT PORTENDS WORRISOME POST-MMA FUTURE
By Luke
Thomas - Senior Editor
If
you haven't caught the new Internet video featuring former UFC
light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson, you probably should.
Or maybe you shouldn't. I don't know, really. It's at once horrific
and confounding. Maybe you should just steer clear of it altogether.
Should you decide to press forward, know this: the video is an
attempt at humor. Believe me, you'll need a disclaimer. It's
designed to be a spoof on rape tactics or what happens if you
rape the wrong person. Or something like that. I'm really not
sure what the point is, to be honest, and that's because to describe
this video as an unmitigated, incoherent disaster would be the
most charitable thing I or anyone else could possibly say.
If
this most-recent attempt with Jackson is nothing more than a
marketing attempt for the online site that created it, it's a
success, I suppose. After all, here we are talking about it.
The larger issue, though, isn't whether we've reached a new bottom
on what some will do to market products. Rather, it's why Jackson
- with all he has to lose, all he has to set up for his future
- would personally participate in a video this profoundly unfunny
and partially disturbing.
It's
not as if Rampage came into this video project tabula rasa. Jackson
has previously been lambasted for making gay slurs. On two different
occasions, he arguably sexually harassed two female reporters.
If there is anyone who might want to think twice before making
a nonsensical video that's especially lacking in sensitivity,
it's Jackson.
This is a piece of work that clumsily uses a botched rape as
a conduit for humor. You'd think that would set off alarm bells
in Jackson's head. After all, that's not too dissimilar to Miguel
Torres' Tweet that got him fired. And whatever one makes of Forrest
Griffin's ‘rape is the new missionary' thesis, it's thematically
consistent with the material in Jackson's video.
Some will probably suggest the topic of rape itself should be
left alone and that's where Jackson erred. Given the baggage,
it's not the worst advice. But I'm in no position to tell others
which topics are or aren't off limits for their creative pursuits.
What we can say, though, is that humor done well is exceedingly
difficult. Humor done well in ultra-sensitive territories should
only be managed by the experts. In the hands of skillful comedians,
charged topics like rape or murder are treated with precision
and delicacy. There are subtleties, contexts and qualifiers that
have to be firmly established before difficult material can be
mocked or used. Even then, it's all still pretty risky.
Jackson
and the team at FilmOn.com - a website lead by Greek billionaire
Alkiviades "Alki" David, a man who once pranked online
viewers into watching the first live physician-assisted suicide
only to later reveal the bit was a hoax - illustrate how poorly
things can turn out when amateurs brazenly take on the task of
dark humor. It's reminiscent of what happens when average citizens
play with ignitable chemicals in their backyard for cheap thrills
versus the regulated environment employed by ordinance teams
who explode bombs at safe distances.
The video - from the concept to the execution - is prima facie
bad. There is no defense of it, or none that put any premium
on a sense of shame. This brings us back to the central question:
why would Jackson participate in such a monstrosity? Between
this video and his more recent history of dubious proclamations
about a MMA future outside of the UFC, one has to consider he
has seriously problematic judgment. Worse, it appears to be fed
in part from a poor understanding of how he's perceived and what's
required to successfully navigate career challenges.
Jackson
has almost always repudiated feedback: from media, outspoken
MMA fans or even UFC President Dana White. When Jackson bristles
at criticism, he isn't reflexively wrong, though. The fact is
most of the aggregate advice or critiques one gets over the course
of their lifetime is bunk. It is highly believable Rampage has
been given a dose of suggestions in his years in professional
MMA that were perfectly dismissible.
Rampage's
problem is his absolutist repudiation of it. He's famous for
dismissing cynics as busybodies intent on running his life or
critics with too much time on their hands. He's going to do what
he wants and no one is going to tell him differently. And when
you've got the resources to arrange your life in such a way to
see that vision though, it can be awfully persuasive logic.
The
trick to criticism is not to reject it outright, but to develop
an ear for it. Every so often and amid the cacophony of moronic
or unsolicited advice, someone will say something that rings
true. Uncomfortably, perhaps even embarrassingly true, but true
nonetheless.
We
aren't necessarily born with the ability to perfectly filter
the helpful advice from the harmful either. It's not a dog whistle
only the gifted can hear. The painful reality is it takes real
humility and the ability to grant others the power to know as
much and often more about your life and your ideas as you. This
might sound obvious to some, but none of us are Rampage. None
of us were born as this incredibly talented fighter who, over
the course of their adult life, has had countless offers made
across a board room table, heard hosannahs in the highest whispered
in his ear and witnessed fan genuflection at his feet.
Fame,
adoration and lionization is often the enemy of self-awareness.
In fact, it can be downright toxic. When you arrive at a position
where your judgment and actions are beyond reproach because they
are your judgments and actions, you've passed the tipping point.
I don't know if Jackson is there yet, but it certainly feels
that way.
As
abhorrent as this video is, no one should call on Rampage to
apologize for it. That isn't to say we wouldn't welcome it if
he organically came to the realization of how regrettable the
decision was to be a part of it. But responding to demands or
ultimatums isn't Rampage's strong suit. That's especially true
in this precarious moment in his life. I wouldn't want a forced
and utterly meaningless apology, anyway.
What
we can say ask, though, is just for Rampage to take a second
look at what he's doing. Not just with this video but the current
career path he's on now. Perhaps he could take a moment to consider
the idea that maybe this video is not particularly good; maybe
the decision to make it in light of previous rape-related humor
attempts gone bad among UFC fighters was not particularly smart;
and maybe if this is a taste of what's to come post-MMA career
for Jackson, there probably is a case to be made for some rethinking
about what options he needs to explore.
This
chilling part about the video is not so much the content as what
it says about Jackson. His participation is as embarrassing as
it is worrisome. If these are the opportunities he's taking advantage
of while he's still enjoying a measure of fame to lean on, what
will he resort to when that's withered and gone?
It's
not my life or my career. All of this is really not my business.
But it is hard to watch Rampage's detachment from good sense
and appropriate decision-making happen in real time. It is also
only Rampage - with or without effective counsel - who can stop
this descent. Let's hope sooner rather than later he's willing
to lend his own ear to the sound and sage, wherever he can find
them.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Buchecha
talks Pan Ams’ open weight, defeats Rickgon Gracie’s
son with a broken finger
By Erik
Engelhart
Marcus
Buchecha did not only make it rain in Irvine, California, for
the absolute disputes of Pan American of Jiu-Jitsu, which happened
this Saturday (31st).
With
a perfect performance, which includes an epic duel with Kron
Gracie, he split the division title with his friend Antonio Cara
de Sapato. But his way was not easy, mainly because he had to
fight Rickson Gracie’s son.
“On
the beginning of the fight I laid my hand on the floor and I
broke my finger. I looked at my finger and he took me down, then
I put my finger back to its place. Since he’s a middleweight
I wasn’t expecting that kinda strength”, compliments
Marcus, who submitted his afterwards with a leg-lock. “There
was a moment on the fight he almost caught me, but I managed
to escape and submitted him”.
Marcus
started his campaign with two submissions, and he only needed
10 minutes to beat Murilo Santana up.
“It
was a pretty tough fight, he’s a really smart guy, experienced”,
compliments the tough guy who represents Checkmat. “I pulled
him into my guard and he fell with the side of his body against
the floor, used some drill but I could sweep and grabbed his
back. I really tried to get his feet, but the time was up”.
About
who gets to keep the golden medal, Marcus let it for the team
to decide. “We let it for the head-coaches to decide…
We’re only soldiers (laughs)”, jokes the new tough
guy from the team, who leave his hopes high. “We closed
the division at World on the brown belt, in 2010, and we wanna
do it on the black belt now”.
Source:
Tatame
|
MMA
Link Club: Brock Lesnar’s return to WWE reveals a lot about
MMA writers
By Zach
Arnold
As
our friend Jack Encarnacao noted on Sunday night, Twitter timelines
exploded with Wrestlemania chatter from… many MMA writers.
There was a similar timeline explosion on Monday night when Brock
Lesnar returned to WWE and laid out John Cena. Anyone who saw
Lesnar’s return saw grown men practically lose their minds,
screaming like cavemen scoring raw meat when Lesnar started bouncing
up and down on the ramp way.
Jack’s
point about how most MMA writers/reporters are, in fact, huge
(closet) wrestling fans is interesting when you juxtapose it
to the hardcore MMA fans online who populate message boards.
They hate anything involving a scent of the wrestling business
to MMA. And, yet, it was Lesnar who was easily the #1 PPV attraction
for UFC. Only Georges St. Pierre even came close to matching
his showings business-wise in the last couple of years.
My
initial takeaway from watching WWE fans explode when Lesnar showed
up was a relatively simple one. It goes to show you that MMA,
for many wrestling fans, is a substitute and not replacement
product in their lives. Wrestling fans always are paranoid about
legitimacy. Brock Lesnar is their symbol of legitimacy. UFC gave
him the rub to come back to wrestling as, pardon the pun, The
Ultimate Fighter. WWE fans are often tortured souls with crappy
matchmaking and even crappier disdain from the promotion. The
promotion has a nasty habit of punishing those the hardest who
are the most loyal supporters while doing everything it can to
win over people who look at the product as a circus.
So,
Lesnar is a huge breath of fresh air for WWE fans. He’s
their vessel to support someone who was involved in real fighting
and is back to take over their world. This is why you will have
to endure non-stop Lesnar talk in both pro-wrestling and MMA
circles. Hell, I had a couple of well-respected people involved
in MMA on a high level this weekend ask me on the phone about
Brock Lesnar being at Wrestlemania in Miami. It was the subject
most discussed this week in MMA circles offline.
When
the media went nuts for Wrestlemania on Sunday night, it also
give me pause to the whole drug issue in MMA and why most MMA
writers cover the drug subject the way they do. If most of the
MMA writers are big wrestling boosters, it would certainly help
explain why so many of them are conditioned to guys who are hardcore
PED & pain killer drug users. No business has had more high-profile
tragedy on this front than wrestling in the last 30 years in
the States. It’s ridiculous the amount of guys who have
died under the age of 50 due to the abuse they’ve put themselves
through. You would naturally think that drug-related tragedy
would strength the resolve of those who want to clean up the
drug culture but, instead, it’s basically made a lot of
wrestling supporters numb. They throw their hands up in the air,
give up, and say that everything should be allowed… which
makes WWE’s position of not allowing Therapeutic Use Exemptions
for testosterone all the more remarkable while athletic commissions
regulating MMA are giving it the green light.
Beau
Dure, who used to write at USA Today, summarized his thoughts
over the weekend on why the MMA media reacts so differently to
the issue of drug usage in the sport as compared to writers in
sports like baseball & football:
How
many sports, when faced with time of reckoning on drugs, have
fans/pundits argue they should be legal?
I
don’t know of any. In baseball, some argued that stats aren’t
tainted. But then McGwire (has) nowhere (been voted) near (the)
Hall of Fame.
Yes
— I’m referring to the “nobody cares, dude”
backlash against anyone writing about TRT in mixed martial arts.
But
we’re talking about sports now. Plenty of Americans are
on painkillers, steroids, etc. Olympic athletes rarely get TRT
TUE. (Only two granted for over 10,000+ athletes.)
Fighters’
pleas that they all have low T should draw skepticism. But the
doctors prescribing TRT for all these fighters have no agenda
and no reason to benefit, right?
WADA’s
far from perfect. But on specific issue of TRT, no other group
of athletes I know has challenged it. Why MMA?
Most
drugs have side effects. We make tradeoffs if drug helps us lead
“normal” life. Fighting isn’t “normal.”
Are you at all suspicious that so many fighters claim levels
of 80 [year olds], while (Don) Catlin says he found two legit
TRT TUEs in Olympics? (The) standard for getting TUE should be
reasonably high. But I still find it strange that fighters, more
so than other athletes, have this great need.
Which
gets back to my initial [question] — why is this a bigger
controversy in MMA than elsewhere? And some MMA fans/pundits
go farther, wondering why steroids and other PEDs are illegal.
I don’t see that elsewhere.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Bart
Palaszewski Enlists Scott Jorgensen to Repair Pothole in His
Game
by Andrew
Gladstone
Bart
Palaszewski (36-15), at the tender age of 29, has fought over
50 fights in the last decade, but something was always amiss.
The
Team Curran fighter has climbed his way into the ranks of the
WEC and the UFC, but has always lacked in one of the most important
areas in MMA: wrestling.
In
the old school days of the sport, Palaszewski represented Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu and didn’t really think much of wrestling. Due
to Palaszewski not taking his wrestling seriously enough, he
would suffer injuries along the way, and now the 29-year-old
wishes that he wasn’t so set in his ways when he was getting
slammed on his back.
“I
would’ve definitely liked to have gotten into high school
wrestling,” Palaszewski told MMAWeekly Weekend Radio.
“In
past fighting it was the striker vs. grappler thing and I came
in as a striker and a jiu-jitsu guy vs. a wrestler. Back in the
day I used to say, ‘(expletive) wrestling,’ and now
it’s kicking me in the ass. In my age, I’ve gotten
some injuries over the years from going in the beginning and
getting slammed, it sucks. But if I could go back I’d definitely
hit up wrestling in high school and college. My grades would
suffer, but the knowledge of wrestling would be enough for me.”
These
days it’s hard to imagine anyone in the big shows without
a strong wrestling foundation, but Palaszweski has persevered
and did well in his career throughout his IFL days and then on
to the WEC and now the UFC.
The
gritty veteran is now on a path to right his past wrongs and
Palaszewski has enlisted the services of top ranked bantamweight
and former three-time Pac-10 wrestler Scott Jorgensen. While
it’s taken some time for the Team Curran fighter to warm
up to wrestling, he admires Jorgensen’s style and hopes
to one day showcase an aggressive style of wrestling himself.
“He’s
a top ranked dude and he’s a good wrestler. I like his style
and I think his style of wrestling would match really well with
my stand-up. He likes to go out there and just brawl and take
people down and then just go and beat them down on the ground.
There’s guys who have defensive wrestling who just want
to stand up with you, which is what I’ve tried to do over
the years, and then there are guys who just try to lay on you
and then are guys who are in between who love to beat people
up on their feet, score big takedowns, and beat them up on the
ground as well.”
Only
time will tell if Palaszewski has repaired the chink in his armor
with Jorgensen, but one thing is for certain, he will never overlook
his wrestling training ever again.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MAN UP AND STAND UP
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
SATURDAY APRIL 14, 2012
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
MARK YARCIA
140
KEONI CHANG
CHEVEZ ANTOQUE
185
MILLER UALESEI
DEREK MINN
140
THOMAS MATHIAS
EUGENE
ANGUAY
135
ELIAS VELASCO
JUSTIN
DULAY
160
DARYL DANO
ANYMAR
RENON
215-220
BEN BOYCE
ANTHONY MURAKAMI
135
ANTHONY REYES
NALU KAWAILIMA
135
THOMAS REYES
BRYSON
DELACRUZ
180
JAMES REYES
DARIUS ALONDA ALFAFARA
160
WHISPER
JUSTIN PERREIRA
155
ZACK VEA
KALAI KWAN
125
NAZ HARRISON
JOSEPH CARTER
155
TOFI MIKA
JONAH CADIZ
140
CHARLES REGO
GINO DOANE
260
CHRIS HOLMES
ARMAN
135
TYSON
BRICESON AIONA
185
NAINOA SPRAGLING
BRONSON SARDINHA
210
JUSTIN KILIKIPI
LISA KIM
120
ALSHADAINE MONTIRA
FREDDY RAMAYLA
145
CORY ESTRADA
OLA LUM
140
KAI KUNIMOTO
ALBERT CAMBRA
210
ALVIN KANEHAILUA
MAURICE PHILLIPS
145
JARED BELL
ISAAC HOPPS
146
TONY RODRIGUES
LOMBARD MADOLORA
HW
KAIMI SOLO
PAUL AUSTRIA
125
DONTEZ COLEMAN
BRYSEN
LUM
153
SAGE YOSHIDA
IAN HUGHES
175
CHRIS
CODY ANDRADE
175
ZANE WARD
ALICE TOMOI
150
TAYLOR ENGCABO
All matches and participants may be subject to change.
Source: Derrick Bright
|
Alistair
Overeem Tests Positive at Surprise UFC 146 Press Conference Drug
Screen
by Damon
Martin
Alistair
Overeem has tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone
according to testing done by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Nevada
State Athletic Commissioner Keith Kizer notified MMAWeekly.com
of the testing results on Wednesday.
According
to Kizer, Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone
with a 10 to 1 ratio for his T/E levels, which is the level of
testosterone vs. epitestosterone. A normal, healthy adult male
typically has a T/E ratio of about 1 to 1.
