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April
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UFC
145 Preview: The Main Card
By Tristen
Critchfield
At
long last, the talk is over. When Jon Jones and Rashad Evans
square off in the UFC 145 main event at the Philips Arena in
Atlanta on Saturday, every possible angle in the feud will have
been exhausted and analyzed. We know that Jones wouldn’t
let Evans look at his secret book of strategy. We know that Evans
feels betrayed by former trainer Greg Jackson. To make a long
story short, we know just about everything except how these two
talented light heavyweights will react when locked together inside
the Octagon.
Jones
is looking to clear out the 205-pound division, and Evans represents
a significant obstacle in his way. A former champion himself,
“Suga” believes he has the necessary knowledge to take
down his former Jackson’s MMA teammate. If he doesn’t,
then Dan Henderson is waiting in the wings. But let’s not
get too far ahead of ourselves. People have been talking about
Jones-Evans for more than a year, so savor the moment, for as
long as it lasts. Here is a closer look at UFC 145, with analysis
and picks.
Light
Heavyweight Championship
Jon Jones (15-1, 9-1 UFC) vs. Rashad Evans (17-1-1, 12-1-1 UFC)
The
Matchup: After all the talk that has taken place over the course
of the past year, it will be interesting to see if either man
has gained any type of psychological edge. While Evans certainly
knows Jones better than his previous opponents from having trained
with him, the champion is much more confident and evolved since
their last sparring and grappling sessions together. Evans has
made it clear that he believes Greg Jackson chose Jones over
him, but allowing emotion to get the best of him would be a mistake,
as it would detract from the carefully crafted game plan it will
take to defeat his former teammate.
Jones
had his first taste of adversity in the first round of his UFC
140 bout with Lyoto Machida. The karateka moved effectively in
and out of striking distance throughout the frame, connecting
with enough solid punches to have Jones looking worried. Of course,
“Bones” imposed his will in the second round, turning
the tide with a wicked elbow to the forehead before finishing
Machida with a standing guillotine choke. While Jones might have
lost a round, he didn’t experience adversity in the truest
sense. Anderson Silva losing the first four rounds of his bout
with Chael Sonnen before pulling off a Hail Mary submission at
UFC 117 is a better example of a champion prevailing with his
back against the wall. So far, Jones has yet to be knocked down
or taken down in any of his fights, so in that sense, he has
yet to be tested.
Lost
among all the complaints that Evans failed to finish Phil Davis
in his last outing was the fact that “Suga” actually
put on a pretty good performance. Matched up with an NCAA champion
wrestler with a size and reach advantage, Evans swept every round.
He scored takedowns while stuffing Davis’ shots, and, on
several occasions, moved into the dominant mounted crucifix position.
On the feet, he made Davis look tentative and mechanical, answering
single shot offerings with multi-punch combinations. Considering
that Davis was once regarded as the type of athletic talent who
could challenge Jones, such a dominant victory should not be
taken lightly.
Evans
will face similar obstacles against Jones, only with less margin
for error than he had versus Davis. The Jackson’s MMA product
will utilize his 9.5-inch reach advantage in every way possible.
He can land kicks from incredible distance, and his sense of
timing and balance allow him to be more creative with his strikes
than a fighter with lesser physical tools could be. Jones has
not been known for his knockout power, but as he continues to
grow into his frame, it only figures to increase.
Evans
will have to move in and out of range, using his own quickness
and athleticism to his advantage. While not as elusive as Machida,
Evans is probably quicker than any opponent Jones has faced to
date. Judicious use of footwork and movement will allow him to
land combinations, and if Evans sees an opening, he does possess
explosive one-shot power. Evans won’t be able to muscle
Jones to the canvas, so he
ust
use his striking to set up timely shots for takedowns. It is
worth the risk, if only to see how Jones might respond when placed
on his back. This is much easier said than done, however, because
Jones is the one who usually dictates the tempo when it comes
to wrestling. Takedowns come from all angles, and once on the
mat, Jones uses his long limbs to negate any offense from his
foe. His length also comes into play in the submission game,
as the New York native seems to be able to secure chokes from
the most unlikely positions.
The
Pick: Evans is going to struggle mightily as he attempts to get
close enough to Jones to mount any significant offense. The champion
will exchange with Evans for a while, but he will eventually
make the Imperial Athletics representative fight in close. Then,
all bets are off. Jones by third-round submission.
Welterweights
Rory MacDonald (12-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Che Mills (14-4, 1-0 UFC)
The
Matchup: The hype surrounding MacDonald seems to have subsided,
but only because “Ares” hasn’t been seen since
his TKO victory against Mike Pyle at UFC 133. The doesn’t
change the fact that the 22-year-old remains one of the most
talented prospects at welterweight in the UFC today, a man who
once prompted Joe Rogan to wonder aloud if he wasn’t already
better than teammate Georges St. Pierre at the same age. That
might be pushing it, but had he survived a few more seconds against
interim champion Carlos Condit, MacDonald’s record would
still be perfect.
At
the moment, the welterweight division is loaded with worthy contenders,
so the UFC appears content to take its time with the ascent of
the Tristar Gym representative. The matchup with Mills, who made
his Octagon debut last November, illustrates this perfectly.
The Englishman is coming off a “Knockout of the Night”
performance against Chris Cope, but he isn’t the type of
well-known commodity that can immediately launch McDonald into
title contention. During the short period of time he was in the
cage against Cope, Mills demonstrated good movement and poise
on his feet and displayed excellent timing in connecting with
a knee to the face of “The Ultimate Fighter 13” alum.
Best known for his standup skill, Mills has a solid jab and would
prefer to keep the fight with MacDonald upright.
MacDonald
is a tough nut to crack in all aspects of the game, however.
His solid fundamental boxing and athleticism allows him to score
points in exchanges, and he transitions seamlessly between striking
and takedowns. The former King of the Cage champion is active
on the ground, constantly working to pass his opponent’s
guard. MacDonald is never content to lay-and-pray, as he employs
ground-and-pound with a purpose and has a good finishing instinct.
The methods by which MacDonald can attack vary from fight to
fight -- witness his belly-to-back suplex series against Nate
Diaz at UFC 129 -- and he is still has room to grow when it comes
to sheer physical strength.
The
Pick: Mills will be able to notice the difference in talent level
between MacDonald and Cope almost immediately. Outside of him
somehow catching MacDonald unaware for a quick knockout, it’s
difficult to see Mills having an advantage anywhere in this fight.
MacDonald wins a few exchanges on the feet before taking his
foe down and finishing with ground-and-pound in the second frame.
Heavyweights
Brendan Schaub (8-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Ben Rothwell (31-8, 1-2 UFC)
The
Matchup: When we last saw Rothwell, he was gasping for breath
in the thin air of Denver at UFC 135. Give the longtime IFL veteran
credit for surviving the assault of an equally tired Mark Hunt,
however. Even though Rothwell didn’t win, he showed plenty
of resolve by making it through the fight.
Schaub,
meanwhile, will have to rebound from a devastating knockout loss
to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro. While it made
for an electric moment in the home country of one of the sport’s
most respected veterans, the loss raised questions about Schaub’s
chin that had been dormant since his KO loss to Roy Nelson at
“The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale in 2009. A former
football player at the University of Colorado, Schaub is blessed
with the type of sheer athleticism that few heavyweights have.
Still, he must proceed with caution in order to avoid a repeat
of the Nogueira and Nelson bouts.
Rothwell
has been known to fancy a good brawl, but it would be in his
best interest to make this fight as ugly as possible. That means
getting ahold of Schaub, grinding him into the fence and wearing
him down with takedowns and measured punches on the mat. The
Wisconsin native must be persistent in this approach, because
Schaub is strong enough in the clinch to shuck his opponent off
on more than one occasion.
The
alternative -- and more likely -- scenario has Rothwell tiring
quickly against the quicker Schaub as he peppers him with solid
one-two combinations. “The Hybrid” has improved his
wrestling and is decent in the clinch, but as his record shows,
the quick knockout is his forte. Should Rothwell get sloppy,
Schaub can make him pay with a well-placed counter.
The
Pick: Schaub’s fast-twitch muscle fibers are too much for
the methodical Rothwell as the Coloradoan gets back on track
with a first-round knockout.
Bantamweights
Miguel Torres (40-4, 2-1 UFC) vs. Michael McDonald (14-1, 3-0
UFC)
The
Matchup: Just barely old enough to buy himself a beer, McDonald
is hoping to make the leap from prospect to contender against
Torres, who not long ago was considered the top bantamweight
in the world. Unbeaten in three Octagon appearances, “Mayday”
finally had a performance that lived up to his own lofty standards
at UFC 139, when he knocked out Alex Soto in 56 seconds to earn
a “Fight of the Night” bonus. McDonald has said that
injuries and weight-cutting issues made his first two outings
--decision triumphs over Alex Figueroa and Chris Cariaso -- more
difficult than he hoped they would be.
The
fact that McDonald has managed to persevere through the myriad
difficulties at such a young age bodes well for his long-term
future.
Torres’
ill-conceived Twitter remarks earlier this year resulted in his
temporary release from the UFC. Whether or not the punishment
fit the crime, the former WEC champion has to be thrilled that
he is still employed by the world’s largest MMA promotion.
As is usually the case, Torres will look to put his reach advantage
to work against McDonald. The Chicago native is adept at controlling
distance and using angles to unleash a dangerous standup arsenal.
It
will be interesting to see how he approaches McDonald, who has
a strong right hand and good countering ability. The Modesto,
Calif., native favors a fast pace and won’t shy away from
trading with his more experienced foe. McDonald also has a good
sense of timing on takedowns, should he find himself getting
beaten to the punch.
Though
Torres has a notoriously active guard, he wasn’t rewarded
for his quality work from that position in a loss to Demetrious
Johnson at UFC 130. McDonald, though skilled and aggressive on
the mat, does not possess the type of wrestling background that
has been known to give Torres trouble.
The
Pick: With the UFC just about to exhaust the Dominick Cruz-Urijah
Faber angle, the bantamweight division could use some fresh faces.
McDonald’s time is coming, but it isn’t here just yet.
In a hard-fought affair, the rangy Torres utilizes varied striking
on the feet and manages to stay off his back enough to take a
close decision victory.
Featherweights
Mark Hominick (20-10, 3-2 UFC) vs. Eddie Yagin (15-5-1, 0-1 UFC)
The
Matchup: According to many oddsmakers, Hominick was the biggest
favorite on the entire UFC 140 card, a safer betting choice than
even light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. His opponent that
night, Chan Sung Jung, was known for brawling wildly and was
deemed to have little chance against the highly technical Hominick.
It
was “The Machine” who was careless, however, winging
a left hook in the direction of “The Korean Zombie”
at the outset of the bout. The punch missed and Hominick paid
dearly, as Jung connected with a straight right to score a shocking
7-second knockout. Now Hominick, not that far removed from a
valiant effort against featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC
129, has a long road ahead of him to get back into title contention.
At
UFC 145, Hominick once again shares a card with Jones, and once
again he is the biggest favorite on the bill. Don’t expect
another careless mistake from the Ontario native this time, however.
Yagin struggled in his UFC debut against Junior Assuncao, as
he was taken down and controlled for the better part of three
rounds.
Normally
Yagin is aggressive on the feet and likes to throw combinations,
but he often appeared tentative in his bout with Assuncao. Hominick’s
striking is crisp and precise, and he will make the Alliance
MMA representative pay if he is indecisive. Hominick attacks
equally well with his hands, feet and elbows, and it is highly
unlikely that Yagin can go blow for blow with him for three rounds.
The
Hawaiian’s best chance at an upset lies in closing the distance
and getting his foe to the ground, where he is far less dangerous.
Yagin was persistent in attempting submissions at UFC 135, so
Hominick must be cautious when pursuing a finish.
The
Pick: Hominick will be motivated to erase the memory of the Jung
loss, so he won’t take Yagin lightly. “The Machine”
wins by lopsided decision.
Lightweights
Mark Bocek (10-4, 6-4 UFC) vs. John Alessio (34-14, 0-3 UFC)
The
Matchup: Against top-tier competition -- Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller,
Benson Henderson -- Bocek has fallen short, but he remains a
solid competitor who can make life difficult for most anyone
else in the lightweight division, as he illustrated by ending
the 15-fight winning streak of Nik Lentz using takedowns and
solid ground-and-pound last December.
Bocek
isn’t going to overwhelm you with his striking, but he is
a dangerous submission wrestler who has earned seven of his 10
career victories via tapout. The Tristar Gym product has good
stamina and wears down his foes by outpositioning them on the
floor. He is smart when fighting from his back, putting his defensive-minded
guard to good use.
Alessio,
who stepped in after Matt Wiman withdrew due to a knee injury,
is a three-time UFC veteran who has won 10 of his last 11 bouts.
The Xtreme Couture product has not set foot in the Octagon since
2006, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Thiago Alves. A
longtime competitor at welterweight, Alessio made his first appearance
at 155 pounds this past November.
The
32-year-old employs an opportunistic ground game himself, but
he figures to have an edge on the feet against Bocek, who prefers
to work his Brazilian jiu-jitsu from top position. Alessio has
not faced anyone of Bocek’s caliber since dropping to lightweight,
so his stamina could be in question as the bout moves into its
later stages.
The
Pick: Alessio is a crafty veteran who has been around the fight
game for a while. He’ll make things interesting, but Bocek
will hold on for a narrow decision verdict.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Jon
Jones: Rashad Evans Trained with a Kid; Now He Meets the Man
by Damon
Martin
What
is there left to say that hasn’t already been said?
The
rivalry that’s been brewing between former teammates Jon
Jones and Rashad Evans has been going on for over a year now,
and there are very few secrets left to reveal.
The
story has been told time and time again. Once close friends and
training partners, now bitter enemies and opponents, Jones and
Evans are headed on a collision course for one of the biggest
fights in UFC history.
Evans
has said in numerous interviews that he’s in Jones’
head, and that he’s mentally stronger than his former teammate.
Jones has fired back with much of the same ideology at Evans.
The
talk will all come to a close on April 21 at UFC 145 in Atlanta,
but has the talk and the mind games already been overblown as
the two fighters head into the bout?
“I
believe so yeah,” UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones
answered when asked that very question on MMAWeekly Radio. “I
think Rashad’s the one playing into it more than some of
the fans. Like he’s always attacking my personality, Jon’s
fake, Jon’s cocky, and I’m not really here to judge
who Rashad is as a person. I could really care less who Rashad
is as a person.
“Ultimately
I’m here not to make new friends, but to provide for my
family, so that’s why I’m here. I actually like the
fact that he’s so focused on my character and things cause
I’m sitting here focusing on tactics, focusing on the love
of martial arts, not the hatred for Rashad Evans.”
One
of the things that Evans has focused on during his verbal barrage
towards Jones are the infamous training sessions the two fighters
had together when both working under famed coach Greg Jackson.
Evans
says time and time again that he got the best of Jones, and it’s
led him to believe that he’s the fighter that will bring
the champion’s reign to an end. For his part, however, Jones
doesn’t dispute that there were times when Evans may have
been the better fighter, but those days are past.
“It
doesn’t matter that we trained together, absolutely not,”
said Jones. “I think I benefited a lot training with him,
I think he has some benefits training with me, but I think it’s
funny everyone’s saying ‘Rashad’s going to be
the guy because he has Jon’s number and he knows the way
to beat Jon.’ I don’t think people really give me credit
for my intelligence, or if they think I’m a great athlete
who gets lucky, I don’t know what their thinking is.”
Jones
is humble enough to admit that there were days when Evans was
a bear in the training room, and probably tagged him with more
shots than he fired back, or maybe landed more takedowns, but
does that mean almost two years later that he’s still the
superior fighter?
Not
in the least.
“I’m
a very intelligent guy, and everything that Rashad thinks he
remembers, I remember so much, and I’m going to use everything
that I remember. I feel equally if not more empowered that I
used to train with Rashad. I’ll admit in 2010 he was a little
bit better of a fighter than me, stronger. If you watch my fights,
I was so skinny when I first got to the UFC, I didn’t really
have to cut weight. So he was a little better than me, stronger
than me, in 2010 when he talks about the time he actually held
me down,” Jones admitted.
“Fact
is in 2011 when I was training for the Ryan Bader fight it was
a complete different story. Something switched in 2011 in me
and I’ve been finishing fights ever since. I think he’s
going to realize, I’m not the 2010 little kid. It’s
2012 now and I’m an adult, and I’m the one that believes
whole heartedly, and trains a lot different than I trained in
2010.”
There
are plenty of facts to back up Jones’ claims. While Brandon
Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko would probably tell Evans that
Jones found his “man” strength in 2010 (Jones finished
both by first-round TKO in 2010), it’s in 2011 where he
found his stride and became one of the most dominant fighters
in the game.
After
submitting Ryan Bader to kick off the year, Jones stepped in
on short notice for Evans and proceeded to dismantle Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua to win the UFC light heavyweight title.
Several
months later Jones made his first title defense and in equally
impressive fashion made short work of former champion Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson, before taking yet another fight
in December, when he choked out another past champion in Lyoto
Machida.
Jon
Jones’ 2011 may not have only been a great year, but maybe
the greatest year in all of MMA history. And that’s the
animal that Rashad Evans now has to contend with at UFC 145.
But
for all the back biting, harsh words, and sore feelings, Jones
still refuses to say that he harbors any ill will towards Evans.
When the fight is over on April 21, Jones is more than willing
to shake Evans’ hand and put everything in the past because
beyond anything that’s been said leading into this fight
that seemed personal, for him, it’s all about business.
“100
percent. That’s why I try not to attack Rashad’s character
too much. I’ve been kind of on the defense for the most
part. I have nothing against Rashad,” said Jones.
“I’m
a guy who’s trying to provide for his kids. This is my job.
At the end of the day, it’s how I pay the bills. I have
no hatred for him whatsoever. I’m going to go out there,
win this fight, and keep moving forward with my life.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
RASHAD
EVANS UNBOTHERED BY UFC SPONSORING JON JONES AT UFC 145
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
Last
week, a few eyebrows were raised when it was revealed that the
UFC will be sponsoring its light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones
for his upcoming title bout against Rashad Evans. As Jones explained
during a recent conference call, the agreement came about when
past primary sponsor Form Athletics shut down, and Jones sought
out one main sponsor instead of entering the cage as a human
billboard.
He'll essentially be showcasing new UFC merchandise, and so,
some might theorize, the promotion will have a rooting interest
in his success in the match.
The
flip side of that theory, of course, is that if they have a rooting
interest in one fighter, the second man in the cage seems unwanted.
At best, it seems unfair. At worst, it seems biased.
If
you were Evans, that might not sit too well with you. After all,
the veteran has been around longer than Jones. He's also been
a company ambassador and never had any outside-of-the-cage problems
that reflected badly on the UFC. In short, he's done everything
right, yet the advertising dollars are headed the young champion's
way.
Evans
(17-1-1) doesn't perceive the situation any different than most
who have heard about it, but neither is it something that he'll
let affect him.
"I
guess it is what it is," he said on Monday's edition of
The MMA Hour. "It seems they got their guy that they’re
going to get behind, I guess. I can’t really say too much
about that. I just got to go in there and do what I need to do.
I can't really worry about that. I can't really worry about who
they favor or who they may like. It doesn’t change anything."
Jones
has come to be considered a massive favorite in the fight, nearly
6-to-1 in some places, even though Evans has only one career
loss on his fight ledger.
It
seems that the public isn't the only one betting on him. When
asked if he believes the UFC is favoring Jones on fight night,
Evans couldn't deny the possibility.
"If
they’re sponsoring him, it may seem that way," he said.
"But you know, honestly, it doesn't matter if they favor
him or not. They have guys they want to get behind, so if they
want to get behind him, that's on them. It doesn’t bother
me though."
The
fight will bring the long-awaited conclusion to their long-simmering
feud. On Monday's show, Evans also seemed to indicate that his
anger for Jones has waned since the two have "talked it
out" through their public war of words and a few private
meetings during appearances.
The
same doesn't hold true for his former coach Greg Jackson, who
he accused of protecting his own interests ahead of longtime
camp members.
But
Evans is ready to put all the bickering aside. He's tired of
talking about it, and has been for a long time. It's finally
about time to fight, and for him, that's what matters the most.
"When
it comes down to it, I started to fight because I love to fight
and I was good at it," he said. "I still want it to
remain the same. Even though I don't like Jon, and all the whole
back story, and the whole Greg situation, at the end of the day,
this is what I really love to do, and I'm going to keep that
mindset throughout this whole week and throughout this fight."
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
John
Alessio Returns, but Faces No Easy Task in Mark Bocek at UFC
145
by Mick
Hammond
Since
being released from Zuffa’s promotions in 2008, John “The
Natural” Alessio has had only one thought on his mind, getting
back there and proving that not only does he belong there, but
that he can be someone to be reckoned with in the company.
So
when he was contacted to replace Matt Wiman at UFC 145 on April
21 in Atlanta, you can only imagine how excited he was.
“It
was just an unbelievable feeling,” Alessio told MMAWeekly.com.
“I’ve been working so hard for years and I saw this
email with Joe Silva’s name on it and I thought to myself,
‘This guy doesn’t email me for nothing.’
“I
was at the dentist office getting my teeth cleaned, and I wanted
to get out of the chair and run to the gym,” he laughed.
“It was just an unbelievable feeling.”
For
Alessio it doesn’t matter how he got his shot, it’s
that he got it at all after four years of working to get back.
“Ideally
it would be great to have eight to 10 weeks to prepare for any
fight, but I came off a fight on March 16, so I just had about
two weeks of rest and got the phone call, so it kind of worked
out on short notice pretty good for me,” he said.
“I
wish Matt Wiman all the best and a quick recovery because he’s
a great fighter, but I’m glad I got the call to step in.
I would have taken it on less notice (to get back in to the UFC.)”
Having
made wholesale changes in his personal life since last fighting
for the company, Alessio’s biggest move may have been his
decision to drop to lightweight, which has produced wins over
two very tough opponents in Luiz “Buscape” Firmino
and Pat Healy.
Alessio’s
UFC return won’t be any easier as he takes on Mark Bocek
on April 21.
“There’s
no secret what Bocek wants to do: He wants this fight to be on
the ground, be on top, controlling the fight, and constantly
looking for submissions,” said Alessio. “He’s
not a vicious ground and pounder, but I’m sure he’s
improving on that and improving on his stand-up.
“With
that being said, I feel I’m a better striker and I’m
going to try like hell to exploit him on his feet. I’m sure
the fight will go to the ground eventually, but I’ve been
doing jiu-jitsu for a very long time as well and neutralize his
game there.”
For
Alessio, being back in the promotion isn’t enough, he knows
he’s got to stand out if he’s going to remain there
and make a run in the 155-pound division.
“We
all know my record in the UFC isn’t great, so my whole plan
is to go out there and get the win by any means necessary,”
he said. “But most of all, I want this fight to be exciting.
I want to put on a great show and impress the fans and the UFC
so I can guarantee staying in the company.
“I’ve
been working hard, but it gets a lot harder from here on out.
The competition is stiffer. Let’s be honest, the guys in
the UFC are the best in the world, so if I want to stick around
I have to get even better, so it’s a whole new motivation.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Rodolfo
beats Galvão, wins weight and absolute in Jiu-Jitsu in
Abu Dhabi
The
action at the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship has come
to a close in Abu Dhabi. Rodolfo Vieira took front and center
as the big standout of the event, for the second year in a row
winning his weight and the open weight classes.
In
the under-94 kg final, Vieira tapped out Roberto Tussa with an
armbar. In the absolute, the GFTeam representative overcame André
Galvão, who himself had a stellar campaign, winning the
under-88 kg division.
In
the female contest, Gabi won at weight and open weight, beating
Bia Mesquita in the final of the absolute division.
Take
a look at the complete results, and check back with GRACIEMAG.com
for more details later.
Men’s
absolute
Rodolfo
Vieira defeated André Galvão by 4 to 2.
Female
absolute
Gabrielle
Garcia outpointed Beatriz Mesquita by 3 to 2.
Men’s
Brown and Black Belt
-64
kg: Fernando Vieira defeateted Thiago Barreto 3-1 on advantage
points.
-70
kg: Samuel Canquerino defeated Raphael dos Santos by 15-0.
-76
kg: Roberto Satoshi defeated Lucas Lepri by 2-0.
-82
kg: Claudio Calasans Jr. defeated Lucas Leite by 2-0.
-88
kg: André Galvão submitted Vitor Toledo with a
choke from behind.
-94
kg: Rodolfo Vieira submitted Roberto Alencar via armbar.
-100
kg: Xande Ribeiro defeated Bernardo Faria by 2-0.
+100
kg: Marcus Bochecha submitted Antônio Braga Neto via footlock.
Female
Purple, Brown and Black Belt:
-54
kg: Nyjah Easton defeated Samara Reis by 17-0.
-60
kg: Michelle Nicolini defeated Kyra Gracie via heelhook.
-66
kg: Luanna Alzuguir defeated Luiza Monteiro by 1-0 on advantage
points.
-72
kg: Fernanda Mazelli defeated Jessica Oliveira 1-0 on advantages.
+72
kg: Gabi Garcia defeated Maria Malyjasiak 7-0.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Bellator:
Marlon predicts finals against Strauss
By Carlos
Antunes
Marlon
Sandro has been keeping the good momentum in Bellator. After
a complicated fight with Alexandre Popo, he talked to TATAME
and commented his win against another Brazilian and told what
his expectations for the GP finals are.
About the Popo fight, Marlon affirmed he foresaw a complicated
fight, but said he was actually surprised that his opponent lasted
three rounds.
“I was hoping for a tough fight, but not quite as much.
He held in there. We did much in the first couple of rounds,
so it got complicated. When I realized my coups weren’t
hurting him as much as I wanted, I started scoring some points,
trying to find a way to knock him out or submit him. I couldn’t
do it after all”.
The featherweight had an opportunity to fight the Bellator tournament
once, but was defeated by Pat Curran, in 2011. Now the Nova Uniao
athlete will have another chance to fight for the GP title, in
case he gets one more win.
“I’m actually cool about it. Because of everything
I’ve done, I rather think about the fight and not oversee
my wills. I got two wins. Now I’m waiting to see who win:
if it’s Daniel Strauss or Mie Corey”.
Marlon swears to watch the fight between the Americans, this
Friday (13th), and believes Daniel Strauss will win. Thinking
about the possibility, Sandro commented that, in case he is right,
he will have some difficulties on the tournament’s finale.
“I guess Strauss gets this one. It’s a complicated
fight. He’s a left-handed, a good stand-up, a good wrestler,
good at defensive takedowns. I’ll analyze him, wait to see
who wins and set a game plan for the victory”, said.
Source: Tatame
|
MMA
Bill Moving Through Connecticut Legislature, Passes in Second
Committee
By Mike
Whitman
Regulated
mixed martial arts could be on its way to the state of Connecticut.
A
bill to legalize the sport in the state has been passed by two
legislative committees in the last two months. Co-sponsored by
Representative Charles D. Clemons and Senator Gary D. LeBeau,
the bill was introduced by the General Assembly’s Public
Safety and Security Committee on March 1 and passed on March
13.
Bill
No. 326 was then referred by the Senate to the Committee on Finance,
Revenue and Bonding on April 10, and that committee passed the
bill by a vote of 46-4 on Monday. Today, the bill was once again
tabled for the Senate’s calendar.
In
order for the bill to become law, the bill must first pass through
a series of committees. Once it passes through the final committee,
the bill will then be brought before the Senate for a vote. The
bill must then be passed by the House of Representatives. If
both the Senate and the House pass the bill after amendments
are introduced, it is then sent to the governor, who has the
option to either sign or veto the bill.
Just
four states with athletic commissions do not regulate MMA, including
Connecticut, New York, Montana and Vermont. Though a bill to
legalize MMA in New York died before receiving a vote in the
State Assembly in each of the last two years, the bill is once
again being considered by legislators in 2012. While MMA is legal
in Alaska, no governmental body exists to regulate the sport.
MMA
events held in Connecticut must currently take place at either
Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard or Mohegan Sun in Uncasville,
as they operate under the authority of sovereign Native American
tribes. Bellator Fighting Championships has frequented Mohegan
Sun Arena during its three-year existence, visiting the casino
six times to date.
Source
Sherdog
|
The
Jones vs. Evans Breakdown – Former UFC Champs Talk UFC 145
Main Event
“The
light heavyweight division has always been a special weight class
in the UFC,” said UFC president Dana White, “and the
Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans match could be the biggest fight at
205 pounds in years. The last time we had a 205-pound title fight
with this much emotion and excitement around it was the second
Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz fight in December of 2006.”
Of
course, you’d expect such talk out of the UFC’s head
honcho, whose job it is to promote his company’s fights.
But with all the attention that the heat between Jon Jones and
Rashad Evans is getting leading up to their UFC 145 main event
showdown, it’s not all hype. As with most sports, a heated
rivalry makes for a fan-magnet, and Jones vs. Evans is no different.
Leading
up to the fight, the UFC gathered comments from its past light
heavyweight champions on Jones vs. Evans, most of them having
fought one or both of them.
Without
further ado, we bring you, the UFC champions breakdown of UFC
145 Jones vs. Evans:
Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua
Champion
from May 8, 2010 to Mar 19, 2011
“They
are two very smart, strategic athletes. Both of them fight thinking
of their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and think about
how to fight the best possible fight to win. But I think Jon
Jones has an advantage, since he is very hard to reach. He is
not only long (limbed) but also fast and he can react very quickly,
I know this. So, I think it’s going to be Jones’ match.