The
pre-fight test was done in part because of Nevada’s out
of competition testing system, so following the UFC 146 pre-fight
press conference all six athletes there were tested.
The
other five athletes – Junior Dos Santos, Roy Nelson, Antonio
Silva, Cain Velasqeuz and Frank Mir – all had negative test
results.
Now
for Overeem to gain licensure in the state of Nevada he will
need to request a hearing and appear before the commission before
he can be cleared for his upcoming fight at UFC 146 against UFC
heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.
Overeem
can request that a “B” sample taken on the same day
be tested. If it comes back negative, he can still apply for
a license in the state. Otherwise, Overeem could be pulled from
the UFC 146 main event altogether after this positive test.
Overeem
is not currently licensed in Nevada, so technically, he cannot
be punished for testing positive in regards to a suspension or
penalty from the commission, but without a license he can’t
fight there. If that’s not taken care of prior to the May
26 date for UFC 146, he will be pulled from the bout with dos
Santos.
The
UFC has yet to make a statement regarding the positive test from
Overeem.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MAC
DANZIG'S DIET - THE TRUTH ABOUT VEGAN
By Frank
Curreri
Read
on for the latest installment in UFC.com's weekly series of articles
on proper nutrition from the top athletes in the UFC...this week,
lightweight contender Mac Danzig
Eight
years ago. 2004. Mac Danzig remembers grabbing some chicken breasts
from the freezer, cooking them up and chowing them down. It was
a milestone moment, signifying the last time the conscientious
consumer would taste any meat or fish.
The
animal rights advocate had already stopped eating dairy products;
he was now full-fledged vegan.
No
big deal, except Danzig’s diet made him a glaring anomaly
in the MMA and society in general, where carnivores are widely
presumed to have a huge edge in the all-important strength department.
So for years the Cleveland-born, California-based fighter shouldered
plenty of criticism and battled misperceptions about his eating
habits. But Danzig, winner of season six of The Ultimate Fighter
and single father to a three-year-old daughter, has noticed a
gradual shift in attitudes over the past few years as the fight
game evolved and ever more attention is paid to the cleanest
diet possible.
Weeks
before his UFC 145 showdown with fellow lightweight Efrain Escudero,
32-year-old Danzig opened up about his food philosophies and
recently being featured in the acclaimed “Forks Over Knives”
documentary that is related to a book of the same name that climbed
to No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Once, the fight
world virtually scoffed at Danzig’s fringe diet. More and
more, however, he is looking like a pioneer who was ahead of
the times.
Frank
Curreri: Some people might think, five or six years ago especially,
that your diet is extreme or wacky. That you are a tree-hugging
pacifist. So many stereotypes are attached to vegans and vegetarian
athletes in “manly” sports. Has that perception of
your diet as extreme or radical changed?
Mac
Danzig: “Yeah! Over the last few years there have been a
lot of changes in perception. When people first start realizing
that I was Vegan, I was the odd man out. I was the only person
in combat sports doing it. You know, there was one other random
professional boxer who happened to be vegetarian, but his diet
was filled up with cheese and whey protein, so that doesn’t
really count. So I was the only guy. It didn’t matter how
many fights I won, whenever I’d lose people would always
criticize my diet. ‘Oh he doesn’t get enough meat and
protein in his diet, that’s why he lost!’
But
now you have fighters turning to similar diets for health reasons
– guys like Jon Fitch, who use those diets for their training
camps but not necessarily for moral or ethical reasons. So people
see him doing well and they think, ‘Ok.’
Jake
Shields has been a longtime vegetarian and he eliminates dairy
and goes Vegan and people go, ‘Oh .’ And more and more
people started doing it, so I don’t find myself getting
criticized as much. I’ve been getting more and more positive
feedback. People do seem more curious about the diet and more
accepting.”
Curreri:
Talk a little more about being a vegan pro athlete and getting
enough protein.
Danzig:
“I used to always get that, ‘Well what do you eat?’
‘Where do you get your protein?’ I get that all the
time.
The
truth of the matter is that protein requirements are blown all
out of proportion. We are led to believe that we need huge of
amounts of protein for physical activity. People have been saying
that for so long. The fact of the matter is, even if I did eat
meat I wouldn’t be so focused on my protein intake. I wouldn’t
worry that much about it because you get enough protein if you
have a balanced diet. But so much of our society is based on
what is printed in magazines and publications. All of that knowledge
was handed down, literally, by the Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Lou Ferrigno days … people who looked at bodybuilding as
the ultimate way for Joe Schmoe to get in shape and be five percent
closer to looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. And that’s
been going on for a long time. It goes hand in hand with this
whole fitness mindset that has been going on for decades.
You
don’t need one gram of protein per pound of body weight.
You don’t need that at all. If you are regularly active
and at a good weight, if you get more than 80 grams of protein
a day then you are fine. The body can’t even process more
than that, your liver can’t process more than that. If you
give your body too much protein then it’s either going to
turn it into energy or to fat. And your liver has to do all that.”
Curreri:
Talk about your education as a vegan. What convinced you that
this way of eating was ideal for you? What spurred you to go
Vegan?
Danzig:
“I’ve been researching nutrition for years and years,
and not just being vegan, but nutrition in general. I’ve
asked a lot of questions from knowledgeable people over the years,
read books, read medical journals and stuff like that online.
So I’ve been educating myself as much as possible for years
and then using trial and error.
For
years I didn’t do the Vegan diet even though personally,
morally and ethically I wanted to. But I believed in what everyone
else was saying, ‘You need meat! You need some kind of animal
product, fish or chicken … to maintain your strength and
muscle mass. As an athlete you need that.’ And I believed
all of that.
Then
I saw some examples of athletes that were Vegan and were getting
good results and I thought, ‘You know what, I’m going
to try it.’
At
the very beginning for me it was moral and ethical. In this day
and age, buying animal and dairy products causes way more suffering
and harm than it does good. Don’t get me wrong, yes, I love
animals … but if we were in a different day and age like
100 or 200 years ago then, sure, I would do whatever I had to
do to live. If I had to be a hunter-gatherer then I would. I
might feel bad about it, but I would respect the animals that
I killed and I would eat meat. But things are different. We don’t
live in that day and age anymore. Today you have processed meats
and a lot of animals suffering unnecessarily for it. Now, some
people just blow that off and don’t have a conscience about
it or they just don’t care. They wouldn’t eat their
dog but they feel that way about other animals. But for me, I
just decided to stop eating meat. I didn’t want to contribute
to all of that. I’m not trying to change the world or wear
that on my sleeve or make a political statement, because that
just turns people away. I only have control over one person and
that’s myself. And I feel good about it.
Curreri:
Give us a day in the life of Mac Danzig grubbing.
Danzig:
“It depends whether I’m in hard training. When I’m
in hard training, like right now, I wake up in the morning, get
some stuff done and I go train. I skip breakfast and the reason
I do that is because if you train before you eat you will burn
off the glycogen stores and the immediate fat sources that you
have accumulated a lot quicker. So if you eat breakfast before
you workout, then you are burning off some of what you just ate.
I like to start with a clean slate for weight-cutting purposes.
So
I go work out. After I work out I have a Vegan protein shake
and mix that in a blender with mangoes, banana, coconut for the
good fats, and some cashews. Then a little bit later I will have
some sort of carbs … usually quinoa, because it has complex
carbs and a lot of protein. I’ll add steamed vegetables
and some kind of fruit. I snack throughout the day with fresh
fruit. I try to only eat organic fruit and that’s where
I get my sugar intake from. I stay as far away as possible from
refined and processed sugars.
I
go train and then when I’m done I’ll have a salad,
usually with spinach and kale, with beans and legumes as the
main source of protein. Sometimes I might eat Tofu or Tempeh.
Tempeh is a little better because the processing and fermentation
process that the soybean goes through is not as intense. Or I
might add lima beans to my salad.
Later
on at night I eat more fresh fruit, as always.”
Curreri:
Tell us about the last time you ate meat.
Danzig:
“The last time I remember eating meat was sometime in 2004.
There was a guy who had a journal online and he offered examples
of his diet alone. I had a boxing match coming up – this
was before I started fighting in the UFC. So before the boxing
match I decided to cut out animal products … At that point
I had already cut out dairy and the only animals I was eating
were chicken and fish. So I just cut them out and I was Vegan.
So I ate some chicken breasts in my freezer because I didn’t
want to waste it. It wasn’t good or bad. It didn’t
make me want to eat any other meat or miss meat. That was just
the last time I ate meat.
Curreri:
Let’s harken back to your childhood days. What kind of diet
did you have growing up?
Danzig:
“Me and my mom didn’t have a whole lot of money. We
both cared a lot about animals and hypothetically wanted to go
vegetarian but we didn’t know how to do it. This is like
the (1980s) and when you grow up in the Midwest or the East there
was not a lot of information about it.
We
just got by on what we could. I think I drank more 2 percent
milk than any other liquid because we didn’t know any better
and there were so many commercials about milk – like the
milk campaigns that they are still doing. I drank so much milk
that I ended up with an allergy to it.
A
typical meal for me was white bread, baked potato, a side of
lunch meat and milk. That was what I had a lot. It wasn’t
good for me but when you’re a young kid you can process
that. But if you go vegetarian or vegan you’re going to
be making yourself so much healthier.”
Curreri:
What is one of your Go-To meals, something that might be appetizing
even to a non-vegan.
Danzig:
“I eat a lot of vegan energy bars from Whole Foods. I’m
really into Coconut milk to make curry, so I’ll make a yellow
curry powder and mix it with coconut milk, put that over organic
brown rice and add some stir fried vegetables with snow peas.
If I have 20 minutes to prepare something, that’s something
I might make.”
Curreri:
You are featured in the relatively popular documentary “Forks
Over Knives” and the film highlights your diet and profession,
seemingly to show viewers that those who exclusively eat plants
and fruits can still be tough guys and elite athletes. What was
that experience like and what kind of feedback have you received?
Danzig:
“Yeah, it was a short thing. They followed me for a day
and then threw it in there. They don’t mention me too much,
but it was good. That documentary was a big eye-opener for a
lot of people, so it was good. I didn’t know it would be
that successful because there are a lot of documentaries out
there, and lots of times when you’re interviewed and videoed
it never even gets off the ground so I never hold my breath.
So I didn’t realize that documentary would have the impact
that it did. I’ve had lots of feedback from different fighters,
coaches and training partners that have seen it. All sorts of
people hit me up by e-mail or Twitter to tell me they saw me
in the film. A lot of times people were just watching and had
no idea I was in it until they saw me in it.”
Source:
UFC
|
Testing
Family Ties
Crossing the Bridge
By Tristen
Critchfield
ALBUQUERQUE,
N.M. -- It is perhaps the most prevalent image associated with
Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts today, symbolic of the renowned
fight team’s rise to prominence over the past decade. It
graces the business card of general manager Ricky Kottenstette,
as well as the covers of both of trainer Greg Jackson’s
books, “The Stand Up Game” and“The Ground Game.”
The
picture itself is a display of unity and confidence. Jackson
is at the forefront, arms crossed; flanking the trainer’s
left side are Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans and David Loiseau.
On his right are Joey Villasenor, Georges St. Pierre and Keith
Jardine. It is an accomplished group of mixed martial artists
and a snapshot of a time when Jackson’s dojo was successful,
yet not extraordinarily large in numbers.
Most
would agree the image is in need of serious updating.
However,
to truly do the team justice would require a much broader lens.
Off the top of his head, Jackson estimates that approximately
70 professional fighters are currently a part of his stable.
This is no place for pretenders, either. Most everyone who shows
up to the Albuquerque training facility has experience at the
sport’s highest levels or has designs on getting there.
Despite
a cadre of contenders bumping elbows on a daily basis, teammates
have dutifully avoided each other in the cage over the years.
That policy, Jackson reveals, dates back to a time even before
he was a well-known cornerman of champions.
“Keep
in mind, before I was ever an MMA coach I was a grappling coach.
Before we ever wrecked it in King of the Cage or any of those
other organizations, we were wrecking it in grappling tournaments,”
Jackson told Sherdog.com. “And even then, we didn’t
do it. Since [1994], no one has ever fought each other.”
As
the cliché goes, there is a first time for everything.
Eventually, interim champion Carlos Condit is expected to challenge
St. Pierre to unify the welterweight title once St. Pierre fully
recovers from a knee injury. After beating Nick Diaz at UFC 143,
Condit appears content to wait for St. Pierre’s return,
though a summer bout against another top contender is not entirely
out of the question. Still, the elephant in the gym must be addressed
at some point.
After
more than 17 years of turning the other cheek -- from grappling
events to regional cards to UFC pay-per-views -- it is inevitable
that a pair of Jackson-affiliated fighters will meet in the Octagon.
New
Protocol
GSP carries the title with class.
Condit
and St. Pierre were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 137 after
Diaz drew the ire of UFC President Dana White by failing to show
up for consecutive pre-fight press conferences. Condit was moved
to top billing against the champion, but St. Pierre’s first
injury nixed that plan.
Though
Jackson did not expect things to transpire the way they did last
fall, he had already spent some time preparing for such a possibility.
Evans’
split from the team early in 2011 was a game-changer. Evans decided
he could not co-exist with UFC light heavyweight championJon
Jones
if
the two were going to eventually fight, so he pointed a finger
at Jackson on his way to Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Fla.
If such an incident arose again, Jackson did not want a repeat
of the drama that resulted from a very public feud between Evans
and Jones.
“That
went in a really bad way, and I didn’t want to be responsible
for any negative stuff. I had to re-evaluate and talk to everybody
and put those protocols in place,” he said.
Those
protocols are Jackson’s acknowledgement that an instance
like Condit-St. Pierre is not going to be a one-time deal. More
of his charges will have to lock horns eventually, and it could
likely be two competitors from Albuquerque next time.
“[It’s
going to come up] over and over and over,” Jackson said,“but
that’s why I put protocols in. It wasn’t a reality
until this last year, really, but now that we have so many guys
from our team in the top tiers of the divisions -- almost every
single division-- it’s gotta happen. It’s just gonna
be sooner or later.”
It
has been well-documented that Jackson will be completely neutral
for a matchup between Condit and St. Pierre when the time comes.
He will not make the customary trips to Montreal to game plan
with St. Pierre like he usually would prior to a fight, and when
Condit is working out in Albuquerque, Jackson will force himself
to look the other way. He already had some practice last year
when both fighters began their camps for the proposed UFC 137
matchup.
“It’s
very weird not being able to help,” Jackson said, “but
rules are rules. If I expect my soldiers to go by them, then
I’ve got to go by them.”
When
Condit and St. Pierre do meet, striking coach Mike Winkeljohn
and Chris Luttrell, who was the first black belt under Jackson,
will oversee Condit’s preparation. Meanwhile, St. Pierre
will likely work with Firas Zahabi, Phil Nurse and John Danaher.
Jackson briefly outlined how future teammate-versus-teammate
clashes will be handled.
“There's
details, but, basically, we keep the belts on the team, I step
out and we look at it as more of a team thing,” he said.
“It’s funny because something like that can break your
team. It’s easy to stand on the sidelines and say, ‘Well,
this is an individual sport.’ It really isn’t; then
train by yourself and see how far you get.
“It’s
a team sport in which you need to have people to train you,”Jackson
continued. “You can be like boxing and have that vibe where
you just pay people to do it. We don’t make that kind of
money, most of the guys. And what fun is that? That’s a
terrible way to live.”
Jackson
has adopted a different stance for the April 21 light heavyweight
title clash between Jones and Evans. Since Evans is no longer
officially part of the gym, Jackson has agreed to corner“Bones”
against his former charge. The decision did not come without
a great deal of deliberation. Ultimately, Jackson put the team
ahead of his personal feelings.
“Am
I going to make this about me, or am I gonna make this about
the team?” Jackson said during an interview on the Sherdog
Radio Network’s “Savage Dog Show” in February.
“I can’t be self-centered. Even though it’s something
that I don’t want to do, it might end up that way.”
Less
than two weeks after that interview, Jones made it official on
his Twitter account: “Greg Jackson confirmed today that
he will be in my corner for UFC 145.”
There
is a large contingent of the fighter population at Jackson’s
MMA that has only a passing familiarity with St. Pierre, including
Condit himself.
“The
Natural Born Killer” met the welterweight champion nearly
two years ago at the gym. Pleasantries were exchanged, and then
Condit kept his distance, anticipating the time would come when
he would challenge St. Pierre for his belt.
“It
was just introductions and ‘Hi, how ya doing,’”
Condit recalled.
“It’s
easy to stand on
The sidelines and say,
‘Well, this is an individual
Sport.’ It really isn’t; then
Train by yourself and see
How far you get.”
-- Greg Jackson, MMA trainer
The former World Extreme Cagefighting champion is a homegrown
New Mexican in the truest sense. As he attended Cibola High School
on Albuquerque’s West Side, a teenaged Condit become a well-known
presence on the local fight scene, all while learning the sport
under the tutelage of Arlene and Tom Vaughn, another Jackson
protégé. Condit left Vaughn’s FIT NHB gym
for Arizona Combat Sports prior to his UFC debut against Martin
Kampmann. It was not until 2010 that his affiliation with Jackson
became official.
Still,
it was not as though the team was adding a stranger. Most know
him better than they do St. Pierre.
“These
are the guys that I train with every day; I’ve known a lot
of these guys for over a decade,” Condit said. “I think
they want to see me do well.”
Source:
Sherdog
|
UFC
148: Why Demian Maia's Move to Welterweight Is the Right Decision
By Tim
McTiernan
Demian Maia is arguably the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner
in MMA today. He started his career 11-0 and had eight submission
victories in that time.
He
has tapped out such names as Chael Sonnen—who he took down
with a fantastic throw off the cage—Nate Quarry, Jason MacDonald
and Ed Herman.
Also,
he fought Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title at UFC
112, a fight he lost by unanimous decision.
Overall
in his career, Maia is 15-4 and is a borderline Top 10 middleweight.
However,
Maia has recently announced that he will drop down from the middleweight
division and will now fight in the welterweight division. He
will make his divisional debut at UFC 148 against "The Stun
Gun" Dong Hyun Kim.
Maia
dropping down to welterweight is the right decision, and it is
the only one left for him, if he has any hopes of ever holding
a UFC belt.
As
mentioned, Maia went 11-0 to start his career, which is when
it all started to go downhill for him.
He
has gone 4-4 since that time and hasn't looked nearly as impressive
as he did to start his career.
First,
he was knocked out in 21 seconds by Nate Marquardt. He then rebounded
with a unanimous decision win over Dan Miller, which was followed
by the Anderson Silva atrocity.
After
that he had two more decision victories over Mario Miranda and
Kendall Grove. Then he faced off against the fast-rising Mark
Munoz, where he lost another decision.
He
followed that with a win over Jorge Santiago, and then he had
arguably the worst performance of his career against Chris Weidman.
It
was that fight that prompted Maia to make the move to welterweight.
Where
Will Maia Fit at Welterweight?
·
Champion
7.9%
· Contender
38.6%
· Top 10
39.6%
· Not Top 10
8.4%
· He'll Get Cut Soon Enough
5.4%
Total votes: 202
With all four of his losses coming against Top 10 middleweights,
there was nothing left for him in the division and no foreseeable
way for him to get back to the title.
A
drop to the welterweight division will likely improve the cardio
of Maia, as he'll have to do more training to make sure he makes
the 170-pound limit.
Additionally,
with the welterweight division having a large number of wrestlers,
Maia will get a chance to take fights to the ground, where he
can look to submit his opponents.
The
fight against Dong Hyun Kim will be huge for Maia. Kim has only
been beaten by the interim champion, Carlos Condit.
If
Maia can beat Kim, he'll prove that he's a threat in the welterweight
division.
Source:
Bleacher Report
|
Adding
Coaches for the First Time, Scott Jorgensen Feels Like a New
Fighter
by Andrew
Gladstone
Scott
“Young Guns” Jorgensen (13-5) is one of the most exciting
elite bantamweights in the UFC today.
Since
he started fighting, up until recently, Jorgensen has never had
a coach in mixed martial arts. In a sport dominated by fighters
with great strategies from brilliant coaches, the 29-year-old
currently is ranked in the Top 10, having fought champion Dominick
Cruz to a decision.
Now,
seeing the error of his ways, Jorgensen knows what he has to
do to climb the top of the mountain. He has to strategize and
fight smarter, but most importantly of all, he has to attack
with the same aggression he had when he started.
“If
you look at my fights from when I was coming up in the WEC, up
until the point I fought Dominick, you’ll see a completely
different Scott,” Jorgensen told MMAWeekly Radio Weekend
Edition.
“I
quit attacking like I used to. I wasn’t trying to close
the gap and get in there to hurt people. And that’s definitely
going to change. I had great conversations with a couple of really
good coaches in the striking game and opportunities with them.
They’re well renowned, not just great coaches themselves,
they’re also great game planners.”
For
years, Jorgensen used to train with just his friends who were
exceptional at what they do, but never properly strategized.
Training out of Boise, Idaho, the former three-time Pac-10 wrestler
would hear multiple voices in his corner. At times he would have
to take a blind eye to things and not pay attention to what was
said in his corner.
“I
failed to ever have a coach. A lot of people look at me like,
‘you’re where you’re at; you’ve had to have
had Greg Jackson or somebody,’ but no, I’ve done this
all myself. I’ve got a bunch of friends that I train with
and Kit Cope is the closest thing I’ve had to a coach, but
never. Some of my problems in my fights with my buddies are that
I got three different people going in three different directions.
Sometimes I’d block things out, and sometimes when you block
things out you turn a blind eye to actually what’s really
going on inside the cage and you miss things.”
“It’s
like the Barao fight, my corner I got Jesse telling me to move
my head and get inside, I got Joe screaming to take him down,
and I got my jiu-jitsu coach waiting for something to hit the
ground. So I’m blocking it out and just going with the flow.
I didn’t feel in danger with Barao. I didn’t feel like
I was getting completely crushed, but I felt like I didn’t
have someone guiding me with someone going, ‘hey, don’t
play the points game,’ or ‘throw more than one jab
at a time,’ or ‘one cross and then move.’ I avoided
a lot of strikes, but I wasn’t throwing three or four punches
that actually open up takedowns.”
Now
with the proper strategy and coaches on his side, Jorgensen feels
almost reborn in the UFC, looking to get back into title contention.
It’s hard to see otherwise, as the former No. 1 bantamweight
contender has seemingly made it to the top with little guidance.
Jorgensen
will next step in the Octagon against Eddie Wineland at UFC on
FX 3 on June 8.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Jiu-Jitsu
and martial arts improve memory and libido, says article
Gone
are the days when Jiu-Jitsu and the other martial arts were only
for men. In present times, talk of how sport fighting is good
for the bones, muscles and minds of men and women alike has been
done to death. Still, in an article signed by Natália
Leão recently published in Brazil’s for-females magazine
Boa Forma, the subject gained further reinforcement.
As
evidenced in the article, there is a simple and miraculous formula
for recovering physical form and self-esteem: sign up at a martial
arts school. “There’s no lack of benefits: besides
slimming down and gaining muscle definition, it relieves stress,
sex becomes better and it bolsters your self-esteem,” the
author asserts.
Once
seen as brutish, the practice of martial arts is now recognized
as an exercise that aggressively combats flab. “The idea
isn’t to hurt or show you’re better than your adversary.
What you gain from practicing a martial art is loss of fat, relaxation
and overall improved health,” Leão further claims.
Take
a look at just a few of the benefits Jiu-Jitsu and other arts
offer their practitioners:
1.
JIU-JITSU AND SHEDDING FAT
A study by the University of North Carolina found that intense
exercise—that is, ones that places a high demand of oxygen
on the circulatory system—can prolong calorie burning for
up to 14 hours after training.
2.
JIU-JITSU AND MUSCLE TONE
If you’re a woman, don’t be afraid that by training
you’ll be stuck with bulging biceps or a manly bod. Such
exercise doesn’t pump up your muscles—quite the contrary.
“Besides being great for burning fat, the practice defines
your body without bulking you up. Martial arts don’t cause
hypertrophy,” explains Mauro Cardaci, fight sport coordinator
for Bodytech gym in São Paulo.
3.
STRESSED? HIT THE MAT!
You know those days when you’re biting your tongue not to
tell your boss to go take a hike? Letting your inner beast off
the leash in the ring is a surefire way to rein in your angst
at such times and expunge the anxieties of day-to-day life. “All
the different martial arts are great for eliminating repressed
inner energy and recovering your balance and calm,” says
sport psychologist João Ricardo Cozac of São Paulo.
4.
SEX DRIVE THROUGH THE ROOF WITH JIU-JITSU
When you start practicing a martial art you feel more capable,
powerful and self-confident. Not to mention the changes your
body undergoes, becoming stronger and better defined. All that
does a fine job of improving your performance in the sack; after
all, self-esteem is what counts most between the covers. Add
to that the benefit of other skills that such training provides—flexibility,
agility and endurance—and the product is more energy and
fun for the both of you.
5.
FIGHT SPORTS ARE GOOD FOR THE BRAIN
In martial arts, mental training is just as important as physical
conditioning and strength—controlling emotions and negative
thoughts during a bout is the secret to victory. “In class
you need to focus on the opponent and pay attention, to coordinate
the moves,” explains Fábio Grieco. Research from
Unifesp, the federal university of São Paulo, concludes
that practicing martial arts improves levels of concentration
in children and young people suffering from attention deficit
disorder, reducing the hindrance the disturbance would otherwise
cause in their adult lives. If you aspire to have a longer attention
span at work and better memory (remembering friends’ birthdays,
where you left the car keys…), you have plenty to gain by
making training a regular part of your routine.
6.
POSTURE AND ROCK-SOLID ABS
That flat, well-defined belly martial arts practitioners enjoy
is the result of the heavy workout their routine places on their
core (the muscle group running down the body that includes the
abs, glutes and lower back). In other words, it works the muscles
that hold up your spine. Furthermore, strengthening these muscles
is critical to stabilizing your back, straightening out your
posture and preventing back pain. Anyone who has ever had back
troubles should avoid taking up a martial art before consulting
a doctor and the teacher of the class to find out whether or
not they’re fit for such activities, though.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
JUNIOR
DOS SANTOS PROCLAIMS DRUG-FREE STATUS FOLLOWING OVEREEM'S FAILED
DRUG TEST
By Ariel
Helwani - Video Reporter and Writer
A
day after news broke that Alistair Overeem had failed a pre-UFC
146 drug test, there are still many more questions than answers.
Overeem
and his camp have yet to say anything, and it is still unclear
whether the UFC will have to book a new main event for its Memorial
Day weekend show.
However,
UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos, the man Overeem is,
at least as of Thursday afternoon, still scheduled to fight on
May 26, broke his silence on Twitter to proclaim his drug-free
status.
"I
am professional and I'm champion without ever having used anything
for better performance when you guys see me fighting that's really
me," dos Santos wrote Thursday afternoon.
JDS
added that, much like the rest of the MMA community, he is unclear
what's next for him.
"About
what happened to Overrem I don't know anything more than you
guys know and for me It's between him and the Nevada Athletic
Commission.
"I know a lot about me that's it!"
Keith
Kizer, the Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director,
told MMAFighting.com on Thursday that Overeem had a testosterone-to-epitestosterone
ratio of 14:1 in his failed urine test, well above the the state's
6:1 limit.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Josh
Barnett says he'll prove he is the "best grappler in MMA"
against Daniel Cormier
by Joey
Santosus
Strikeforce
Heavyweight contender Josh Barnett, who will meet Daniel Cormier
to decided the division's Grand Prix Tournament winner, looks
back on his road to the final and talks about using his strengths
on the mat to take his opponents out of their "comfort zone."
Barnett also discusses the importance of "personality"
in the sport of mixed martial arts, and says that fighters shouldn't
forget that they are entertainers. Photo: Francis Specker
Josh
Barnett
"I'm
always training. I'm always in the gym working on my technique
and trying to be a better fighter that day than I was the day
before. Basically, both (Sergei Kharitonov and Brett Rogers)
were very striking oriented, and I went out there and just took
them out of their comfort zone. From there, it was just sort
of scholastic - putting them in the position I need to be and
taking them out. ... I think I'm the best grappler out there,
in MMA - especially in the Heavyweight division. But, it's not
about talking about, it's about being about. So, I'll just go
out and continue to prove such a thing and back my words up."
Source:
Low Kick
|
Bellator
64: What to Watch For
By Mike
Whitman
Bellator
Fighting Championships makes its Canadian return on Friday, holding
Bellator 64 from Caesars in Windsor, Ontario.
The
Chicago-based promotion’s ongoing sixth season has provided
fight fans with more than a few memorable moments thus far, and
this event appears capable of living up to the standard established
by its predecessors, featuring four new bantamweight talents,
a potentially explosive featherweight tournament semifinal and
the season’s second world title fight.
Here
is what to watch for at Bellator 64, which airs on MTV2 and Epix
at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
‘Funky’
Fresh
Bellator
welterweight champion Ben Askrenwill be the first one to admit
he is still a work in progress. To that end, when he speaks of
his in-cage abilities, Askren is direct. He is a wrestler, and
a damn fine one at that.
While
refreshing to hear a fighter -- a champion, no less -- talk honestly
about his skill set without clinging to the seemingly ubiquitous
mantra of “I’m a well-rounded mixed martial artist,”Askren
also seems aware that his elite wrestling base can take him only
so far.
Askren’s
last in-cage appearance was not an easy one, as he was taken
to the brink of defeat by Season 4 tournament winner Jay Hieron
at Bellator 59 in October. Though he walked away with his perfect
record and title reign intact, the two-time NCAA wrestling champion
still showed deficiencies in his standup game, despite training
with renowned trainer and former world kickboxing champion Duke
Roufus.
Will
Askren’s time at Roufusport pay dividends, allowing him
to utilize his world-class wrestling skills more freely? The
smart money says Askren will need to show improvements in his
footwork and defense if he is to close the distance against red-hot
challenger Douglas Lima.
‘The
Phenom’
I
do not know about you, but I watched Lima’s Bellator 53
knockout of Chris Lozano about 25 times immediately after it
went down. Even after repeated viewings, the force of the Lima’s
right hand crashing into Lozano’s skull was hard to comprehend.
The
term “one-punch knockout power” is bandied around too
liberally, but in this case, its use is justifiable. The lesson
is simple: when Douglas Lima swings, be somewhere else. A winner
in nine straight fights, Lima appears to be reaching his potential
at just the right moment.
With
that said, Lima has never faced a wrestler the caliber of Bellator’s
welterweight champion. While stoppage wins over Ryan Ford,Terry
Martin
and
Ben Saunders are impressive in their own right, those victories
do not mean the talented 24-year-old will be able to withstand
Askren’s grinding game plan if the champ is able to put
Lima on his back for five rounds. Will “The Phenom”
sink or swim if Askren takes him into deep waters?
The Stretcher Man
Just
a few weeks ago, I was caught wondering aloud whether Marlon
Sandro would deliver to Bellator fans the type of awe-inspiring
violence that made him famous overseas.
He
must have heard me.
Seriously,
though, Sandro was more aggressive in his last outing than Bellator
fans have ever seen him. He stalked Roberto Vargas in the featherweight
quarterfinals and put down the hammer in less than four minutes
at Bellator 60. No frills, no wasted motion. Plainly, Sandro
looked like an Antonio Banderas-level assassin out there.
The
problem with dominant performances like the one described is
that the contented, couch-dwelling public expects them to be
produced every time the fighter responsible steps into the cage.
While this is a syndrome to which even the best of the MMA community
have succumbed at some point -- please stop staring at me, it
is rude -- let us try to be patient as we anticipate another
exciting performance from the former All-Violence first-teamer.
‘Popo’
Alexandre Bezerra might take exception to the preceding sentence.
A
man also known for finishing fights, Bezerra has earned just
one of his 13 career victories by decision. A perfect 5-0 through
his Bellator career thus far, “Popo” was tested but
prevailed in his Nov. 12 clash with Douglas Evans, eating a ton
of leather before finally wrenching a heel hook to snatch the
victory.
Maintaining
his momentum, Bezerra put forth the best performance of his Bellator
career in his most recent outing, submitting Team Bombsquad standout
Kenny Foster with a rear-naked choke to punch his ticket to the
semis at Bellator 60.
While
Sandro is certainly the more seasoned competitor, his younger
countryman may be able to effectively utilize a potential athletic
advantage. If his fight with Foster is any indication, “Popo”should
put on a classic with the Nova Uniao rep. Do not miss this one.
Bantamweight
Blitz
Most
observers will not know their names, but the competitors represented
in this half of the bantamweight bracket are capable of great
things.