However, let’s not forget Rashad is also very strategic.
I believe Rashad will have a good gameplan and I am very interested
to see what he will try to do in this fight.”
Lyoto
Machida
Champion
from May 23, 2009 to May 8, 2010
“Jones
vs Evans is a big fight for the fans and a big fight for the
division. It is a very interesting fight; Jones is very unorthodox
and is strong in all aspects of the game, but Rashad is a great
wrestler and has the hand speed to catch Jones.”
Forrest
Griffin
Champion
from Jul 5, 2008 to May 23, 2009
“This
is a great fight. I’m glad I’m not fighting Jon Jones
anytime soon, but I think Rashad has the right style to give
him problems. There are so many emotions between these guys going
into the fight, and I know the Atlanta fans will be getting their
money’s worth. Jones looks very nasty, but I’m not
going to underestimate Rashad. I kinda did that before once…”
Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson
Champion
from May 26, 2007 to Jul 5, 2008
“Rashad
has to go for it right from the start, for real. Rashad can’t
play on the outside, you can’t fight no Jon Jones on the
outside, believe me. Rashad is fast and can surprise you. He
surprised me by faking a takedown and hitting me with a right
hand, which kinda stunned me. I think he can do that to Jon Jones,
but he has to do it right away because the more time you give
Jones, the harder it is to set him up for a punch. I think Jon
Jones will win, but I think Rashad has a chance.”
Chuck
Liddell
Champion
from Apr 16, 2005 to May 26, 2007
“Everyone
is different but, I think, for most fighters getting into the
Octagon with someone they don’t like is a great motivation
in training. Every time you are tired or holding a little back,
you think about losing to this guy you can’t stand and it
helps you give 100%. That’s how I was with Tito, I couldn’t
stand the idea of losing to him and so I trained harder.
“I’d
love to know who really got the best of it when these guys trained
together. You get a feeling for someone when you spar with them.
That’s why I was so confident against Tito; I’d beat
him up standing, wrestling and at BJJ when we trained together
years before out fights and I knew I was in his head because
of that. Listening to Rashad, it seems from watching the Primetime
show that he feels he’s in Jon’s head a little. He
sounds very confident and I think that’s based on experiences
in the gym. I’m glad he is confident, because that’s
something you have to have against Jones. If you don’t go
after Jon you are in for a bad night.”
Vitor
Belfort
Champion
from Jan 31, 2004 to Aug 21, 2004
“I
think this fight will be great for the sport because Jones and
Evans used to train together. That changes things, now they are
going to fight against each other. We are in the new era of sport
with these athletes like Jon Jones and the techniques they can
do. Both guys have a chance to be the winner, and it could come
down to who is better on that one night. I am looking forward
to seeing this huge fight.”
Randy
Couture
Two-time
champion from Jun 6, 2003 to Jan 31, 2004 and Aug 21, 2004 to
Apr 16, 2005
“I
think it is going to be very interesting, Rashad has the speed
and skills to win. Rashad has to avoid his propensity for standing
up and just striking, which he has done in the past. He can’t
just strike with Jones; if he does he will lose because Jon has
more tools in the toolbox. Rashad has to take Jones down, not
just once or twice but every single time he has any opportunity.
If Jones is worried about getting taken down, that’s when
Rashad can put his hands on him and do some damage. But he has
to keep Jon guessing if it is a takedown or a strike that’s
coming.
“I
think Jones is super-talented and he is clearly getting better
in each fight. He could turn into a very special type of champion.
He poses some very unique problems in the Octagon – and
so far no one has solved too many of them. I think this is a
huge fight for the division. ‘Bones’ Jones is very
hot right now and with the personalities and the back story,
it all hypes this up into a very interesting fight.”
Tito
Ortiz
Champion
from Apr 14, 2000 to Sep 26, 2003
“Jones
is looking very good. But Rashad is fast, man, and once he hurts
you he’s on you. I’d like to see Rashad use his wrestling
and takedowns and really mix it up. I think it will be a great
fight.”
Frank
Shamrock
Inaugural
champion from Dec. 21 1997 to Nov. 24, 1999
“This
fight has a tremendous story behind it, with it having grown
out of a friendship that went sour back when these two were teammates.
The drama that’s fueling this is incredible. Fans can expect
a fight that, stylistically, will be extremely challenging for
Jones to overcome, and he’ll have fits with Rashad’s
wrestling if he’s able to put Jon on his back. But ultimately,
I see Jones being able to inflict more damage and walk away with
the belt still in hand. This will be a fight that will not end
as easily and devastatingly as Jones’s others have, but
rather one of those moments in his career where he’ll have
to pull himself up and battle until the final bell. In the end,
this fight will help Jon become a better fighter and a better
champion, and will endear himself to fans for years to come.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Mailbag:
Jon Jones is the man, but the power of Rashad Evans will make
for an intriguing UFC 145
It's
hard to pick apart Jon Jones' game and find a flaw, or a weakness.
Jones, the UFC light heavyweight champion, is 15-1 and would
be 16-0 if not for a disqualification against Matt Hamill that
he didn't deserve.
UFC
light heavyweight champion Jon Jones smiles after his fourth
win of '11. (Getty I …
But
the one thing Jones hasn't seen in his brief but highly successful
mixed martial arts career is someone with knockout power who
is also extremely quick. That, though, is what he will face when
he meets Rashad Evans for the title Saturday in the main event
of UFC 145 at Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson, whom Jones submitted at UFC 135
on Sept. 24, has one-punch knockout power, but lacks top-level
speed and quickness. Evans brings both. He's got fast hands and
fast feet as well as exceptional power.
"Jones
is looking very good, but Rashad is fast, man, and once he hurts
you, he's on you," former champion Tito Ortiz said. "I'd
like to see Rashad use his wrestling and takedowns and really
mix it up."
[Related:
Jon Jones, Rashad Evans must put their feud on hold for UFC 145
title bout]
Jackson,
who lost a unanimous decision to Evans at UFC 114 in 2010, concurred.
No one has really come close to beating Jones, and Jackson doesn't
think Evans will do it, but he concedes that Evans has the style
to give Jones fits.
"Rashad
has to go for it right from the start, for real," Jackson
said. "Rashad can't play on the outside. You can't fight
no Jon Jones on the outside, believe me. Rashad is fast and can
surprise you. He surprised me by faking a takedown and hitting
me with a right hand, which kind of stunned me. I think he can
do that to Jon Jones, but he has to do it right away, because
the more time you give Jones, the harder it is to set him up
for a punch."
MMA
MUSINGS
•
Siyar Bahadurzada's UFC debut Saturday was impressive. A one-punch
face plant in just 42 seconds will get attention, but making
that knockout doubly remarkable was that it came against Paulo
Thiago, a top-quality fighter who hadn't been knocked out in
17 previous bouts.
•
Light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson was plenty impressive
as well in cruising to a unanimous decision win over Thiago Silva,
but Gustafsson still needs to prove he can handle a top-tier
wrestler. Phil Davis dominated him in that aspect in 2010, and
that's the one hurdle Gustafsson still has to clear.
•
Eduardo Dantas won the Bellator bantamweight championship Friday
at Bellator 65 by submitting Zach Makovsky. Dantas is clearly
the Bellator fighter with the most upside, though he still has
work to do to strengthen his game.
•
Guys like Chris Tickle, who talk and boast on "The Ultimate
Fighter" in the show's early going about how great they
are and how much they're going to hurt their opponents almost
invariably are knocked out earlier. Previous examples such as
Jesse Taylor and Junie Browning, among others, proved that fighting
and talking are two different things. It was hardly a surprise
to see Joe Proctor defeat Tickle on Friday.
READERS
ALWAYS WRITE
Too
soon for Gustafsson to challenge Jones
Alex
Gustafsson has many physical tools and, for a 25-year-old, is
well on his way. I just don't see a match with UFC light heavyweight
champion Jon Jones being one he should consider now. Jones hits
hard and is faster than Alex, has more diverse striking and is
an immeasurably better wrestler. Alex has the tools to become
a champ, but he needs another 18-to-24 months of training and
time for his man weight/strength to kick in. If they were to
be fight now, I see their physical similarities stalemating each
other for a boring back and forth with Jones edging it out or
Jones taking Alex down via ground-and-pound. In my opinion, it's
too soon to be talking about them fighting each other.
Jon
Beattie
Jon,
you're right that it's probably too soon for Gustafsson to pursue
a match with Jones, but who is there that is ready for Jones
if he gets past Rashad Evans on Saturday? Jones is a one-of-a-kind
talent. Where he is now sort of reminds me of where Tigers Woods
was after winning the Masters in 1997. He's got a lot of great
things ahead of him and there aren't too many threats to him
in the foreseeable future at light heavyweight. If Jones beats
Evans on Saturday, I think his next great challenge will come
at heavyweight.
Silva
paid a heavy price
I
like your articles normally, but I to disagree with your point
in the column about Thiago Silva. While I agree the UFC needs
better drug testing, pooh-poohing a fine and a one-year suspension,
and then equating PED usage to bank robbery, was over-the-top
ridiculous. The upper-echelon guys who make the big bucks in
MMA may not have been hit too hard with that fine and suspension,
but Thiago Silva doesn't make the kind of money that can hold
him over for an entire year yet. He's not that good, and he never
will be. Does the NFL, NBA, or MLB have one-year suspensions
for failing drug tests? No. So if fining somebody a portion of
their purse and then telling him he can't make any money in his
sport for 365 days (longer considering it's April) is not enough,
what then do you think would be an adequate penalty? Oh and by
the way, how long could you go without a paycheck?
Josh
Parr
Thanks,
Josh. I understand what you're saying, but I think you misunderstood
a few of my points. In my column, I wrote, "The appalling
part of this is not that Silva is coming back. He served the
time that the Nevada commission gave him for his penalty and
he deserves to be able to make a living in his chosen profession."
My point is the UFC took no action against him, and it never
does. Consider, for a second, what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell
did last year with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger
was accused of sexual assault by a woman, but charges were not
even filed by the district attorney, but Goodell still suspended
Roethlisberger for what turned out to be four games. The UFC
did nothing of the ilk. All I was trying to say there is that
he should immediately come back and be thrown into a main event,
even if it was a main event on Fuel TV and not the headliner
of a card on Fox or pay-per-view. I think he should have started
back on the prelim card and been forced to work his way back
up. As for the part of the bank, I was saying there that I understood
it was a severe penalty, but that when you violate the rules,
you have to be willing to accept the consequences. And fighters
see what kinds of suspensions the states are handing out for
PED abuse. I appreciate your thoughts.
UFC
doesn't care about PED abuse
You
are absolutely right about the UFC's stance on substance abuse.
However, I don't think it is that the UFC doesn't understand
the scope as much as they do not care. If acceptable, I truly
believe they would allow their fighters to use steroids, either
for injury's sake or not. It is a business, after all, and they
want to put on the best shows with healthy fighters that can
keep the fans coming back. I do not think that they are sincere
with any testing. They do just enough to be able to say, "See,
we do everything possible and we even caught one!" But what
they did with Thiago Silva shows no sincerity on the part of
the UFC. It only shows that they are interested in the money.
I do not buy a pay-per-view unless I feel it is certainly worth
it. I don't think Dana White cares to lose my business since
he doesn't get much from people like me, but I think it will
catch up with the UFC. Most people want to see a fair fight.
It is difficult to view any fighter that has been caught without
thinking about past discretions. That is why it sucks being an
ex-con.
Rusty
Missouri
Dana
is certainly ignoring the problem, but I don't think it's because
he doesn't care. The one thing about Dana I know for sure is
that he cares about his fighters and their well-being. White
knows full well the risks an athlete takes by abusing steroids,
and I don't think he wants to see that. I think he simply doesn't
believe the problem is as widespread as many in the media and
some fighters do.
What
would have happened to Overeem if he were licensed?
Since
Alistair Overeem isn't licensed in Nevada, how would his positive
test affect his ability to get his license? If he were licensed
and failed, he'd be suspended, no question. But he wasn't licensed
and did something on his own time. If he were to have the NSAC
test him when he applies and is found to be clean, why wouldn't
they license him? I would think that randomly testing somebody
who isn't licensed in your state might even be illegal. What
if they randomly went into MMA gyms and decided to test people
in case one day they decided to apply for a license? I know he
submitted to the test (which he probably shouldn't have), but
he could claim that he was coerced. Does this mean any person
who ever tested positive couldn't apply for a license at a later
date? I think the UFC knows this which is why they've pressed
on with him applying for his license. I say the MMA world is
going to be shocked when Overeem gets his license, so long as
he passes a drug test during his application process.
Dan
Waddell
Mission Viejo, Calif.
Dan,
as you note, Overeem was not licensed at the time of the test.
However, he had a fight announced and was attending a news conference
on the day he was tested. Clearly, that made known his intentions
to fight in the state. Plus, as part of his condition of being
licensed for the Brock Lesnar fight last year, the Nevada commission
stipulated he submit to random tests. Because he's not licensed,
Nevada can not suspend him. There is no punishment other than
that he won't be able to apply for a license in Nevada for 12
calendar months. But he would be free to apply the next day in
another state and if that state opted to license him, he could
fight. Overeem has hired David Chesnoff, one of the country's
best criminal defense lawyers, so that seems to ensure that he'll
have a strong and vigorous defense. If I had to bet, though,
I'd bet strongly against him getting licensed.
QUOTEWORTHY
"They
are two very smart, strategic athletes. Both of them fight thinking
of their opponent's strengths and weaknesses and think about
how to fight the best possible [style] to win. But I think Jon
Jones has an advantage, since he is very hard to reach. He is
not only long-limbed, but also fast and he can react very quickly.
I know this. So, I think it's going to be Jones' match."
– former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua on Saturday's title match at UFC 145 between Jon Jones and
Rashad Evans.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Ed
Soares says Silva vs. Sonnen II is signed to June 23 in Rio
The
anticipated rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen,
for the UFC middleweight title, is set for June 23 in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
Silva’s
manager, Ed Soares, shut down the rumors of the potential move
of the fight to Las Vegas in a July 7th show.
“The
contracts were signed two weeks ago, the fight will happen on
June 23 in Rio de Janeiro”, Soares told TATAME in Portuguese.
During
UFC on Fuel TV’s post-fight press conference, UFC president
Dana White talked about the possibility of moving the show to
June 30 due to Rio+20, but Ed Soares says they weren’t contacted
about this possibility yet.
Source: Tatame |
Is
Drug Testing in MMA the Gold Standard Among Pro Sports?
Alistair
Overeem. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. Cris “Cyborg”
Santos.
Those
are just a few of the names that have been in the headlines of
MMA lately and it had nothing to do with winning fights. All
three fighters tested positive for a banned substance or elevated
levels of testosterone, and it once again raises the question
if enough is being done to curb performance enhancing drug use
in mixed martial arts.
The
UFC recently instituted a new drug policy that screens all incoming
fighters who intend to sign a contract with the promotion, and
they must test clean before the contract can be tendered. In
addition, all competitors on The Ultimate Fighter must also be
tested prior to their admission onto the reality show.
Outside
of those screening requirements, the UFC does no other testing
on their own, except when the promotion operates an event in
a location where the local sanctioning body does not provide
for drug testing or in global locals where there is no sanctioning
body. In areas where there is a sanctioning body, the athletic
commissions in each area are responsible for drug testing the
athletes as they see fit. Commissions like Nevada have instituted
out-of-competition drug screenings to help curb performance enhancing
drug use.
It
was a surprise out-of-competition test that found UFC heavyweight
competitor Alistair Overeem to show a 14 to 1 ratio in regards
to his testosterone-to-epitoestosterone levels, more than double
the allowable limit.
UFC
president Dana White believes that the promotion is doing everything
they can to stop drug use among their athletes.
“First
of all, all the guys that come into the UFC now, we changed the
policy, you sign a deal with us, you get tested. You go into
The Ultimate Fighter, you get tested. We test, we don’t
even have to (expletive) test. That’s not what we do; that’s
what the athletic commission does. We test. Now the athletic
commission is doing random tests before, leading up to the fight,
after the fight, they’re being tested like crazy. The (expletive)
testing in this sport is insane,” said White on Saturday
after an event in Sweden.
White
believes that the testing processes done by all of the different
athletic commissions, as well as their own testing prior to signing
athletes, makes the UFC the best in the business when it comes
to finding out who is using performance enhancing drugs.
He
also believes there is a matter of personal responsibility that
lies with fighters. If they are going to risk doing something
like steroids or other drugs, getting busted means stiff penalties,
harsh suspensions, and likely a career altering situation.
“It
is literally the gold standard in all of sports. So now for people
to say well the UFC should start randomly (testing), do you have
any (expletive) idea how much (expletive) I do in a week? And
how many guys we’re trying to keep (expletive) reign of,
and this and that?” White questioned.
“You’re
grown men. You’re (expletive) adults, you’re professional
athletes, how many (expletive) times do you have to be told not
to do this? To the point where you just blow your entire (expletive)
career? It gets to the point where people start saying this is
starting to affect the credibility. It does not affect the credibility
of the UFC. We are 100-percent more on top of drug testing than
any other (expletive) sport on Earth other than the Olympics.”
Let’s
take a look at the drug testing policies of other sports to see
how the UFC and MMA stack up:
•
The NFL drug testing policy most recently passed as part of the
collective bargaining agreement allows players to be tested as
often as league officials deem necessary both for steroids and
HGH testing (human growth hormone). In addition, the league is
allowed to test players up to six times in the offseason.
•
The NBA allows for random drug testing, but no more than two
times per off-season, and that is only for performance enhancing
drugs, not drugs of abuse like marijuana. During the season,
players can be tested at random, but never at the arena on the
night of a game. It’s stated that “a majority of players
would be tested no more than four times throughout an entire
year.”
•
Major League Baseball’s drug testing policy states all players
will be tested at least one time per season, and the commissioner’s
office has the right to test at random in the off-season with
no limits in regards to how often or when the tests will take
place.
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista revealed recently
that over the past three offseasons he’s been tested approximately
16 times by Major League Baseball officials. Again, the office
of the commissioner has the right to test as often or as little
as they want, with no limits during the offseason.
•
In professional cycling (governed by the UCI), athletes are required
to submit to testing at any race, before or after the event,
and even in their hotel rooms in between stages of multi-day
races. They are also required to submit their daily whereabouts
to a central website to be more easily located in case they are
chosen for random testing, without notice. A cyclist’s test
results are logged in what is termed a biological passport, much
like an individual’s personal medical records, and even
if the cyclist has not tested positive, any abnormalities in
the tests over time that could indicate the likelihood of performance
enhancing substances can be reason for further action against
that cyclist.
Olympic
athletes are definitely held to the highest standards when it
comes to drug testing. For instance, Olympic Gold Medalist LeShawn
Merrit tested positive for a banned substance and received a
21-month suspension from the Olympic committee.
Merritt
admitted that the substance that he tested positive for was a
result of a male enhancement drug he had been taking. A normal
ban for an athlete who tests positive by the Olympic committee
is a minimum of two years, but due to Merritt being forthcoming
about the drugs he was taking, the committee opted to knock off
three months from his sentence.
Now,
does this mean that the UFC or MMA as a whole has better or worse
drug testing than any other major sport? It just depends on how
you look at it.
Out
of competition testing for approximately 375 fighters at least
twice a year would run around $1 to $1.5 million per year, according
to physician Margaret Goodman in a recent report by MMAWeekly.com
content partner Yahoo! Sports.
Is
that number too much or too little for the extended testing of
athletes in MMA? There’s no perfect answer, but it appears
for now the status quo for drug testing in mixed martial arts
is exactly that – the status quo.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fuel 2 Sees Slip Dip in TV Ratings
UFC
on Fuel TV 2 PosterSaturday’s UFC on Fuel TV 2: Gustafsson
vs. Silva marked the UFC’s second live event on Fuel TV,
drawing an average audience of 197,000 viewers.
That’s
down slightly from the promotion’s premier live event on
the network, UFC on Fuel TV 1: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger. UFC on
Fuel TV 1 drew an average audience of 217,000 viewers.
While
these numbers are modest compared to many networks, Fuel TV executives
have been ecstatic with the TV ratings that these shows and other
UFC programming has drawn on the network. For Fuel TV, these
numbers represent a solid increase over past programming, prior
to the UFC.
UFC
on Fuel TV 2 featured the further ascension of Alexander Gustafsson
up the light heavyweight ranks. He had to go to a decision for
the first time in his career, but did enough to win a unanimous
decision over one his toughest opponents in Thiago Silva.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Falcao
more ‘dangerous’ for tournament semifinals
Maiquel
Falcao debuted on middleweight Bellator tournament with a win
by points over the French Norman Paraisy, and the semifinals
have been scheduled to April 20, in Cleveland, Ohio. The fighter
will have to face the Russian Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, while Bruno
Carioca confronts Brian Rogers on the other bout of the GP. The
event also has on its card names like Shinya Aoki and Eddie Alvarez,
who fought in 2008, when the Japanese got a win via submission
on the first round.
Despite
Falcao’s good debut in Bellator’s tournament, the Brazilian
felt like he could have knocked out the French guy, but lost
focus. On the interview you can read below, the middleweight
said he was having fun, but that he’s coming back more ‘dangerous’,
guaranteed he will give his life so he can get to the finals,
talked about the difficulty on cutting weight and other things.
How
do you analyze your debut on the middleweight Bellator GP?
I
liked it, I was actually pleased about it. I felt comfortable
during the entire fight and I follow the game plan.
Do
you believe you could have knocked Norman out?
Absolutely.
I was having a lot of fun during that fight. Being back on an
international event and especially on an event as big as Bellator
against a top athlete like Norman was so great I didn’t
want it to end. I also thought it would be a good way to prove
my talent for those who doubted my health. I’m doing great.
Those
times you poked him end up disturbing you from getting closer
to a knockout?
No,
I kept focused. The main thing was to win and not get injured
because Bellator gives us a short time to recover between the
fights and my goal is to get the belt. I did that because after
a while Norman didn’t want to strike with me, so I was calling
him back.
Now
you’re fighting Vasilevsky on the semifinals. What do you
know about his game and how was your preparation for the fight?
I
don’t know a lot about him, just his name which is actually
hard to pronounce (laughs). Just like I did on my first fight,
I leave all the game plan and preparation to Brigadeiro, who
besides my manager is my coach. I train what he tells me to train
and I do what he tells me to do. I guess it worked quite well
on the first time and I’m doing the same on the semifinals.
About
your weight, you had to suffer a lot last time but lost it in
the last minute. How are things this time?
It’s
always a suffering, there’s no other way. I go from 214lbs
to 185lbs, so it’s always hard, but every time I fight I
cut weight and it won’t be any different now. I’ll
make it to the limit and I’ll be just fine on the following
day.
What
can we hope of you in this fight?
You can hope to see a complete fighter in Maiquel Falcao this
time and I’m very focused on winning. I’ve been improving
many aspects of my game and I can say that now I’m dangerous.
I’ll give everything I’ve got in that cage and I’m
only leaving with my ticked stamped to the finale. I count with
the Brazilian support. I’ll be there representing our country.
Source: Tatame
|
Jackson’s
Introduces an MMA Belt Ranking System
Greg
JacksonEverybody in the martial arts world has heard of a black
belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a black belt in Judo, a black belt
in karate, and on down the line of traditional martial arts.
But
with mixed martial arts becoming one of the most popular sports
on a worldwide level, what about a belt system for those that
simply do MMA?
Well,
the team at Jackson’s MMA has introduced a new belt system
specifically gauged around MMA training, with a belt levels ranging
all the way from white belt to black belt, all under the instruction
of head trainer Greg Jackson.
“It
took us a long time to develop it. It basically takes everything
from his books and in the gym into one system, and basically
Greg wrote the new curriculum, so there’s actually a legitimate
MMA belt system. We’re already testing on it at Jackson’s
Martial Arts and Fitness Academy, and it’s working beautifully,”
said Ricky Kottenstette, gym manager at Jackson’s in Albuquerque,
N.M.
For
years, Jackson had his own hybrid style of martial arts he dubbed
Gaidojutsu that he taught to his fighters.
Now
with Century MMA on board as a partner, Jackson has a new belt
system specifically geared towards MMA. The system will work
no differently than a belt graduation and acceleration program
for any other martial art.
The
Jackson’s MMA belts will be taught in all of the New Mexico
based gyms, but it’s not only for fighters, it also applies
to any students simply looking to learn mixed martial arts for
fun or sport.
“This
is Greg Jackson’s belt. I mean his style has his own deal,
he had his own name for it, but we just kind of switched it to
Jackson’s MMA,” said Kottenstette. “This is a
Jackson’s MMA belt. You have jiu-jitsu, judo, and all the
other forms, but Greg’s system is very effective and this
is just sort of the premier testing platform for a belt system,
that has guidelines all the way to the top, all the way to black
belts.”
Prior
to this new belt system being introduced, many of Jackson’s
top students had earned black belt honors. Keith Jardine, Joey
Villasenor, Georges St-Pierre, and new head instructor at the
recently opened second Jackson’s academy, John Dodson, lead
the way.
The
key to this new system is that it allows not only fighters, but
anybody that’s interested in learning the Jackson’s
MMA system, whether you intend on ever actually stepping foot
in a cage or not.
“You
don’t have to get into the UFC Octagon to prove it and be
a contender like most of the other guys did growing up,”
Kottestette stated. “This is our opportunity to help people
learn all of Greg’s system and learn his techniques, and
he does the actual belt testing. So when student’s test,
they test with Greg Jackson; so he does all the belt graduations.”
The
Jackson’s MMA belts are already being taught in the different
academies in New Mexico, with a new gym currently in the planning
stages as well.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Dana
White: Overeem Will Have His Due Process, Then Somebody Else
Will Talk About It, Not Me
UFC
heavyweight title challenger Alistair Overeem recently failed
a surprise drug test in Nevada, testing positive for an overly
high ratio of testosterone-to-epitestosterone, which would be
indicative of performance enhancing substances in his system.
Overeem
will go before the Nevada State Athletic Commission on April
24 to have an opportunity to defend himself.
Fighters
in the past that have failed similar drug screens have not been
successful in fighting the results, but Overeem, at least publicly,
has appeared confident that he is still fighting Junior dos Santos
on May 26 at UFC 146.
Most
fans, pundits, and industry insiders, however, believe that there
is no way that Overeem is going to dodge the bullet and get licensed
by Nevada, which effectively removes him from the fight.
After
initially exploding about the situation, UFC president Dana White
has removed himself from talk about Overeem. One of his few comments
was about Frank Mir, who is the most logical replacement should
Overeem not be allowed to fight.
“Mir
vs Cain will happen,” he tweeted in response to a fan.
With
his most recent statements on the situation, following UFC on
Fuel TV 2 in Sweden, White certainly doesn’t sound like
a man that thinks Overeem has a leg to stand on. He sounds more
like a man that is doing everything in his power from blasting
Overeem before he has his day in court, so to say.
“We're
waiting to see what the Nevada State Athletic Commission…
just to address that. I think I made myself pretty clear when
this thing happened. I don't have the temperament to talk about
this,” said White. “I will say things that you guys
will love and I will hate, next week.
“So
let me just say this: everybody gets due process. Alistair Overeem
will have his due process with the Nevada State Athletic Commission,
we'll see what happens, and we'll go from there. And when it
all goes down, somebody else will speak about this, not me.”
Not
exactly the type of talk that is likely to bolster Overeem’s
confidence in finding a way out of this situation.
Ever
since Overeem’s positive results was revealed, everyone
wondered why the UFC didn’t just come out and put Mir in
his place.
White’s
comment about Mir vs. Velasquez, in particular, caught many off
guard, leaving them wondering who else could be slotted in. It
could very well be the “due process” that White mentioned
that lead to the statement about Mir vs. Velasquez, however.
The
UFC has to allow Overeem to present his case before the commission.
Overeem is not currently licensed in Nevada, so he is not under
any type of suspension. If nothing changes, he will be denied
a license and probably not allowed to re-apply for at least a
year. But as it stands, he hasn’t currently received a ruling
that precludes him from fighting, likely why the UFC has yet
to officially remove him from the fight.
Once
he has his day before the commission, that is likely to change,
and so could White’s stance on Mir vs. Velasquez.
One
thing is for sure, for all of the Twitterati that have been rallying
for resurgent UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt to get the shot against
JDS should Overeem be out, you’re going to be disappointed.
Hunt is already on the UFC 146 fight card, slated to face Stefan
Struve.
“Yes
(I've seen the Twitter rally for Mark Hunt). They can keep rallying,”
said White.
“You
don't just jump right into the title shot. I guarantee you this,
if (Hunt) beats Struve, his next fight will be against somebody
in the top five that can get him closer to that title shot.”
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
on Fuel 2 Fighter Bonus Winners Get $50,000
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship landed in Sweden for the first
time on Saturday with UFC on Fuel TV 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva
at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm.
There
were several finishes and battles for UFC officials to choose
from for the typical post-fight awards and bonuses, but they
narrowed it down. UFC president Dana White announced the bonuses
shortly after the event, with the winners receiving $50,000 each
for their efforts.
Not
surprisingly, Brad Pickett and Damacio Page scored the Fight
of the Night bonus, as they both put everything on the line the
entire time of their main card opening bout.
It
was Pickett that finally took advantage of a downed Page, taking
his back for a submission victory, but each took home a bonus
check.