Only
20 years old, undefeated Rodrigo Lima has blasted his way through
eight of his 10 career victims. A nine-time veteran of Brazil’s
Watch Out Combat Show,“Ratinho” is as explosive as
they come but has been known to swing wild at times. Meanwhile,
his opponent, Deep andShootoveteran Hiroshi Nakamura, has won
five of his last six fights and posted victories over Masakazu
Imanari, Seiji Akaoand current Deep titlist Yoshiro Maeda in
2011. “Iron” does not possess the raw power of his
younger opponent but should use his footwork and head movement
to set up counterstrikes and a solid double-leg takedown.
In
the other quarterfinal, former Shooto 132-pound titlist Masakatsu
Ueda makes his North American debut against Jackson’s Mixed
Martial Arts representative Travis Marx, a man used to competing
at heavier weights against opponents likeRad Martinez
, Steven Siler and Richie Whitson. Ueda -- who already owns a
victory over Bellator Season 5 tournament winner Eduardo Dantas
-- will likely try to use his quickness and a variety of creative
takedown and submission attempts to derail Marx’s own ground-heavy
attack.
It
is anybody’s guess what will happen when these four men
step into the cage, but I would bet on fireworks.
Source
Sherdog
|
Dan
Henderson Feels Rashad Evans Has What It Takes To Defeat Jon
Jones
By Dana
Becker
Count
Dan Henderson among the minority around MMA, as “Hendo”
feels Rashad Evans can take Jon Jones down and defeat the UFC
light heavyweight champion.
Evans
will face Jones at UFC 145 on April 21, with the winner likely
to meet Henderson later this year barring any serious injury.
In
a recent interview with ESPN’s United Kingdom staff, Henderson
explained why he feels “Suga” has a chance against
the phenom that is “Bones.”
Don’t
count out Rashad Evans. Rashad is a good fighter too. He will
definitely put Jones on his back if he fights like he did against
Phil Davis. Rashad’s the better wrestler, it’s just
that Jones is awkward. But Jones wouldn’t be able to stop
him from taking him down for that long.
Henderson
earned his shot at a UFC belt by defeating Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua last year. He has waited on the sidelines for a chance to
cash in his opportunity, and will do so as soon as possible.
Henderson against either Evans or Jones would make for an exciting
fight, as all three are sound wrestlers who hold power in their
strikes.
Source:
MMA Convert
|
Dana
White ‘Pissed’ About Overeem’s Positive Drug Test;
No Decision Yet Regarding UFC 146
by Damon
Martin
UFC
president Dana White is none too happy about the news that Alistair
Overeem tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone prior
to his fight at UFC 146.
White
was on a media conference call on Wednesday with members of the
Canadian press when he learned about Overeem’s test results.
Overeem,
along with five other athletes fighting at UFC 146, were surprise
tested following the pre-fight press conference as part of Nevada’s
out of competition testing program.
Only
Overeem’s test came back positive of the six athletes tested.
“I
am beyond pissed about this,” White stated when speaking
on the call as first reported by theStarPhoenix.com. “The
worst part is that he sat in front of us and lied to us.”
White
was reference a pre-fight meeting held between Overeem and UFC
officials prior to UFC 146 being scheduled.
The
UFC president railed on Overeem or any fighter that would test
positive, and obviously this throws a major monkey wrench into
the UFC 146 fight card should Overeem ultimately be pulled due
to the positive test.
“How
(expletive) stupid do you have to be? Seriously dumb. Anybody
who’s using right now is an absolute (expletive) moron,”
White stated.
“It’s
beyond, what’s the word I’m looking for, it’s
beyond belief. It’s beyond comprehension. You’re an
absolute moron, a brain dead absolute (expletive) dummy. It goes
beyond a guy have any common sense whatsoever.”
White’s
anger is justifiable given the magnitude of the UFC 146 card,
which was slated to be a five fight main card made up of just
heavyweights, culminating in Overeem’s bout against Junior
dos Santos for the UFC heavyweight title.
If
Overeem is ultimately unable to take the fight, or the UFC opts
to pull him from the bout because of the positive test, they
would likely look to replace him with one of the other fighters
currently on the fight card.
Right
now in the midst of just hearing the news, White admitted there
was never a back-up plan in place, nor do they have one in mind
right now.
“I
don’t have a plan-B,” he said.
Regarding
Overeem’s future with the UFC, again White was none too
happy with the former K-1 star, and didn’t sound enthusiastic
about the first conversation he’ll have with the giant Dutchman.
“It
doesn’t look good, does it? It doesn’t look good,”
said White.
Junior
dos Santos’ camp is just in “wait and see” mode
until the UFC or the Nevada Athletic Commission makes their decision.
Ana
Guedes, who represents dos Santos, responded via Twitter to the
news that Overeem had tested positive.
“The
UFC has made no announcement regarding Junior dos Santos’
fight,” she wrote. “We have no comment, this matter
falls solely to Nevada Commission and UFC.”
Now
it’s just the waiting game to see first what happens with
Overeem’s testing results and the commission, and then if
the UFC will pull the trigger on a change prior to that happening.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Tatsuya
Kawajiri Ready to Show He is the Top Fighter at Featherweight
by Damon
Martin
The
weight cutting phenomenon is nothing new in MMA and there are
many occasions where a fighter will drop divisions for the wrong
reasons.
Maybe
they are coming off of a couple losses, or maybe it’s just
having people in their ear saying that they’d do better
at a lower weight class.
The
flipside of that argument, however, are the fighters that flourish
at a lower weight class.
That
seems to be the case with former Pride lightweight contender
Tatsuya Kawajiri, who has found career rejuvenation at featherweight
after spending most of his career as a lightweight.
Since
dropping down a weight class, Kawajiri has looked ultra impressive
winning two fights in a row, including submissions over Joachim
Hansen and Kazuyuki Miyata.
Now
“The Crusher” will look to make it three in a row when
he makes his One FC debut this weekend against King of the Cage
veteran Donald Sanchez.
Kawajiri
now feels like he has finally found the right home and wants
to continue his dominance at One FC 3 this weekend in Singapore.
“I
feel it is the right division for me and I am ready to take on
the top fighters and show that I am the top fighter,” Kawajiri
told MMAWeekly.com. “I feel being featherweight will give
me an advantage that I did not have at 155 pounds. I am more
comfortable fighting at this weight. Cutting the weight is not
easy, but that is my business, I will make the weight.”
The
fight against Sanchez is Kawajiri’s first for One FC, and
he’s hopeful to fight for them many more times. While he
still hopes to compete in Japan for Dream, there’s no hiding
the fact that the promotion has undergone hard times of late
financially speaking, while One FC continues to expand throughout
Asia.
If
Kawajiri has his way though, he’ll be a very busy man in
2012. “I would like to fight six times in 2012, for One
FC and for Dream and wherever the offer comes.”
Kawajiri’s
debut appearance in One FC will also be his first fight in front
of the fans of Singapore, and while he is slated as the co-main
event of the evening, the former Strikeforce competitor wants
to leave all of them with something to remember.
“I
want to fight in a way that fans will never forget. I want to
win and I want to get fight of the night. It’s not enough
for me to win, I want to put on a performance which people will
remember so that I can become a Japanese superstar in Singapore,”
Kawajiri stated.
If
he can get past Sanchez at One FC, Kawajiri will continue to
be a hot commodity in the featherweight division. With several
impressive wins to his credit at 155 pounds already, Kawajiri’s
star will definitely be on the rise at 145 pounds this year.
Tatsuya
Kawajiri’s bout with Donald Sanchez, as well as all the
other fights on the One FC 3: War of the Lions card, will be
available to view for free on the promotion’s YouTube channel
starting at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 31.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Bellator
Results and Upcoming Events
Date: Friday, March 30th
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut
TV: MTV2 (9 PM EST/PST)
Welterweight tournament: Karl Amoussou defeated Chris Lozano
in R1 in 2'05 by submission (choke).
Welterweight tournament: Bryan Baker defeated Carlos Alexandre
Pereira after 3R by split decision.
Welterweight tournament: David Rickels defeated Jordan Smith
in R1 in 22 seconds by KO.
Welterweight tournament: Ben Saunders defeated Raul Amaya after
3R by unanimous decision.
**************
Date: Friday, April 6th
Location: Caesars Windsor in Ontario, Canada
TV: MTV2 (9 PM EST/PST)
Bantamweight Quarterfinals: Rodrigo Lima vs. Hiroshi Nakamura
Bantamweight Quarterfinals: Travis Marx vs. Masakatsu Ueda
Featherweight Semi-finals: Alexandre Bezerra vs. Marlon Sandro
Bellator Welterweight title match: Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima
Date: Friday, April 13th
Location: Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey
TV: MTV2 (9 PM EST/PST)
Welterweight tournament qualifier: Lyman Good vs. Levon Maynard
Bantamweights: Alexis Vila vs. Luis Nogueira
Bantamweight Quarterfinal: Ed West vs. Marcos Galvao
Featherweight Semi-finals: Mike Corey vs. Daniel Straus
Bellator Bantamweight title match: Zach “Fun Size”
Makovsky vs. Eduardo Dantas
Date: Friday, April 20th
Location: I-X Center in Cleveland, Ohio
TV: MTV2 (9 PM EST/PST)
Lightweight Semi-finals: Thiago Michel Pereira Silva vs. Brent
Weedman
Lightweight Semi-finals: Lloyd Woodard vs. Rick Hawn
Middleweight Semi-finals: Vyacheslav Vasilevsky vs. Maiquel Falcao
Middleweight Semi-finals: Bruno Santos vs. Brian Rogers
Lightweights: Eddie Alvarez vs. Shinya Aoki
Source: Fight Opinion
|
UFC
145 PAY-PER-VIEW TO FEATURE SIX LIVE FIGHTS
By Ariel
Helwani - Video Reporter and Writer
The
Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald bantamweight fight was officially
added to the UFC 145 pay-per-view lineup on Thursday, which means
that the April 21st main card will feature six live fights.
UFC
pay-per-views traditionally feature five live fights, however,
the organization has recently started to deviate from the norm,
as they aired seven fights at UFC 144.
"Fighting
on Pay-Per-View is special to me," Torres stated on UFC.com.
"I would watch the big boxing cards with my father as a
kid, and my father would well up with pride and emotion when
guys like Julio Cesar Chavez fought. I'd never seen my father
show so much emotion and I am proud to become an extension of
that great Mexican fighting legacy in the UFC."
Torres
(40-4) is 3-1 in his last four fights, while the 21-year-old
McDonald (14-1) has won his last seven fights in a row.
Below
is a look at the full UFC 145 lineup, which will take place at
the Phillips Arena in Atlanta.
Pay-Per-View
main card
Jon Jones (c) vs. Rashad Evans -- UFC light heavyweight title
Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills
Ben Rothwell vs. Brendan Schaub
Michael McDonald vs. Miguel Torres
Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin
Mark Bocek vs. Matt Wiman
FX
Prelims
Travis Browne vs. Chad Griggs
Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson
John Makdessi vs. Anthony Njokuani
Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero
Facebook
prelims
Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski
Maximo Blanco vs. Marcus Brimage
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
THE
ULTIMATE RECAP LIVE*: EPISODE FOUR
Weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter Live, airing Friday night
at 10 pm ET/PT on FX. Click here for international channels and
UFC.TV or UltimateFighter.com to see past episodes.
I’m back for another edition of the Ultimate Recap Live,
and not just because I spent my rent money on Mega Millions tickets
without winning a cent. Well, actually that’s most of the
reason, but let’s both make the best out of a bad situation.
The
show opens up with a recap of last week’s fight. Dana criticizes
BJJ black belt Cristiano Marcello’s stand-up gameplan and
calls kickboxer Justin Lawrence a real contender. The fighters
themselves have your typical reactions. Lawrence is downright
giddy. I’m pretty sure if they continued the tape we’d
hear him say that he’s going to use the $5000 bonus to buy
a box full of lottery tickets. Don't do it, Justin! Marcello
is disappointed, but he knows that the season is still young
and wants to help train his teammates any way he can.
The
coaches then review the choice for the current fight -- Al Iaquinta
vs. Myles Jury. Cruz doesn’t help his Count Dracula moniker
by saying that he wants to, “Go straight for the jugular.”
Faber feels that Cruz overreached in this selection and simply
says that when he heard the announcement he thought, “Yes!
Thank you.”
We
then get a look inside Team Cruz’ training. Dominick sums
up his training philosophy as , “If you grind yourself to
the bitter end, the fight is easy.” The guys on the team
talk about how Cruz pushes everyone. A highlight here is when
Dominick tells someone to, “Pick it the [expletive] up,”
in the most casual way possible. If they didn’t beep it
out of the broadcast, I would have thought he was just asking
about the weather.
The
downside of training to the limit, though, is that injuries happen.
That’s exactly what happens to Mike Rio. Sparring with Myles
Jury, he catches a spinning backfist that causes his knee to
buckle under him. Cruz brushes it off by saying that “he’s
hurt, not injured,” but I’m not so sure that the distinction
would be widely recognized by the medical community.
We
cut back to the house where the guys are dealing with the cabin
fever that comes along with being on a TUF season. Andy Ogle
writes love letters, Cruickshank stuffs his face and Myles Jury
is a loner. The guys show their true desperation by playing charades.
Honestly, I never knew people actually played that game. I just
thought that it was one of those things that only happen on TV
and movies -- like how playing in toxic waste gives you super
powers. Well, at least this lesson didn’t make me sterile...
From
there we have Iaquinta’s training montage. While it may
have lacked the cinematic flair of a Journey song, we do learn
that he has no plans on being defensive in this fight.
We
watch another snapshot of Rio trying to work through the knee
injury. He says that he doesn’t want it to get in the way,
but it’s clearly affecting him. Again, Cruz doesn’t
seem too sympathetic.
Back
at the house, Urijah stops by and brings a life coach to talk
to everyone. Our buddy Tickle is none too impressed telling us,
“I don’t need no damn life coach.” Doth the Tick
protest too much!? Sadly, this is the only real Tickle-ing we
get this episode.
From
there, Jury’s training package starts. He, too, says that
this his strategy will be to force his opponent to go backward.
Later, as Team Cruz gets ready to break training for the day,
they interrupt him in the shower and the cameraman gives viewers
an uncomfortable up-skirt angle of Jury’s towel.
Back
at the house, Team Faber is already looking ahead to next week
and saying that they should take out Rio because he’s “old”
and “hurt” (Rio: 30. Faber: 32.) Ogle says that he’ll
take the fight because he wants revenge against Rio for beating
his friend to get into the house, but I call BS. That’s
like saying you’re going to the Chinese Buffet by your house
for the ambience and the decor.
Weigh-ins
occur without incident and we witness one last look into the
locker rooms before the fight starts. Usually at these we get
nothing of note, but Dominick Cruz says some interesting things.
As he pumps up Jury, he tells him that Myles is way more prepared
than the guys on Team Faber. Apparently, they’ve been, “painting
each other’s faces, making flags and oiling each other’s
backs.” Why did we not see this? Did the cameraman capture
an erotic TUF thriller featuring these scenes that FX deemed
too racy? C'mon, FX, you aired The Shield!
The
fight begins and Iaquinta sticks to his gameplan just like he
said. He keeps moving forward and doesn’t give Jury a lot
of space. Myles does a decent job countering, but he seems too
hesitant to let his strikes go (something Cruz criticized him
for earlier). This continues for most of the round until about
a minute left when Iaquinta puts in Jury in what wrestlers call
a spladle (pictured above) and what everyone else in the world
calls a "what the eff is that?!" Jury eventually escapes
and the round ends.
Round
two opens with a low blow that slows the pace, but it soon picks
up. Although both fighters start to open up more, Iaquinta is
still the aggressor. Jury continues to get pushed backward, but
shows nice movement by not getting pinned on the cage. Unfortunately,
halfway through the round he starts to noticeably slow down and
Iaquinta capitalizes and catches him with some strong shots as
the round closes.
The
fight is scored a draw after two, so we head to the “sudden
victory” round. Calling Jury gassed would be an overstatement,
but he definitely doesn't have much pep left. I think the long
pause between the second and third round while they calculated
the scores likely contributed. Iaquinta controls the third much
like he handled the second -- he pushes forward and Myles doesn’t
answer back with much. Even though I thought he clearly took
the third, the judges give Iaquinta a split decision win and
Team Faber earns their first victory. Read fight play-by-play
The
only thing more frustrating than MMA judging is Jon Anik trying
to get an answer to his questions in the post fight interviews.
Iaquinta says that if he wins the best-fight-of-the-season bonus,
“I’m gonna go finish college just like grandma wanted,”
and Jury just rambles on about whatever he wants. We head to
the fight selection where Urijah Faber opens by saying that he
chose this matchup because it would be an easy fight, but then
immediately backtracks by saying everyone there is tough and,
“Anything can happen.” Although he's trying, it seems
Urijah just doesn’t have it in him to really insult people
(paging life coach Chael!). He then reveals that next week’s
contest will be between Mike Chiesa and Jeremy Larsen (Cruz'
last pick).
How
will Chiesa keep his emotions in check after the death of his
father? Can Team Cruz bounce back from their first defeat? Will
the cameraman make one of the coaches dress up as a pizza delivery
boy for his next film? Find out next week!
In
the meantime, be sure to follow me on twitter @dannyboydownes,
the show at @InsideTUF and leave comments. Now if you’ll
excuse me, I’m going to see if that cameraman has any job
openings before they shut off my electricity...
Team
Cruz (2-1)
Myles Jury - (0-1) lost a split decision to Al Iaquinta in episode
4
Jeremy Larsen - scheduled to fight Mike Chiesa in episode 5
Justin Lawrence - (1-0) won via KO over Cristiano Marcello in
episode 3
Vinc Pichel
Mike Rio
Sam Sicilia
Chris Tickle
James Vick - (1-0) won via KO over Daron Cruickshank in episode
2
Team
Faber (1-2)
Mike Chiesa - scheduled to fight Jeremy Larsen in episode 5
John Cofer
Daron Cruickshank - (0-1) lost to James Vick in episode 2
Al Iaquinta - (1-0) won a split decision over Myles Jury in episode
4
Cristiano Marcello - (0-1) lost to Justin Lawrence in episode
3
Andy Ogle
Joe Proctor
Chris Saunders
Source: UFC
|
PEDS
IN MMA: THE TROUBLE WITH TESTING
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
UFC
president Dana White likes to say the UFC is the most regulated
sporting league on earth, but when it comes to drug testing,
many commissions require the UFC's help and others are still
catching up.
When
it comes to drugs in combat sports, Nick Lembo has basically
seen it all. Like the time a fighter tested positive for PCP
after a bout. Yes, angel dust, the hallucinatory drug that distorts
reality, prompts violence and numbs the brain's pain receptors.
"That
guy didn't feel anything during that fight," said Lembo,
longtime legal counsel to the New Jersey Athletic Control Board.
Across
the country in Nevada, Nick Diaz and his team are preparing to
mount a defense that centers on the theory that his recent positive
test for marijuana metabolites proved that his usage came out
of competition, a result that would not see him serve any suspension
even under the strict bylaws of the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) that monitors international sport.
Those
two cases represent the two extremes of drug testing in sports.
One is a black-and-white issue with a clear offense, the other
is a matter of interpretation.
In MMA, drugs and drug testing have been at the forefront of
debate recently, due to situations like Diaz’s positive
test, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson’s testosterone
replacement therapy (TRT) admission, and Muhammed "King
Mo" Lawal’s nine-month steroids suspension, the result,
he says of an over-the-counter supplement with a banned ingredient.
Those
high-profile situations have intensified conversations about
the way the sport is monitored. UFC president Dana White likes
to say that because of government oversight, his athletes are
the most regulated in the world, but a closer look shows that’s
not the case everywhere.
The
promotion’s most recent, show, for example, took place in
Sydney, Australia, and was overseen by the Combat Sports Authority
of New South Wales. Their spokesperson Michelle Neathercote,
however, told MMA Fighting that "The Combat Sports Authority
does not conduct drug testing. Any drug testing arrangements
are a matter for the UFC." In those instances, the UFC acts
as its own regulatory body, with its vice president of regulatory
affairs Marc Ratner handling issues related to drug testing.
That’s
not that unusual when the UFC goes international, and global
business is a major piece of their expansion, with six out of
their last 20 events taking place outside of U.S. borders and
at least five others scheduled for 2012.
The
UFC faced the same scenario in Tokyo just one week before it
was in Australia. Some of their fastest-growing markets have
yet to embrace drug testing. In Rio, where they will host their
third event in a 10-month span this June, there is no commission
enforcing drug testing. Even in Toronto, which hosted the largest
event in North American MMA history, drug testing isn’t
required. Office of the Athletics Commissioner senior advisor
Richard Hustwick told MMA Fighting that testing is only done
if it is written into bout contracts. The Athletics Commissioner
will oversee the administering of the test, while the promoter
pays for its cost.
Even
stateside, there are problems. The state of Washington only has
mandatory testing for title bouts. Other states, like Louisiana,
have no formally written testing policy at all.
That
often leaves the UFC in a position where it must help police
itself, and leads to skepticism from the public who distrust
their willingness to disclose results. On one hand, they have
twice suspended star middleweight Chris Leben stemming from self-regulated
events. On the other, they never divulged the positive drug test
of Tyson Griffin at UFC 123 before it was discovered by MMA blog
BloodyElbow.com over one year later. After news of the story
broke, the UFC issued a statement saying that while they followed
the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission’s 100-day suspension,
they noted that it was the state that "did not make this
information public."
The
fact is, there are still situations in which the UFC works hand-in-hand
with state regulators to enforce drug testing, mostly by footing
the bill.
Alvin
Topham, who chairs the Louisiana Boxing and Wrestling Commission,
detailed that process during an interview with MMA Fighting.
When
the UFC comes to the state, as they did last September, they
insist upon drug testing. The commission will administer the
tests, select a laboratory to process them, and pay the initial
bill. They will also be the first to receive the results, which
they will eventually pass along to the UFC.
The
promotion later reimburses them for the cost.
The
reason for this setup? The expense. Topham told MMA Fighting
that the commission doesn’t receive a single cent of funding
from the state government. Instead, it is self-funded through
event gate taxes and licensing. The costs of random testing all
events would quickly whittle away their cash reserves, so instead,
they concentrate on major shows, using the deeper pockets of
bigger promotions like UFC and Bellator to pay for the screenings.
"They’re
footing the bill, but the way we’re doing it is safeguarding
against impropriety," said Topham, who has served on the
commission since 1992. "If anyone questions my integrity,
that’s fine. They can say what they want to say. But I have
no investment in the UFC. I don’t work for them. This is
an arrangement, and we’re ultimately administering the testing."
Many
critics contend that fight week testing isn’t enough, anyway,
that fighters should be tested out-of-competition. Just this
week, the Nevada commission took advantage of a pre-fight press
conference to test six UFC fighters scheduled to compete on a
May 26 event, the first time that had been done. Regulators simply
don’t have the budgets to test fighters when they’re
one time zone away, let alone across the world, as often happens
in MMA.
It's been suggested that the burden should be shouldered by the
UFC.
According
to White, while the promotion recently started drug testing newly
contracted athletes, more extensive random, out-of-competition
testing would also stretch the promotion’s resources thin.
"We
have 375 guys under contract," he said. "We’re
doing a zillion fights a year. We’re traveling all over
the world and doing all these other things we’re doing.
Now, do you really think that we can crack down and just f------
chase these guys around, everywhere they live, all over the world,
and just randomly test these guys all the time? On top of all
the other things we’re doing? You have to really sit back
and think, to use a little reality and common sense."
Commissions
Playing Catch-up on TUE's
While simple drug screenings are hard enough, the new battleground
in drugs in sports is testosterone. Depending on who you ask,
testosterone can be the best, worst and most confounding drug
in the sports world, sometimes all at once, a viewpoint recently
summed up by White.
"I
think that this whole testosterone therapy (TRT) thing works
for guys who absolutely need it, but I think it's a messy loophole,"
he said.
For
those who legitimately need it, TRT can be a life-changer, addressing
issues related to decreased muscle mass, over-fatigue, depression,
osteoporosis, and as we all know from the commercials, sex drive.
But the key is whether the use is legitimate. TRT, usually administered
either through an injection, a patch or gel, successfully addresses
these issues, but if abused, could offer an advantage to a professional
athlete.
That’s
particularly worrisome in MMA, where the consequences of PED’s
extend far past what they may do to the offending party. It can
be a problem for the unwitting opponent, as well as the pressure
it places on everyone else to keep up.
"I
think a lot of fighters, and it’s not an excuse but it is
a reason, in the past used steroids not to get an advantage but
because they thought they needed it to have a level playing field,"
Nevada state athletic commission executive director Keith Kizer
told MMA Fighting. "My opponent’s doing it so I have
to. I think we’re moving away from that. Most guys aren’t
doing it and those who are doing it are hopefully getting caught
by the commissions. But now I’m worried TRT is going to
be that way. If my opponent’s doing it, I don’t want
him to have an unfair advantage."
Publicly
ask a professional fighter his opinion on TRT, and most likely
you'll get one of two responses. Either they have no opinion
because they don't consider themselves knowledgeable enough to
comment on the subject, or they, like many in the population
at large, consider it to be cheating.
"It’s
a touchy subject," UFC middleweight Alan Belcher told MMA
Fighting. "I know it's supposed to be a case-by-case basis,
but probably like 99 percent of the time, they’re cheating.
They’re lying and the doctor is helping them out."
The
controversy even cuts right through friendships. Former M-1 light-heavyweight
champ Vinny Magalhaes has worked with exempted TRT user Dan Henderson
many times, but believes the therapy shouldn't be allowed in
MMA.
"I’ve
been in Dan’s camp for three years," he said. "Dan
trains, he’d go months with 4-5 injuries. I kind of get
why he feels like he has to do it. But for me, if you’re
40 years old, you’re not supposed to have the energy of
a 25-year-old guy. If you feel like you can’t perform, maybe
it’s just time for you to quit better than to cheat. Otherwise
it’s going to become like, hell, I’m 27 but I want
to have the strength of two horses so I’m going to take
a bunch of steroids. It’s wrong, in my opinion."
Under
proper doctor’s supervision, TRT isn't going to create a
superman, but simply restore the body’s natural testosterone
levels. The question then becomes, what is the proper supervision?
States
that allow exemptions offer guidelines that must be followed
before the exemption is ever granted. Nevada and New Jersey shared
their rules with MMA Fighting, including the documentation that
must be followed by any applicant.
In
Nevada, a fighter must submit an application for a TUE at least
20 days before a fight. Along with it, he must provide results
of no fewer than five tests, measuring things like total serum
testosterone level (on separate occasions), luteinizing hormone,
follicle stimulating hormone and measurement of hemoglobin and
hematrocrit levels. The commission also reserves the right to
require additional tests measuring serum prolactin and iron saturation,
pituitary function testing, and MRI of the sella turcica. They
must also be able to prove there is no reasonable alternative
therapy.
According
to Kizer, that stops many inquiries in their tracks.
In
New Jersey, fighters must provide similar records, again demonstrating
that levels have been consistently below even the low end of
"low normal."
But
other states have no such procedures in place for TUE’s
or any other medically necessary drug. Some states, like Tennessee,
handle situations on a case-by-case basis. Spokespeople for the
Ohio and Illinois athletic commissions both confirmed that they
currently have no procedure in place, though both said they are
in the process of being drafted. Asked if Chael Sonnen, a TRT
user, notified the state of his use prior to his UFC on FOX 2
matchup with Michael Bisping, Illinois Department of Financial
& Professional Regulation spokesperson Susan Hofer told MMA
Fighting, "Since we have no therapeutic use rules in place,
there would have been nothing to compel an athlete to tell us
if they were using any particular therapy in advance."
The
same question was asked to a Department of Licensing and Regulation
official in Texas, where Sonnen fought Brian Stann last October.
She would not comment without first seeking the attorney general’s
opinion, which was unavailable by press time. Instead, she referred
MMA Fighting to their existing rules, which only requires an
athlete to inform its executive director of prescription usages
"at least 24 hours prior to the bout," too little time
to determine need, according to most experts.
In
an effort to address the issue, the Association of Boxing Commissions
plans to address TUE’s at its upcoming July convention,
which is attended by many of the country’s state athletic
board heads.
"I’ve
got questions myself," said Ohio’s Profato. "We’ll
speak to their medical people on this and see where we’re
going. I don’t know that we should bar people with TUE’s
if they need it medically. Our goal is to make sure when two
people get in the cage, neither fighter is at an advantage or
disadvantage."
Even
with procedures in place, some critics contend it’s not
enough. When it comes to the growing use of testosterone, most
states use a 6:1 testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E)
as their cutoff for flagging a positive result (WADA has used
a more conservative 4:1 ratio since 2007). Others cite the testing
as insufficient.
Most
experts cite the carbon isotope ratio test (CIR) as the most
effective means of catching cheats. Instead of looking at T/E
ratio, it determines whether the substance in the body is natural
or synthetic.
From
the regulators’ points of view though, the expense related
to the test makes it cost-prohibitive given their budgets. Though
no one would go on record with the cost of the test, Dr. Anthony
Butch, who is the director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory
-- the lab used by California to flag Chael Sonnen’s test
in 2010 -- told MMA Fighting that a CIR is "typically at
least five times more expensive" than a simple screening
for testosterone metabolites, but far more effective.
"Given
that some athletes do not see a significant elevation in the
T/E ratio after taking testosterone, or a precursor of testosterone
which would then trigger CIR testing, the CIR testing can be
a more sensitive first-line test," he said.
If
all of that has you beginning to drown in information right now,
that’s exactly how it sometimes feels for regulators like
Kizer and Lembo, who work for two of the sport's leading commissions.
Because TUE’s can be applied not only to TRT, but drugs
related to other conditions including attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, asthma and more. At least one commission, New Jersey,
has in the past received a TUE request for medical marijuana,
though Lembo would not say whether it was granted.
Right
now, most of the leading state commissions have declined to disqualify
athletes from competition for a medical condition out of hand,
but it’s a hot-button issue regardless of the cause.
"If
someone did abuse performance-enhancing drugs at 18 or 20, and
they’re 32 now, I don’t know if you disqualify them
because they did that," Lembo said.
For
now, it's not ultimately his decision, anyway. New Jersey uses
a review board consisting of three expert physicians who are
blinded as to the athlete's identity as well as the other physicians
in the decision-making process, its lead ringside physician Dr.
Sherry Wulkan told MMA Fighting.
Over
the years, New Jersey, like Nevada, has denied more TRT TUE's
than it has granted.
The
spotlight on this issue has focused squarely on MMA -- and more
specifically, the UFC (Bellator's CEO Bjorn Rebney told MMA Fighting
that he was unaware of anyone on his roster undergoing the therapy).
But it's not solely an issue here. Other contact sports have
also seen the phenomenon. NFL senior vice president of public
relations Greg Aiello told MMA Fighting that "about half
a dozen" TRT TUE's have been granted in the history of the
program, going back to 1990. The NHL also confirmed that they
grant exemptions for TRT, though they would not release specific
numbers on their program.
That’s
not to say that there aren’t athletes trying to beat the
system. Even Kizer admits that its doubtful unapproved testosterone
users will be caught if they stay within normal levels.
"It’s
no different than non-approved use of steroids," he said.
"If you cycle properly, you’ll probably be able to
cheat the test, unfortunately. But that’s why we try to
do in-training testing. People think it’s easy to beat a
test. It’s not impossible by any means, but it’s not
easy. All we can do is try to have better testing and more testing."
Now,
here’s the kicker to all of this. Say you spend every last
dollar your commission has to test every fighter on every card.
You randomly test out-of-competition, you spring for the more
effective but more expensive CIR testing. You do all that, and
everything seems fine. Guess what? You might still have cheaters
in your midst. In February, a WADA report suggested that their
research indicated that they are only catching one in every five
drug cheats, and they are considered the gold standard for testing.
It’s
only going to get more difficult. According to multiple experts,
the next frontier is gene doping, a process which injects DNA
into existing genes to enhance athletic performance.
For
now, it’s not known if there’s any usable test in existence
that would catch a gene doper. Why? Because there’s no way
to tell an athlete’s genetic code without already having
it on file. And there’s no way to have it on file without
having a biopsy. How many athletes are going to voluntarily submit
to that in the name of fair play?
History
has proven that wherever an opportunity to take an edge exists,
someone will take it. Despite the best effort of regulators to
test, of promoters to condemn, and of fans to rebuke drug cheats,
the system seems destined to be imperfect, a cause ultimately
both righteous and hopeless.
[Editor's Note: PEDs in MMA was a two-part series. The first
installment, "PEDs in MMA: Amid TRT Controversy, a Hidden
Danger," focused on the growing link between head trauma
and pituitary damage leading to low testosterone.]
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Don
Frye Reflects on Long Career
Don
Frye debuted in the UFC in February 1996.
Sixteen
years later, the two-time UFC tournament champion joined the
Sherdog Radio Network’s “Savage Dog Show” to discuss
his time in the sport, his views on today’s stars and more.
Frye
on whether he watches MMA: “I can’t afford to [laughs].
If it’s on free TV, I can watch it. They’re great athletes.