Also
not surprising was Siyar Bahadurzada’s Knockout of the Night
bonus for his 42-second leveling of highly regarded welterweight
Paulo Thiago. It was the Afghani’s first fight in the Octagon,
and he left a memorable impression both on fans and Thiago.
There
were several submission finishes to choose from on Saturday,
but it was John Maguire’s armbar finish of DaMarques Johnson
that scored the Submission of the Night honors.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
on Fuel 2 Results: Gustafsson Out Duels Silva; Is He a Title
Contender Now?
He’s
been touted as the next great light heavyweight challenger.
But
on Saturday in his home country of Sweden, Alexander Gustafsson
was just the hometown boy looking to win in front of his fellow
countrymen.
Facing
Gustafsson was the ultra aggressive and powerful Thiago Silva,
who was coming back from more than a year away from the sport
after being suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission
for submitted a falsified urine test.
A
long, rangy fighter at 6’4?, Gustafsson used his reach brilliantly
throughout the 15-minute bout, but almost put Silva away early
when the Brazilian tried as best he could to get inside.
Silva
pushed forward with strikes only to be met by a perfectly timed
uppercut courtesy of Alexander Gustafsson, and the Swede dropped
his opponent to the mat with the punch.
There
was nothing flashy about it, just a quick solid punch with precision
timing.
“That’s
one of my things, keep things basic,” Gustafsson said about
the punch after the fight.
As
rattled as he was, Silva was able to recover and battled back
in the 2nd round where he landed his best punch of the fight,
an overhand right that clocked Gustafsson on the jaw.
It
only backed off Gustafsson for a moment however and for the remainder
of the fight, his reach and especially his quickness were just
too much for Silva to overcome.
When
the fight ended it was clear that Gustafsson had won the fight,
but as always fighters are their worst critics, and despite the
elation of competing in front of his home country fans, he couldn’t
help but point out his shortcomings in the match-up with Silva.
“I
always train for a five round fight, but I’m progressing
too, I’m learning too. This is my first decision fight,
against a tough guy, so I want to learn too,” Gustafsson
said after the win, his fifth in a row overall.
Spending
a year away from the sport is never easy, and it’s not any
easier when it’s an imposed year off from an athletic commission,
but Thiago Silva still felt good just getting back in the cage
again, albeit without the result he was hoping for.
“Alexander
is a tough guy, I couldn’t find the distance, he deserved
the victory,” said Silva.
Ever
since his lone loss in the UFC to Phil Davis in 2010, Gustafsson
has looked like a man on a mission, and has continued to look
better and better with each performance.
At
25 years of age, Gustafsson is a star on the rise without a doubt,
but still has some grooming to go before he can be considered
a title contender. Look for 2013 to be the year of ‘The
Mauler’ to fight for the UFC light heavyweight title if
things continue down this path.
That
sounds like a pretty good plan to Gustafsson as well.
“I
just want to take the fight the UFC gives me,” said Gustafsson.
“Just do what I love to do – fight.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
United
Nations Conference in Rio Could Force UFC 147 to Change Date
or Location
What we know for sure is that Anderson Silva will next defend
his UFC middleweight title against Chael Sonnen at UFC 147.
What
we don’t know right now, however, is where and when that
fight will actually take place.
The
news broke during the UFC on Fuel TV 2 post fight press conference
that a recently scheduled conference of the United Nations set
to land in Brazil from June 20 -22 could force the MMA promotion
out of their scheduled June 23 date in Rio de Janeiro.
“We’re
working on it, it’s still a work in progress. The problem
down in Rio right now is they’re having a big United Nations
convention down there, so there’s some stuff going on. We’re
working through it trying to figure this whole thing out,”
UFC president Dana White said about the mega event currently
slated for Brazil.
The
United Nations conference was officially announced in early April,
scheduled to focus on sustainable development, and it’s
expected to draw more than 135 vice presidents and prime ministers.
In addition, more than 50,000 people are expected to attend and
participate in the conference during the three-day event.
Titled
the Rio +20, the conference will run for three days in late June
which coincides perfectly for the dates the UFC would also be
landing in Rio for UFC 147.
Beyond
the logistical nightmare that city officials would have to deal
with to accommodate both events taking place the same week, White
points out that hotels could end up being one of the biggest
problems they could have to overcome.
“Don’t
know, we’re waiting to hear back. We’re trying to figure
this whole thing out. The problem is that first of all they don’t
like the idea of us coming at the same time as this United Nations
convention is going on. The other problem is hotel rooms. Most
of the hotel rooms are being taken up,” said White.
“We
don’t think, we know, that the Chael Sonnen/Anderson Silva
fight it’s one of the biggest sporting events this year
in the world, so we need to make sure (there’s room) especially
when you’re doing an 80,000-seat soccer stadium. There better
be some hotel rooms.”
The
hope for the UFC was to have this situation already handled prior
to Saturday’s event in Sweden, but as of now there is still
no plan in place and nothing set in stone.
“I
expected to have it already,” White said about a resolution
for the placement of UFC 147. “Hopefully, we’ll get
this thing done within the next few days, one way or the other.”
The
next major UFC event takes place in just a week’s time at
UFC 145 in Atlanta, and White may be able to make an announcement
at that time if final plans have been made.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Crunching
Numbers: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans Could Buck Statistical Trends
Apr
15, 2012 - There's not much either Jon Jones or Rashad Evans
aren't good at in mixed martial arts. If the numbers tell us
anything, it's that these are superb fighters and their impending
bout at UFC 145 is something akin to a MMA all-star match-up.
Jones
and Evans are statistically record holders in the stand-up and
ground portions of the fight. Both have tasted championship glory.
Both only have one loss on their record (though the complexions
of their losses differ dramatically). Both have mutual opposition
they've defeated. These two may be rivals, but they're more similar
than each cares to admit in small part due to what they've accomplished
and how they did it.
But
neither light heavyweight is without shortcomings and the data
demonstrates that quite clearly. The real question is can whatever
statistical weakness that exist also offer blueprints for game
plans or predict an eventual outcome?
Probably
not. It's frankly hard to overstate just how good these bitter
enemies really are. It's also had to walk away from these numbers
and not consider the uphill climb for Evans may not be insurmountable.
Before
we begin enumerating their superlative skills or accomplishments,
it should be noted Jones and Evans have three opponents in common:
Stephan Bonnar, Lyoto Machida and Quinton Jackson. Jones defeated
all three, stopping Machida and Jackson by submission. Evans
lost to Machida, but defeated both Bonnar and Jackson by decision.
Typically
mutual opposition is the best way to compare to fighters' abilities
or tendencies, but that's not necessarily the case here. In short,
the Bonnar who fought Evans isn't the same Bonnar who necessarily
fought Jones. And the Evans or Jones who fought Bonnar won't
be the same Evans or Jones who show up Saturday night. The only
commonality is both Evans and Jones landed seven takedowns against
Bonnar, but that tells us more about 'The Ultimate Fighter' season
one alum's takedown defense than anything else.
We
should also resist trying to glean too much from the stats from
each of their Machida fights. They lack a sufficient amount of
information to make any sort of definitive conclusions. That
Machida stopped Evans and yet was stopped by Jones is indicative
of something. But what? Without overreaching, we can only safely
say Jones was more effective striking in his bout with Machida
than Evans. But relative to Evans, it's hard to say much else
insofar as drawing conclusions from data is concerned.
The
fights with Rampage, however, might be more helpful. For starters,
the bouts took place in reasonably close proximity. And from
Jackson's perspective, his performance against each was nearly
identical. Against Evans, he landed 17 significant strikes, 27
total. Facing Jones, Jackson landed 16 significant strikes, 24
total. Against both Evans and Jones, Rampage attempted one takedown
in each fight and was stuffed both times.
The
only real differentiator is Rampage's knockdown of Evans. And
that fact speaks to some larger trends in Evans' striking. Namely,
his opponent's ability to land on him.
Let's
keep things in perspective. Evans' striking - offensively and
defensively - is very good. He has a 66.7% career striking defense,
making it the third best in light heavyweight history and better
than Jones' current defensive rate. But his striking differential
- the number of strikes he lands relative to those he absorbs
per minute - is only .23. Jones' mark, by contrast, is 2.40,
the fourth best total in UFC history. In addition, Evans' measured
striking accuracy is 39.5% to Jones' 51.9%.
Evans
may have only been stopped once by strikes in his MMA career,
but that it was by strikes is in concert with what the larger
data set says of of Evans' striking ability.
Striking
stats also tell us Evans is something of a head hunter. That
isn't to suggest he doesn't enjoy body work, but he's gone to
the head 84% of the time. As for the body and legs? Just 11.2%
and 4.1%, respectively. The UFC light heavyweight champion is
the much more diverse in terms of where he throws and subsequently
lands strikes: 53% to the head, 25.4% to the body and 21.5% to
the legs. When Jones is throwing, there's a lot more confusion
about what might be thrown and where it might land.
None
of this is to suggest Evans can't land on Jones. Instead, it's
that while Evans is statistically speaking hard to hit, he has
to throw a lot more to eventually find the mark and also gets
hit more often per fight than Jones.
There
is less of an advantage, however, for Jones on the ground. Again,
that isn't to say he can't or won't win there. Jones is deadly
essentially everywhere and my personal hunch is who dominates
this space ultimately wins the contest. But Evans' comfort zone
is historically on top on the ground after executing a takedown.
In
fact, Evans has taken down everyone he's every fought. According
to FightMetric, "Evans' average of 4.32 takedowns per 15
minutes of fighting is the 2nd highest average in light heavyweight
history. He's managed to takedown every single opponent that
he has tried to get to the ground. His takedown accuracy is second
only to Jon Jones, with a 53.3% success rate, 2nd best in division
history."
But
Jones is no slouch himself. FightMetric also notes Jones' "takedown
accuracy of 63.6% is the very best in light heavyweight history.
He's already scored 21 takedowns, 4th most in division history,
and his 3.32 takedowns per 15 minutes average is the 4th highest
in division."
Some
will suggest even if we were to grant Evans and Jones are basically
commensurate as takedown artists, Jones is more grappling and
submission savvy. And they could be right.
Both
are actually adept guard passers. Jones routinely passes guard:
once on Machida, three times on Rampage, twice on Bader and so
on; Evans accrued no guard passes against Rampage, Bonnar or
Machida, but in the two fights since defeating Rampage - two
wins over Tito Ortiz and Phil Davis - he managed 10 guard passes
in a little over seven rounds.
Yet,
Evans has not attempted a submission in his entire MMA career.
He advances position, but only to facilitate ground and pound.
Jones, on the other hand, has historically attempted 1.11 submissions
per 15-minute fight. The reigning light heavyweight champion
has tapped out 3 of last 4 opponents and has 5 submission wins
in his MMA career. Submissions as a portion of his finishing
arsenal is the clearest demonstration of Jones' superior offense
given that Evans doesn't even try in this aspect.
Taking
all of this information into account, what can we reasonably
conclude about Jones' or Evans' chances on Saturday night? On
balance, Jones has the advantages. That's especially true in
striking and submissions. Yet it's hard to look at the accumulated
data and conclude Evans is somehow doomed. Evans can be taken
down, but he's only spent 4.4% of the time in his UFC career
on bottom - not a ton of time to do significant damage. Jones
is clearly better at submissions, but Evans has never been submitted.
Jones has never been taken down, but Evans has taken down everyone
he's fought. Jones has the statistical wind at his back, but
Evans has a demonstrated ability to rise to the occasion. There's
also the x-factor of how much their perceived intimate knowledge
of each others game plays a role.
What
we have with Evans vs. Jones is a perfectly good case where relying
on quantitative information for predictive insight can be tricky.
I suspect whoever prevails at UFC 145 will do so by re-writing
today's numbers, not fulfilling historical patterns.
The
real test for both will be to get takedowns where others couldn't;
to score from spaces where others couldn't; to control position
and times held in those positions where others couldn't; in short,
to make the other fight in ways they haven't.
Jones
is the odds-on favorite. He should be. He's got more ways to
win and is statistically impressive almost everywhere. But Evans
offers challenges in professional competition Jones has not faced.
By the time Saturday night is over, the real story on the numbers
behind these two fighters may be less how much they foreshadowed
the future and more about how drastically they need to be amended.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Marcus
Brimage Talks UFC Fame, Rampage Jackson; Picks Rashad Evans to
Beat Jon Jones
Apr
15, 2012 - Growing up in the sweltering, country-fried air of
Alabama, Marcus Brimage sometimes imagined what it would be like
to be recognized. For a lifelong athlete in the football-crazed
South, that aspiration usually meant one thing -- strapping on
a pair of cleats and shooting for the NFL.
So
when Brimage beat the odds and parlayed a love of Muay Thai into
an undefeated amateur MMA record, a burgeoning pro career, a
big break on The Ultimate Fighter 14, and ultimately, a decisive
UFC debut victory over Stephen Bass (followed by a notoriously
laughable post-fight interview), Brimage was sure his life would
change.
He
was, of course, right. But that's just what being a UFC fighter
does for you.
"I
ain't going to lie, I'm an attention whore," Brimage laughed
on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "I don't go looking
for it, but if it finds me, I'll bask in it. I'll do that."
Since
moving from his native Birmingham to the more MMA-savvy coastal
paradise of Coconut Creek, FL, that recognition has come more
readily, and Brimage certainly won't be the first one to complain.
For
a 27-year-old child of the South who grew up idolizing the violent
exploits of Rampage Jackson, the transition from fan to fighter
has been a surreal ride. So even if his childhood hero is now
his coworker, Brimage still regards himself as Jackson's "number-one
fan."
Though,
the former champ hasn't exactly made it easy of late.
"As
a fighter and as a person, you do want to feel appreciated,"
Brimage hesitantly explained.
"Quinton
‘Rampage' Jackson is a name. He's an OG in MMA, everybody
knows that. He's up there with Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture;
he's up there with those guys because he's been in it for so
long. And he just doesn't feel like he's appreciated, which sucks.
I appreciate everything he's done for the sport. I appreciate
his fighting style. It sucks that he feels like that, but I'm
still his biggest fan, and whatever he does, I'm going to support
it."
In
the interim, Brimage has his own battles to worry about. After
roaring through his first career UFC victory in December, "The
Bama Beast" is slated to meet Maximo Blanco for his sophomore
effort this Saturday, in the opening fight of UFC 145.
A
highly-regarded bruiser and former King of Pancrase, Blanco is
a tall task for someone so young in the sport. But while it's
easy to get lost in Brimage's whirlwind of quips and personality,
behind the act is a fighter supremely confident in his abilities,
and one that believes the move out east has done wonders to revamp
his game.
"It's
going to be ‘Fight of the Night,' slash, ‘Knockout
of the Night,'" Brimage promised.
"You're
going to see a different Marcus Brimage. I hooked up with this
boxing gym and I'm punching 30-percent harder. So, like that
Stephen Bass fight, I was hitting him with everything I've got,
and he just wouldn't go down. I was like, ‘what the hell
is wrong with him.' But this time it ain't going to be the case.
If I hit you with the boom-ping-ping, you're going to fall now."
Brimage
admits he "didn't know anything" about Blanco before
signing on the dotted line, though now that he's been studying
his opponent, he likes what he sees.
"He's
a very aggressive guy, always moving forward, swinging heavy
haymakers, blast double wrestling. He doesn't let up," Brimage
mulled.
"Most
of the Japanese fighters he fought against were probably pretty
scared of him, but that ain't going to be the case with me. Like
I said, we're going to go ahead and start this party off right."
With
the toughest test of his career staring him right in the eye,
it's somewhat telling to hear Brimage speak so loosely. After
all, it's not like he's trying legitimize his spot in the world's
largest MMA promotion.
Besides,
the pressure is the fun part. Brimage is well-aware that people
are scrambling to Atlanta to see the most contentious UFC title
match in recent memory, not to watch him fight Maximo Blanco.
But those same people are still going to be inside the Philips
Arena, and when it's all said and done, Brimage is going to make
sure they remember his name.
After
that's taken care of, only then can his switch flip back from
fighter-mode to fan-mode. And you'd better believe the southerner
is betting his two cents on a good, old-fashioned upset.
"I'm
going for Rashad," Brimage declared.
"Right
now he's the only person that knows Jon Jones' game in-and-out.
Like he said in Primetime, he's moved on from Greg Jackson's,
and Jon Jones is still doing Greg Jackson's stuff. He saw Jon
Jones from when he first entered the MMA scene until now."
"So
if Rashad can try to get on the inside, we know he's got knockout
power."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Alex
Gustafsson focused on Thiago Silva, not getting shot at light
heavyweight title
Alex
Gustafsson almost cringes at the mention. Put his name in the
same sentence with the phrase "UFC light heavyweight title"
and the protests will follow.
Gustafsson,
25, is one of the division's rising stars, and perhaps the last
untested challenger should champion Jon Jones get past arch rival
Rashad Evans on April 21 in the main event of UFC 145 in Atlanta.
Fighting
for the title or discussing his position in the division is not
exactly on Gustafsson's priority list these days. He fights Thiago
Silva on Saturday in Stockholm, Sweden, in the headliner of a
card televised in the U.S. on Fuel TV, and he's not prepared
to discuss much more than that.
He's
13-1 overall and 5-1 in the UFC. In his last two bouts, he's
stopped Matt Hamill, probably hastening the Hammer's retirement,
and the always tough Vladimir Matyushenko.
Since
his only loss, at UFC 112 to current teammate Phil Davis in which
he was outwrestled and outgrappled, Gustafsson has looked increasingly
better.
[Related:
Thiago Silva's return highlights UFC's lax drug testing policy]
To
hear him speak, though, it's almost blasphemy to discuss a title
shot at this stage of his career.
Alex
Gustafsson takes on Thiago Silva on Saturday. (Getty Images)
"I'm super motivated at this point [to fight in my home
country], and I'm anxious to test myself against Thiago,"
Gustafsson said. "When the day comes that the UFC decides
I'm ready for a title shot, good, but who am I to say that I
should be fighting anyone? I want to fight better and better
guys so I can prove myself, but it's not like I'm at a point
where I should be calling guys out.
"It's
everyone's goal to be a champion and I'm no different. I want
to be the champion one day, but I don't want to get ahead of
myself."
Gustafsson
is ranked ninth at light heavyweight in the USA Today/SB Nation
consensus rankings, but it's not inconceivable that he could
be in position to fight for the belt later this year.
He
trails Jones, Dan Henderson, Evans, Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua, Lyoto Machida, Phil Davis, Ryan Bader and Quinton "Rampage"
Jackson at this point.
If
he defeats Silva, and looks impressive doing it, he likely could
leap frog Jackson. If Jones beats Evans, that would make Henderson
next in line for a title shot, unless Henderson, who fights at
both 185 and 205, opts to fight the Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen
winner for the middleweight belt.
A
Jones win would mean that, of those above Gustafsson in the USA
Today/SB Nation light heavyweight rankings, the only ones Jones
wouldn't already have beaten would be Henderson and Davis.
That
clears a path to the title for Gustafsson. Beat Silva on Saturday
and win another fight in the summer and he might be looking across
the cage from Jones a lot sooner than he thinks.
"There
are so many things that could happen and will happen that are
out of my control," he said. "I have to worry about
getting better and nothing else."
Silva
has been a dominant striker for much of his career, but he's
coming off a 16-month layoff after serving a one-year suspension
for steroid use. Gustafsson said Silva's inactivity could be
an advantage for him, but he's preparing as if Silva will be
at his best.
Given
what is at stake for him, nothing else would make sense. You
don't cut corners when the pot of gold is getting so close.
He
was training for Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, but Nogueira had to
pull out with an injury and was replaced by Silva. The change,
he said, will have little impact upon him.
"It's
not really that big of a deal," he said of the switch. "I
know what I need to do and it hasn't really changed. I don't
want Thiago on top of me. He's a strong grappler with a very
good ground game. That's his thing. He hits hard, but for me,
I need to keep him off of me."
If
he does it, he'll be one step closer to the thing he doesn't
want to talk about, a shot at the UFC light heavyweight belt.
He's
coming a long way in a short time, but he concedes he's still
got a ways to go.
"When
you fight in the UFC and train with the guys that I train with,
you learn that there is always still a lot of work to do,"
he said. "I'm getting better every day, but so are other
guys. It's very competitive and you get [passed] if you stay
the same."
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
on Fuel TV 2: Gustafsson Impresses in Main-event Win Over Silva
As
champion Jon Jones lays waste to one big name after another in
the UFC's light heavyweight division, the search for a new up-and-coming
contender is on.
And
Alexander Gustafsson just might be that fighter.
The
6-foot-4, 25-year-old native of Stockholm, Sweden stepped up
and delivered in his first UFC main event Saturday. In the UFC's
debut card in his homeland, Gustafsson put on one of the most
impressive performances of his young career, dominating veteran
Thiago Silva in front of a sellout crowd in UFC on Fuel TV 2
at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena.
"All
I can say is I'm proud to fight here in my home country, in my
home town," said Gustafsson, who recorded his fifth straight
win. "It's a big honor."
With
the boisterous Stockholm crowd on his side, Gustafsson, decked
out in Swedish blue and gold, came out firing, connecting early
on a right uppercut that dropped Silva to the mat and had him
in trouble. Silva managed to escape back to his feet, but Gustafsson
continued to press the action and opened up a cut between the
bridge of Silva's nose and his right eye.
This
pattern held up over the rest of the bout. Most of the match
was held standing, as Gustafsson combined impressive hand speed
and his reach advantage to score points and keep his opponent
at bay.
Silva
has knockout power and registered several times of the course
of the fight with his overhand right, but when he did, he couldn't
stay in close and take advantage, as Gustafsson would scamper
away and re-set.
According
to Compustrike, Gustafsson had an 83-47 total-strikes advantage.
The
fight was originally slated to feature Gustafsson against Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira, but Silva had to pull out due to an injury
and Silva took his place. On Twitter, UFC president Dana White
said that the main event was three rounds instead of five to
due the substitution.
"That's
one of my things," said Gustafsson. "I tried to keep
it basic, keep it standing. I was training for a five-round fight."
The
match was just the second in 27 months for Silva, in part because
of a neck injury and also because of a steroid-related suspension
in Nevada.
"I
tried to push as much as I could," said Silva, who is 1-3
with a no-contest in his past five fights. "I couldn't find
my consistency. He's a tough guy, he deserved the victory."
Gustafsson
improved to 14-1. It was the first three-round decision win of
his career. After the bout, Gustafsson was asked if he wants
the winner of next weekend's Jones-Rashad Evans title fight,
but he wouldn't take the bait.
"I
just want to take the fights the UFC gives me," he said.
"I do what I love to do, fight."
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
UFC
on Fuel 2 Results: Dennis Siver Successful in Featherweight Debut
Dennis
Siver UFC Fight Night 21UFC on Fuel TV 2 on Saturday marked the
featherweight debut of Russian-born German fighter Dennis Siver.
It took a lot of work, but he eventually earned the nod over
a very tough Diego Nunes.
Each
fighter looked to take advantage of the other in the stand-up
game. Nunes continually mixed up his arsenal, pushing the pace,
while Siver took the opposite approach, mostly holding court
at the center of the Octagon, countering the Brazilian’s
attacks.
While
Nunes’ attack showed more variety, especially over the course
of the first two rounds, it was Siver that was more accurate,
and landing with more power. He staggered Nunes on more than
one occasion, although it would be Siver’s face that showed
more wear and tear at the end of the fight.
The
first two rounds were close, but every time Nunes landed something,
Siver would answer with power, or short circuit Nunes’ attacks.
A
blistering attack by Siver at the end of round two likely stole
a very close round, turning the fight to his favor.
Nunes
never gave up, finishing strong in round three, landing numerous
knees from the Thai clinch and opening a cut around the brow
of Siver’s left eye.
In
the end, the judges gave a unanimous 29-28 nod to Siver, giving
him a win in his featherweight debut, his first fight since losing
a lightweight bout to Donald Cerrone at UFC 137.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fuel 2 Results: Bahadurzada Flattens Thiago with One Punch
Knockout
One
punch and a few seconds.
That’s
all it took for heavy-handed Afghan born knockout artist Siyar
Bahadurzada to make his impact felt in his UFC debut against
Paulo Thiago.
A
brief feeling out period started the fight as Bahadurzada and
Thiago both tried to find their distance, without getting too
aggressive.
Well,
that plan went out the door in a hurry as Thiago decided to be
the one to rush forward, and it cost him dearly.
The
Brazilian lunged at Bahadurzada and the Dutch trained fighter
clipped him with a short right hand that caught him flush on
the jaw.
Thiago
crashed face first into the mat, with his arms at his side, and
it was obvious that the fight was over.
The
fight only lasted 42 seconds, but Bahadurzada still paid tribute
to Paulo Thiago for coming out and being the kind of fighter
he loves to face.
“Paulo
Thiago, I respect this guy a lot because Paulo Thiago comes every
time to fight, and I love those kind of fighters who come to
fight because I come to fight. Because the fans want to see a
fight, and I want to give them a fight,” said Bahadurzada.
Injuries
and delays put Bahadurzada on the shelf for a much longer time
that he wanted to be there, so nothing was going to stop him
from making his UFC debut on Saturday.
As
a matter of fact, the right hand that he used to knock out Thiago?
Yeah, it was probably broken prior to the fight ever happening.
“I
did feel (it) because I think my right hand is broken,”
said Bahadurzada. “10 days before the fight, I think I broke
my right hand, but I didn’t even go to the doctor, I don’t
want to know if it’s broken, I just wanted this so bad.
Even if I missed my right hand, I would fight.”
Now
imagine what Bahadurzada could do with a healthy right hand.
The
former Golden Glory fighter will now travel home to Holland to
get the hand checked out, but he’ll have his first UFC victory
and probably a ‘Knockout of the Night’ bonus to comfort
him as he heads to the doctor’s office.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fuel 2 Results: Brian Stann Draws on Family Tragedy to Overcome
Alessio Sakara
Brian
Stann driving forwardBrian Stann may have stumbled in his UFC
136 performance against Chael Sonnen, but he returned with a
vengeance at UFC on Fuel 2 on Saturday in Stockholm.
A
former WEC light heavyweight champion, Stann was on a three-fight
winning streak prior to the loss to Sonnen, but he’s looking
to make that loss just a blip on the radar.
The
first step towards that occurred when he stepped into the cage
with Alessio Sakara in Sweden.
Working
hard to shore up any holes in his game, Muay Thai being a primary
focus of late, Stann used what he has learned to great benefit.
He and Sakara briefly went toe-to-toe to start off the fight,
but Stann clinched wobbled Sakara with several driving knees.
“I’ve
really been working a lot to shore up my holes,” said Stann.
He
did that and then some. Sakara fell onto his back from the knees,
Stann immediately following up with several heavy punches. The
former Marine then dropped into Sakara’s guard, blasting
away until a couple short, hard left hands put Sakara’s
lights out just long enough for the referee to stop the fight.
Stann
has always drawn on the emotional points in his life as inspiration
for his success, often citing his brothers and sisters in arms,
but on Saturday, he drew from another very difficult episode
in his life.
“My
inspiration tonight comes from my brother in law,” he stated,
his voice wavering. “We lost you at Christmas; we don’t
know why. Everything you taught us, we carry with us.”
The
victory puts Stann back on the middleweight championship roadmap,
but he knows there’s still work to do before he will once
again be mentioned as a possible title contender.
“I
lost big, now I gotta climb back up, that’s fine.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
BJ
Penn Still Can't See the Scenario Where He Will Come Back to
Fighting
Will
Oct. 29, 2011, go down as the last date former UFC lightweight
and welterweight champion B.J. Penn ever fights?
Right
now the signs are pointing in that direction as the Hawaiian
fighter seems pretty content with his life as a retired fighter
over the last six months.
Following
a hard fought loss to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, Penn announced that
he was stepping away from the sport and that fight would likely
serve as his last in the sport of MMA.
“This
is probably the last time you’re ever going to see me in
here. I want to perform at the top level. That’s it,”
Penn said after the loss to Diaz. “I’ve got a daughter,
another daughter on the way, I don’t want to go home looking
like this. I’m done.”
Now
months removed from that time, Penn hasn't backed off his original
statement and it appears he's settling into the life of a retired
fighter.
“As
of now I am sticking to that,” Penn said during the UFC
on Fuel TV 2 post fight show. “I haven't made any plans
to come back and fight again, Dana White has actually called
me a couple times and talked to me, it's just something that's
not in my future right now.”
While
he isn't in active competition, Penn has stayed busy at home
in Hawaii working on opening a new gym, plus having two daughters
that keep him on the go at all times.
“I'm
opening the UFC gym, the B.J. Penn/UFC gym in Oahu. I've been
doing that and I've been watching my gym at home. I've just been
kind of teaching and training, I like it. Just go to the gym
when I feel like training I train, and if not I watch my daughters.
That's all I do,” said Penn.
In
the past, Penn has always wanted to focus on facing the best
fighters in whatever weight class he's competing in. He's made
a few different title runs between lightweight and welterweight,
and Penn has always been a main event level competitor.
That
said, Penn's reasoning for the time off has nothing to do with
waiting for the right match-up or the right name to come along
and challenge him. It's that statement above any others that
lead some to believe Penn may actually be done this time.
“There's
tons of match-ups out there. There's great athletes. The UFC
is the best athletes in the world, but I don't know. In a perfect
world, I can't even see the scenario right now this moment. It's
just something that if I feel it, I feel it, and if not we'll
just sit back and watch all the other guys kick butt in the Octagon,”
Penn stated.
Of
course UFC fans have been very vocal on Twitter, Facebook, and
in every other avenue to shout support for Penn to come back
one day.
While
the support is absolutely appreciated, Penn is satisfied with
his decision to retire, and for now that's the only thing he's
thinking about.
“It's
awesome seeing that they want me to fight again, but as of now
I just take my time,” said Penn.
If
he is done competing, Penn will have retired with a 16-8-2 record
overall including a run as UFC welterweight and lightweight champion
to his credit, and has to be an absolute shoe-in for a future
UFC Hall of Famer.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
Bellator
65 Moment – Eduardo Dantas Captures Belt
In the Bellator 65 main event of the evening, the Bellator Bantamweight
Championship was on the line as Philadelphia native and Bellator
bantamweight champion Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky made
the first title defense of his career in front of family and
friends against Season Five Bantamweight Tournament Champion,
Eduardo “Dudu” Dantas.
In
one of the most dominant performances of his career, Dantas showed
why many considered him a Brazilian prodigy. Dantas landed strikes
early to the body and head, and appeared to be controlling the
action early until Makovsky was able to land a controlled takedown.
However, off his back, Dantas was continually threatening with
submissions throughout the round.
In
the second, Dantas demonstrated just how well rounded he really
is. With Makovsky attempting a takedown, “Dudu” hit
a beautiful switch that had his opponent on his back. From the
top position, Dantas was able to batter Makovsky with strikes,
opening him up to a brilliant arm triangle. Despite his best
efforts to grip his own leg and avoid the submission, Dantas
was able to apply enough pressure to force Makovsky unconscious
at 3:26 of the second round.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fuel 2 Results: Not One Punch This Time, Brad Pickett Wins
by Submission
Brad
Pickett at UFC 138Brad Pickett and Damacio Page were both looking
to rebound from losses at UFC on Fuel TV 2 on Saturday in Stockholm,
but it would be “One Punch” that succeeded in correcting
his course.
Everyone
expected fireworks from this fight, and fireworks is what everyone
got.
Pickett
and Page went toe-to-toe from the opening bell and didn’t
slow the pace the entire fight. While it looked like Page was
gaining the upper hand early in the stand-up, due to a more mixed
arsenal of attacks, Pickett didn’t back down.
Once
the Brit got his takedowns in order, he basically stayed half
a step ahead of Page for the remainder of the fight. Page never
backed down, continually going for submissions from his back
or quickly returning to his feet, throwing bombs, but every time
Page got some momentum going, Pickett would plant him on his
back.
In
round two, while Page still varied his attack more, Pickett started
landing some of the one-punch power he is known for, staggering
Page on numerous occasions.
Eating
a couple of those punches, on wobbly legs, Page dropped for a
takedown, but Pickett sprawled and turned the tables on the way
to the mat, taking Page’s back and sinking his hooks in.
A short time later, he also sunk a rear naked choke that left
Page tapping out.
“It’s
MMA, you shouldn’t be in the sport if you’re not well-versed
at this level,” Pickett said after the fight when asked
about his game plan. “I’m happy to take it wherever
it goes.”
Where
it goes next is the open-ended question. Pickett righted his
ship and will be looking for the next challenge. Page, however,
has now lost three consecutive bouts, this being his return after
a year out of the Octagon to nurse some injuries. He’ll
be wondering if there is another opportunity for him in the UFC,
or if he’ll have to go elsewhere and reload.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFC
on Fuel 2 Results: John Maguire Shows Off Gypsy Jiu-Jitsu to
Submit Johnson
John Maguire admits that sometimes he needs to get hit to wake
up and know he’s in a fight. This time at UFC on Fuel 2,
he had to deal with DaMarques Johnson’s submission attempts
for the alarm to sound, but the Brit who trains in his own art
of ‘Gypsy Jiu-Jitsu’ adapted well.
Johnson
went for an omo plata shoulder lock early in the first round,
but after an intense scramble, Maguire worked his way out and
the ground fight continued.
It
was the second round where Maguire was able to see an opening
and seize control for the finish. After another mad scramble
on the ground, Johnson looked for a kimura.
It
was shades of the first bout between Georges St-Pierre and Matt
Hughes with Maguire knowing how to defend the submission perfectly,
and countered with an armbar of his own.
“The
kimura is normally my favorite move, so I knew the counter. So
I was waiting and waiting till he over committed, and he did,
and I cashed on it,” Maguire said.
Once
the arm was extended it didn’t take long for Johnson to
know he wasn’t getting out and he tapped Maguire’s
leg to signify the end of the fight.
Maguire,
who was sporting black shorts with a pink belt as a show of tribute
to his childhood hero, former WWE champion Bret ‘The Hitman’
Hart, explained the finish as just another example of his ground
fighting artistry.
“That
Kenny, is Gypsy Jiu-Jitsu, that’s what I got, pink belt
and all,” Maguire told UFC commentator Kenny Florian as
he showed off his fight shorts that also featured a pink belt
around them. “Check the belt out, pink belt, Gypsy Jiu-Jitsu
cause that’s how I roll.”
Maguire
may soon need to borrow one of his hero’s monikers as he
could be called ‘The Excellence of Execution’ after
two very impressive wins to start off his UFC career.
There’s
no doubt if timing works out, Maguire might be a prime choice
for the UFC’s return to his home country of England in September.
As for who he faces, Maguire doesn’t care one bit at all.
“I’ll
fight whoever,” said Maguire. “I don’t care.”
Source: MMA Weekly |
Strikeforce:
‘JZ’ going for the submission against Vallie-Flag
Away
from the cages since July 2011, when defeated Bobby Green, Gesias
Cavalcante is about to make his comeback. The tough guy has been
paired up for Strikeforce’s May 19th card, when he will
confront Isaac Vallie-Flag.
Clearly
bothered by the time off, the Brazilian commented on his prep.
However, he highlighted that this time helped him to improve
his game.
“My
preparation is pretty food. I’m getting ready for this return
for a long time. But it turned out to be a good thing actually
because i could take my time to analyze my game and upgrade it.
I’m feeling good”, said the fighter on an interview
with TATAME.
Gesias
never fought Isaac, but he knows his opponent very well. The
Brazilian fought on the same fighting card as his opponent. According
to the Brazilian, the American is a strong guy, who fights until
the very end, and there’s another detail: he doesn’t
lose since 2007.
“He’s
a tough guy. We’ve been on the same card last June. Isaac
fought on a division heavier than mine and now he’s dropping.
Before knowing we would fight each other I was thinking about
other names, but the main thing is to show my potential”.
Not
leaving his roots, Gesias guaranteed he will explore his ground
game but will try to be dynamic when striking to mess with his
opponent’s head.
“I
feel comfortable in any position. I’ll try to be dynamic
on the stand-up, but the ground game is what I’m focused
in. It’s where I come from, it’s my strongest point.
I intend to use the stand-up and then use the Jiu-Jitsu to get
the submission”.
Source: Tatame
|
English
Abu Dhabi champion looks to prove his strength at Worlds
It’s
not every day one of the Queen of England’s subjects competes
for the eyes of the Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi, and Daniel Agard made
the most of it. The blue belt under 73 kg champion now wants
to prove the title was no fluke: he’s going for gold at
the Jiu-Jitsu Worlds, set for June 3 to 6.
“Daniel
is a student of Felipe Souza at BJJ School UK, an affiliate of
my Jiu-Jitsu school in Brazil,” says a joyous José
Henrique “Zé Beleza” Leão Teixeira.
“As
it happens, in England we have the same Future Champions goodwill
project, and Daniel Agard comes from that project. He’s
a really dedicated kid, always trains a lot and deserves this
win. I’ll show up at the Worlds with him and some others…”
promises the Master.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Kauai
Cage Match #12 DVDs
Hi All,
The DVD's will be here in 2 days. Costs are $10 plus $2 shipping.
Locally you can just pick it up at Baby Blutique in Lihue for
$10.
If being shipping I can email you a paypal invoice, just verify
your email and I can send it off asap!
Mahalo and get ready for July 7th, 2012, Rapid Fire, Kauai Cage
Match #13, Kauai Beach resort,
Feel free to contact me if you want to participate in our upcoming
event as a fighter or Sponsor.
Mahalo
for your support!
Aloha
Vance
vance@ainofea.com
|
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.
|
Numbers
Never Lie: UFC 145 Jones vs. Evans
by Damon
Martin
The
reputations of both UFC 145 headliners Jon Jones and Rashad Evans
are well known, but what are the statistics that back up these
two main event fighters?
As
Jones and Evans head towards their showdown at UFC 145, the numbers
never lie about how good these two really are inside the Octagon.
Jon
Jones
First
up, let’s take a look at UFC light heavyweight champion
Jon Jones and what he brings to the table ahead of his fight
with Rashad Evans:
Best
Takedown Accuracy in Division History
Jones
comes from a strong Greco-Roman wrestling background and his
skills have translated very well to MMA. His takedown accuracy
of 63.6% is the very best in light heavyweight history. He’s
already scored 21 takedowns, 4th most in division history, and
his 3.32 takedowns per 15 minutes average is the 4th highest
in division. Aside from winning takedown battles, Jones shows
great control on the ground, spending only 12 seconds in the
UFC on his back.
100%
Takedown Defense
Jones
has never been taken down, an impressive feat considering he’s
fought high level wrestlers like Quinton Jackson, Ryan Bader,
and Jake O’Brien. In the case of O’Brien, who holds
the UFC record with 6.44 takedowns landed per 15 minutes, Jones
defended all four attempts by O’Brien. Jones’ takedown
defense should be one of his biggest weapons when he faces the
takedown-hungry Rashad Evans.
Outlands
Opponents by 2.4 Strikes per Minute
Jones
is known for the unorthodox striking techniques that he displays
in the Octagon, but what may surprise most is that he’s
actually quite efficient in this area. Jones’ strike differential
is 2.40, the fourth best total in UFC history. This means that
Jones lands 2.4 more strikes every minute than he absorbs.
Jon
Jones’ career stats:
Average
fight length: 9:29 (UFC average 9:34)
Knockdown average per 15 minutes: 0.47 (UFC average 0.29)
Strikes landed per minute: 3.82 (UFC average 2.61)
Striking accuracy: 51.9% (UFC average 42%)
Strikes absorbed per minute: 1.42 (UFC average 2.61)
Striking defense: 66.6% (UFC average 58%)
Strike differential +/- : 2.40 (UFC average 0.00)
In
his striking career in the UFC, Jones lands 53% of his strikes
to the head, 25.4% of strikes to the body, and 21.5% to the legs.
Jones strikes at a distance 42.8% of the time, in the clinch
22.4% of the time, and on the ground 34.8% of the time. For his
average time in the cage, Jones has spent 73.4% of his time standing,
26.4% on top, and an amazing 0.2% on his back.
Takedown
average per 15 minutes: 3.32 (UFC average 1.93)
Takedown accuracy: 63.6% (UFC average 41%)
Takedown defense: 100% (UFC average 55%)
Submission attempts per 15 minutes: 1.11 (UFC average 1.06)
Rashad
Evans
Now
let’s take a look at the challenger, former UFC light heavyweight
champion Rashad Evans:
Taken
Down Every Opponent He’s Tried to Get to the Ground
Rashad
Evans’ average of 4.32 takedowns per 15 minutes of fighting
is the 2nd highest average in light heavyweight history. He’s
managed to takedown every single opponent that he has tried to
get to the ground. His takedown accuracy is second only to Jon
Jones, with a 53.3% success rate, 2nd best in division history.
Most
Takedowns in Light Heavyweight History
Rashad
Evans’ 48 career takedowns are more than any light heavyweight
has ever earned, but his approach to takedowns has changed considerably
as his striking has evolved. Evans scored half of his takedowns,
24, in his first 3 light heavyweight fights and the other 24
his in next 10 contests combined. During those 10 fights, his
striking came alive as he recorded 4 of his 5 UFC knockouts.
Third-Best
Striking Defense in Light Heavyweight History
Much
has been made of Rashad Evans’ speed and footwork, and the
numbers back up the hype. Evans’ 66.7% career striking defense
is superb, the 3rd best in light heavyweight history. Remaining
elusive and fleet-of-foot will be helpful skills against someone
with the range and style of Jon Jones.
Rashad
Evans’ career stats:
Average
fight length: 12:59
Knockdown average per 15 minutes: 0.33
Strikes landed per minute: 2.12
Striking accuracy: 39.5%
Strikes absorbed per minute: 1.89
Striking defense: 67.9
Strike differential +/- : 0.23
For
his striking career, Rashad Evans throws an incredible 84.4%
of his shots thrown at the head, while only 11.2% to the body,
and 4.4% to the legs. Even more than his opponent, Evans throws
his strikes at distance 47.3% of the time, with 21% coming from
the clinch and 31.7% on the ground. Evans stands up 71.9% of
the time, 24% of the time on the ground in the top position,
and only 4.1% of his time on the bottom on the ground.
Takedown
average per 15 minutes: 3.96
Takedown accuracy: 53.3%
Takedown defense: 65.7%
Submission attempts per 15 minutes: 0
It
also must be noted that of all UFC light heavyweights in takedown
accuracy, with a minimum of at least 20 takedown attempts, Jones
and Evans rank No. 1 and No. 2 all time. Jones comes in at 63.6%
with Evans at 53.3%, which lands both of them ahead of fighters
like Randy Couture and Stephan Bonnar who are also in the top
five.
Throughout
their UFC careers, Jones and Evans have also faced three common
opponents – Stephan Bonnar, Lyoto Machida, and Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson. Jones defeated all three and finished both Machida and
Jackson. Evans picked up decision wins over Jackson and Bonnar,
while Machida counts as the only loss on his record, being defeated
by the former champion by knockout at UFC 98.
These
are the statistics that two great fighters have compiled as they
head into their epic showdown at UFC 145, and as they say, numbers
never lie.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Text
of Team Diaz rebuttal to Nevada commission
By Zach
Arnold
If
you have not kept up with the details & statements made in
the legal battle between Keith Kizer & the Nevada State Athletic
Commission vs. Nick Diaz & his lawyer Ross Goodman, here
are the necessary primers;
The
second link is the filing that Team Diaz responded to you yesterday
with the following text.
The
first document text here is an attached exhibit filing from Nick
Diaz’s doctor.
Date:
April 6, 2012
To:
Nevada State Athletic Commission
Re:
Nickolas R. Diaz
Dear
Sirs,
I
am a board-certified physician in good standing continuously
licensed to practice medicine, in California for the past 40
yeas. During the previous nine (9) years! have primarily performed
medical cannabis evaluations in accordance with the California
Health & Safety Code 11362.5. After reviewing medical records,
which reveal a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(“ADHI ”), taking a patient history and performing
an examination, I have approved Mr. Diaz’s use of medical
marijuana. this approval to use medical marijuana is not a prescription.
In addition, medical marijuana is not an “over the counter
medication” or “over the counter product” in California,
Further,
pursuant to the Code, I issued a Physician’s Statement dated
June 25, 2009, which states that “[Diaz) has a serious medical
condition which in my professional opinion may benefit from the
use of medical cannabis." The statutory definition of what
constitutes a 'serious medical condition" under this regulation
is a physician's responsibility and not the patient's. The term
is not part of my discussions with my patients. Instead, I focus
on their particular medical problems, the benefits from use of
medical marijuana, what effects a patient may experience, how
to use it safely, etc. Even though the Physician's Statement
does not expire, Mr, Dlaz's ADHD remained unchanged and after
my examination of Mr. Diaz I issued another Physician's Statement
dated February 28, 2012.
As
a physician, ADHD is a persistent condition that qualifies under
the California statutory definition of "serious medical
condition". I believe most lay people would consider "serious"
medical conditions to include cancer, heart attacks, strokes,
a broken neck, AIDS, etc, but would not include ADFFID on that
list.
Sincerely,
Robert
E. Sullivan, MD
In
addition to this letter, there are several footnotes that Ross
Goodman put in the appeal filing that I've decided to separate
from the filing text. Here is the text of said footnotes:
If
Diaz had tested for marijuana, which is not the case and which
is not alleged in the FAC, the NSAC would be required to interpret
its regulations in the absence of any regulations addressing
the legal use of medical marijuana that reflect the intent of
Nevada's legislators to exempt medical marijuana from the class
of "prohibited substances". The issues engaged by such
a hypothetical case do not arise here.
2
In Dr. Sullivan's professional opinion, based upon review of
medical records, patient history and an
examination, Diaz is a qualified patient pursuant to the California
Health & Safety Code to legally use medical marijuana.
3
Dr. Hiatt explained that the trace amount of inactive metabolite
(10 ng/mL above the cut off level) is consistent with marijuana
use eight (8) days before competition. The new physiological
factors resulting from a longer fight coupled with significant
weight loss may have contributed to the elevated levels of inactive
marijuana metabolites detected slightly above the cut-off levels.
4
WADA also promulgates a Code — not adopted by the NSAC in
whole or in part — pursuant to which a sample containing
metabolites of a prohibited substance may be deemed an anti-doping
violation under WADA's rules (at section 2.1.2). The Court of
Arbitration for Sport has not had occasion to consider the argument
that under WADA's Code, an in-competition sample containing non-active
marijuana metabolite does not constitute a violation of the prohibition
on in-competition marijuana use. The Commission may confront
an analogous question if, in the future it elects to revise its
regulations to include metabolites as a basis for disciplinary
action (if, in fact, it has any jurisdiction to do so). However,
this issue does not arise in this case as NAC 467.850 presently
has no analogous provision to section 2.1.2 of the Code.
5.
ADHD falls under the catch all provision which provides for "any
other chronic or persistent medical symptom." See Calif.
Health & Safety Code § 11362.7(h)(12). The medical marijuana
laws plainly provides for "any other illness for which marijuana
provides relief." See Calif Health & Safety Code §
11362.5(b)(1)(A).
6
Under the Statute, Diaz' s physician makes the determination
whether his medical condition qualifies as an "approved
condition." See Calif. Health & Safety Code § 11362.5(b)(l)(A).
In order to comply with the medical marijuana laws, Diaz is only
required to provide written documentation from his physician
who determined that the use of medical marijuana was an appropriate
treatment.
I
decided to put the footnotes here for easier reference as you
read the filing text. Now, here's the text of the latest appealing
filing.
****************
RESP
Ross C. Goodman
Nevada Bar No. 7722
GOODMAN LAW GROUP, P.C.
ross@goodmanlawgroup.com
520 S. Fourth St., 2" Floor
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Telephone: (702) 383-5088
Facsimile: (702) 385-5088
Attorneys for Respondent Nick Diaz
BEFORE
THE NEVADA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION
IN
THE MATTER OF: RESPONSE TO FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT
COMES
NOW, Respondent NICK DIAZ, by and through its attorney of record,
ROSS C. GOODMAN, ESQ., of the Goodman Law Group, P.C., and submits
this Response to the First Amended Complaint ("FAC").
I.
THE FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT DOES NOT ALLEGE ANY FACTS SUPPORTING
THAT DIAZ VIOLATED A RULE
A.
Marijuana Metabolite Is Not a Drug Prohibited by NAG 467 850.
The
after-the-fact allegations impugning Diaz's character serve to
distract from the core issue that Nevada does not prohibit inactive
marijuana metabolites. The applicable rule cited in P18 of the
FAC provides against:
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 injection 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.
See
NAC 467.850(1) (emphasis added).
NAC
467.850 prohibits the use of marijuana before or during a contest
or exhibition where the psychoactive and/or physiological effects
of the drug are active during the contest or exhibition. The
FAC does not make any such allegation against Diaz and does not
include reference to any evidence that could assist in proving
such a violation against Diaz (of which here is none).
The
FAC does not allege a violation of this rule by claiming Diaz
"used" a drug, such as marijuana, but incorrectly relies
on the false premise that "marijuana metabolite" is
itself an unapproved "drug [or injection]“.’ (FAC
¶ 20). However, marijuana metabolite is clearly not a `drug
or injection that has not been approved by the commission”
under NAC 467.850(1) and neither is it included either expressly
or by reference under NAC 467.850(2). Metabolite is not a ‘drug”.
Furthermore, metabolites are neither “administered”
nor “used” (as required for a contravention of NAC467.850(1)),
and hence clearly fall outside the intended scope of the rule.
Diaz neither “used” metabolites nor were metabolites
“administered” to him either before or luring a contest
or exhibition. Furthermore, and independently from the preceding,
interpreting inactive metabolity as an unapproved “drug”
has no rational basis in the principles underlying Nevada’s
anti-doping regime.
Indeed,
neither this Rule nor the Prohibited List published by the World-Anti
Doping agency (“WADA”) and adopted by the NSAC, prohibit
marijuana metabolite. The NSAC is not in the business of regulating
inactive metabolized substances legally consumed outside of competition
especially when such metabolites have no psychoactive ingredient
that would represent a safety risk to a fighter during competition.2
See Letter from Robert Sullivan, M.D. attached as Exhibit “A”.
In
short, the NSAC does not have a Rule (or a rule incorporated
by reference) which prohibits inactive marijuana metabolite.
Consequently, the trace amounts of inactive metabolite detected
after the fight cannot constitute a violation of NAC 467.850.3
B.
Marijuana Metabolite Is Also Not Prohibited by NSAC’s Adoption
of the Prohibited List Published by the World-Anti Doping Agency.
Subsection
2 of the above Rule permits marijuana use outside of competition:
(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.
See
NAC 467.850(2)(f).
The
Prohibited List separates marijuana use into two (2) categories,
permitting such use `out-of-competition” while prohibiting
such use “in-competition.” See Prohibited List. The
policy underlying this distinction recognizes that the psychoactive
and physiological effects of marijuana (“THC”) taken
before competition subside within a couple hours and would have
no impact on a fighter’s safety at a later point in time.
This policy is also consistent with NSAC’s stated goal to
ensure that each “fighter’s health is not compromised.”
See Memorandum May ?4, 2008. In complying with Nevada’s
regulation, Diaz followed a pre-fight protocol of stopping use
of medical marijuana eight (8) days before the competition. This
general practice eliminated any possibility of a potential safety
concern in-competition even though inactive metabolite may be
stored in fat tissues for weeks to months after use.
The
NSAC has not adopted any rule, effected any amendment to an existing
rule, or adopted by reference any WADA regulation, that could
arguably prohibit inactive metabolites resulting from marijuana
use outside of competition.4 As a result, a violation under the
current regulation only applies where marijuana was used immediately
prior to or during the fight. However, such claim is not even
alleged in the FAC and had it been alleged, would be unsupported
by any evidence, as Diaz did not test positive for the active
ingredient of marijuana.
II.
DIAZ MET THE REQUIRED STANDARD: REASONABLE INTERPRETATION OF
COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD PHRASES TO THE BEST OF HIS KNOWLEDGE.
The
FAC alleges that “By answering “No” to one or
more of the questions referenced in paragraph six, DIAZ provided
false or misleading information to the Commission…”
(FAC ¶ 8.)
All
of the answers Diaz provided to the Commission on the Pre-Fight
Questionnaire (“Questionnaire”) were expressly qualified
as “true and accurate to the best of [Diaz's] knowledge.”
In other words, in drafting the Questionnaire, the NSAC expressly
imposes only a standard of good faith (and not, e.g., a physician’s
standard) on unarmed combatants.
The
FAC alleges no facts upon which a finding could be made that
Diaz provided anything other than good faith responses to each
of the questions on the Questionnaire. Absent a finding that
Diaz intended to deceive the Commission in providing the answers
he did, it is not open to the Commission to find that Diaz provided
“false or misleading” information. Diaz makes no representation
on the Questionnaire beyond the representation that each answer
provided is true and accurate “to the best of his knowledge”
— and hence it is only an attack of Diaz’s bona fides
that could form a potential basis for proceeding under this sub-rule
(if there was some factual basis for doing so).
Not
only does the FAC allege no facts which could tend to establish
Diaz’s bad faith in filling out the Questionnaire, but the
answers Diaz provided are precisely those that the NSAC should
have expected where it elected not to provide definitions of
any potential technical terminology on the Questionnaire.
In
the absence of prescribed definitions, Diaz relied on the general
understanding of the terms “prescribed medications”,
“over the counter medication” and “serious medical
illness.” The lack of any other information or guidance
from the NSAC makes it difficult to know what the NSAC actually
intended especially if, in fact, the drafters of the Questionnaire
intended to rely on specialized terms defined in out-of-state
regulations (which is not conceded and is expressly denied).
Before
providing Diaz an opportunity to even respond to such allegations,
the Attorney General’s Office uncharacteristically attacked
Diaz in the media:
“Not
only did Nick Diaz violate the law by testing positive for marijuana
metabolites, but he also lied to the Commission on his Pre-Fight
Questionnaire when he swore that he had not used any prescribed
medications in two weeks before the fight.”
See
Sports.Yahoo.com, Nick Diaz’s Attorney Doesn’t Take
Kindly to Calling His Client a Liar, by Kevin Iole, March 15,
2012 attached as Exhibit `B”.
These
after-the-fact allegations only surfaced after Diaz responded
to the initial Complaint pointing out that the NSAC does not
prohibit marijuana use outside of competition (or inactive marijuana
metabolites).
The
Questionnaire at issue is a one page pre-printed form given at
weigh-ins lacking any definitions, examples or other information
suggesting a specific meaning of a phrase. In the absence of
additional information, the Commission could have had no reasonable
expectation other than that fighters interpret such phrases by
their common meanings. While other interpretations may be possible,
there is no evidence (or facts even alleged in the FAC) to suggest
that Diaz knowingly provided false information. See Barmettler
v. Reno Air, Inc., 114 Nev. 441, 956 P.2d 1382 (1998) (misrepresentation
generally requires one to have communicated information knowing
its falsity); see also BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY 416 (6 ed.
1992) (“false” is defined as “deliberately and
knowingly False … willfully and intentionally untrue …
a thing is called “false” when it is done, or made,
with knowledge, actual or constructive, that it is untrue or
illegal”). This is consistent with the Commission’s
admission that it expected nothing further from Diaz than for
him to provide responses on the Questionnaire to the “best
of [his] knowledge.”
A.
Medical Marijuana Is Not a Prescription or Over-the-Counter Medication.
Diaz
is accused of knowingly providing false information by denying
that medical marijuana is a “prescribed medication.”
However, Diaz interpreted this phrase with the commonly understood
meaning for a “prescription” when a physician orders
medication from a pharmacy. See NRS 453.128 (a prescription is
“an order.. . directly from a physician.. . to a pharmacist).
In Diaz’s experience, marijuana is not legal to prescribe.
See Calif. Health & Safety Code § 11362.5(b)(1)(A) (registration
laws provide for a physician to “recommend” the use
medical marijuana).
Diaz’s
interpretation comports with state registration regulations for
medical marijuana and federal law making it illegal for a physician
to “prescribe” marijuana.
In
the same way, Diaz commonly understands the term “over the
counter medication or product” to mean medications typically
sold or dispensed for sale at a retail store such as a CVS or
Walgreens pharmacy. Diaz reasonably interpreted the phrase to
mean products pharmacists commonly stock on shelves to treat
symptoms for pain relief, allergies, cold/flu, etc. In absence
of any interpretive guidance that the NSAC could have provided
— but did not — or the specific question “Are
you a medical marijuana user,” which the NSAC could have
asked — but did not — Diaz responded by attributing
the common meaning for “prescribed” and “over-the-counter”
medications. At a minimum, there are no facts even alleged in
the FAC to suggest Diaz knowingly provided false information.
B.
Diaz Does Not Consider Attention Deficit Disorder Analogous to
a “Serious” Medical Condition Such As AIDS, Cancer
and Other Life-Threatening or Incapacitating Conditions.
Diaz
has lived with attention deficit disorder for the majority of
his life and does not consider this condition “serious.”
Diaz believes medical conditions are “serious” if they
are incapacitating, life-threatening or results in emergency
treatment or hospitalization. See generally Perry v. Jaguar of
Troy, 353 F.3d 510 (6th Cir. 2003) (held that attention deficit
disorder is not a serious medical condition because it is not
incapacitating); see also NRS 687B.450 (Nevada defines a medical
conditions as serious if they are life threatening).
However,
to suggest that Diaz should have construed this phrase to mean
“as defined by the California Health & Safety Code”
on a Nevada form the day before competing in the welterweight
championship is unreasonable. Further, to impose a duty on Diaz
to have construed the phrase to mean “as defined by the
California Health & Safety Code” in such circumstances
is an error of law. The statutory definition at issue (buried
deep inside the Calif. Health & Safety Code) is imputed to
the physician, not Diaz, based on the physician’s “professional
opinion”.
See
Calif. Health & Safety Code § 11362.7(h); see also Exh.
“A”. The statutory definition lists ten conditions
(including AIDS, cancers, migraines, and severe nausea) but does
not specifically identify attention deficit disorder as a “serious
medical condition.” (5) Id.
Diaz
reasonably believed from his physician that attention deficit
disorder is an “approved condition” qualifying him
to legally use medical marijuana.6 Id. Diaz is a public advocate
of medical marijuana and has given multiple public interviews
about using medical marijuana. It is reasonable to assume that
Diaz certainly would have acknowledged such use had he believed
such information was contemplated. It is fundamentally unfair,
arbitrary and capricious to suggest that Diaz “lied”
on the form when the NSAC failed to define such phrases and only
now assert that they intended a precise meaning pursuant to a
California regulation intended for physicians. Diaz, in good
faith, does not consider his persistent condition of attention
deficit order as a “serious medical illness”, especially
in the context of responding to questions that a reasonable and
objective person would see as relevant to one’s fitness
to compete in less than 24 hours for the UFC interim welter weight
championship.