It’s amazing how the sport has transformed. I’ve said
a hundred times, it’s like NASCAR. I’m one of the old-time
moonshiners and now you’ve got the 500-horsepower cars.
These days they’re so technically fantastic. They’re
great athletes. I get a kick out of watching them fight.”
On
putting on a show every time out: “A couple of times I didn’t
pull it off. I screwed up, but I’m not like Brock Lesnar
where there’s a trail of piss from the locker room to the
cage. I come to fight. I’m not walking in there looking
for a soft spot to land.”
On
whether there’s anything that could motivate him to fight
again: “Yeah, it’s called an empty wallet.”
On
the changes he’d have to make to fight again: “I’d
have to be serious. The last time out, I didn’t show the
sport any respect or my opponent any respect, and he kicked my
ass. I deserved it. Ruben Villareal, he stomped the s--t out
of me and I deserved it because I thought I’d go in there
just as Don Frye and my press clippings would impress him. Apparently
he never learned to read on the reservation. He wasn’t impressed
with my print.”
On
whether he still trains: “No, I haven’t done anything
since Ruben whooped my ass except ride horses. I had a real bad
last eight years. I guess I screwed up my back in ’03 and
didn’t know it, and it got worse. I just thought I was getting
old. It gradually got worse. Last year from -- what year is this?
2012? Yeah, May 2010 to May 2011, I had five back surgeries and
they finally fused it. With my ego, I thought, ‘S--t, it’s
been six and a half months. I can fight.’ But I didn’t
train. I worked out, but I didn’t train. There’s quite
a difference, quite a difference. We had the weigh-ins. Ruben
took off his shirt and looked like Tarzan. I tell you what, if
I had a car, I’d have jumped in it and left right then and
there.”
On
whether he misses fighting: “I do. I really do. I had a
lot of fun. The fans are fantastic. Fantastic fans. But the thing
is, Dana White’s just ruined the sport. I got to thinking
about it today and you know, he ruined it for me. I thought,
‘Why am I letting that asshole dictate my life and take
all of the fun out of it for me?’ I just ignore him and
go on with my life. I might climb back in the cage just because
I finally say, ‘F--k it. Why let him ruin it?’ I just
ignore him and go on with my own business.”
On
whether fighters are underpaid: “Oh my God, it’s a
crime. It’s a crime. You see some of these guys only getting
two or three or six thousand dollars and you’ve got Dana
bragging about having 30 Ferraris. Come on. You have a sponsor
and he charges a sponsor what, a hundred and fifty grand to have
your stuff on the fighter? That’s money he’s stealing
from the fighter. Then he goes and he pays them two or three
thousand dollars. That’s crazy.”
On
the death of Pride: “I was real sad. It bummed me out. They
came over and interviewed me four days before the final event
and talked me into going over there and fighting. I went over
there and fought and got the crap kicked out of me by James Thompson
and then had a pay issue. You know, in one way I was sad to see
them go, but after that, they could kiss my ass.”
Source
Sherdog
|
Frank
Mir, The Constant Heavyweight Contender
by Jeff
Cain
Frank
Mir seems to always be just one win away from a title shot. The
constant contender has fought in four UFC championship bouts,
and if he gets past Cain Velasquez at UFC 146, he’ll be
fighting for a UFC championship belt for a fifth time.
He’s
seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows during his career
to this point. He rose to the top of the heavyweight division
at a young age. He debuted in the organization at just 22 years
old. By the time he was 25, he was UFC heavyweight champion.
Before
he could defend that title, Mir was involved in a motorcycle
accident suffering a broken femur. Many questioned if he’d
ever get back to where he once was in the sport. And his comeback
performances following the injury fueled the doubters’ belief
that Mir would never be the same.
It
didn’t happen overnight, but Mir scratched and clawed his
way back up the heavyweight ladder to win the UFC interim heavyweight
title, but hasn’t been able to recapture the official title
of UFC heavyweight champion.
On
May 26, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Mir, again,
finds himself on the cusp of fighting for the title and an opportunity
to reclaim what was once his. The only thing standing in his
way is another former champion, Cain Velasquez.
Stylistically,
hard hitting wrestlers have given Mir problems in recent bouts.
The last two men able to defeat Mir, Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin,
fit that description. Mir recognizes this hole in his game and
works hard to close it in training, but Velasquez’ wrestling
is still a concern heading into the match-up.
“That
concerns me greatly. I mean, wrestling is one of the things I
have the hardest time with. So it’s always going to be an
issue and it’s something for me to constantly work on and
improve on in the gym,” Mir said at a press conference promoting
the UFC 146 event.
“I
think wrestling is a huge factor in all fights. Typically, the
guy who is the better wrestler can decide where the fight goes,
whether it’s standing, whether it’s on the ground.
I just hope to make it to where both those are not viable choices,”
he said about wrestling in the fight.
We
might see a slightly slimmer Frank Mir when he steps into the
Octagon to face Velasquez. Mir bulked up before his rematch with
Brock Lesnar, but believes it was an error in judgment and lighter
is his optimal fighting weight.
“I
find for myself in the gym, I can live with my performances,
my conditioning, my speed is best when I’m a little bit
lighter. I thought gaining size would’ve helped me make
up for the size difference in Brock, but that was really more
of a technical difference. I looked at the wrong area on what
to improve. So right now I’m happy where I’m at right
now,” he said.
If
he emerges victorious against Velasquez, Mir anticipates fighting
for the title against the winner of Junior dos Santos and Alistair
Overeem in a six to eight month timeframe.
“May
26, I have a very tough opponent ahead of me, and then after
that over the winner between Alistair and dos Santos, six to
eight months after that. So hopefully by the end of the year,
beginning of next year, I could be in a title fight.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
SHAPING
ALLIANCES: VICTOR CUI AND THE DRAMATIC RISE OF ONE FC
By Shaun
Al-Shatti - Staff Writer
It
wasn't long ago that the UFC was in second place. Back when the
giants of PRIDE were the name of the game and Japan's Saitama
Super Arena was the center of the world, the west was almost
an afterthought.
That
time is gone now. The decline of Asian MMA happened quickly,
with a whimper, not a bang. But remnants of a generation raised
on the myths of Fedor Emelianenko and Kazushi Sakuraba are still
here. Those who witnessed the spectacle of PRIDE first-hand understand
the viability of eastern martial arts. It's hard to forget.
Now the race has changed. The sprint has become a marathon, to
revive a scene left for dead and revitalize the spirit of the
mid-2000's. It's here that the Singapore-based ONE Fighting Championships
has abruptly emerged as the odds-on favorite, and at the heart
of it all is a fight-crazed 40-year-old Canadian businessman.
"My dream is to build the best MMA organization in Asia,"
ONE FC founder Victor Cui says simply. "I will never be
satisfied until every single person in Asia is an MMA fan."
Cui's
goals may seem lofty, but since ONE FC debuted in mid-2011, the
organization has made unprecedented international strides, stunning
skeptics by inking a 10-year broadcast partnership with ESPN
Star Sports, Asia's largest sport content provider, in a contract
unmatched in both its length and scope. "This deal is a
giant step forward," Cui explains. "Combined with our
other broadcast deals, we now have over 500 million viewers who
have access to (ONE FC).
"(ESPN) has realized the potential growth MMA has in the
Asian region. No sport in Asia has a 10-year deal, not tennis,
not golf, no basketball and this is just the beginning."
In
the race for eastern eyeballs, Cui's savvy wheeling and dealing
has ONE FC marathon ready. With two shows already in the books,
and a third set for this Saturday, the ONE FC brand has more
or less become MMA's ambassador to Singapore, India, the Philippines,
Thailand and various other regions throughout Asia. And as an
added incentive to western audiences, Saturday's entire fight
card will be streamed free of charge on YouTube. "The response
from the fans has been insane," Cui says.
"This
allows fighters the chance to fight more times than ever before,
which means more experience, more exposure and higher pay-days."
Nostalgia
can a major seller in all walks of life, and ONE FC welcomes
that fact in a way rarely seen in today's MMA. The promotion's
special brand of violence, which Cui labels "a blend of
the very best from the west and the east," embraces a bloody
mish-mash of the unified rules and PRIDE rules, allowing for
not only head stomps and soccer kicks, but also knee and elbow
strikes to the head of a downed opponent, providing for an explosive,
potentially gruesome form of combat. "What we try to do
is give the fans what they want," Cui proclaims. "Our
promise is to bring our audience the best Asian fighters and
put on the best world class MMA show they have ever seen."
However
all the attention in the world is irrelevant without a roster
that can raise eyebrows. To that extent, Cui knew he needed help.
So using the immense personal network he collected in his past
life in public relations, Cui embarked on an exasperating chase
to end the dog-eat-dog mantra of fight promotion and unite Asia's
top organizations under one roof.
In
any industry driven by human ego and selfish competing interests,
the idea of large scale collaboration seems laughable. But somehow
Cui sold it the right way, the end result being the ONE FC Network,
a fascinating talent-sharing alliance between top gyms and promotions
throughout the eastern hemisphere, including Japan's DREAM and
DEEP, the Philippines' URCC, Australia's CFC, Korea's ROAD FC
and Thailand's DARE Championship.
Now,
seemingly overnight, Cui holds one of the world's largest roster
pools at his disposal. "Asia is a region where the MMA talent
is largely untapped," he explains.
"The
ONE FC Network is based on trust, support and friendship, but
most importantly, it is a network that clearly benefits everyone.
Other promotions get to work together and avoid conflicting plans
and have their champions fight other champions on ONE FC, gyms
get greater opportunities for their fighters, and fighters get
more pay days. We have greater opportunities for TV deals, sponsors,
and endless business benefits. Everyone wins."
The
first indication of ONE FC's blended new world will come this
Saturday, as Cui pilfered top-ranked Japanese featherweight Tatsuya
Kawajiri from DREAM to meet American-born Donald Sanchez at ONE
FC 3: War of the Lions, on a card that also features DEEP champions
Masakazu Imanari, Yuya Shirai, and Yoshiyuki Nakanishi, URCC
champion Eduard Folayang, and DREAM veteran Melvin Manhoef. Of
course, as the network adapts to its new web of relationships,
Cui also has his eyes on several other primetime targets, chief
among them being perennial top-ten lightweight and reigning DREAM
champion Shinya Aoki.
Ultimately,
ONE FC's remarkable rise is still far from a finished product.
But with a full plate of 2012 shows lined up across Asia, including
stops in Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, the promotion
that continues to defy expectations has inched its way closer
to becoming the new face of Asian mixed martial arts.
"It's
been nothing but a positive growth and I am so blown away by
that," Cui humbly admits.
"I
credit the wonderful people I work with, the team we have driving
ONE FC and of course our partners. This is only the beginning
and it is just going to get better from here."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
UFC
Will Hold First Event in China in 2012
by Damon
Martin
The
UFC has long coveted landing a show in China and it looks like
they will achieve it in 2012.
UFC
President Dana White announced recently that the promotion is
close to sealing a deal with the $2.4 billion dollar hotel, the
Venetian Macau, which is owned and operated by the Las Vegas
Sands corporation, who also handle the Venetian hotel in Las
Vegas.
The
UFC has looked to expand further and further into Asia, and over
the last couple of years more of their plans have come to fruition.
Now
it appears landing in China is only a few months away.
“We’re
going to do a fight in China. So imagine our first fight in China,
we’re talking about doing it in conjunction with the Venetian
out there. Imagine the first fight in China, it’s going
to be huge,” said White.
“Soon,
real soon. It will happen this year.”
The
UFC officially opened offices in Asia in August 2010 when the
hired former NBA executive Mark Fischer to spearhead the efforts
overseas.
Fischer
has worked in and around Asia for several years, and helped lead
the branding and expansion of the NBA into China.
Now
after a successful return to Japan earlier this year, the UFC
will look to conquer China as their next major event in Asia.
The
UFC has also teased about doing a new Ultimate Fighter in Asia
as well, but they’ve yet to release concrete details about
when or where that might happen.
The
full 2012 schedule for the UFC has not been determined yet either
according to White, which is a rarity so says the UFC’s
President, but they have blueprints in place to take the promotion
to China before the year is out.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Mr.
Ishii would like to make you an offer you can’t refuse
By Zach
Arnold
The
last time we talked about Godfather Ishii, we talked about how
he was working as a referee at Korakuen Hall for high-schooler
fights.
Now
that we meet again, the Godfather has decided to chime in with
an article penned under his name to discuss the recent AIJ pension
fund loss cover-up scandal. Yes, the Godfather would love to
talk to you about money management.
Which
makes today’s news about shinsei K-1’s 2012 supposed
event schedule even more curious. The promotion has no television
deal in Japan, which was the basis of the entire financial model
of K-1. Unless Ken Imai is back in the fold with his old running
mate Ishii, it’s hard to see what exactly is happening here
with this new attempt to get back into the game.
In
short, the 2012 version of K-1 would feature an event calendar
with no scheduled shows in Japan. The year-end prize would somehow
be a $2 million USD purse. A big launch show will happen on May
27th in Madrid, Spain at Palacio Vista Aletre. There are promises
of events this Summer in Europe and Asia, with the Fall &
Winter featuring shows in Los Angeles & New York.
The
“K-1 production team” put out this press release from
Los Angeles this morning. The phone number listed is a 650 area
code, which is… San Mateo (Bay Area).
Your
guess is as good as mine if anyone is going to buy into this.
Dan Herbertson is not:
$2
million in prize money for the new K-1 in 2012. How about you
pay the fighters you already owe before boasting about prize
money?
Worth
noting that people who sign with the new K-1 get 50% of what
they were owed by FEG. People not signing like Aerts, Overeem?
Not sure.
Make
the argument here to me that there’s a viable financial
model here to what K-1 is trying to do with this schedule that
doesn’t feature yakuza involvement.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
MORNING
REPORT: 'KING MO' LAWAL'S AWFUL, AWFUL DAY
By Shaun
Al-Shatti - Staff Writer
They
say bad news comes in threes. But if that's the case, King Mo
Lawal must be terrified right now.
Truthfully it would be hard to top what just took place. Literally
weeks after a prolonged, intensely life-threatening bout with
staph, Lawal appeared in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission
on Tuesday, hoping to plead his case in the positive steroid
test that derailed his career. Of course, not only did his words
fall on deaf ears -- Mo received a nine month suspension, was
fined 30-percent of his $80,000 fight purse and forced to surrender
his $15,000 win bonus -- he was also incredulously asked if he
had the ability to read or understand English by commission official
Pat Lundvall. (Check out the audio of the meeting.)
Now,
regardless of whether or not you think there were racist undertones
in Lundvall's sentiment, you have to admit it's an outrageously
condescending remark for an official to make. So Lawal, who,
again, just nearly died less than a month ago, snapped a bit
and posted the exchange on Twitter, unfortunately referring to
Lundvall as "a racist b***h." And yeah, he was fired.
Brutal day.
5
MUST-READ STORIES
King
Mo suspended by NSAC, cut by Strikeforce. Former Strikeforce
light heavyweight champion Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
was suspended for nine months and fined $39,000 by the NSAC on
Tuesday afternoon. After which, a seething Lawal took to Twitter,
calling commission member Pat Lundvall "a racist b****"
for asking if he was able to "read or speak english."
Lawal was then promptly cut from Strikeforce, according to a
press release issued by promotion CEO Scott Coker.
Alistair Overeem sentenced after battery charge in Las Vegas.
UFC heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem was sentenced to 50
hours of community service and anger-management counseling, stemming
from a battery charge at a Las Vegas nightclub on New Year's
weekend. Overeem will be forced to undergo a mandatory 90-day
jail sentence if he fails to complete the terms of his sentencing.
UFC 146 combatants face surprise drug tests. All six fighters
who appeared at Tuesday's UFC 146 press conference -- Junior
dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir, Antonio
Silva and Roy Nelson -- were issued surprise drug tests following
the proceedings, courtesy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
UFC drawing strong ratings for TUF Brazil, dealing with alleged
leak. The debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil drew
an astounding 8 millions viewers on Globo TV, despite allegations
of Brazilian news outlet R7 leaking the names of the four finalists.
For retired fighters, health care can be a tricky, costly issue.
Ben Fowlkes sat down with a slew of former and current fighters
to discuss the precarious issue of health insurance in mixed
martial arts.
MO
LAWAL CUT FROM STRIKEFORCE, NSAC HEARING AND HIS 'REACTION' TO
BLAME, SAYS SCOTT COKER
By Ben
Fowlkes - Senior Writer
“King”
Mo Lawal’s day just went from bad to truly awful. After
being fined and suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission
in a hearing on Tuesday afternoon, the former Strikeforce light
heavyweight champion has been released from the organization.