Absent
proof that Diaz intended to deceive the Commission — i.e.
by providing responses other than information that was true “to
the best of his knowledge” — the Commission cannot
find that Diaz violated NAC 467.885(3). Unless Diaz’s interpretations
of “serious medical illness”, “prescribed medication”,
and “over the counter medication or product” are so
clearly wrong as to constitute sufficient proof of a bad faith
intent to deceive, the Commission must dismiss the allegations
at paragraphs 8 and 23 of the FAC.
Dated
this 11th day of April, 2012.
GOODMAN
LAW GROUP, P.C.
Ross Goodman
Nevada Bar No. 7722
520 South Fourth Street, 2nd Floor
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Attorneys for Respondent Nick Diaz
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
MMA
Roundtable: Alistair Overeem's Defense, Rally for Mark Hunt and
More
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
This
week's MMA Roundtable goes to extremes, showcasing the good and
bad of the sport. On one side, you have the "Rally for Mark
Hunt," a feel-good movement designed to mobilize around
an unlikely possible contender to the UFC heavyweight title.
On the other, we have more about the ongoing PEDs in MMA situation,
with Alistair Overeem preparing to meet with the Nevada state
athletic commission and explain his elevated T/E ratio.
What
case is he going to present? Who knows? He's been completely
mum since the results were released -- not even a single Tweet
-- but from the information we know, we have our suspicions about
his possible explanations.
My
colleague Luke Thomas and I delve into Way-Overeem, discuss whether
Hunt fanatics are on the Mark, and much more. Take it away, Luke.
1.
What will Alistair Overeem's defense be during his NSAC hearing
on April 24th?
Luke
Thomas: I can't possibly imagine, but I suppose there's no harm
in trying. What's baffling about this was that he was clearly
over the legal limit in terms of testosterone coursing through
his body. And he was able to be tested as part of a conditional
license regimen he also agreed to prior to the Lesnar fight.
So we have clear legal threshold being crossed and legitimate
grounds under which to test. The case seems air tight to me,
especially since Overeem never elected to have the B sample tested.
Perhaps
he'll challenge the legal basis under which he was tested. Maybe
he'll suggest he didn't know he couldn't be above 6:1 T/E. It
could be that since English is his second language and commissioner
Pat Lundvall never 'laid a foundation' about his English language
proficiency, Overeem can claim he never understood the legal
documents presented to him.
Either
way, I'm expecting a pretty novel defense. When you're clearly
breaking the rules and yet asking for things the government grants
only as a privilege, you better have one very special ace up
your sleeve.
Mike
Chiappetta: Let's go through this logically. Overeem is not asking
for his B-sample to be tested. There has to be a purpose for
that. What is it? Well, it basically means that he is conceding
that the results are accurate. A B-sample test would trigger
a carbon isotope ratio test, and NSAC would be able to determine
whether the testosterone was synthetic. By not going through
that, he is admitting the original results are correct. So from
there, there are only three options. He can say: 1) his testosterone
levels are naturally high, 2) his epitestosterone levels are
naturally low, or 3) he took testosterone.
Let's
examine each. We can basically throw the first option out the
window immediately because he took three urine tests in the leadup
to UFC 141, and his ratio was within normal range each time.
A drastic change would be unlikely from then until now. The second
option is nearly the same thing. Nevada has tests results that
prove his T/E ratio normal as recently as three months before
his failed test. That leaves option three. I believe Overeem
is going to argue that he was recently diagnosed with low testosterone.
NSAC's
Keith Kizer recently shared the commission's therapeutic use
exemption procedures with MMA Fighting, and those procedures
only require a fighter to submit a TUE application within 20
days of his scheduled fight. That means Overeem can argue that
he wasn't obligated to inform them he was on testosterone at
the time of his March 27 random test, and planned to do so after
collecting all the relevant information.
After
the December testing fiasco, I don't expect NSAC to give him
the benefit of the doubt this time around, but that's the likely
direction it's headed.
2.
"Rally for Mark Hunt." Is this idea pure genius or
totally insane?
Chiappetta:
At the risk of offending an entire movement, I'd say they've
gone a bit loony, but at least it's for a good cause.
Like
them, I appreciate Mark Hunt's strong kickboxing resume, the
fact that he turned his MMA career around, and how he's become
the sport's feel-good story. I also admire his willingness to
scrap anytime against anyone. Those are all wonderful qualities
he brings to the table. But I can't say he's the most qualified
heavyweight to face Junior Dos Santos, and that's a problem when
you're handing out something as important as a title fight opportunity.
While
he has won three in a row, none of those opponents were top 10
at the time. I think former champs Frank Mir and Cain Velasquez
are simply more deserving whether you're basing a pick on recent
history or overall success.
"Rally
for Mark Hunt" has become MMA's "Linsanity" or
"Tebow Time," a cause célèbre that excites
many but doesn't seem likely to have real long-term legs. Then
again, Tim Tebow did win a playoff game, so I suppose anything
is possible. If Hunt gets the call, I won't object, but for now
I'll let the Hunt war wagon pass along without me and wish them
luck in accomplishing their goal.
Thomas:
I'm with Mike on this one. I suppose I admire the fervor, but
this is not a ride I'm trying to catch.
The
movement for Hunt is as much about fan enthusiasm as it is an
act of desperation. There are other, more qualified candidates.
Werdum could possibly be shuffled despite his itinerary. Mir
and Velasquez are also infinitely more deserving. Hunt's on the
list after three wins, but he's much closer to the bottom than
the top. And he's only even at the bottom of the list because
of the mess Overeem has created.
Part
of me just feels like Hunt's fans are sadists. That isn't to
say he has zero chance of winning, but if we're talking about
the most likely outcome, it's the kind where Hunt gets hurt significantly
more than JDS. Did people forget a middleweight in Melvin Manhoef
turned Hunt's lights out in under a round? Sorry, but if you're
a real Mark Hunt fan, you want to see him in competitive affairs,
not the bad end of a Mortal Kombat fatality.
3.
Should Cris "Cyborg" be cut from Strikeforce after
her year-long suspension was upheld?
Thomas:
Probably not. Is Strikeforce really in a position to be cutting
people, especially those with some measure of name value or who
can contribute in potentially lucrative fights?
I
don't know what the right punishment is. Is it six months and
a fine? Just a fine? What about a stern talking to? It feels
like there's really never any consistency athlete to athlete,
promotion to promotion when it comes to testing positive for
performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). There's precedent to go in
virtually any direction.
The
sad reality is MMA exists in a space where it cannot be absolutist
about PEDs. It's irrational to think you can run a high-level
MMA organization and simply cut those who pop positive, no questions
asked. I'm not saying we have a responsibility to tolerate outright
drug abuse or that there isn't a tipping point. But major promotions
who risk losing major fights do not have the luxury to jettison
those who run afoul of commissions for using testosterone, steroids
or whatever else is banned. These people are necessary for keeping
the organization afloat. What's the old saying? Don't cut off
your nose to spite your face.
Chiappetta:
The hard thing about answering a question like this is the double
penalties that would be involved. Cyborg faced the California
state athletic commission and received a one-year suspension
and was fined $2,500. Those are pretty significant penalties.
Beyond that, she was stripped of her Strikeforce featherweight
championship.
For
the promotion to also fire her would be understandable. It would
send a much-needed message that no one is untouchable, but it's
the same stand they could have taken with Chael Sonnen or Thiago
Silva or Alistair Overeem or Chris Leben, and the list goes on.
At some point it's going to have to be a card they have to play.
Employing
a one-strike-and-you're-out policy is a powerful statement but
it also may be excessively punitive. Even the internationally
recognized World Anti-Doping Agency sides with a bit of mercy,
with a two-year ban from competition its punishment of choice.
That seems about right.
4.
Dana White said this week that UFC 146's Cain Velasquez vs. Frank
Mir will still happen. If neither of them replaces Overeem, who
will?
Chiappetta:
Four words: "Card subject to change." That applies
to White's mind as well. Perhaps the UFC boss is trying to stay
positive with Overeem's NSAC hearing coming up. The UFC, which
submitted Overeem's licensing application to NSAC, is seemingly
supporting his bid for licensure. They're not ready to throw
in the towel and say Overeem vs. dos Santos isn't happening.
That's their prerogative, but you can bet your last dollar that
they're making contingency plans if Overeem's bid is, as expected,
denied.
I
still contend that the most obvious pick, Frank Mir, will get
the call. He's already voiced a willingness to take the fight,
even on short notice. But since this question is hypothetical,
and in this scenario neither of them does get the call, I'm going
to guess it's Fabricio Werdum. White does follow his emotion
at times, so if he's moved by the "Rally for Mark Hunt"
movement, maybe he goes with the ultimate dark horse. Or maybe
he gives Dan Henderson a chance to win a major title in a third
weight class. But Werdum is the highest-ranked heavyweight after
the Dos Santos-Overeem and Velasquez-Mir pairings, and so he
probably deserves the call before anyone else.
Thomas:
The maxim everyone should remember is this: the UFC needs to
put on fights the fans want to pay money to see. That makes the
case for a virtual unknown to the casual fanbase in Mark Hunt
almost impossible, but in fairness, it's not like the other choices
are pop culture superstars.
Again,
I'll have to tip my hat to my colleague Mike. I say Mir gets
the call. He's got some casual fan recognition, is 'deserving'
of the placement all things considered and can carry the responsibilities
(media and otherwise) of a headliner.
I'm
not the biggest fan of the Dan Henderson option, although I don't
think it's the worst option either. And if Mark Hunt did get
the call, that's obviously great news for him. But I'm betting
White has suggested Mir vs. Velasquez is still on because a)
he hasn't cancelled it yet and b) UFC is helping Overeem obtain
a license in Nevada. Until Overeem's situation is definitively
changed, why wouldn't White say Mir vs. Velasquez is still on?
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Jay
Glazer: UFC Fighters Have Become Heroes to the NFL’s Best
by Damon
Martin
“We
can be heroes just for one day”
~ David Bowie
Growing
up as kids just about everybody looks at a professional athlete
as a hero or person they could one day aspire to be like.
Whether
you wanted to throw a football like Joe Montana or shoot a basketball
like Michael Jordan, almost everyone admired some sports figure.
But what about those great players who actually did throw that
football or score that basket, who were they looking up to?
Well,
with the growth of mixed martial arts over the last several years,
the sport of professional football has apparently taken quite
a liking to the fighters in the UFC and other promotions.
According
to NFL Insider and UFC on Fuel TV host Jay Glazer, the NFL’s
best are looking at the UFC’s top fighters as the ones they
admire the most.
“Pro
athletes from mainstream sports, they look up to UFC fighters,”
Glazer explained to MMAWeekly.com. “I’ll never forget,
five years ago, whenever it was, I get a call from Mike McCarthy,
the head coach of the (Green Bay) Packers, he said hey you’re
pretty cool with Randy Couture right? I said yeah I’m pretty
cool with Randy Couture, we’ve got this business together,
and he says oh man me and (Brett) Favre are huge fans of his,
can you get him out here to give our pre-game speech?
“I’m
like you and Brett Favre are huge fans of Randy Couture? He says
‘oh Favre raves about him, that’s the guy Brett Favre
looks up to.’ Even our sports heroes need sports heroes
and these UFC fighters are their sports heroes.”
Glazer
says the crossover of MMA into pro football has gotten so crazy
over the last few years that his two jobs have become one on
an almost daily basis.
Glazer
splits his time between his role as an NFL insider for Fox Sports,
and as a broadcaster for the UFC shows on Fox, Fuel and FX, but
even during a crucial time like NFL training camps, it’s
all he can do to keep the players, coaches and executives from
grilling him about the latest goings on in the world of MMA.
“When
I used to go around for Fox to these different training camps,
my 40-day NFL training camp tour, and I’ll visit 27 teams
in 40 days, it used to be 95-percent NFL questions: What’s
going on here? What’s happening there? What’s going
on in this place? I saw a huge change about five years ago where
I started going around to these teams and nobody wants to talk
to me about football anymore. Nobody cares,” said Glazer.
“All
they wanted to know was hey what kind of guy is Chuck (Liddell),
how is Randy (Couture), who’s the next great thing, hey
Georges St-Pierre, what makes him so great? That’s all guys
in the NFL wanted to talk about.”
As
Glazer explains it, the crossover of the UFC into the NFL’s
best and brightest truly shows the sport has caught hold as a
mainstream success. That’s one of the reasons he mentions
sports like football during his commentary for the UFC.
“That’s
why I talk about it a lot during the broadcasts and I know some
fans get all pissy because I’ll mention the NFL or baseball
or something, but I do it because I’m trying to show that
this is mainstream, it’s on the same level,” Glazer
stated.
Of
course there are more than a few NFL players that have dabbled
in mixed martial arts during their down time. Glazer himself
has trained several NFL pro bowl players including Super Bowl
champion Clay Matthews and many others.
But
for the tough nose, smash mouth mentality of the NFL, most players
aren’t ready to jump in the cage just yet and try to do
what their heroes in the UFC do.
Well
except for one incident involving a Pro Bowl linebacker from
the San Francisco 49ers.
“None
of them want to get punched in the face. We let Jared Allen,
cause Jared Allen’s out of his freaking mind. But we let
Patrick Willis. Patrick Willis is the second guy we trained,
and after a month he was begging us ‘c’mon you’ve
got to let me spar.’ I said Patrick, you’re not sparring
anybody. You’ve been doing this for a month; these guys
have been doing this their whole lives. You’re not sparring
anybody,” Glazer said telling the story.
“He’s
like you’ve got to let me spar, you’ve got to let me
do it. So we said alright Patrick and we let him spar against
Gray Maynard, and Gray beat the dog piss out of Patrick. It was
hilarious. Patrick still says he’s never been beaten so
bad in his life.”
So
it might be quite some time before Willis or any other NFL star
tries their hand at actually stepping in the cage, but it doesn’t
mean they won’t continue to admire and look up to the best
fighters in the world competing in the UFC.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Waiting
for Overeem
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
The
biggest problems in our lives are usually the ones we make for
ourselves. Alistair Overeem has recently had a rough stretch
of time. Within the span of a few months, he nearly missed out
on a No. 1 contender match with Brock Lesnar after a drug testing
debacle, engaged in a messy, ongoing lawsuit with his longtime
team Golden Glory, faced a possible jail term for a battery charge,
and flunked a random drug screening.
Luck
may or may not be a real thing, but such a confluence of events
can't simply be chalked up to coincidence. Despite it all, Overeem
is still trudging forward with the belief he will be licensed
to fight current champion Junior dos Santos. As far as most MMA
observers go, that's the only thing that matters. It's a big
deal in the fight world, but only because of the state of suspension
it's placed us in. Will he or won't he get to fight?
This
is crazy. How bizarre is this situation, where everything revolves
around Overeem?
Let's
move out of the Overeem bubble for a second to see how this affects
other people. First and foremost, there is Dos Santos, the classy
and clean champion who has no idea who he will be fighting on
May 26. Then, there are fans interested in buying tickets who
aren't quite sure what they'll see when they arrive in Las Vegas.
Then, there are the few fighters who may be in line to possibly
step in and face Dos Santos. And finally, there is the UFC, who
cannot promote one of their biggest events of the year because
they are in a holding pattern.
Admittedly,
at this point, it is a problem of the UFC's choosing. They could
pull Overeem out of the fight if they wanted to, after his first
test showed a testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio of 14:1.
They've done it with both lesser and similar transgressions.
Late last year, they removed Nick Diaz from a title match for
missing two press conferences. In February 2011, they removed
Thiago Silva from a proposed bout with Quinton "Rampage"
Jackson after Silva's sample from a January drug test was detected
to contain non-human urine. At the time, there were still three
months to go until the May fight date, but they didn't bother
to wait around for his B-sample result or hearing. So there is
precedent. It's just that the UFC has decided to play the waiting
game and hope for the most beneficial result.
If
that sounds like Overeem's getting the superstar treatment, it's
because he is. Even if it's to the detriment of anyone else.
At least Dos Santos has stood up for himself. On Wednesday, he
told Brazilian news site Globo that he wants to know "as
soon as possible" who his opponent is. That's only fair.
After all, he is the champion. He has done nothing wrong, yet
he is in as big a state of flux as anyone else. That hardly seems
just.
In
the balance of what's fair for Overeem, it is Dos Santos who
is getting overlooked the most. If his opponent changes from
Overeem to Frank Mir, it would be a significant change, and one
he won't have much time to prepare for. But it will also affect
whoever replaces him. If Mir get the slot, who does Velasquez
fight? And the aftershocks go on and on.
This
case is about Overeem, but his fate affects so many others. While
he waits, they wait, too. The only difference is, nobody notices
them.
Meanwhile,
here's what else is going on with Overeem's case.
Frank
Mir ready for anything
While the UFC is still operating under the hope that Overeem
will be cleared to fight, they have at least unofficially touched
base with Frank Mir's team. Mir's manager Malki Kawa told MMA
Fighting that he agrees with the UFC's decision to wait, saying
it's the same consideration he'd hope to receive for one of his
own fighters. That said, they're preparing for the possibility
that Overeem is ruled out.
"The
only thing we've been told briefly is to be ready for anything
because anything can happen," Kawa said. "So we've
instructed Frank to continue training for Cain [Velasquez] with
the idea that he's probably going to fight Junior dos Santos.
They haven't told us he's in line for it. They basically told
us they have to wait for the Overeem decision. If he gets denied
for his licensure, I'm expecting Frank to get jumped up and get
that title shot. But all I've been told is to be prepared for
anything."
Overeem's
lawyered up
The heavyweight has retained a legal heavyweight, Nevada lawyer
David Chesnoff to represent him in his upcoming NSAC hearing.
Chesnoff
has a reputation for getting high-profile cases in Las Vegas.
He's represented Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Paris Hilton,
Suge Knight, Bruno Mars and Vince Neil, among others. He was
also Overeem's lawyer during a March battery sentencing hearing,
in which the Dutch star was sentenced to 50 hours of community
service and anger management counseling. Overeem is due back
in court for that same case on September 26.
Growing
speculation of TRT defense
Overeem still hasn't made a peep since his test results were
made public, but there's a growing belief by some that he will
present a case that centers around therapeutic usage of testosterone.
The Nevada state athletic commission's TUE procedures require
a fighter to apply for an exemption within 20 days of a fight.
If Overeem presents a TRT defense, he could say he was not required
to inform them of his use at the time of his March 27 test. If
employed, it will be a risky strategy, but he may have some wiggle
room. In standard pre-fight drug tests, athletes fill out questionnaires
that ask them to list any medications they are taking. In a form
such as that, he would have been required to list TRT or any
other drug he was being prescribed. But NSAC executive director
Keith Kizer confirmed to MMA Fighting that during the March test,
there were no questionnaires given to the fighters.
NSAC
meeting on April 17
One week prior to the Overeem hearing, NSAC's medical advisory
panel meets. Among the items on the agenda? Refocusing on the
commission's TUE policy. No word on if this relates directly
to Overeem, but these high-profile cases certainly help influence
policy going forward.
Meanwhile,
Overeem waits. The others wait, too, silently and ignored, for
a decision that will have ripple effects on an entire division
and an entire sport.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
UFC:
Jose Aldo not matched up for UFC 149
By Guilherme
Cruz
UFC
announced 20 days ago that Jose Aldo will defend his title at
UFC 149, event slated for July 21, but they haven’t named
his opponent yet.
“The
fight is confirmed for this date, but I don’t have a clue
about the name”, reveals Andre Pederneiras, manager of the
champion, to TATAME.
Everything
points out for Hatsy Hioki as the next contender to the Brazilian’s
title, since the Japanese is coming from a win over Bart Palaszewski.
Other
possible names are Dustin Poirer and Chan Sung Jung, who fight
at UFC on Fuel TV 3, but they would have to fight a couple of
months after meeting each other.
“I
have no idea, but there are like five, six names… We’re
waiting for anyone, but it’s not confirmed”.
Source:
Tatame
|
UFC
Supports International MMA Federation With Olympic Aspirations
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship on Thursday officially threw its
support behind the creation of the new International Mixed Martial
Arts Federation (IMMAF).
The
UFC statement said the promotion “wholeheartedly supports
this new initiative as well as its leader, IMMAF President August
Wallén, who will spearhead the initial growth of this
Federation.”
Wallén
is a mixed martial arts trainer, who also holds a 6-1 professional
record in the sport, as well as a 4-1 amateur record.
IMMAF,
through the organization of national mixed martial arts federations,
hopes to enable the possibility of international amateur competitions
with a common set of rules and regulations, furthering the growth
and development of the sport on a worldwide level.
One
of IMMAF’s primary goals is to help MMA become and Olympic
sport.
“In
order to maintain the successful growth of our sport, it is important
to invest in resources that will develop and cultivate it at
an amateur level,” said UFC chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta.
“Having an umbrella organization that will oversee and help
build the sport on a global level will not only provide advanced
and ever-improving safety standards, but will also create a unified
global model to help introduce the sport to new markets. It is
our hope that it will also take us one step closer to witnessing
the inclusion of the sport of MMA on the Olympic programme.”
“The
creation of this organization is long overdue,” said Marc
Ratner, UFC Senior Vice President of Government and Regulatory
Affairs. “MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world
and we support the Federation’s focus on providing a globally
unified set of rules and safety measures to help keep all fighters
safe. While there are many obstacles ahead in the formation of
this international organization, we are confident of the outcomes
and advancements this group will make for the future of our sport.”
The
UFC has long been committed to the growth and development of
the sport of MMA, consistently pushing its brand across the globe.
The UFC broadcasts in over 150 countries and territories, to
nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages,
with more than 30 live events annually worldwide.
To
learn more about the International MMA Federation visit www.immaf.org.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
California
Assembly Bill could give fighters new rights, challenge UFC contracts
By Zach
Arnold
Our
friend Rob Maysey pointed out recent developments in California
that deserve your attention.
Luis
A. Alejo, California Assemblymember (Democrat, 28th district
– Salinas), is proposing big changes to Assembly Bill 2100.
The bill, which is a Bill of Rights for both professional boxers
& Mixed Martial Arts fighters, currently is laid out as the
following according to this AB 2100 fact sheet.
CALIFORNIA
LEGISLATURE
LUIS
A. ALEJO, Assemblymember, 28th District
STATE
CAPITOL
Room 2137
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 319-2028 Phone
(916) 319-2128 Fax
DISTRICT
OFFICE
100 West Alisal Street
Suite 134
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 759-8676 Phone
(831) 759-2961 Fax
AB
2100: Professional Bill of Rights for MMA Athletes Fact Sheet
Summary
AB
2100 authorizes the State Athletic Commission to revoke or refuse
to renew the license of any mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter
in California that participates in coercive and unfair contracting
practices. This bill also extends the scope of the Boxers’
Pension Plan to include professional MMA fighters licensed in
California.
Purpose
The
purpose of the bill is to prevent the mistreatment of MMA fighters
in California by banning certain exploitative contracting practices
that violate athletes’ freedom to work and their ability
to support their families. Many California MMA fighters have
retired after suffering multiple concussions, bone fractures,
muscle tears, nerve damage and spine injuries, which threaten
their ability to earn a living and support their families as
they grow older. AB 2100 enables MMA fighters to benefit from
the pension fund that has been available to boxers in the state
since 1981.
Background
Mixed
martial arts, also known as MMA, is one of the fastest growing
sports in the world. Many of the most talented and well-known
professional fighters in the sport live in California and are
licensed to compete in events held in this state. Since 2006,
California has hosted more than 60 professional MMA events, making
California a center of the mixed-martial arts world.
Fighters
licensed in California who compete in these contests often undergo
years of demanding training, and risk serious injury. Despite
these physical risks, California MMA fighters have no pension
benefits and limited protection against exploitation. Promoters
often require that MMA fighters in California agree to coercive
and oppressive contract terms that can include exclusivity clauses,
unlimited merchandise rights agreements and legal waivers among
other things.
This
bill will protect professional MMA fighters from unethical business
practices and would extend legal protection currently afforded
to professional boxers by the Boxers’ Pension Plan and the
Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000.
For
more information on this bill, please contact Erika Bustamante
at (916) 319-2028, e-mail erika.bustamante@asm.ca.gov.
*************
Now
that you’ve seen the fact sheet for AB 2100, you have a
sense of what the legislation is about. However, this week new
changes were proposed by Assemblyman Alejo to AB 2100 that would
change the landscape in a significant way. The proposed changes
could give California MMA fighters a significant boost in terms
of contractual rights and would take away some legitimate power
from the major player(s) in MMA.
Let’s
just say that Zuffa (UFC) will not be very happy about the proposed
contractual changes. The proposed changes in this bill could
spark a legal battle given that UFC contracts establish jurisdiction
in Las Vegas, so how would a Zuffa fighter based in California
be able to legally challenge the terms of the Zuffa contracts?
Here
is the amended Assembly Bill 2100 text, which displays what the
changes would look like to the bill:
AMENDED
IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2012
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2012
ASSEMBLY
BILL No. 2100
Introduced
by Assembly Member Alejo
February 23, 2012
An
act to amend Sections 18849, 18880, 18881, 18882, 18884, and
18887 of, and to add Section 18649 to, the Business and Professions
Code, relating to athletes, and making an appropriation therefor.
AB
2100, as amended, Alejo. Athletes: mixed martial arts fighters.
Existing
law, the State Athletic Commission Act, creates the State Athletic
Commission and makes it responsible for licensing and regulating
boxing, kickboxing, and martial arts matches and wrestling exhibitions.
Existing law prohibits a promoter from having a proprietary interest
in a boxer or mixed martial arts fighter without the approval
of the commission. Existing law creates the continuously appropriated
Boxers’ Pension Fund and requires the commission to establish
a pension plan for boxers and to deposit the moneys collected
by the pension plan into the fund.
This
bill would require a promoter to provide specified written and
sworn statements regarding his or her financial interests to
the commission before the promoter can receive compensation from
a boxing or mixed martial arts contest. By requiring a statement
to be made under penalty of perjury, the bill would expand that
crime and would thereby impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would also require the commission to revoke or refuse
to renew the license of a mixed martial arts promoter who enters
into a coercive contract, as defined, with a mixed martial arts
fighter, who has been convicted of a felony or a gross misdemeanor,
or who has been subject to specified law enforcement actions,
investigations, or allegations. This bill would require the commission
to establish a professional code of conduct for licensees. This
bill would also extend the scope of the Boxers’ Pension
Plan to include professional mixed martial arts fighters and
would
rename the fund as the Boxers’ and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’
Pension Fund. By providing for new moneys to be deposited in
a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation.
The
California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This
bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
Vote:
majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated
local program: yes.
The
people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION
1. Section 18649 is added to the Business and Professions Code,
to read:
18649.
(a) The commission shall revoke or refuse to renew the license
of any mixed martial arts promoter that enters into a contract
with a mixed martial arts fighter in the state of California
if the contract contains one or more coercive provisions. A contract
provision shall be considered coercive to the extent that it
does any of the following:
(1)
Assigns any future merchandising rights to a promoter beyond
the term of the promotional contract.
(2) Automatically renews the contract or extends the term without
good faith, arms-length negotiation.
(3) Grants the promoter a right to match the terms of a competing
offer or contract.
(4) Grants the promoter a right to enter into exclusive negotiations
with a mixed martial arts fighter.
(5) Restricts a mixed martial arts fighter from sponsoring another
firm, product, or individual.
(6) Requires a mixed martial arts fighter to relinquish any legal
claims for negligence that the fighter has, or may acquire in
the future, against the promoter.
(7) Restricts a mixed martial arts fighter from contracting with
another promoter.
(8) Requires a mixed martial arts fighter to forfeit any rights
as a condition precedent to the fighter’s participation
in a contest.
(b) The commission shall revoke or refuse to renew the license
of any promoter if it finds that the promoter, or any person
or entity that is a partner, agent, employee, stockholder, or
associate of the promoter, has been convicted of a felony or
a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude in any jurisdiction;
is currently the subject of a state or federal criminal investigation;
has been subject to a state or federal tax lien within the past
five years; has failed to respond to a subpoena issued by any
government agency; has been found to have violated any local,
state, or federal law; has been sanctioned by a local, state,
or federal judge; or has been credibly alleged to have violated
international human rights standards.
(c)
To ensure that individuals and entities licensed under this act
observe common standards of decency, the commission shall, in
consultation with the Association of Boxing Commissioners, establish
a professional code of ethical conduct. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this code, the commission shall enforce the code
of ethical conduct.
SEC.
2. Section 18849 of the Business and Professions Code is amended
to read:
18849.
No promoter, nor any person having a proprietary interest in
the promoter, shall have, either directly or indirectly, any
proprietary interest in a boxer or martial arts fighter competing
on the premises owned, leased, or rented by the promoter without
written approval from the commission. No promoter shall be entitled
to receive any compensation directly or indirectly in connection
with a contest until the promoter provides to the commission
the following:
(a)
A copy of any agreement in writing to which the promoter is a
party with any professional athlete or contestant licensed under
this act.
(b)
A statement made under penalty of perjury that there are no other
agreements, written or oral, between the promoter and the athlete
with respect to that contest.
(c)
All fees, charges, and expenses that will be assessed by or through
the promoter on the athlete participating in the event, including
any portion of the athlete’s purse that the promoter will
receive.
(d)
Any reduction in the athlete’s purse contrary to a previous
agreement between the promoter and the athlete.
SEC.
3. Section 18880 of the Business and Professions Code is amended
to read:
18880.
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1)
That professional athletes licensed under this chapter, as a
group, for many reasons, do not retain their earnings, and are
often injured or destitute, or both, and unable to take proper
care of themselves, whether financially or otherwise, and that
the enactment of this article is to serve a public purpose by
making provisions for a needy group to insure a modicum of financial
security for professional athletes.
(2) Athletes licensed under this chapter may suffer extraordinary
disabilities in the normal course of their trade. These may include
acute and chronic traumatic brain injuries, resulting from multiple
concussions as well as from repeated exposure to a large number
of subconcussive punches, eye injuries, including retinal tears,
holes, and detachments, and other neurological impairments.
(3) The pension plan of the commission is part of the state’s
health and safety regulatory scheme, designed to protect boxers
and mixed martial arts fighters licensed under this chapter from
the health-related hazards of their trade. The pension plan addresses
those health and safety needs, recognizing the disability and
health maintenance expenses those needs may require.
(4) The regulatory system of California is interrelated with
the conduct of the trade in every jurisdiction. Athletes licensed
under this chapter participate in contests in other states and
many athletes who are based in those other jurisdictions may
participate in California on a single-event basis.
(5) The outcomes and natures of fights in other jurisdictions
are relevant to California regulatory jurisdiction and are routinely
monitored for health and safety reasons, so that, for example,
a knockout of an athlete licensed under this chapter in another
jurisdiction is paid appropriate heed with respect to establishing
a waiting period before that athlete may commence fighting in
California.
(6) The monitoring of other jurisdictions is an integral part
of the health and safety of California athletes licensed under
this chapter due to the interstate nature of the trade, and therefore
the regulatory scheme for contests and athletes under this chapter
should reflect this accordingly.
(7) Some mixed martial arts promoters licensed under this chapter
engage in certain exploitative, oppressive, and coercive contractual
practices that violate athletes’ freedom to work and their
ability to support themselves and their families as professional
athletes.
(8) It is necessary and appropriate to establish standards to
protect the rights and welfare of mixed martial arts fighters
licensed under this chapter from unscrupulous promoters and coercive
contractual practices.
(b) The provisions of this article pertain only to professional
boxers and mixed martial arts fighters licensed under this chapter.
SEC.
4. Section 18881 of the Business and Professions Code is amended
to read:
18881.
(a) The commission shall, consistent with the purposes of this
article, establish a pension plan for professional boxers and
professional mixed martial arts fighters who engage in boxing
or mixed martial arts contests in this state.
(b)
The commission shall, consistent with the purposes of this article,
establish the method by which the pension plan will be financed,
including those who shall contribute to the financing of the
pension plan. The method of financing the pension plan may include,
but is not limited to, assessments on tickets and contributions
by boxers, mixed martial arts fighters, managers, promoters,
or any one or more of these persons, in an amount sufficient
to finance the pension plan. Any promoter that receives a fee
for televising a boxing or mixed martial arts contest performed
in the State of California on a pay-per-view or network telecast
shall pay 5 percent of the gross receipts from the telecast,
exclusive of federal, state, or local taxes, into the Boxers’
and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’ Pension Fund. For purposes
of this section, the term “sufficient” means that the
annual contributions shall be calculated to achieve no less than
the average level of annual aggregate pension plan contributions
from all sources for the period from July 1, 1981, through December
31, 1994, and adjusted thereafter to reflect changes in the Consumer
Price Index for California as set forth by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
(c)
Any pension plan established by the commission shall be actuarially
sound.
SEC.
5. Section 18882 of the Business and Professions Code is amended
to read:
18882.
(a) At the time of payment of the fee required by Section 18824,
a promoter shall pay to the commission all amounts scheduled
for contribution to the pension plan. If the commission, in its
discretion, requires pursuant to Section 18881, that contributions
to the pension plan be made by the boxer or mixed martial arts
fighter and his or her manager, those contributions shall be
made at the time and in the manner prescribed by the commission.
(b)
The Boxers’ Pension Fund is hereby continued in existence
and renamed as the Boxers’ and Mixed Marital Arts Fighters’
Pension Fund. All contributions to finance the pension plan shall
be deposited in the State Treasury and credited to the Boxers’
and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’ Pension Fund. Notwithstanding
the provisions of Section 13340 of the Government Code, all moneys
in the Boxers’ and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’ Pension
Fund are hereby continuously appropriated to be used exclusively
for the purposes and administration of the pension plan.
(c)
The Boxers’ and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’ Pension
Fund is a retirement fund, and no moneys within it shall be deposited
or transferred to the General Fund.
(d)
The commission has exclusive control of all funds in the Boxers’
and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’ Pension Fund. No transfer
or disbursement in any amount from this fund shall be made except
upon the authorization of the commission and for the purpose
and administration of the pension plan.
(e)
Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, the commission
or its designee shall invest the money contained in the Boxers’
and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’ Pension Fund according
to the same standard of care as provided in Section 16040 of
the Probate Code. The commission has exclusive control over the
investment of all moneys in the Boxers’ and Mixed Martial
Arts Fighters’ Pension Fund. Except as otherwise prohibited
or restricted by law, the commission may invest the moneys in
the fund through the purchase, holding, or sale of any investment,
financial instrument, or financial transaction that the commission
in its informed opinion determines is prudent.
(f)
The administrative costs associated with investing, managing,
and distributing the Boxers’ and Mixed Martial Arts Fighters’
Pension Fund shall be limited to no more than 20 percent of the
average annual contribution made to the fund in the previous
two years, not including any investment income derived from the
corpus of the fund. Diligence shall be exercised by administrators
in order to lower the fund’s expense ratio as far below
20 percent as feasible and appropriate. The commission shall
report to the Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions, and Consumer
Protection on the impact of this provision during the next regularly
scheduled sunset review after January 1, 2007.
SEC.
6. Section 18884 of the Business and Professions Code is amended
to read:
18884.
(a) A promoter may, but is not required to, add to the price
of each ticket sold for a professional boxing or professional
mixed martial arts contest, an amount specifically designated
on the ticket for contribution as a donation, either or both,
to the pension plan established pursuant to Section 18881. The
additional amount shall not be subject to the admissions tax
required by Section 18824 or any other deductions. Nothing in
this section shall authorize the addition of such amounts to
less than all the tickets sold for the professional boxing or
professional mixed martial arts contest involved. The promoter
shall pay additional contributions collected in accordance with
Section 18881.
(b)
Any additional contributions received pursuant to this section
shall not be considered to offset any of the contributions required
by the commission under Section 18881.
SEC.
7. Section 18887 of the Business and Professions Code is amended
to read:
18887.
In addition to any other form in which retirement benefits may
be distributed under the pension plan, the commission may, in
its discretion, award to a covered boxer or a covered mixed martial
arts fighter, a medical early retirement benefit in the amount
contained in the covered boxer’s or covered mixed martial
arts fighter’s pension plan account at the time the commission
makes this award and in the manner provided in the regulations
governing the boxers’ and mixed martial arts fighters’
pension plan. This benefit shall be in lieu of a pension.
SEC.
8. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section
6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the
only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district
will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction,
eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for
a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
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
|
Source: Romolo Barros
|
The
media is again trying to put MMA in a bad light. Corbit Ahn fights
one time and loses via TKO in the 1st round (against Gino Venti
in Destiny MMA: Pier Fighter 1, 11/15/08) and he is referenced
as a “MMA fighter.” That is BS sensationalism. I rode
a dirt bike once so does that make me a Motocross rider? What
else have I done once that would automatically make me?
Man
found guilty of murder, sex assault in teen killing
Trial
for a man accused of murdering an 18-year-old woman in Kalihi
began Thursday.
HONOLULU -
A man accused of killing an 18-year-old Kalihi woman was found
guilty of second-degree murder and third-degree sexual assault
by an Oahu jury Monday.
Corbit
Ahn, a mixed-martial arts fighter, faces life in prison without
the possibility of parole.
An extended sentencing hearing for Ahn is set for July.
Court records show Ahn was on probation since 2007 for two class
C felonies: breaking into a car and assault.
The
body of Iris Rodrigues-Kaikana was found near an alley at Kamehameha
Housing, where she lived, in Kalihi in August 2009.
Prosecutors
said Ahn was drinking all day and strangled her after she refused
his sexual advances. Ahn's DNA was found on Rodrigues-Kaikana's
body. Prosecutors also said he argued with his wife on the night
of the murder and she threatened to leave him.
Witnesses
said they saw Ahn pushing Rodrigues-Kaikana around earlier that
night at her best friend's home.
The
defense said the pushing was playful and the two of them went
outside and sat down together.
Ahn's
attorney said the police investigation was shoddy and investigators
didn't consider other suspects. The defense also said the prosecution
didn't have the evidence to support the charge.
Source:
The Hawaii Channel
|
UFC
on Fuel 2 Predictions
By Luke
Thomas - Senior Editor
The
long absence of UFC-event weekends is officially coming to a
close this Saturday. On top of that, the UFC returns to Europe,
this time making their debut in Sweden. That's important because
it's the home of headliner and rising MMA contender Alexander
Gustafsson. He'll lock horns with American Top Team's Thiago
Silva, who returns to action for the first time since being suspended
by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for PED-related test
infraction. Silva also took the time to heal from a nagging back
injury.
Can
the Swede make good on the promise of expectations? Will he be
the first fighter other than former UFC light heavyweight champions
Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida to defeat Silva? Or can the ATT
light heavyweight stalwart return to form after a lengthy layoff.
We'll
attempt to answer those questions and more as we predict the
winners at UFC on FUEL TV 2.
What:
UFC on FUEL TV 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva
When:
Saturday, the Facebook fights begin at 12:30 PM ET, the main
card on Fuel begins at 3 pm ET.
Where:
Ericsson Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Predictions
on the six television fights below.
Alexander
Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva
As
I've previously discussed, there could be a path to defeating
Silva that uses a healthy mix of takedowns and strikes. Either
way, though, I don't think we're going to see Gustafsson have
too much trouble. He isn't a blitzkrieg fighter, which is a good
thing. He is more patient with his opportunities and I think
either striking or with offensive grappling he's going to pressure
Silva into a mistake. I also cannot ignore the time lost Silva
had both in his suspension and with his back injury. Silva's
talented and not beyond defeating virtually anyone in the division,
but I just don't see him controlling Gustafsson en route to a
decision like he did with Vera or blasting him out as he did
with Jardine.
Pick:
Gustafsson.
Brian
Stann vs. Alessio Sakara
Stann
has had a number of issues in this camp relating to family issues
he had to attend to. As a result. he had to relocate it and had
to communicate with coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn
over the phone, sending video tapes back and forth, and more.
It's not clear what this will do to his performance, but suffice
it to say Stann didn't get the best camp he's ever had.
Still,
I like him to beat Sakara. Stann's offensive striking style -
power heavy, combination punching, head focused without being
head hunting - is just the sort of style that gives Sakara all
sorts of problems. Stann won't want to revert to his old WEC
days and charge forward, but if he can pressure Sakara back and
do what he does best he emerge the victor.
Pick:
Stann
Paulo
Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
Bahadurzada
is a talented fighter, but I tend to believe he's going to come
up short here. Thiago's not a dynamic takedown machine, but he's
got enough submission grappling credentials - especially from
the clinch - to lord those skills over the Afghan. Bahadurzada
obviously has more than a puncher's chance, but I see Thiago's
striking as potent even if it's not as dangerous as Bahadurzada's.
Between than and the clear superiority of Thiago's grappling
game, it's hard for me to pick against the Brazilian.
Pick:
Thiago.
Dennis
Siver vs. Diego Nunes
Nunes
is the more active of the two inside the cage, but does he really
put that activity to effective use? I'm not convinced. Nunes
doesn't get enough credit for his defensive skills. He's hard
to hurt and is respectably talented elsewhere in terms of slowing
down or stopping his opponents. But his offense is all over the
place. He isn't a combination or power puncher. He isn't a dynamic
offensive grappler. He can strike, yes and he's good on the ground,
yes. But against a more thoughtful and direct striker like Siver
- and one who can fight at range - Nunes is going to have a tough
road.
Pick:
Siver
DaMarques
Johnson vs. John Maguire
I'm
not really sure what to make of either of them given the lack
of well-rounded skills and questionable competition. Johnson
should win this fight, but I've got a feeling Maguire might be
able to dictate fight location and complexion if not for a finish
then a decision win. I'll be honest and say I'm not sure Maguire
is the guy to exploit Johnson's weaknesses grappling, but if
we are measuring liability against liability I'll tip my hat
to the European.
Pick:
Maguire
Brad
Pickett vs. Damacio Page
I'll
take the Brit over the American, which is not something I often
say. Page is a live dog here, but gets himself out of position
with his wild attacks. I don't know if I see Pickett jumping
guillotine to seal the win and Page has tremendous power punching.
But the New Mexico-native can be controlled over the course of
the fight. Pickett's wrestling is actually pretty solid. And
Page is no Renan Barao who can both fight technically and with
a sense of urgency when an opponent is hurt.
Pick:
Pickett
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Frank
Mir Could Still Get UFC 146 Main Event Slot Against Junior dos
Santos
by Damon
Martin
When
UFC president Dana White made the announcement that the No. 1
contender’s match between former champions Cain Velasquez
and Frank Mir would still happen at UFC 146, many wondered why
Mir wasn’t the choice to face Junior Dos Santos in the main
event with Alistair Overeem’s status still up in the air
after a failed drug test.
Overeem
tested positive for a high testosterone to epitestosterone ratio.
He is currently awaiting a hearing in front of the Nevada State
Athletic Commission on April 24 to find out if he will be licensed
for the UFC 146 card or not.
And
that’s where the story takes an interesting twist.
While
most have already eliminated Overeem from the UFC 146 main event,
technically he’s not out yet, so nobody has been contacted
as a potential replacement, and likely won’t be until after
the April 24 hearing.
“The
latest is the following: I think if you notice the (Cris) Cyborg
thing, she was never stripped of her title until they go in front
of the commission and get their cases heard and stuff, and now
her title’s been officially stripped. The same thing happens
with things of this nature,” Frank Mir’s manager, Malki
Kawa, explained when speaking to MMAWeekly Radio.
“Overeem’s
not officially out yet until the Nevada State Athletic Commission
decides.”
As
Kawa explains it, should Overeem be exonerated of any wrongdoing,
his rightful place will still be in the UFC 146 main event. Until
that point, he doesn’t believe the UFC will make any changes
to the upcoming title fight with Junior dos Santos.
“So
let’s just say they were to say ‘you’re out,’
we’re going to put Frank Mir in. I think there’s a
bout agreement in place right now between Overeem and Junior
dos Santos, and I think legally if he gets licensed, he has an
opportunity to take action or what would happen is they would
say ‘hey Frank Mir you’re going to JDS (Junior dos
Santos)’ and the 24th comes, which is two weeks away, and
then they turn around and say ‘Overeem here’s your
license.’ Well now Frank guess what you’re going back
to fight Cain (Velasquez) and Overeem you go fight JDS,”
said Kawa.
“So
to avoid confusion, what I think is happening is they’re
going to wait for the decision, if Overeem gets licensed, everything
goes on as planned. If Overeem doesn’t get licensed, then
you can bet your house there’s going to be a replacement.
I tend to think that it will be Frank Mir, but who knows? No
one has said to me it’s going to be Frank Mir for sure.
I asked, I’ve been pushing, I pushed, I’ve been trying
to get a commitment from somebody, please just tell me it will
be Frank Mir, but I think they’re being tight lipped about
this one.”
Should
Overeem not get licensed by the powers that be in Nevada, the
UFC will soon turn to alternatives to face the heavyweight champion
on May 26 in Las Vegas.
Some
fans have been pushing for former K-1 fighter Mark Hunt, who
is currently also slated to fight on the UFC 146 fight card against
Stefan Struve, to get the title shot, most believe if the call
is made to anyone it will be to Frank Mir.
A
former UFC heavyweight champion, Mir has won his last three fights
in a row including a devastating submission victory over Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 140 last December.
If
Overeem is not able to get licensed for UFC 146, Kawa believes
that his client will be the first person on Joe Silva’s
speed dial to get the fight.
“I
think it will be Frank Mir. I don’t know anyone else that
can get it,” Kawa explained. “I think Frank Mir will
end up getting the shot in the event that Overeem can’t
get licensed.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
How
WWE is emulating Antonio Inoki’s vision a decade later
By Zach
Arnold
Last
week on this web site, I discussed how many MMA writers are practically
gleeful to talk about Brock Lesnar’s return to the WWE under
the label of being the former UFC Heavyweight champion. Things
got so carried this weekend that there were arguments about whether
or not Brock Lesnar deserves to be placed in the UFC Hall of
Fame.
In
last week’s article, I stated that the reason so many WWE
fans were cheering Brock Lesnar’s return is because he is
viewed as an icon of legitimacy for wrestling fans. WWE fans
are a tortured lot given all the ‘comedy’ crap (like
The Three Stooges this week) they’ve had to endure for so
long and how the WWE vision of wrestling has deviated so far
from what the wrestling business used to look like. Because Lesnar
won the UFC Heavyweight title, in the eyes of many wrestling
fans this is viewed as a symbol of making pro-wrestling legitimate.
Lesnar is not a cartoon character. He’s a pro-wrestler who
can do real fights. Therefore, this plays right into the paranoid
& manic psychology that so many wrestling fans have today.
A
lot of people laughed at this notion when I initially trotted
it out. If Monday night’s edition of RAW was any indication,
my assessment was deadly accurate.
“The
man who will bring legitimacy back to the WWE.” – Johnny
Ace
“He
went on to conquer the UFC.” – Michael Cole
These
phrases were used multiple times by the TV announcers during
the show (via Vince McMahon in the earpiece) to put over a confrontation
between Lesnar & John Cena. In many respects, this is utterly
fascinating to watch. First, it’s a grave admission by Vince
& company that much of their audience does in fact watch
& support the UFC’s PPVs. We already knew this but this
point of logic is something WWE has desperately denied for many
years. Second, it’s revealing in that even WWE recognizes
that their fans view UFC as a ‘real fight’ sport and
therefore Lesnar’s success there can hopefully give them
a rub for credibility. Third, I can’t imagine what the feeling
is right now at UFC HQ seeing that their number one PPV draw
is about to go back to being the WWE’s number one PPV draw.
It’s hard to reconcile to ‘real sports’ people
that your top guy is Vince McMahon’s top guy. It’s
quite a unique conundrum that has developed here.
So,
if you’re an MMA fan, why should you care about this story?
From a historical standpoint, what we are seeing today with Brock
Lesnar’s return to WWE is an experiment we saw over a decade
ago in Japan with the Japanese MMA scene & Antonio Inoki
trying to integrate his pro-wrestlers in the movement.
Inoki
used New Japan wrestlers like Naoya Ogawa, Shinya Hashimoto,
Yuji Nagata, Kendo Ka Shin, Kazuyuki Fujita, and Tadao Yasuda
in curiously booked MMA fights. In the case of Nagata, his KO
loss to Mirko Cro Cop hurt his career for many years. In the
case of Kazuyuki Fujita & Tadao Yasuda, their inexplicable
initial MMA success led them to get big pushes back in New Japan
because they won ‘real fights’ in PRIDE or K-1. Both
men became IWGP Heavyweight champion. Inoki saw the MMA wave
coming in Japan through PRIDE & K-1 and tried to save New
Japan’s mainstream appeal by integrating pro-wrestlers into
the MMA world. On the whole, it backfired in some respects but
also kept Inoki’s name relevant as a pitchman for years
to come. His vision of blurring the lines has existed for 40+
years.
Which
takes us to April 2012. Brock Lesnar is the former UFC Heavyweight
champion. His last opponent, Alistair Overeem, failed a urine
drug test… but Nevada won’t change the result of the
Overeem/Lesnar fight to a no contest. Lesnar returns to WWE to
a jubilant pop to kick the ass of the ultimate WWE corporate
boy in John Cena. WWE decides to go full tilt in pushing Lesnar
by talking about all of his ‘real fighting’ accomplishments
in the UFC.
A
great irony in all of this is that when Lesnar had his initial
dispute with WWE, he would end up getting booked by… Antonio
Inoki. Lesnar got the IWGP strap and ended up no-showing a title
match in Sapporo against Hiroshi Tanahashi when the possible
prospects of him dropping the belt suddenly occurred. Lesnar
would go on to wrestle Kurt Angle in Inoki’s own promotion
before signing with the UFC.
It
really is a small world after all.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
Bobby
Lashley vs. James Thompson Announced for Super Fight League 3
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
Super
Fight League has announced its headliner for its upcoming third
offering, as the promotion has slotted Bobby Lashley against
James Thompson to showcase in the May 6 event.
The
35-year-old Lashley has won two in a row since losing a memorable
bout to Chad Griggs in August 2010. A former pro wrestler in
the WWE, Lashley went 1-1 in Strikeforce before earning a pair
of wins. In his most recent fight, he submitted Karl Knothe with
a keylock to capture the Shark Fights heavyweight title and improve
to 7-1.
Meanwhile,
Thompson is fresh off his win over Bob Sapp at Super Fight League
1, a bout in which Sapp tapped out after suffering an apparent
leg injury. Thompson, a PRIDE and EliteXC veteran, is 17-14 with
1 no contest in his career.
Super
Fight League also announced a series of other fights for the
show. Among them were a light-heavyweight fight with veteran
Trevor Prangley taking on Baga Agaev, Doug Marshall vs. Zelg
Galesic in a middleweight bout, and a women's 125-pound scrap
between Lena Ovchynnikova and Joanne Calderwood.
The
event will air live and free on SFL's YouTube channel. It takes
place from the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Dehli, India.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Fuel
TV Didn’t Want to Interfere with TUF Live, So TUF Brasil
Will Air in June Instead
by Damon
Martin
Now
that the Ultimate Fighter Brasil is underway, many fans have
been asking the question why it has only been available online
in locations other than Brazil, but not on television?
When TUF Brasil was first announced, UFC President Dana White
and others all but confirmed that the show would air on Fuel
TV as part of their programming deal with the network.
But
when the show started a few weeks ago, mysteriously the online
option was the only viewing one for those not watching on Globo
TV in Brazil.
Now
Fuel TV Executive Vice President and General Manager George Greenberg
clears the air on the subject, and explains why TUF Brasil is
still coming to the network, just not at the same time it’s
airing in South America.
“We’re
probably going to air it in June,” explained Greenberg.
“The
reason why we’re not airing it simultaneously is we don’t
want to take any of the air out of the room promotionally for
TUF on FX. TUF Brazil is something that is airing in real time
down in Brazil, and if you haven’t seen it here, just means
you haven’t seen it here.”
The
plan is to air the TUF Brasil episodes on Fuel TV after the inaugural
season of the Ultimate Fighter Live finish airing on their sister
station, FX.
“In
the wonderful world of time shifting, as soon as TUF on FX is
done, then we will premier TUF Brazil, which will be a great
promotional tool to feed into the next TUF on FX,” said
Greenberg.
The
Fuel TV executive says that the plan currently laid out is for
the international versions of the Ultimate Fighter, and the new
live version on FX to alternate back and forth throughout the
year, thus giving a constant stream of the show on television.
“There
will be a constant give and a go between a series that is happening
right here and now, and a series that did not possibly happen
at the exact same time that it was going on in real time.”
The
fact is from Greenberg that while the Ultimate Fighter continues
to be a great avenue for new fighters, and a promotional machine
for the UFC, there just may not be room for two of the shows
to run simultaneously on TV.
There
can be too much of a good thing.
“There
isn’t a lot of room in the world for two TUF’s at one
time,” said Greenberg.
“We
want the first one on FX to really sit on there and plant, and
seed itself, and we’ll use the next one as a vehicle with
TUF Brazil.”
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Alessio
Sakara Looks Back at Tumultous Two-Year Stretch, Ahead to Brian
Stann
By Ariel
Helwani - Video Reporter and Writer
Alessio
Sakara could use a break.
Consider
Sakara's last two years: he pulled out of his UFC 116 fight against
Nate Marquardt after his mentor and coach, who he considered
his father, passed away. He pulled out of a UFC 118 fight due
to an injury. He was taken off UFC 122 on the morning of his
fight against Jorge Rivera after suffering from flu-like symptoms.
When he was ready to fight again last March, he was forced to
fight little-known Chris Weidman on a couple weeks notice after
his original opponent Rafael Natal pulled out of the fight. Weidman
dominated Sakara on the ground en route to a unanimous decision.
And then prior to UFC 133 last August, the Italian fighter tore
his ACL, forcing him to be sidelined for several months.
So
just like that, the 30-year-old Sakara hasn't won a fight in
over two years and hasn't fought multiple times a year since
2008.
On
Saturday afternoon in Sweden, he will try to get back on track
against Brian Stann at UFC on FUEL TV 2. MMAFighting.com recently
spoke to "Legionarius" about his recent troubles, fighting
Brian Stann and his dream of fighting on a UFC card in his home
country.
Ariel
Helwani: You had to pull out of your UFC 133 fight against Jorge
Rivera due to a knee injury. What exactly happened and how are
you currently feeling?
Alessio Sakara: When I was sparring at American Top Team, I tore
my ACL while attempting a single-leg. It was a very bad situation
because I was supposed to fight Rivera three times. I came back
to Italy and recovered with the best medical team in Italy and
now my knee is 100 percent. I am very happy. Everything is good
in my leg.
How
frustrating have the last couple years been for you?
Every time I'm preparing for a fight, I have an injury or a bad
situation in my home. My father died and every time I have bad
luck. But I'm coming back 100 percent and I'll give the best
fight for the UFC, my fans, my family.
How
did you deal with your father's death?
Now, it's passed, but before it was a very bad situation because
he was my trainer and father too. When I was young, I stayed
in a home with this coach that was with me my whole career, so
it was a very bad situation. But now he passed, it's life. Everything
is good now.
How
did he die?
He died because he was very old.
Do
you feel like you must win this fight in order to remain in the
UFC?
I never think about if the UFC lets me go because my job is to
fight. I want to think only in the present. My present now is
April 14. I don't want to see the future or the past. Sometimes
a fighter loses, but if he gives 100 percent and people like
his style, maybe the UFC doesn't let you go.
Why
do you think your fight against Chris Weidman last year was so
one-sided?
The opponent changed two weeks before the fight and I had a different
strategy. He is a very good wrestler, an All-American, and I
needed to train more in takedown defense. But it's no excuse.
He won because he had a great strategy and I lost because my
defense wasn't very good.
What
did you think Stann's performance in his last fight against Chael
Sonnen?
I watched every one of Brian's fights. Chael Sonnen had a very
good strategy and Stann had an awful performance. Maybe because
he's not very good at jiu-jitsu or wrestling, but every fight
is different. I don't want to think on April 14 about the Stann
that fought Sonnen. I want to think about my job and I want to
strike with Brian Stann. If it goes to the floor, I'm very happy
because I know I'm better than him in jiu-jitsu. I train a lot
in jiu-jitsu. I never use my jiu-jitsu in the UFC because I like
striking. I train jiu-jitsu a lot at American Top Team. I'm a
black belt and I have trained for six years in Brazil and two
years at American Top Team only with black belts.
Stann
said recently that he expects to face a more elusive version
of yourself on April 14. What do you make of that?
I want to strike with Brian Stann, but every fight is different.
Maybe he wants to go to the floor or maybe I want to use my jiu-jitsu.
But my style is striking, and I want to strike with Brian Stann.
Do
you have a lot of friends and family attending the fight since
your home country of Italy is so close to Sweden?
Only my uncle and my best friend. My wife and mom don't watch
me live, only television.
Why
not live?
(Laughs) Because I'm my mom's son and she's afraid. It's normal.
Italian mothers are very protective. If you have a little injury
or sick, she thinks you died. It's crazy.
Do
you think you will suffer from cage rust on Saturday considering
you haven't fought in over a year?
I haven't been very lucky over the years, so I am used to this.
Every time I have a fight, there's always something happening,
like the loss of my father or my knee injury, so I'm used to
this.
Would
you ever consider going back to boxing?
I'm done with boxing. I train boxing a lot because I love to
box because it was my first sport, but I only focus on MMA training.
UFC
CEO Lorenzo Fertitta told us recently that they are hoping to
put on an event in Italy in the near future. How popular is the
sport there right now?
The UFC is very, very popular now in Italy. Every time I walk
on the street, people recognize me and talk about the next fight.
I would be very happy if the UFC came to Italy. It would be very
exciting.
Do
you look at a situation like Alexander Gustafsson headlining
this card in Sweden and think that if you go on a winning streak
you could maybe headline an event in Italy?
Yes, that's my dream. It's possible; it depends on me. If I do
a good job now for the UFC, I could maybe be in the main event.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Ronys
Torres disputes Grand Prix in the United States
By Guilherme
Cruz
After ten consecutive wins, nine in Brazilian rings, Ronys Torres
will be back to international stages on May. On an interview
with TATAME, the lightweight revealed he will dispute a 8-fighters
Grand Prix of MMA Series.
The first round is on May 16, while the semifinals and finals
happen in one day, but the date has not been released yet.
Still with no opponent, Ronys revealed his wish to come back
to the UFC, where he fought twice, but claims not to be obsessed
about it.
“I’ve waited too long to come back to the UFC, now
I’m cooler about it. What’s in my mind is to keep on
working. That’s my greatest focus. If I go back to the UFC,
great”, tells the athlete.
Ronys ran over two recent opponents at Amazon Forest Combat,
in Manaus, both in less than a minute. His last bout was broadcasted
by RedeTV.