The news was first reported by MMAJunkie.com, and confirmed by
Lawal’s manager, Mike Kogan, to MMA Fighting’s Ariel
Helwani.
In
a brief statement over email, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker wrote
only, "Following the outcome of today's hearing with the
Nevada State Athletic Commission and his subsequent reaction,
STRIKEFORCE has released Muhammad Lawal from his contract."
When reached for comment on Tuesday evening, Lawal told MMA Fighting
that he thought his comments on Twitter aimed at NSAC commissioner
Pat Lundvall were the root cause of his release.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Lawal referred to Lundvall
as a “racist b--ch” for asking him if he could speak
and read English when he filled out the pre-fight questionnaire.
The commission suggested that Lawal hadn’t been forthcoming
in his answers about injuries and medications he’d taken
before the fight, and the accusation bothered him, as he told
MMA Fighting earlier today.
On
Tuesday evening Lawal explained his Twitter reaction, saying,
“When I showed up to the hearing, I proved that I can speak
and I can read. I don’t know when, but she got mad at me,
got irritated, and was like, ‘Look, can you speak and read
English?’ Now to me, that’s an insult.”
He
added, “Growing up through high school and college, I’d
get asked, ‘Do you speak English instead of jive? Do you
speak English instead of ebonics?’ For a grown woman to
talk to me like that, knowing I’m a college graduate, born
in America? I grew up in the south, in Tennessee, went to Oklahoma
State, traveled the world, and for her to talk to me like that,
that’s disrespectful.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the NSAC voted to suspend Lawal for nine
months and fine him a total of $39,000 for his positive drug
test for the steroid drostanolone following his win over Lorenz
Larkin in a Strikeforce event on Jan. 7. The suspension is retroactive
to the date of the fight, leaving him eligible to re-apply for
licensing in September of 2012.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Jason
‘Mayhem’ Miller: ‘If I Lose to (C.B. Dollaway),
I Quit’
by Damon
Martin
Jason
‘Mayhem’ Miller makes no excuses for his poor performance
against Michael Bisping at the Ultimate Fighter 14 finale, but
he’s certainly ratcheting up the pressure for his next fight
against C.B. Dollaway at UFC 146.
Miller
appeared on Spike TV’s MMA Uncensored Live on Thursday night
where he addressed the fight, and it doesn’t sound like
he’s giving Dollaway much of a chance when they square off
in May.
“No,
he doesn’t deserve to be in there with me, and I’ll
prove it,” Miller said about Dollaway. “I’ll prove
it in under a round cause we see I tend to get tired in the second
round.”
Following
the loss to Bisping in December, there was speculation that the
UFC may not even keep the colorful and brash former host of MTV’s
Bully Beatdown for another fight, but the powers that be opted
to give him at least one more shot in the Octagon.
That
shot comes against former Ultimate Fighter finalist C.B. Dollaway,
who returns to action after having hip surgery to close out 2011.
It
would seem that both fighters are in do or die situations with
Dollaway coming back from two straight losses, while Miller needs
to rebound from his abhorrent performance against Bisping last
year.
“We’re
both in a similar spot in our career I guess. We’re on the
chopping block, and that’s fine, I’m really happy with
that,” Miller stated.
Miller’s
feelings about facing a fighter the caliber of Dollaway appear
pretty clear, but if he should lose to the former Arizona State
wrestler, he’s ready to call for the end of his own UFC
career.
“I
feel like it, I’m on my own chopping block. If I lose to
him, I’m quitting. I quit. I don’t deserve to be in
there,” said Miller.
His
opinion is strong and his belief in his ability to beat Dollaway
seems even stronger, but Miller knows beyond any boastful statement
that any middleweight that’s in the UFC is going to be no
easy test.
“There’s
not a easy fight, there’s no easy fights whatsoever,”
Miller stated.
With
such a strong statement, Miller will now get the chance to back
those words up when he faces Dollaway in May at UFC 146. The
fight between the two middleweights will likely air on the UFC
146 prelims on FX.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
What
were the lessons to learn from TUF Brazil episode 1?
Contributor:
Junior Samurai
Last
night the TUF Brazil season opener aired on Globo network. For
the first episode of the UFC reality show in Brazil, pitting
teams led by Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva against each other,
32 fighters entered the octagon to determine the 16 who would
move on to the TUF house, and the action that ensued did not
disappoint.
Before
the eyes of Dana White and the Brazilian team captains, two-time
Jiu-Jitsu champion Sérgio Moraes went to the 50/50 guard
to sink a footlock on Thiago Rela and seal the deal.
“I’ve
never seen a fight like that. The two were sitting, hitting each
other… I’ve never seen that position in MMA,”
said Wanderlei Silva, refereeing to the 50/50 guard the athlete
were in, in one of the first Jiu-Jitsu lessons of the Globo broadcast.
“The
thing is that Sérgio waited for the right moment to go
for Rela’s leg. When he launched the attack, he he adjusted
the heel against his forearm and extended it. Rela didn’t
even tap, he yelped,” explained current IBJJF lightweight
world champion Gilbert Durinho, one of the trainers on the green
team, Vitor Belfort’s group.
Now
native of Ceará state Godofredo Pepey, a black belt from
MG team undefeated in 10 MMA fights, was quick on the trigger,
needing just a single round to put away Johnny Cabeça
with an armbar from the triangle.
Others
who used the gentle art to make sure they had a roof over their
heads for a while were John Macapá, Rodrigo Damm and Cezar
Mutante. Macapá sunk an armbar from within the guard on
Giovanni Soldado in the first round. Now black belt and wrestler
Rodrigo Damm, who was getting the worst of the standup exchange,
used his grappling skills to drag Fabrício Guerreiro to
the ground and wrap up with a rear-naked choke. Now Mutante was
deft in jumping to closed guard and finishing Rodrigo Labareda
with a guillotine.
COMPETING
NETWORK SPILLS BEANS ON TUF FINAL
The
names of the qualifying featherweights are Godofredo Pepey, Rony
Jason, Hugo Wolverine, Rodrigo Damm, Wagner Galeto, John Teixeira,
Anistávio Gasparzinho and Marcus Vinícius.
Now
at middleweight, Francisco Massaranduba, Cezar Mutante, Daniel
Sarafian, Tiago Bodão, Renée Forte, Delson Pé
de Chumbo and Leonardo Macarrão will inhabit the TUF Brazil
house. Check out the complete results below, and if you missed
the premiere episode, click here to watch.
Today,
the R7 website sought to rain on Globo’s parade, releasing
the names of the four finalists. To not spoil the fun, GRACIEMAG.com
will not reveal the information Record, Globo’s competitor,
announced over the internet.
What
about you, gentle reader, did you pick up any nifty Jiu-Jitsu
tricks from the first Brazilian episode of TUF? Share it with
us in the comments section below.
Featherweight
(145 lbs/66kg)
Godofredo
Pepey subbed Johnny Gonçalves via armbar from triangle
in R1;
Rony
Jason Mariano defeated Dileno Lopes via TKO in R1;
Hugo
Wolverine defeated Alexandre Sangue via KO in R1;
Rodrigo
Damm subbed Fabricio Guerreiro via rear-naked choke in R2;
Wagner
Galeto defeated Fernando Guerra via judges’ decision;
John
Teixeira subbed Giovanni Soldado via armbar in R1;
Anistávio
Gasparzinho defeated Rafael Bueno via unanimous decision;
Marcus
Vinícius defeated Pedro Nobre via KO in R1.
Middleweight
(185 lbs/84kg)
Francisco
Massaranduba defeated Charles Maicon via KO in R1;
Cezar
Mutante subbed Gustavo Labareda via guillotine in R2;
Daniel
Sarafian defeated Richardson Monstrão via judges’
decision;
Sergio
Moraes subbed Thiago Rela via heelhook in R1;
Tiago
Bodão defeated João Paulo Tuba via judges’
decision;
Renee
Forte defeated Fabio Bolinho via unanimous judges’ decision;
Delson
Pé de Chumbo defeated Gilberto Giba via judges’ decision;
Leonardo
Macarrão defeated Samuel Trindade via unanimous judges’
decision;
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Nevada
amends complaint against Nick Diaz, shifts strategy
By Zach
Arnold
When
we last talked about Nevada’s suspension of Nick Diaz for
marijuana usage, we noted that Nick’s attorney (the uber-powerful
Ross Goodman) used a variation of the now famous Jonathan Tweedale
article at Bloody Elbow on how to argue against the complaint
filed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
After
Team Diaz filed their response to Nevada’s complaint, Keith
Kizer telegraphed (in the media) what the response would be.
Rather than confront what Goodman & Tweedale are arguing
regarding WADA standards & Nevada law, Keith Kizer &
company are now shifting to what I call “the Al Capone”
strategy. Kizer’s side is now going after Team Diaz over
the way the medical questionnaire was answered regarding Nick
Diaz & his medical marijuana usage.
I
guess it isn’t a total surprise to see Nevada shift their
complaint strategy since they hinted this would be the direction
they would be heading in, but to see it on paper and the complaint
amended is rather interesting.
*********
CATHERINE
CORTEZ MASTO
Attorney General of Nevada
CHRISTOPHER ECCLES
Deputy Attorney General
555 East Washington Avenue, Suite 3900
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Telephone: (702) 486-3105
Facsimile: (702) 486-3416
E-mail: ceccles@ag.nv.gov
BEFORE
THE NEVADA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION
FIRST
AMENDED COMPLAINT FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND NOTICE OF HEARING
KEITH
KIZER, Executive Director for the ATHLETIC COMMISSION of the
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, STATE OF NEVADA, complains
for disciplinary action against NICK DIAZ (DIAZ), as follows:
JURISDICTION
1.
DIAZ is now, and was at all pertinent times alleged herein, licensed
in Nevada as a professional mixed martial artist by the NEVADA
STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION (Commission).
2.
As the holder of a Nevada professional mixed martial artist’s
license, DIAZ is subject to the provisions of Chapter 467 of
the Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), and of Chapter 467 of the
Nevada Administrative Code (NAC).
3.
Pursuant to NRS Chapter 467, the Commission is vested with the
sole discretion, management, control and jurisdiction over contests,
exhibitions and licensees of unarmed combat, which includes mixed
martial arts.
FACTUAL
ALLEGATIONS
4.
On April 18, 2007, the Commission, by unanimous decision, suspended
DIAZ’s mixed martial artist’s license for a period
of six months after the presence of Delta-9-THC Carboxylic Acid,
the major metabolite of Delta-9-THC (the active ingredient in
marijuana), was detected in DIAZ’s urine following his February
24, 2007 mixed martial arts contest in Las Vegas, Nevada.
5.
After serving the suspension and paying a fine, DIAZ participated
in a professional mixed martial arts contest in Las Vegas, Nevada
on February 4, 2012, which he lost by unanimous decision (the
“Contest”). The Contest was conducted under the direction
of the Commission.
6.
The day before the Contest, on February 3, 2012, DIAZ completed
his Pre-Fight Questionnaire, attached hereto as Exhibit 1, wherein
he answered “No” to each of the following questions:
Do
you have any serious medical illnesses, conditions?
Have you taken / received any prescribed medications in the last
two weeks?
Have you taken / received any over the counter medication / products
in the last two weeks?
DIAZ signed his Pre-Fight Questionnaire directly below the statement:
“I hereby attest that the above information is true and
accurate to the best of my knowledge.”
By
answering “No” to one or more of the questions referenced
in paragraph six, DIAZ provided false or misleading information
to the Commission or a representative of the Commission.
On
February 8, 2012, a Complaint for Disciplinary Action and Notice
of Hearing was filed against DIAZ.
On
March 7, 2012, the Commission received DIAZ’s Response to
Complaint for Disciplinary Action. Attached to DIAZ’s Response
as Exhibit “A” was his sworn and notarized affidavit,
wherein DIAZ swears that he discontinued use of medical marijuana
eight days before the fight.
DIAZ
used marijuana within the two weeks prior to February 3, 2012.
In
his affidavit, DIAZ swears that he is in full compliance with
the registry laws for medical marijuana in California.
13.
California’s Medical Marijuana Program is codified in California’s
Health and Safety Code, Article 2.5, Sections 11362.7 —
11362.83 (“Medical Marijuana Program”).
14.
Section 11362.7 (h) of the Medical Marijuana Program, attached
hereto as Exhibit 2, defines the term “serious medical condition.”
15.
Section 11362.715 (a) (2) of the Medical Marijuana Program, attached
hereto as Exhibit 2, requires a person who seeks an identification
card to provide to the county health department, written documentation
by the attending physician in the person’s medical records
stating that the person has been diagnosed with a serious medical
condition.
16.
Immediately after the Contest, on the same date, DIAZ voluntarily
submitted to a urinalysis (the “Urinalysis”) and provided
a urine sample for testing.
17.
The Urinalysis reflects a positive result for the presence of
Marijuana Metabolites, which are prohibited by the regulations
of the Commission. The results of the Urinalysis are reflected
in the Laboratory Report, attached hereto as Exhibit 3.
18.
The administration of or use of any drug that has not been approved
by the Commission by a Nevada licensed mixed martial artist is
prohibited by the regulations of the Commission.
ALLEGED
VIOLATIONS
19.
Based upon and incorporating by reference the foregoing Factual
Allegations, the Executive Director alleges that DIAZ violated
Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) 467.850. NAC 467.850(1), (2),
(5) and (6) provide as follows:
1.
The administration of or use of any:
(a) Alcohol;
(b) Stimulant; or
(c) Drug or injection that has not been approved by the commission,
including, but not limited to, the drugs or injections listed
in subsection 2, in any part of the body, either before or during
a contest or exhibition, to or by any unarmed combatant, is prohibited.
2.
The following types of drugs, injections or stimulants are prohibited
pursuant to subsection 1:
(f)
Any drug identified on the most current edition of the Prohibited
List published by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which is hereby
adopted by reference. The most current edition of the Prohibited
List may be obtained, free of charge, at the Internet address
www.wada-ama.org.
5..
A unarmed combatant shall submit to a urinalysis or chemical
test before or after a contest if the commission or the commission’s
representative directs him to do so.
6.
A licensee who violates any provision of this section is subject
to disciplinary action by the commission. In addition to any
other disciplinary action by the Commission, if an unarmed combatant
who won or drew a contest or exhibition is found to have violated
the provisions of this section, the Commission may, in its sole
discretion, change the result of that contest or exhibition to
a no decision.
20.
Marijuana Metabolites are not drugs approved by the Commission.
21.
NAC 467.886 provides in pertinent part as follows:
1.
A person licensed by the commission shall not engage in any activity
that will bring disrepute to unarmed combat ….
22.
By testing positive for Marijuana Metabolites, DIAZ has violated
NAC 467.850 and 467.886.
23.
By providing false or misleading information to one or more questions
on his Pre-Fight { Questionnaire, DIAZ has violated NAC 467.885
(3).
DISCIPLINE
AUTHORIZED
24.
NRS 467.157 provides that, “Any license issued under this
chapter may be revoked for cause deemed sufficient by the commission
upon a hearing provided for in NRS 467.113.”
25.
NRS 467.158(2)-(4) provide in full as follows:
2.
If disciplinary action is taken against a person pursuant to
this chapter, including, but not limited to, a hearing for the
revocation of a license, and the disciplinary action relates
to:
(a)
The preparation for a contest or an exhibition of unarmed combat;
(b) The occurrence of a contest or an exhibition of unarmed combat;
or
(c) Any other action taken in conjunction with a contest or an
exhibition of unarmed combat, the commission may prescribe a
penalty pursuant to subsection 3.
3.
A penalty prescribed by the commission pursuant to subsection
2:
(a)
Must not exceed $250,000 or 100 percent of the share of the purse
to which the holder of the license is entitled for the contest
or exhibition, whichever amount is greater; and
(b) May be imposed in addition to or in lieu of any other disciplinary
action that is taken against the person by the commission.
4.
If disciplinary action is taken against a person pursuant to
this chapter, the commission may require the person against whom
such action is taken to pay the costs of the proceeding, including
investigative costs and attorney’s fees.
26.
NAC 467.885(2), (3), and (5) provide in full as follows:
The
commission may suspend or revoke the license of, or otherwise
discipline or take any combination of such actions against a
licensee who has, in the judgment of the commission:
2.
Violated any provision of this chapter [467];
3.
Provided false or misleading information to the Commission or
a representative of the Commission;
5.
Conducted himself at any time or place in a manner which is deemed
by the commission to reflect discredit to unarmed combat ….
RELIEF
SOUGHT
27.
Based upon the allegations contained herein which constitute
sufficient cause for disciplinary action against the licensee
pursuant to the provisions of NRS Chapter 467 and NAC Chapter
467, the Executive Director prays for relief as follows:
A.