“You can’t imagine now popular we got… Not only
in Manaus, but even here in Manacapuru, my hometown. Kids take
pictures, people come and congratulate me for having represented
well the city”, explains.
Manager and coach, Andre Pederneiras dreams on seeing Ronys back
to Ultimate’s cage.
“We have this expectation, but we can’t stop. We keep
fighting ‘til UFC sees the possibility of him coming back”,
said Pederneiras.
Happy about the ‘fame’, Ronys hopes to fight again
on the cage of Amazon FC, possibly for the division title.
“I want to ever close deals with this event. If it all works
out, I’ll be fighting for AFC’s title. They told me
that if I got a couple of wins I would get a title shot, so I’m
on the line”, said, even not knowing who he will fight against.
“They are going to look for an international guy to fight
me”.
With full agenda, Torres hopes for a perfect year. “My focus
is try to get the title at AFC and grab this GP”.
In case he wins those three fights and the title fight at Amazon,
Ronys will complete 13 wins in 2012. “Achieving those goals,
this will be the best year of my career”.
Source:
Tatame
|
Two
plausible paths for Alistair Overeem to get licensed in Nevada
By Zach
Arnold
Karim
Zidan (@theflyingkneeto) of The Flying Knee MMA noted on his
site last Sunday (item here), Alistair Overeem will in fact attend
a scheduled April 24th hearing in Las Vegas in front of the Nevada
State Athletic Commission to apply for a fighter’s license.
In addition, so far, he is not asking for his B urine sample
to be tested in order to nullify the initial drug testing result
of his A urine sample.
So,
what’s going on here?
Everyone
is guessing about what his strategy will be if it’s not
predicated on getting the B sample tested with a Carbon Isotope
Ratio test. When the news broke on Sunday, there was plenty of
mockery and plenty of ‘horse meat’ reasons being dished
online.
What
makes this situation fascinating is that UFC reportedly is the
party that set up the licensing request for Overeem with Nevada
for the April 24th hearing. Either UFC is confident that Overeem
has a plausible reason to get licensed or they are basically
putting the pressure on Overeem in a ‘OK, you made this
mess, now go clean it up’ kind of way.
In
the embedded Inside MMA video clip at the top of this post, Kenny
Rice & Bas Rutten had one hell of a panel on their show to
discuss the issue of drug usage in MMA — Michael Schiavello
(happy birthday), Joe Rogan, and Josh Barnett. If you had told
me ahead of time that Schiavello would have the most controversial
comments about PED usage out of those three names, I would have
never believed you.
Schiavello
says that, off the record, fighters tell him that the rate of
PED usage in MMA is ‘about 99%.’ He went on to present
some reasons to use to defend Overeem. His two arguments:
How
can you randomly drug test someone who isn’t licensed?
“He hasn’t technically cheated” because it’s
two months away from his fight against Junior dos Santos, saying
he’s 14:1 now but isn’t allowed to get down to a 6:1
T/E ratio by fight time?
Even Joe Rogan pointed out the obvious in saying that there’s
a reason why random drug testing is used. I was taken aback by
the assertion that basically it’s OK to use testosterone
or whatever you want to use as long as by fight time you are
down to a 6:1 T/E ratio. It’s an assumption that basically
relies upon a premise that everyone is using, why fight it, and
just recognize it for what it is. It’s also an argument
that nullifies the point of drug testing in the first place,
which is to try to catch guys who are using banned substances
in order for a performance-enhancing benefit in preparation of
a fight.
The
last point is a salient one given that there are recent articles
published quoting Swedish scientists as claiming that once someone
uses steroids, they gain whatever benefits from steroid usage
long after they stop using steroids.
So,
given how everyone is playing the guessing game as to what Overeem
will say on April 24th, there are two plausible paths that I
could see UFC & Overeem arguing at the Nevada hearing. Michael
Schiavello hinted at the first path.
Door
#1 – How can you randomly drug test someone who isn’t
‘officially’ licensed?
Last
week during a radio interview featuring Keith Kizer & Mauro
Ranallo, this issue became a contentious one because a lot of
people are totally confused about the way Nevada has handled
the licensing procedures for Overeem. Let’s summarize what
has happened so far:
Overeem
was supposed to take a drug test in order to get approved for
a fighter’s license to fight Brock Lesnar on 12/30/11. Overeem
missed the drug test, claiming he had to fly to Holland to attend
to his sick mother.
The Nevada commission granted Overeem a ‘temporary’
conditional license to fight Lesnar on December 30th based on
the premise that he would be subjected to random urine drug testing
and that he would have to go to London to take a drug test immediately
so that Quest Diagnostics could examine the sample.
Overeem fights Lesnar and wins. He passed the pre-fight and post-fight
urine drug tests. His ‘temporary’ license expires after
December 31st, 2011.
Overeem is still stuck in ‘conditional’ limbo for licensing
and has to continue passing drug tests in order to fight Junior
dos Santos on May 26th even though Overeem isn’t truly ‘officially’
licensed. Overeem fails the ‘random’ urine drug test
due to elevated levels of testosterone at an estimated 14:1 T/E
ratio. Because he’s not ‘officially’ licensed,
he can’t be suspended by Nevada but he can’t be officially
licensed until he applies for a license on April 24th.
If this process sounds absurd to you, that’s because it
is. Nevada got their money for the Overeem/Lesnar fight while
Overeem was fighting on a conditional temporary license. Now
that he failed a drug test, he’s caught in the same limbo
that Josh Barnett found himself caught in with the California
State Athletic Commission.
PR-wise,
attacking Nevada over this licensing process is probably better
than the other plausible path Overeem has to pursue for licensing
but it’s also a lot riskier & is likely going to really
anger the commission.
The
other path is a not-so PR friendly one these days.
Door
#2 – Hypogonadism (testosterone replacement therapy)
A
couple of weeks ago, Mike Chiappetta of MMAFighting.com wrote
an article in which he stated that Keith Kizer had told him that
the process for getting a Theurapeutic Use Exemption in Nevada
for testosterone takes 20 days. I kid you not, 20 days.
You
can see where this is going. Damon Martin:
Keith
Kizer confirms with me today that a fighter can apply for TRT
exemption either before or with their application for a license.
Overeem’s
T/E ratio was reportedly 14:1. When Chael Sonnen tested positive
in California, his T/E ratio was nearly 17:1. Sonnen then came
out and had his appeals hearing where he said that Dr. Mark Czarnecki,
a general practitioner, wrote his prescription for testosterone.
In Sonnen’s case, he was already licensed and got suspended.
In Overeem’s case, he is nebulously not ‘officially’
licensed to fight in Nevada. They have him classified for a ‘conditional’
license even though he’s already fought once (the Brock
Lesnar fight) and the commission got paid because of the box
office that bout did.
So,
let’s say Overeem does claim hypogonadism and goes the TRT
route. Keith Kizer has left the door open for Overeem to claim
hypogonadism and the need for testosterone. If Nevada gives him
his Exemption, the fight with Junior dos Santos is on.
If
Nevada rejects Overeem, he could easily go to another state where
Therapeutic Use Exemptions are issued with less scrutiny and
fight there. Or… he could simply fight for the UFC on shows
that they regulate under the auspices of using a TUE for testosterone
and that Dr. Jeff Davidson would manage the situation.
So,
Overeem’s options for fighting still exist no matter what
happens in Nevada.
What
would make Overeem applying for TRT so interesting is whether
or not any testimony he would give on April 24th would conflict
with the testimony he gave under oath to Nevada a few months
ago. After all, UFC President Dana White has readily admitted
that many MMA fighters who are applying for TRT are previously
anabolic steroid users.
The
Province: Testosterone issue is prime ammunition for those wanting
to take MMA down
Outside of applying for a TUE for testosterone or aggressively
attacking the ambiguity of Nevada’s licensing process, I
don’t see why Overeem would even bother attending the April
24th hearing if he’s not having the B sample tested with
CIR. It’s hard to see what other angle he could come up
with here. He’s stuck in a very tenuous position. He split
off from Golden Glory, so that bridge is burned and they are
going after him for cash. UFC is his only big meal ticket. DREAM
is dormant and not active. There’s no major player in Japanese
MMA any longer on a national level. One FC likely isn’t
going to be able to afford him. He got stiffed (allegedly) by
K-1 on a lot of money and Ishii is back with K-1 Global Holdings
and is supposed to be working with Simon Rutz of Its Showtime,
a mortal enemy of Bas Boon & Golden Glory. I suppose there’s
that route… but it’s simply not UFC money.
If
Overeem presents a case that doesn’t revolve around the
need of testosterone to function, what angle does he possess?
Is it simply to say, yeah, I screwed up, I’ll wait a year
and then get licensed after that time period in hopes of getting
a second chance with UFC? It’s hard to say.
Source:
Fight Opinion
|
James
Te Huna: ‘I’m Fighting Brandon Vera, UFC on Fuel 4'
Four
fight UFC veteran James Te Huna has his next fight booked as
he will face Brandon Vera at UFC on Fuel 4.
Te
Huna made the announcement via his Twitter account on Thursday.
The fight was first reported by MMAWeekly.com content partner
FightBulletin.net
“I’m
fighting Brandon Vera, UFC on Fuel 4,” wrote Te Huna.
While
UFC on Fuel 4 has not been official announced, Fuel TV Executive
Vice President and General Manager George Greenberg stated earlier
this week that he expected that show to take place in July, although
final plans have yet to be decided.
No
date or venue has been rumored as of yet either for the fourth
live card on Fuel TV.
James
Te Huna will get back in action on a two fight win streak, and
going 3-1 thus far in his UFC career. His lone loss is to top
ten light heavyweight prospect Alexander Gustafsson, and outside
of that Te Huna has been flawless finishing every other fight
inside of the 15-minute time limit.
Facing
Te Huna at UFC on Fuel 4 will be former heavyweight and now light
heavyweight prospect Brandon Vera.
Vera
was actually released from the UFC following a loss to Thiago
Silva at UFC 125 in Jan 2011, but after Silva was suspended due
to a falsified drug test result, the UFC gave him another shot.
Vera made the most of it by picking up a win over Eliot Marshall,
and now hopes to build on that with his fight against Te Huna.
The
two light heavyweights are the first bout announced for the UFC
on Fuel 4 card. MMAWeekly.com will have more information on the
show when it becomes available.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Tomorrow
Night!
MAN UP AND STAND UP
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
SATURDAY APRIL 14, 2012
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
MAN UP & STAND
UP WEIGH IN
FRIDAY APRIL 13 2012
5:15 PM
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
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
|
Tomorrow!
Source: Romolo Barros
|
Amateur
Boxing Event/Smoker Fundraiser
Hi Everyone,
Our next Amateur Boxing Event/Smoker Fundraiser will be on Saturday,
April 21 at the Palolo District Park Gym at 6:30 p.m.
Boxers from Oahu, Maui, Molokai and Big Island scheduled to compete.
Admission will be $12.
If you have any questions email me at this address.
Thank You and Have a Great Day!!
Bruce
Kawano
Amateur Boxing of Hawaii President.
Commissioner for Hawaii State Boxing Commission.
USA-Boxing Coaches/International Task Force Member.
Ringside Board of Advisors.
A.I.B.A. Athlete and Youth Commission.
Head Coach- Kawano Boxing Club.
USA National Boxing Team Coach.
Rock Bottom Sports Bar- General Manager.
Red Lions in Hyatt Waikiki- Manager.
|
Rolles
Gracie In Consideration to Face Fedor Emelianenko in Russia
by Damon
Martin
Fedor
Emelianenko will next compete in June in his home country of
Russia against an as of yet unnamed opponent, but a new contender
has entered the fray.
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt and student of legendary trainer Renzo Gracie,
Rolles Gracie is now under consideration for the bout with Emelianenko
on June 21 in St. Petersburg.
While
there is no deal in place at this time, Gracie is one of the
leading candidates to potentially land the spot against the former
pound-for-pound king later this year.
With
a 6-1 record overall, Rolles Gracie may have far less experience
in the cage than Emelianenko, it doesn’t mean he’s
not a competitor who has show drastic improvements over the last
year.
Following
a loss in his lone bout in the UFC, Gracie left the promotion
and went back to focus on the basics and become a true MMA fighter.
Since
that time, Gracie has gone 3-0 with three straight first round
victories, while also adding many new pieces to his camp including
boxing coach Mark Henry, who is responsible for making former
UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar one of the top fighters
in the sport when it comes to the sweet science.
“I’m
really fortunate to work with a guy like Mark Henry. He’s
probably going to say he won’t admit it, but I think he’s
a genius,” said Gracie in an interview with MMAWeekly.com
in 2011. “So he’s bringing my boxing to the next level.
It’s just a matter of time before I start knocking people
out.”
“I
want to get my boxing so good that people want to go to the ground
with me.”
Gracie
last competed at second ever One FC show in Jakarta where he
finished former Pride competitor Bob Sapp with strikes in the
first round.
Now
Gracie is on the short list of possible opponents to face arguably
the greatest heavyweight to ever compete in MMA, Fedor Emelianenko.
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
|
Nick
Diaz, World Champion Braulio Estima Agree to Meet in BJJ Superfight
By Ariel
Helwani - Video Reporter and Writer
Braulio
Estima, one of the best Jiu-Jitsu players in the world, will
welcome Nick Diaz back to the world of BJJ.
The
Diaz vs. Estima BJJ superfight, which will be contested at 180
pounds, will take place at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo on May 12
in Long Beach, Calif., according to WJJE officials.
The
31-year-old Estima has won a plethora of BJJ competitions over
the past decade. He most recently defeated Ronaldo "Jacare"
Souza in a super-fight at the 2011 edition of the prestigious
Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling Championship and won
gold medals at the 2009 ADCC tournament in the 88kg and Absolute
divisions. He is currently training with the Blackzilians in
South Florida in preparation for his MMA debut later this year.
Diaz,
a black belt under Cesar Gracie, hasn't competed in a BJJ match
in two years. He has never been submitted in BJJ competition.
Diaz
hasn't fought since his loss to Carlos Condit at UFC 143 in February.
According to his manager Cesar Gracie, he is still waiting to
find out when his Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing will
take place after he tested positive for marijuana metabolites
following the fight.
The
first-ever World Jiu-Jitsu Expo will take place at the Long Beach
Convention Center. In addition to the Diaz-Estima super-fight,
fans attending the Expo can take part in free seminars with BJJ
stars Renzo Gracie, Roger Gracie, Robert Drysdale, Rodrigo Comprido
and Andre Galvao.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Nick
Diaz’s Lawyer Files New Claim Firing Back at Allegations
that He Lied to NSAC
by Damon
Martin
Nick Diaz is still awaiting his day in front of the Nevada State
Athletic Commission to answer to the charges of a positive test
for marijuana stemming from his fight at UFC 143 in early February,
but his lawyer, Ross Goodman, is firing back at the commission
after recent statements made towards his client.
In
a statement made to Yahoo! Sports in March, Jennifer Lopez, public
information officer for the Nevada attorney general said, “Not
only did Nick Diaz violate the law by testing positive for marijuana
metabolites, but he also lied to the Commission on his Pre-Fight
Questionnaire when he swore that he had not used any prescribed
medications in two weeks before the fight.”
Now
Goodman has fired back with a new document filed to the Attorney
General’s office dated from April 11, with a response in
regards to Diaz’s alleged falsification of the pre-fight
questionnaire.
Goodman
states that the “complaint does not allege any facts support
that Diaz violated a rule.”
The
document goes on to state that the “after the fact allegations
impugning Diaz’s character serve to distract from the core
issue that Nevada does not prohibit inactive marijuana metabolites.”
The
statement once again points out, as in the original complaint,
that marijuana metabolites are not a prohibited substance under
the rules adapted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission from
WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).
The
second part of the document filed on Wednesday answers the charge
from the Attorney General’s office that Diaz lied on his
original fight application filled out prior to his bout with
Carlos Condit in February.
The
document states “Diaz met the required standard, reasonable
interpretation of commonly understood phrases to the best of
his knowledge.” This is in reference to Diaz not disclosing
any usage of medicinal marijuana on his pre-fight medical questionnaire.
As
it has been well documented in the past, Diaz is legally allowed
to use medicinal marijuana in his home state of California, but
in all of the court documents filed thus far by Goodman, it states
he cuts off his usage of the drug eight days prior to competition.
The marijuana metabolites that he tested positive for are allegedly
leftover in fat cells, that can show up on tests months after
usage and should have no bearing on Diaz in his fight or drug
testing results from the commission.
As
far as his pre-fight questionnaire, Goodman argues that when
Diaz did not list medicinal marijuana, he was not providing “false
or misleading information,” but it was the questionnaire
itself that has to be brought under fire for wording that did
not define exactly what they were looking for.
“In
the absence of prescribed definitions, Diaz relied on the general
understanding of the terms ‘prescribed medications,’
‘over the counter medications,’ and ‘serious medical
illness.’”
The
statement made says “there is no evidence to suggest that
Diaz knowingly provided false information.”
Goodman
points to the fact that medicinal marijuana is not a prescription
drug or an over the counter drug, nor did Diaz believe his ADHD
(attention deficit hyper activity disorder) was classified as
a “serious illness.” (Diaz’s approved medicinal
marijuana usage was because he was diagnosed with ADHD).
Diaz’s
medicinal marijuana usage, while approved by a doctor, is only
“recommended” as treatment by a physician, not actually
a prescription drug that he would pick up at a pharmacy. Same
as the argument for the over the counter drugs, as the statement
says Diaz would assume it meant something that was picked up
at a store like Walgreens or CVS.
Whether
these arguments will actually lead to any kind of dismissal of
the charges or allegations against Diaz remains to be seen, but
Goodman closes his statement by saying, “unless Diaz’s
interpretations of ‘serious medical illness,’ ‘prescribed
medication,’ and ‘over the counter medication or product’
are so clearly wrong as to constitute sufficient proof of bad
faith intent to deceive, the Commission must dismiss the allegations.”
Now
it just appears to be a matter of time before Diaz gets his hearing
in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission to ultimately decide
on his punishment. Diaz was previously suspended in Nevada for
a positive drug test for marijuana and was sentenced to a six-month
suspension.
Typically
in past cases like this, a second offense has landed an athlete
with a one-year suspension from the Nevada Commission. It remains
to be seen if that will be the same doled out for Diaz, or if
his lawyer’s arguments will somehow save him from that or
some other fate.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Bellator
Veteran Raphael Davis Arrested for Insurance Fraud
By Mike
Chiappetta - Senior Writer
Raphael
Davis isn't the first public service employee to moonlight as
a professional fighter, but if news reports out of Los Angeles
are to be believed, he certainly went about his second career
in a unique way.
According
to multiple news outlets, the pro mixed martial artist was arrested
on Tuesday and charged with four felony counts of insurance fraud.
Why? Prosecutors say that he filed for worker's compensation
insurance between December 2008 and May 2011. So while he apparently
claimed he was not healthy enough to work at his L.A. fire department
job, his fight career was inexplicably reaching its peak with
multiple appearances for Bellator and M-1 Global.
Davis,
who was arrested at his home and being held on bail, could face
up to five years in prison.
The
35-year-old has a 12-2 all-time record, with notable wins over
Vinny Magalhaes, Emanuel Newton and Tony Lopez.
Even
if prosecutors prove the charges and Davis is found guilty, the
state comes off looking bad to some degree. That would mean that
somehow, Davis managed to continue his MMA career undetected
for 2 1/2 years while appearing multiple times on television
during that span. He fought seven times during that period, going
6-1.
Davis
wasn't exactly trying to hide his fight career either. He has
a Twitter page in which he describes himself as "Currently
one of Bellator's Light Heavyweight fighters," and he's
done multiple interviews during that time.
District
attorney's office spokeswoman Jane Robinson declined to offer
LA Weekly any added details on the case, including what condition
necessitated his worker's compensation claim.
Davis
had not been scheduled to fight during Bellator's current sixth
season, but was still under contract to the promotion leading
into it, taking part in a January trip to Universal Studios in
Florida to shoot promotional photos and videos.
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Cigano
about fighting Overeem: ‘It would be unfair’
The
uncertainty about Junior “Cigano” dos Santos’s
next opponent remains. The only thing certain is his presence
at UFC 146, on May 26, defending the heavyweight title for the
first time. Despite not knowing who he will fight, the Brazilian
criticizes a possible maintenance of Alistair Overeem, originally
paired up as a contender, but then caught on the steroids test
last week.
“In
case it happens, I’ll be glad to fight, but I can say that
in case they prove the illegal use of those substances it would
disrespectful to the sport and disloyal to me. The amount of
testosterone in his body can increase like 30 percent of his
strength and aggressiveness, and I heard it from people who really
know about this stuff. It would really be unfair, but as a fighter
I’ll be ready to fight anyone”, affirmed Cigano to
‘MMA: inside the arena’, published this Wednesday on
‘O Globo’ (Brazilian newspaper).
Junior
Cigano affirmed to be ready to fight the Dutch or any other guy,
but criticized the possibility of Overeem being confirmed for
UFC 146.
“If
the Athletic Committee and UFC want to, I’ll fight him.
I’m a fighter and I’ll always be there to fight, but
it sure is disrespectful to MMA and how serious the sport is.
It’s also unfair, it’s unfair to me. I have never used
these devices to gain strength. I guess the right thing would
be blood-test fighters like it happens on the Olympic Games,
and not a urine test, since it’s easier to find those illegal
substances. We want to know who really the best one is. It’s
not good being the best liar. Being a fake champion and doing
many drugs, that’s not a champion. I can say clearly I’m
a champ and I never used illegal stratagems to get there. I’m
pro harder tests to evaluate if someone did drugs. It must be
a clean sport and this surprise tests should happen more often.
If Overeem is more aggressive and strong he will handle better
my coups and it’s complicated for me. In case I lose, it’s
unfair. He won’t have fought better than me, he will have
fought on drugs”.
The
UFC champion also said that Overeem is not the greatest threat
to his reign and pointed out Cain Velasquez, whom he took the
belt from, last November.
“I
guess it’s curious he won three belts and never got caught
on a steroid use test and on his second UFC fight he gets caught.
He would be a great challenge to me, but my greatest challenge
was defeating Cain to get the title. He is the one who would
present most danger to me. Overeem would also be a good challenge,
but not the biggest one. He lacks conditioning and speed. He
scared off new guys, but who knows the fighter he is know he
wouldn’t be the toughest guy I’ve fought. We always
say our next challenge is the biggest one even so we get better
prepared, but I don’t believe Overeem would be mine”.
Source:
Tatame
|
Heavyweight
Title Heads Bellator 70 in New Orleans
Bellator
Fighting Championships is set to close out its sixth season with
Bellator 70 on May 25 at the New Orleans Convention Center in
New Orleans.
Bellator
will take one final shot this season at putting together a major
heavyweight fight. After a couple false starts blew apart the
match-up between Eric Prindle and Thiago Santos to declare a
No. 1 contender, Prindle eventually was awarded the honor.
Prindle
was then slated to face Bellator heavyweight champion Cole Konrad
at this week’s Bellator 65, but a hand injury temporarily
sidelined him. Konrad vs. Cole will now head Bellator 70.
The
finals of Bellator’s Season 6 Middleweight Tournament will
also be featured on the card.
Tickets
for Bellator 70 are now on sale. The event will also be broadcast
live starting at 8 p.m. EST on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD
on EPIX. The preliminary card, featuring the area’s top
talent will be streamed live and free around the world on Spike.com
starting at 7 p.m. EST.
“I’m
really excited to get back into the cage,” Konrad said.
“This fight has been a long time coming. Eric is a really
good stand-up fighter, and I have a lot of respect for him. I
know what he can do standing up, so I’m not going to deviate
from anything that has made me successful in the past.”
“I’m
just ready to get into the cage and end this,” Prindle said.
“I want to become a champion, and this is my time to do
that.”
The
night will also feature Louisiana native Rich “No Love”
Clementi returning to the Bellator cage after nearly two years.
A long time veteran of the sport, Clementi holds notable victories
over Melvin Guillard, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, and
Sam Stout, and will be looking for another dominating win at
Bellator 70.
The
remaining fight card, which will be announced shortly, will consist
of a bevy of local talent featured in the preliminary fights.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
MAN UP AND STAND UP
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
SATURDAY APRIL 14, 2012
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00
MAN UP & STAND
UP WEIGH IN
FRIDAY APRIL 13 2012
5:15 PM
WAIPAHU FILCOM CENTER
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
|
The
Ultimate Fighter: Live Episode 5 Recap: Illegal Knees and Damaged
Toes
TUF
Live Coaches Logo Dominick Cruz and Urijah FaberIn the fifth
episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, another fighter advanced
to the quarterfinals, one coach grows impatient with one of his
fighters and next week’s match up was revealed.
Team
Faber celebrated their first win with Al Iaquinta’s split
decision over Myles Jury in episode 4 while Team Cruz’ week
was filled with drama.
The
matchup between Michael Chiesa and Jeremy Larsen put Sam Sicilia
in an awkward situation. Larsen and Sicilia are teammates on
Team Cruz, but Sicilia and Chiesa train together in Washington
outside of the show and are close friends.
Coach
Cruz asked Sicilia to provide a scouting report on his friend
to assist in Larsen’s fight preparation. Sicilia stayed
true to himself and his friend and did not disclose any information
about Chiesa’s skill set.
“I’m
not going to sneak around and give out secret info,” said
Sicilia. “I’m going to let those two fight and best
man wins. That’s what it is.”
Coach
Cruz continued to question Chris Tickle’s work ethic. Doctors
confirmed that Tickle has gout in one of his toes. Gout is a
kind of arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in blood
and causes joint inflammation. Acute gout can be quite painful.
Cruz
asked Tickle if he wanted to leave the show. Tickle assured Cruz
that he’d train through the discomfort and stay on the show.
In training, Cruz pushed Tickle to work harder. Tickle did, but
he wasn’t happy about it.
This
week’s matchup was a clash of styles. Larsen wanted to keep
the fight standing while Chiesa’s game plan wass to get
the fight to the ground. Chiesa was a heavy favorite heading
into the fight.
In
the opening round, Chiesa secured a takedown early and set the
tone of the fight. Larsen fought hard to get back to his feet
only to be taken down again. Late in the round, Cheisa landed
an illegal knee to Larsen’s head while Larsen was getting
back to the standing position. A point was deducted from Chiesa
for the infraction.
Chiesa
came out aggressive with strikes in the second round but quickly
worked for a takedown. Larsen avoided taking damage on the botton
and stayed busy working to get back upright. The times he could
get to his feet and create space, he’d land punches, but
Chiesa’s tenacity to get the takedown proved too much.
In
the closing moments of the round, Chiesa took Larsen’s back
and dragged him to the ground. He was unable to sink in the rear
naked choke but finished the round in complete control.
The
judges scored the fight unanimously for Michael Chiesa. The official
scores were not read on air.
“Jeremy
Larsen is a tough guy. I expected it to go the distance. I was
expecting a third (round), but I went out there and got the win,”
said Chiesa following the fight.
Chiesa’s
father passed away two weeks ago. He dedicated the win to his
mother and thanked family and friends for their support.
Larsen
was not happy with the decision.
“I
thought they took a point in the first round. He drilled me right
in the head with the knee when I was obviously down. I don’t
know how I lost that round then,” said Larsen. “Give
him the second round. We should be in a third (round) right now.
I have no problem with that but giving him a decision, I’m
not okay with that.”
Larsen
said he was “rattled” by the knee but continued like
a warrior. Chiesa described the knee as a “total accident.”
Team
Faber maintained matchmaking control and have put together back-to-back
wins. Coach Faber picked Joe Proctor to face Team Cruz’
Chris Tickle in next week’s live fight.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Brookins
vs. Oliveira Heads Three New Bouts Added to TUF Live Finale
Johnathan
Brookins vs Charles OliveiraThe Ultimate Fighting Championship
on Friday announced that a trio of bouts has been verbally agreed
to for the TUF Live Finale on June 1 in Las Vegas.
TUF
12 winner Jonathan Brookins will face Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway
meets Pat Schilling, and John Albert squares off with Byron Bloodworth.
Brookins
(13-4) won The Ultimate Fighter as a lightweight, but then dropped
back down to featherweight, where he is 1-1 in the Octagon. He
is coming off of a victory over Vagner Rocha at UFC on Fuel TV
1.
Brookins’
opponent, Oliveira (15-2), is 3-2 with 1 no contest inside the
Octagon. He also dropped down to featherweight for his last bout,
scoring a first-round submission victory over Eric Wisely.
Holloway
(4-1) suffered the only defeat of his career thus far in his
UFC debut on Super Bowl weekend. He lost at UFC 143 to Dustin
Poirier, who headlines the UFC on Fuel TV 3 fight card.
He’ll
try to score his first victory in the Octagon against Schilling
(5-1), who also lost his promotional debut. Daniel Pineda defeated
Schilling at UFC on FX 1, knocking him out of his unbeaten streak.
Coming
off of a loss to Ivan Menjivar at UFC on Fuel TV 1, Albert (7-2)
emerged from the cast of TUF 14. He scored a victory over Dustin
Pague at the TUF 14 Finale prior to dropping the bout to Menjivar.
He’ll
also be looking to course correct when he steps in the Octagon
with Bloodworth (6-2). Having lost to Mike Easton at UFC on Versus
6 last October, Bloodworth is trying to make a rebound of his
own, and won’t likely be easy prey for Albert.
A
No. 1 welterweight contender’s bout between Jake Ellenberger
and Martin Kampmann and the TUF Live finals headline the June
1 fight card in Las Vegas.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Fedor
Emelianenko Returns to Action This June
Fedor
Emelianenko at Affliction BannedFormer heavyweight king Fedor
Emelianenko will return to action this summer, but as most people
should already know, it won’t be in the UFC.