That DIAZ be fined a monetary sum pursuant to the parameters
defined at NRS 467.158;
B.
That the Commission take action against DIAZ’s license pursuant
to the parameters defined at NAC 467.885;
C.
That DIAZ pay the costs of the proceeding, including investigative
costs and attorney’s fees;
D.
That DIAZ provide the Commission with a negative urine test for
prohibited substances upon filing his next application for an
unarmed combatant’s license; and
E.
For such other and further relief as the Commission may deem
just and proper.
NOTICE
OF HEARING
THEREFORE,
DIAZ is directed to answer in writing the First Amended Complaint
for Disciplinary Action within 20 days from service. Thereafter
a hearing into this matter will be scheduled at the offices of
the Nevada Athletic Commission, 555 East Washington Avenue, Suite
3200, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101, or such other place as may be
designated, in writing, by the Commission. The Commission will,
at that time, take such action as may be just and proper pursuant
to the proof and pertinent laws.
DIAZ
is entitled to be represented by counsel of his choice at the
hearing. Additionally, DIAZ is entitled to cross-examine witnesses,
present evidence and argue on his behalf before a decision is
made by the Commission. If DIAZ fails to appear at the hearing,
a decision may be reached in his absence.
DATED
this 28th day of March, 2012.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Ronda
Rousey Adds the Diaz Brothers to Her Training Routine
by Damon
Martin
The
next time Ronda Rousey defends her Strikeforce bantamweight title,
she may have developed a new way to mean mug her opponent.
Following
a brief vacation that she earned by submitting Miesha Tate in
early March, Rousey is already getting back into the gym, and
she’s adding some new training partners to her routine.
Rousey
will be heading to Stockton, Calif., to work with Nick and Nate
Diaz as well as the team at Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu as she starts
preparing for her next title defense.
“Yeah,
I’m going up there from the 3rd to the 16th (of April) and
it’s going to be the first time ever since I started doing
MMA that I’m going to be training for an actual extended
period of time away from my core camp, who I’ve always been
with,” Rousey told MMAWeekly Radio recently.
Rousey
got a chance to roll with Nick Diaz previously, and she says
that traveling to different gyms during her judo career was a
regular event, but she hasn’t done it since beginning her
journey into MMA.
“When
I did judo I used to go around all the time, like every month
or so I would go away for a week or two weeks to go train somewhere
else,” said Rousey. “For some reason it’s something
I never did in MMA, so they invited me to come train up there,
and they’re good at a bunch of things that I need to work
on so I’m super excited. It’s going to be the first
time I’m training away from home in a long time.”
While
Rousey will definitely pick up some top notch training alongside
Diaz and the other fighters in Stockton, she’s not leaving
her home camp by any means.
Rousey
has been working with her team and coaches in Los Angeles since
she started, and she’s an L.A. girl for life.
She
does however hope to keep the Diaz brothers and their team as
regular training partners as she gets ready for her next title
defense, presumably against Sarah Kaufman later this year.
“Oh
yeah definitely, I hope it does,” Rousey said when asked
if working with the Diaz brothers could become a regular part
of her camp. “But I love L.A., I’ll never move away
from here.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Shogun
waits for next opponent but wants to fight in soccer stadium
in Rio
By Guilherme
Cruz
Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua is off the octagon since November 2011
when defeated by Dan Henderson in one of the best MMA fights
in all history, but his return to the UFC cage remains a mystery.
On an exclusive interview with TATAME, the former champion talked
about his wish of fighting on the Wonderful City in June. “I
dream about being part of this card, even because it’s a
huge event. I would really like to be a part of it”, affirmed
Shogun. Check below the exclusive chat with the athlete who talked
about the cancelled bout against Rampage Jackson, postponed due
to injuries on his opponent’s knees, Dan Henderson declining
a new confrontation and also commenting on his new manager.
When
will you fight?
I’ve
talked to Lorenzo a while back and he asked me if I was fine.
They announced the fight against Rampage, but then he said he
would have to get his knees operated. I saw they offered me to
Dan Henderson and he declined it. So I’m waiting for a definition.
I might fight in June or July, that’s when I hope to fight,
but for now there’s no opponent in mind.
Were
you let down when heard that Rampage wouldn’t be able to
make it?
It’s
something I know Rampage really wanted and so did I, but you
gotta be like super prepared to fight.
They
talked about a rematch against Henderson. Did you crave that
or was caught by surprise with the possibility?
It’s
something I really wanted. It was a fight that please the fans
and the press. I really wanted it but unfortunately it didn’t
happen. I’m sure I’ll eventually get a chance to beat
Dan Henderson.
So,
now you don’t have anything ahead, who could come next?
Maybe Lyoto Machida or Phil Davis?
I
don’t think about who I can fight against, I wait for UFC
to offer me someone. I rather wait. It’s hard to pick an
opponent out like that. I rather not chose. Rampage and Henderson
are legends and they would make great opponents and fans would
dig it. But, as I said, I rather not think about fighting one
guy or another. Sometime they have to replace your opponent and
that’s frustrating for us as athletes, so I fight anyone.
UFC
is coming back to Rio, where you beat Griffin up, with a historical
event at Engenhao. Do you want to be a part of it?
Absolutely.
I dream about being part of this card, even because it’s
a huge event. I would really like to be a part of it. Let’s
wait for UFC to define something.
You
fought at HSBC Arena in front of 15 thousand people. Can you
imagine how would it be to fight for passionate fans like that,
but instead of 15 thousand it’s coming from like 50, 60
thousand people?
Absolutely.
It would be very exciting. On the first time I was touched by
it. At Engenhao you can put like three times more people…
It’s overwhelming as a fighter. I work for the UFC, so I’m
just waiting. Whatever UFC decides it’s decided.
Have
you started you training camp?
I’m
not 100 percent focused event because I’m supposed to fight
in June or July. When I know the who and the when parts I’ll
get it started.
Are
you training at UDL?
That’s
right. We have a good structure at UDL to give me the proper
training I need.
Last
time we spoke you didn’t know anything about your new manager
after tearing apart from Eduardo Alonso. Is there anything new
about that?
It’s
been under the cares of Julio Heller, a guy who lives here in
Curitiba. He lives near me and that makes things easier.
Is
it the first time you guys work together?
No.
I worked with him back at Chute Boxe. He used to manage my image
and Wanderlei’s (Silva). He’s a helpful guy and, besides
everything, he likes what he does. He knows how to do things.
Eduardo is a good professional too, but he lives really close
to me and that’s something to put in account.
Source:
Tatame
|
EAT
LIKE THE DOMINATOR - DOMINICK CRUZ ON FOOD
By Frank
Curreri
UFC
bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz
Dominick
Cruz: Fights at 135 Pounds; Eats 5,000 Calories a Day
Tony
Mandarich. One of the greatest offensive linemen in college history.
And … arguably the biggest bust in the NFL draft history.
A bear of a man -- 310-pounds – who once estimated he consumed
roughly 10,000 calories a day. Back in the late 1980s, the No.1
pick’s marathon eating blew a lot of minds.
Turns
out, 135-pound world champ Dominick Cruz is quite the GI-normous
grubber himself. Pound-for-pound, in fact, Cruz’s daily
wolf-downs can go toe-to-toe with Mandarich’s famed caloric
consumption. With little effort, it seems.
“He
(Cruz) probably eats about 5,000 calories a day,” says Doug
Balzarini, Strength and Nutrition coach for Cruz and the Alliance
MMA Fight team.
The
crazy thing is, with all that munching, Cruz said he has never
topped 160 pounds in his life. Having to moonlight as a head
coach for The Ultimate Fighter Live AND simultaneously train
for a rubber match with arch rival Urijah Faber this summer,
Cruz said calories are a huge deal with his ultra-busy schedule
and quest to win his 10th straight fight. A fast-food diner for
much of his pro career, Cruz (19-1) said age and body changes
forced him to reform his anything-goes refueling. A month into
his dramatic dietary transformation, one of the sport’s
hardest and craftiest workers let us inside an aspect of his
training that he feels will prolong his championship reign and
longevity in the sport.
Dominick
Cruz diet versus Urijah Faber diet. I asked Urijah and he said
his diet wins by first round KO. You agree?
“Right
now? Urijah’s not aware of my dietary shift. There’s
a lot of things that Urijah is not aware of about me, but he
continues to make assumptions, which is fine. Back in the day,
I’ll give him a knockout on the diet. I ate like crap. I
didn’t have a diet (chuckles)! But you can tell him this:
even though Urijah had a knockout in the diet department, I beat
the crap out of him on Carne Asada burritos and Jumbo jacks (sandwiches
from the menu of the Jack in the Box restaurant). How’s
that make him feel?”
Up
until a month ago, what were you eating?
"When
I was commander in chief of the diet, I ate whatever I wanted
whenever I wanted. I just trained all the time and burned it
all off. I built a nine fight winning streak on breakfast jacks
and Carne Asada burritos, honestly. (Looks over at teammate Phil
Davis). Phil eats as s----- as I did and he’s still shredded
and a monster. So food is important no doubt, but age has something
to do with it and it’s about longevity in your career. At
some point you have to start taking good care of your body when
you’re beating the crap out of it physically. You have to
put good fuel in it. It’s a lifestyle change, and you’ve
got to be willing to make the lifestyle change."
What
are the don’ts in your diet right now?
"I’m
trying to stay away from sugar. No fast food. Again, Doug, my
nutritionist knows better than me. I’m not going to sit
here and pretend that I know a lot about this. There is a reason
that I hired a professional to do this for me. I am 100 percent
all-in at whatever he throws in front of me and tells me to eat,
as long as I’m full at the end of the night."
Least
favorite new food that you are eating?
“The
nastiest thing I’ve eaten so far (yells to Doug, his nutritionist).
Hey Doug, what’s that nasty a—green lettuce that you
make me eat?"
Doug:
“Kale.”
"Yeah,
I hate kale. Tastes like s---. But I’ll eat it, no problem.
Whatever he puts in front of me."
Why
the shift in diet now?
"I’m
getting older. I’m 27 and my body is changing. It’s
getting harder to make 135 pounds. My workload is twice as much
with TUF right now so it’s even more important that I stay
healthy and eat clean and that my body burns fuel right. I started
on this diet like a month ago. I feel great. I wish I had done
it sooner but it was one of those things where you either have
the time and the money for it, or you don’t. And up until
recently I didn’t."
A
lot of people have problems dramatically changing their diets,
like going cold turkey and switching things up on their taste
buds. Have you experienced any of those kinds of withdrawals
or cravings?
Cruz:
No, I love eating and I love the taste of food, but I’m
all about getting what I need in me to perform and have my body
run right. So if it tastes like crap I will eat it anyway. I
just want to feel good when I train.
Give
fans an idea of a typical day in the eating life of Dominick
Cruz.
"I’ll
wake up at like three in the morning and have a whey protein
shake, I’d say it’s about 600 calories. I go back to
bed and wake up again at 7:30 (a.m.) and have a five egg omelet
with spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, egg whites and two
pieces of … ummm…(yells to his strength and conditioning
coach, who is seated nearby, and says, ‘Hey what kind of
bread is it that you make me?”)
Doug:
“Ezekiel or whole grain.”
"Yeah,
Ezekiel bread. Man, this guy will tell you better than I can.
So I have that meal at 7:30 a.m., then I go to the TUF set, coach
and then I have a Vitargo shake. It’s a supplement drink.
I’m hypoglycemic, so it gets my blood sugar back in line
before I go to train. So I drink that and train. After training
I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with organic peanut
butter, organic jelly and Ezekiel bread. I have a protein shake
with that as well.
"Then
I go home and eat lunch. Lunch can be anything from chicken breast,
broccoli, to sweet potato, to pasta with ground turkey meat,
organic tomato sauce, stuff like that. A big meal.
"Then
I’ll rest, go back to TUF and coach my team. After coaching,
I’ll have another Vitargo shake before my personal evening
practice. Then I go home and have my biggest meal of the day
– it might be ground turkey patties with vegetables and
a huge salad, another sweet potato. I’ll eat any complex
carb mixed with protein and vegetables."
That’s
a massive amount of eating and it sounds like that’s important
because you want to be as big as you can before making the cut
to 135 pounds … is that correct?
"Right.
My philosophy is, no matter how much I eat, with how hard I train
I will never get over 160 pounds. That’s the heaviest I
have ever been in my life. I walk around no heavier than 155
pounds. So I’m trying to stay heavy and put on as much muscle
as possible in between fights. Then, three weeks out of my fight,
that’s when I’ll start to cut my diet. I get down to
about 150 pounds two weeks out of a fight.
"I’m
doing two of my own workouts a day, plus two workouts coaching
my team at TUF."
Obvious
question: You’ve always had great cardio and been a great
athlete, so that’s never been a problem. So what advantages
have you specifically experienced with this more nutritious and
advanced diet?
"The
biggest thing is, with coaching TUF and training for a title
fight, I have a heavier workload now than at any time in my career,
besides when I worked full-time and trained fighting full-time
years ago. But that’s what I’m doing again now. That’s
four workouts a day, so it’s extremely important to get
all the vegetables and nutrients and eat as much as possible
throughout the day so I don’t atrophy my muscles. My energy
levels are a lot higher and I’m not quite as lethargic in
between training sessions. It might even help with alleviating
lactic acid in the body and having less sickness because you’re
getting the nutrients that you need."
Talk
about being hypoglycemic.
“I’ve
been like that since high school. I get light-headed, really,
really agitated and cranky when my sugar levels are off. And
I’ll shake profusely, even in the middle of training. So
I have to get sugar in my body and usually the Vitargo gets me
set again."
If
you had the time to cook, what would be your go-to meal?
"I
can’t cook. I suck at cooking. I’m too lazy."
Tune
in to UFC.com every Thursday for more nutritional tips from UFC
superstars...
Source:
UFC
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King
Mo Lawal Released from Strikeforce
by Damon
Martin
Muhammed
‘King Mo’ Lawal‘s day on Tuesday went from bad
to worse after receiving his punishment from the Nevada Athletic
Commission as he was then released from his Strikeforce contract.
Lawal
confirmed the news to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday. The release was
originally reported by MMAJunkie.com.
The
details surrounding his release involve a series of Twitter messages
that Lawal put out after his hearing with the Nevada Commission
this afternoon.
Strikeforce
CEO Scott Coker made a statement regarding the release of King
Mo Lawal after today’s events.
“Following
the outcome of today’s hearing with the Nevada State Athletic
Commission and his subsequent reaction, Strikeforce has released
Muhammed Lawal from his contract,” said Coker in the statement.
While
the messages have since been deleted, Lawal was referencing a
line of questioning from Commissioner Pat Lundvall during Tuesday’s
hearing.
“I
honestly feel like Lundvall was a racist (expletive) asking me
if I can read or speak English. Go on somewhere with that bull
(expletive),” Lawal wrote.
Following
that message, Lawal released another explaining his earlier statement
directed at Lundvall.
“It’s
funny how people are trying to say that I’m calling the
commission racist. No! They aren’t. But there was one person
on the panel that was out of line with the question she asked
me. I found it insulting, prejudice, and a lil’ racist.
I say racist from past experiences,” Lawal stated.
It
didn’t take long for the powers that be at Zuffa to take
notice, and soon after Strikeforce matchmaker Sean Shelby notified
Lawal’s manager Mike Kogan that he had been released from
his contract.
The
line of questioning that Lawal was referencing from Commissioner
Pat Lundvall involved the supplements the former champion took
that he believes caused a positive drug test following his bout
with Lorenz Larkin in January.
Commissioner
Lundvall was quizzing Lawal and his manager Mike Kogan on the
drugs and supplements he was on, and a pre-fight questionnaire
that was filled out regarding any medications the fighter was
taking prior to his bout in Strikeforce earlier this year.
Source:
MMA Weekly
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Source: Romolo Barros
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The
Quest For Champions Martial Arts Tournament 2012
Featuring:
Sport-Pankration * Submission Grappling * Continuous Sparring
Saturday, May 19, 2012
St. Louis High School Gym
9:00am
For more Information, please contact Kempo Unlimited Hawaii
kunltd@hotmail.com or 808-778-3601
Source:
Tommy Lam
|
Scrappler's
Fest is Set for May 19!
Kauai's premier BJJ and Submission Grappling tournament has secured
a date for its next event.
Scrappler's Fest
Kauai
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Start preparing your team and start saving up for the trip to
compete against Kauai's best grapplers from Kauai Technical Institute
(KTI), Powerhouse, Longman, New Breed, Kamole, amongst others.
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