The
one time Pride heavyweight champion will next fight on June 21
in his native Russia, according to M-1 Global Director of Operations
Evgeni Kogan.
Kogan
released the news via Twitter on Friday.
“Fedor
Emelianenko fighting on June 21, Ice Palace, St. Petersburg,
Russia. News on the opponent to come,” wrote Kogan.
The
Russian legend last fought at the New Year’s Eve show in
Dream to close out 2011, where he defeated Satoshi Ishii by knockout
in the first round.
It
was Emelianenko’s second win in a row following three straight
defeats that ended his career with Strikeforce.
In
recent interviews, Emelianenko has mentioned the possibility
of returning to the United States to fight, and also how most
of the top heavyweights currently reside in the UFC, but UFC
president Dana White made it clear they have no interest in signing
the former heavyweight king.
Instead,
Emelianenko will fight in his native Russia under the M-1 Global
banner once again.
As
noted by Kogan’s message on Twitter, no opponent has been
named as of yet, but with the event so far in the future, there’s
no telling on how soon they may secure a fighter to face Emelianenko
in Russia.
Source: MMA Weekly |
The
credentials of Chael Sonnen’s Jiu-Jitsu coach
A
black belt from the Gracie Tijuca stable, Vinicius “Pezão”
Magalhães had announced over Twitter that he will be join
the competition at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in California.
Late Monday night, however, the fighter posted that he has pulled
out: he received an offer to train Chael Sonnen for his fight
with Anderson Silva in Rio de Janeiro before a crowd of 80,000.
“Forget
my last post about competing. Instead, I’m going to Oregon
to help the UFC middleweight champion get ready for a title fight
in Brazil,” wrote Vinny, harping on the same hokey chord
as Sonnen, about being the current champion—the outcome
of the last fight, the triangle, was of no significance to the
title challenger.
A
scholar when it comes to applying Jiu-Jitsu’s MMA application,
Vinny is a coach with some serious clout. He’s wreaked all
kinds of havoc in the gi, making it to the top as a brown belt
at the 2005 World Championship. After having relocated to the
USA, he shed his gi and won the 2011 ADCC. In MMA, Vinny has
amassed a record of nine wins in 15 fights, and he was a finalist
in the eighth season of TUF, in 2008, during which time he a
spat with team captain Minotauro, who happens to be the leader
of the team on which Anderson Silva trains.
Can
Vinny sharpen up Sonnen’s game to the point of dethroning
Anderson? Did Chael Sonnen do a good job of picking his help?
Was Vinny right to accept? Let us know your thoughts, gentle
reader.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Nick
Diaz in supermatch at World Jiu-Jitsu Expo
The
inaugural World Jiu-Jitsu Expo was big news unto itself, with
seminars from all the top gentle-art stylists, the first ever
IBJJF Spring Open tournament, and all things Jiu-Jitsu. But now
the May 12 Jiu-Jitsu fair just got that much bigger: crowd favorite
UFC fighter Nick Diaz is slated to do a super match.
Although
no opponent has yet been named, event president Renzo Gracie
says, “One thing is certain, this superfight will be one
more unforgettable moment at the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo!”
The
World Jiu-Jitsu Expo is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, 2012
at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California.
Get your tickets at www.worldjiujitsuexpo.com.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Twitter
Mailbag: Talking Alistair Overeem, This Week's Best and Worst
Viral Videos, and More
Apr
7, 2012 - Congratulations, fight fans. You've made it all the
way to the final weekend of the UFC's spring hiatus. That wasn't
so bad, right?
We
still have to find a way to get through these last few days,
so we might as well pry open the Twitter Mailbag one more time
and see what's in there. You know, aside from a bunch of questions
about Alistair Overeem's testosterone levels. Let's start with
something different and work our way up to The Reem, shall we?
sonnysaggese
@sonnysaggese
Ben I know u r no huge Rampage fan but these attacks on him for
that skit r absurd. R the MMA pundits now the new censors?
Before
we get to the video itself, let’s make an important distinction
between censorship and commentary. Censorship involves suppressing
free expression in some way, whereas commentary is free expression
about free expression. It’s the difference between telling
someone ‘You can’t say that’ and telling them
‘I think what you just said was stupid.’ Nobody is
censoring "Rampage" Jackson’s video. It’s
still there, still in its original form, still just as baffling
as it was the day it was uploaded to YouTube.
For
those of you who haven’t seen the video yet, well, I can’t
exactly recommend it, but if you want to be able to follow this
discussion I guess you might as well take a look at it. Obviously,
once we start talking about whether a video on YouTube was funny/entertaining/offensive/dumb,
we drift into the land of subjective value judgments. What’s
funny to me might be offensive or just boring to you, and vice
versa. Personally? I thought the video was unwatchably bad. It
is so unfunny that I can't even tell if it was supposed to be
funny. It is so bizarre that I have to consider the possibility
that everyone involved in making it was under the influence of
powerful hallucinogens at the time.
I
don’t think any subject should be off-limits for humor.
I think you can joke about absolutely anything, as long as you’re
funny. There’s some valuable humor out there on every subject
-- rape included (link is totally NSFW, by the way) -- but the
more sensitive the topic, the greater the risk. You tell an unfunny
joke about your parents, people might smile politely and feel
embarrassed for you. Tell an unfunny joke about violent sexual
assault, and you’ve just alienated everyone within the range
of your voice. Tell that same joke at work, and you just might
lose your job.
Honestly,
when I saw that video my first thought was that it must be an
attempt to get fired from the UFC. Maybe I just hoped that’s
what it was, since at least that made some sort of sense. After
Miguel Torres was fired for making a rape joke on Twitter, who
could seriously think it was a good idea to star in a how-to
video about a parking garage sexual assault, even if, according
to Jackson, it had some sort of convoluted anti-rape message?
It’s just shockingly bad judgment. It would be like some
fighter seeing what happened to Mo Lawal after he lashed out
at a state athletic commission member on Twitter, and then deciding
that it would be a good idea to go egg Keith Kizer’s house.
Some
people seem to find Jackson’s video funny. I don’t
understand how or why, but I could say the same about most Adam
Sandler movies. If you watched it and came to the conclusion
that, yes, this is an excellent use of time for both a pro fighter
and a film crew, then fine. But when other people tell you that
they think you’re wrong, they’re not censoring you.
They are disagreeing with you. That’s how this free expression
stuff works. The traffic runs in both directions.
Roger
Crandy @rogercrandy
what are the odds that Frank Mir is the next heavyweight champion?
Not
great. Dana White recently assured a tweeter that the Mir/Velasquez
fight would go down as scheduled, so Mir probably still has to
get through a fellow former champ before he can get within smelling
distance of UFC gold again. Even then, I don’t like his
chances to beat Junior dos Santos -- assuming he still has the
belt by then, and who knows with this division. In answer to
your question, I say it’s 3-1 against Mir becoming a UFC
champ again, and 5-1 against him becoming the very next champ.
Ryan
Young @YoungRyan4
Great Overeem article. Should he be released by Zuffa and, more
importantly, do you think will he be?
History
tells us that punishments for failed drug tests in the UFC vary
greatly depending on the fighter and the situation. Chael Sonnen
gets popped for high testosterone after a title fight? Let’s
let "the government" sort it out. Vinicius Quieroz
gets popped for steroids after losing his UFC debut? It was nice
knowing you, kid.
Typically
the UFC has gone harder on fighters who get busted before a fight
(see also: Nate Marquardt), and Overeem definitely falls into
that category. Not only did his drug test failure put the main
event in jeopardy, it messed with the entire UFC heavyweight
title picture. Dana White normally prefers to leave punishment
for failed drug tests up to the commissions, but you know he’s
got to be fuming over this one.
Personally,
I don’t feel right about going all torches and pitchforks
on a guy for his first failed drug test. While it certainly seems
possible that Overeem has dabbled in PED’s before now, officially
this is still the first strike for him. Doesn’t everyone
deserve a second chance? Don’t some fighters get a third
and fourth chance? Overeem looks to have screwed up big time
here, but he has plenty of company in the drug test doghouse.
Seems only fair to give him the same chance to redeem himself.
Zach
Thorax @sephiroth872
y is it that TRT seems to be exploding nowadays? Are fighters
just now using it, or is it being caught more 4 sum reason?
Testosterone
use itself isn’t new, but it does seem like more and more
fighters are discovering it lately, and I can see how it must
be an attractive option. For one thing, you can get it legally,
if you find the right doctor. The same is not true of anabolic
steroids. For another, it’s the rare PED that you don’t
have to make any effort to mask in your drug tests. As Dr. Johnny
Benjamin points out, testosterone occurs naturally in the body,
so it’s just a matter of doing the math and figuring out
when your levels will come down to the acceptable range, which
is relatively easy to do.
I
also think there’s a fad element to it. Fighters are no
different than people in any other business. Of course they talk
and gossip about each other. So do NASA scientists and hairdressers
and carpenters. That’s just how it goes. Fighters hear through
the grapevine that so-and-so has a doctor willing to play ball
on TRT, and suddenly that guy’s hitting the gym harder than
ever and feeling great. He doesn’t get as worn down in training
camp. His nagging injuries heal faster. He has more energy, and
he’s winning fights. That sounds good, right? Sure it does.
And what if you have to fight that guy? Odds are you think you’re
a better fighter, but if he’s getting that outside help
then don’t you want to level the playing field? Of course
you do. That’s why you should go see this doctor. Tell him
I sent you. Trust me, he’s cool.
quebert
X. einstein @oldskoolunchbox
Nobody mentions Cain Velasquez for a title shot...Why has the
MMA world shunned him so?
Nobody’s
shunning Velasquez. It’s just that, when your last fight
was a first-round knockout loss, it’s tough to make the
case for an immediate title shot. You’ve got to win at least
one before we can start talking about you as a top contender
again.
Money
@Money644
seeing how your gonna get a million questions about reem, I figured
I would spice it up bit. Best UFC fight ever was?
I
appreciate you breaking up the monotony for me. My fingers were
getting tired of typing the word ‘testosterone’ this
week. To answer your question: the best fight in the history
of the UFC, in my humble opinion, was Dan Henderson vs. "Shogun"
Rua at UFC 139. Though, I guess there’s another fight where
testosterone played at least some sort of role. Forget it. There
is no escape.
Tim
Kennedy @TimKennedyMMA
who is hotter Katy Perry or me as Katy Perry?
You
know, I didn’t think this question would be so difficult
until I really started to think about it. It’s possible
that I spent entirely too much time thinking about it, in fact,
but I can’t change that now. For those of you who somehow
didn’t see Mr. Kennedy’s Katy Perry music video...what,
parody? Homage? I don’t even know what to call it, but it
doesn’t matter. Stop what you’re doing and go watch
it. Then come back here and tell me that you still think "Rampage"
Jackson’s video was funny. I dare you.
Anyway,
back to the question. While Katy Perry is an attractive woman,
she’s also a terrible singer and kind of a cultural disaster.
Tim Kennedy, on the other hand, is an American hero who isn’t
afraid to put on a wig and dance to make his point. After crunching
the numbers on this one, I declare it a tie. Katy Perry is exactly
as hot as Tim Kennedy dressed up as Katy Perry.
Martin
Lindgren @MarreoMedia
Do you think it's right to take away everything an athlete has
done prior to his/hers doping conviction? #twittermailbag
Good
question, and one I’ve thought about a lot with regards
to both Overeem and "Cyborg" Santos recently. It does
seem unfair for one positive test to wipe out everything that
came before it. At the same time, what are the odds that this
person got caught on their first and only effort to cheat? It
makes you look back at their other accomplishments and wonder.
It leaves you with this nagging doubt you can’t ever get
rid of, and it leaves the fighter with a suspicious public that
will always look at him like it’s trying to figure out whether
he’s lying right now. Maybe that punishment fits the crime.
Matt
Baxter @Sneaky_Scrote
#1 contender for the hw strap getting popped for roids = watershed
moment? does random testing HAVE to be implemented now?
How
do you think we got this positive test result to begin with?
That was out-of-competition testing, so maybe we should take
a minute to appreciate the Nevada State Athletic Commission stepping
up its efforts. The UFC 146 heavyweights showed up for a press
conference in the middle of their training camps, and NSAC executive
director Keith Kizer wisely took the opportunity to hand them
each a cup to pee in. As easy as it is to beat up on athletic
commissions, let’s not forget to pat them on the back a
little bit when they get it right.
But
yes, I agree that this should serve as a reminder that there
is a huge difference between scheduled drug tests the day before
a fight and surprise tests more than a month out. That doubt
and fear is what will help keep fighters honest, and we need
more of it. Hopefully the UFC realizes that too, and will start
conducting some of its own random testing, if only to avoid this
exact situation. Dana White is right when he says that it’s
difficult and expensive to do. Then again, how much money do
you think the UFC will lose by having Overeem pulled from this
fight? How much bad press and needless headaches will result
from it? How many ulcers do you think this one situation caused
in Zuffa’s Las Vegas office? If I had as much money as Zuffa,
I’d be willing to spend some of it to avoid weeks like that.
James
Alberghine @JamesAlberghine
As steroid use becomes unveiled (TRT/Otherwise) do you think
it's effected the decline/legacy of clean fighters like Fedor?
After
spending the bulk of his career in Japan, you think Fedor knew
what it was like to fight a ‘roided up opponent long before
TRT became so fashionable? I’m going to say yes. He probably
beat plenty of dudes who were chemically enhanced, and unless
he was completely naive, he probably knew it.
In
general though, I think we have to be careful about assigning
too much importance to the ability of PEDs to decide the outcome
of a fight. When Fedor got triangle-choked by Fabricio Werdum,
that had nothing to do with what was in either man’s bloodstream.
The same is probably true of his loss to Antonio Silva, who would
still have a tremendous size advantage over Fedor even if he
was subsisting on a diet of Ritz crackers and acai shakes. That’s
not to say PEDs don’t matter, or that we shouldn’t
do our best to eradicate them from the sport. We should. But
in the meantime, let’s be honest with ourselves and admit
that Fedor’s decline probably had a lot more to do with
what was going on with Fedor than what was going into the bodies
of his opponents.
Karim
Zidan[Founder] @TheFlyingKneeTO
still didnt get your thoughts on Jake Shields as a middleweight
contender? Do you think he would beat Bisping/munoz etc
I
think the Akiyama fight showed that Shields still has some shortcomings
in his game, and I doubt they’re the type that will be fixed
by going up in weight. Obviously, he’s a superb technician
on the mat. He’s just not that great at getting the fight
there, and not threatening enough anywhere else to make up for
it. Against a guy like Mark Munoz, I think he’d be in a
lot of trouble right now.
sonnysaggese
@sonnysaggese
Ben why has Reem been so silent? And not asked for b sample test?
Every second that goes by he looks ..guiltier
Absolutely.
Unlike with your view on the "Rampage" rape video,
here I totally agree with you. The longer a fighter in this situation
says nothing, the more it seems like an admission of guilt. It’s
like an episode of The First 48, when they bring a murder suspect
in for an interrogation. The innocent man slams his hand on the
table and demands that the police apologize for even daring to
suggest that he could have killed his friend. The guilty man
shakes his head and mumbles something about a lawyer or cigarettes.
I can understand taking some time to form a coherent response,
but if you think there’s even an outside chance that you
may be innocent, you ask the NSAC to test that B sample right
away. If you’re Overeem, you have to know that the whole
MMA world is calling you a cheater right now. To remain silent
is to tell them that they’re right.
Matt
Looney @RMLooney
since you are such a manly man, and for sake of comparison, what's
your T/E ratio?
I
have no idea. It never occurred to me to go get it checked, but
maybe now I will. Maybe all of us should, just so we can have
some personal frame of reference for when a bunch of heavily
muscled pro athletes in their late 20s and early 30s try to tell
us that their own levels are chronically low.
Oron
L Crawford @OronLCrawford
twitter mailbag: all four of mike russow's opponents have been
cut after losing to him. Is he MMAs grim reaper?
Maybe
he is. And you know what else? Maybe that’s kind of awesome.
If I were Russow, I’d embrace it. I’d let everybody
know that the worst thing that could happen to their MMA career
is a loss to me. "The Grim Reaper" seems like kind
of a cliche nickname, so I might go with something like "The
Contract-Shredder" or "The Harbinger of Pink Slips."
If he wanted to go all Chael Sonnen with it, he could even cut
post-fight promos where he referred to himself as the worst thing
to happen to the unemployment rate since The Great Depression.
Then again, maybe this still isn’t the right economic climate
for that particular gimmick.
Nate
Pagano @Nate_Pagano
Do you see Anderson Silva retiring with the belt? If not, who
beats him for it?
Chael
Sonnen is the last best hope to separate Silva from that belt.
If he can’t do it, then yes, I think "The Spider"
will ride into the sunset with the strap still around his waist.
It’s either that, or do what so many other great fighters
have done and stick around way too long for no good reason. Fortunately,
I don’t think he’s that type. Or maybe I just hope
he isn’t.
Matt
Giesbrecht @MattGiesbrecht
What do you think of Brock Lesnar's return to pro wrestling?
What kind of legacy do you think his MMA career leaves? #mailbag
I
think Lesnar is better off in the WWE. The money there is good,
or so I hear, and he no longer has to worry about people trying
to hurt him on purpose (just on accident). As far as his legacy,
my guess is we’ll look back on the Lesnar era in MMA and
think of it as a strange period that was as exciting as it was
brief. I mean, it’s pretty weird when you think about it.
The guy quits pro wrestling, can’t make it in the NFL, becomes
the UFC heavyweight champ in his fourth professional fight, then
retires three years later, following his second consecutive loss.
It was a wild ride, but I’m not even sure you can really
call his time in MMA a career. Let’s think of Lesnar as
a sort of visiting professor in the grand university that is
the UFC. He swept in here, freaking out the undergrads and smashing
his office furniture, then swept right back out again without
even returning his parking pass. They’ll still be talking
about him at faculty cocktail parties for years to come.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Is
Pat Curran the No. 2 Featherweight in the World Behind Jose Aldo?
The rise of Pat Curran has been something just about everybody
has been able to watch ever since the young fighter made his
first appearance on the TapouT reality show a few years back.
Since
that time, Curran pulled off probably the biggest upset, at the
time, in Bellator Fighting Championships history when he defeated
former UFC contender Roger Huerta. He then made it all the way
to a shot against then Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez,
and despite going into the fight as an over inflated featherweight
still managed to go five rounds with one of the top 155-pound
fighters in the world.
That’s
when Curran started to hit his stride.
He
entered the Bellator featherweight tournament in 2011 and reeled
off three straight wins, including a dramatic head kick knockout
over Marlon Sandro to capture the tournament title before moving
on to absolutely crush former champion Joe Warren to win the
belt just a few weeks ago at Bellator 60.
With
the current streak he’s on, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney looks
at Curran as one of the center pieces of their organization and
a legitimate challenger to anyone at 145 punds.
“Pat’s
a tremendous star on the rise,” said Rebney on MMAWeekly
Radio. “He’s an incredibly talented mixed martial artist.
He’s got spectacular knockout power, his submission game
is so calm and so at ease and at peace with himself. He’s
almost like a Tibetan monk in terms of the orchestration of his
submission game. He’s got a great wrestling base. He’s
just got every piece of the equation.”
No
matter what fighters or organizations are out there, the arguments
will always be raised how one champion from one promotion matches
up with another fighter from a different promotion, and it’s
no different when stacking up Curran against the other top featherweights
in the world.
Rebney
looks at Curran and sees real top level talent at featherweight.
The Bellator CEO pays credit where credit it due to current UFC
featherweight champion Jose Aldo, but when it comes to talent
and success, he believes Curran is the fighter most likely to
nip at his heels.
“He’s
a great guy to have as our featherweight champion. I honestly
think that right now in the landscape of featherweight fighters,
is he the best featherweight in the world? I don’t know,
I think Jose Aldo is a very, very talented featherweight, but
I can surely tell you without any question that I would put Pat
at No. 2. Pat Curran is the real deal, in every conceivable sense
of the word,” said Rebney.
“If
everybody on earth started fighting and the weight category was
145 and all the fighting was done, Pat Curran and Jose Aldo would
probably be the last two guys standing. I think he’s got
that kind of skill.”
As
humble as he’s been great, Curran won’t be the fighter
shouting to everybody listening that he is the No. 2 featherweight
in the world behind Aldo, but he wouldn’t argue with you
either. The current Bellator featherweight champ would love the
chance to prove he’s the best by fighting someone like Aldo,
although realistically he knows the fight probably won’t
happen any time soon.
“I
respect him a lot and he is the best for a reason, but obviously
you want to fight the best, and right now he is the best,”
Curran told MMAWeekly Radio about Jose Aldo. “I’d love
to get a chance to fight him, but Bellator and UFC are two different
organizations and I’m going to be with Bellator for a while,
so they’re a great organization and they’ve got big
things coming up moving to Spike and big things are happening
right now.”
So
the argument will likely rage on as long as both Aldo and Curran
sit atop the division, separated by promotions, but it’s
still an interesting conversation to have.
As
for Pat Curran, he’s now focused on his next challenge for
Bellator. He will get back in the cage later this year and face
current No. 1 contender Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire with
the Bellator featherweight title on the line.
Source: MMA Weekly |
SFL
2 Results: Duffee Knocks Out Grove, Shlemenko Rolls and Calls
Out Lombard
UFC and DREAM veteran Todd Duffee scored an impressive 34 second
knockout over UK based South African, Neil Grove, who at 41,
was looking to go out with a bang at the second Super Fight League
show in Chandigarh, India.
Duffee
who is a fearsome striker and a talented wrestler looked for
an early takedown but stalked Grove until he unloaded with a
right bomb dropping the South African and after some quick ground
and pound referee Herb Dean called an end to the fight.
Duffee
who still holds one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history at
seven seconds snapped a two fight losing streak and at only 26
years of age, still has a bright future ahead of him.
“AKA
is the best gym, I’ve been at a lot of gyms in the country
and that’s a team,” Duffee said.
“It was a really rough camp, there was a lot of bad stuff
that went on, by they [AKA] got me through it.”
In
the co-feature bout and the only female bout on the card American,
Colleen Schneider scored a 2nd round TKO win over England’s
Cherie Buck who took the fight on just a weeks notice after her
previously scheduled fight fell through.
Schneider
took Buck down early in the second round before moving to side
control where she was able to land ground and pound with the
referee Yuji Shimada calling an end to the fight at 2:29 of the
second round.
In
other action Alexander Shlemenko made his intentions clear that
he wants a rematch with Bellator middleweight champion, Hector
Lombard after stopping Ikuhisa Minowa in the opening round.
Shlemenko
landed at will in the opening half of round 1 before landing
a knee to the head of Minowa which he followed up with body shots,
with Minowa unable to continue. The fight was stopped at 2:20
of round 1.
Shlemenko
issued a strong warning post fight to Hector Lombard, “Hey
India, Hector I kill you.”
Full
Results:
Todd
Duffee vs Neil Grove via TKO (Punches), Round 1 at 0:34.
Colleen Schneider def Cherie Buck via TKO (Punches), Round 2
at 2:29.
Ricky Ranjeet Sahni def Salika Senanayake via TKO (Punches),
Round 1 at 4:36.
Anup Kumar def Dilanga Rathnaveera via submission (RNC), Round
2 at 1:45.
Alexander Shlemenko def Ikuhisa Minowa via TKO (Strikes), Round
1 at 2:20.
Bharat Khandare def Soro Ismael via submission (Punches), Round
1 at 2:16.
Pierre Daguzan def Chaitanya Gavali via UD
Ryan Healy def Paul Kelly via UD
Source: MMA Weekly |
Cigano:
‘I’m the champion and would never use stratagem’
Junior
“Cigano” dos Santos has spoken for the first time about
the test results of Alistair Overeem, last Thursday. The Brazilian,
holder of the heavyweight title of Ultimate, criticized the Dutch,
who would meet him on the main event of UFC 146, on May 26, on
the United States.
“I’m
a pro and a champion and I would never use some stratagem to
improve my performance. When you see me fighting, that’s
really me”, posted the Brazilian, who claims not to know
much more about the case.
“About
what happened to Overeem, I don’t know more than you do.
To me it’s between him and the Nevada Athletic Committee.
I know about me”.
The
news that Alistair Overeem was caught on the antidoping exams
last Wednesday. His results presented high levels of testosterone.
He had the right to get retested, but, in case the result is
the same, he is out of the fight for the title against the Brazilian.
Source: Tatame
|
Rafael
Mendes: ‘Where your mind is makes a lot of difference’
Rafael
Mendes fought at Pan American this weekend and proved to continue
the good patch. With four submissions, one of which an armbar
over Rubens Charles “Cobrinha”, on the feather weight
finals, the BJJ black belt from Atos got a golden medal in other
competition.
On
an exclusive interview with TATAME, Mendes said he went for the
finals looking forwards submitting Rubens, a guy he has been
meeting in regular basis when in finals.
“I
knew things would work out this time because of the way I felt
on training. I even said it to my team: ‘I’m feeling
this championship will be a good thing for me and I’m going
to be over the top. I want to let it go, try some positions and
take a chance’. It’s really important to risk some
positions”.
According
to Mendes, that state of mind was what really made a difference,
since Cobrinha knows his skills alright.
“It’s
a fight where we both know our talent, it’s two tough guys
fighting each other and nobody wants to get exposed. I said I
was letting things go and it makes a hell of a difference because
it was what made me go for the submission in all fights”,
told the black belt, not sure about what comes next.
“I’ll
talk to the guys in my team. There’s World Pro and there’s
World. I’m not sure if I’m fighting World Pro because
my main goal is to keep my World title. I’m just champion
at World, so I wanna keep it like that. I’ll see what’s
best, not just for me, but to my entire team: if it’s good
to go to Abu Dhabi or if I’ll just to go World, which I’m
sure I’ll be there”.
Source: Tatame
|
Pan
2012 revelation Renato Cardoso, efficient brown belt absolute
champion
He
got the tapout in all nine of the matches he was in at the 2012
Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Irvine, California, snapping up
gold in the middleweight and absolute weight classes of the brown
belt division. The 23-year-old Renato Cardoso of team CheckMat
was the big revelation of the tournament, demonstrating not just
a sharp game but versatility, to boot.
“It
was one of the most significant championships I’ve been
in in my life. I had five matches at middleweight and another
four in the absolute. I won them all by tapout, with the absolute
final being the quickest—I got a figure-four footlock, one
of my specialties, in 30 seconds,” he told GRACIEMAG.com.
Renato overcame Adam Piccolotti of Raul Castillo team in the
weight-class final and Aaron Michael Johnson of Alliance in the
gold-medal match of the absolute.
“I
finished three matches with triangles, five with straight footlocks
and the final with a figure-four footlock,” he said.
Born
in São Paulo City, raised in Caruaru, Pernambuco State,
Renato now resides in the city of Santos. “I’m the
kind of athlete who always goes for the finish; point scoring
is a consequence. That’s something my teacher Rodrigo Cavaca
always emphasizes,” he said, sharing a helpful hint for
GRACIEMAG.com readers: “I think I get a lot of submissions
because of all the drills, the position clinics, I do before
beginning a training session. It’s how I warmup and it makes
it so the positions come to me automatically.”
Even
having running roughshod through the competition, the CheckMat
rep admits that he learned plenty at the IBJJF tournament. “The
main thing I learned is that anything can happen, you just have
to believe, since I went through a number of hardships in making
weight: my immunities dropped, I caught a fever, sore throat…
Due all that I thought about pulling out after the first match
in the absolute, because I was cramping up something awful, but
Cavaca didn’t let me get discouraged or give up. When I
made it to the final, Cavaca looked at me and said, ‘This
is the fight of your life; you always wanted this, and if you
win, the team will go from fourth place to runner-up in the overall
standing!’ Thank God that’s what ended up happening,”
he said, before addressing the next target in his sights.
“I
want a repeat performance at the Brazilian Nationals and the
Worlds. I’m going to try and win at weight and open weight
at both of them,” said Renato, before putting in a word
of thanks for his teammates.
“First,
I want to dedicate this title to God; without Him none of this
would have happened. And to my dad, mom and daughter, who are
far away from me. And to my teacher Rodrigo Cavaca and all my
training partners and my sponsor Koral,” he said in closing.
Get
a look at Renato Cardoso in action against Kit Dale in the middleweight
semifinal, and learn his way of getting a foot finish.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Georges
St-Pierre to try his hand at poker
GSP's
poker face? (Getty)As Georges St-Pierre continues to rehabilitate
his torn ACL, he needs somewhere to put his competitive energy.
The man didn't get to the top of the welterweight division and
near the top of the Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound rankings without
a good amount of competitiveness, so now he'll use it at the
poker table.
He
signed a sponsorship deal with 888, an online gaming company.
Through that sponsorship, he'll play in the 2012 World Series
of Poker. He will also play in online special games that will
benefit his anti-bullying charity.
"I
have wanted to play poker for a while now as it is a great game
of skill. It is not just your cards versus my cards; it is you
versus your opponent. However, the most important aspect of my
partnership with 888poker is that we are going to generate a
great deal of money for my foundation that dedicates its efforts
towards anti-bullying causes.
GSP
has shown an incredibly icy stare when squaring off when his
opponents. He may need to employ that at the poker table. For
tips, he can turn to fellow fighter Mike Swick, who finished
10th of more than 2,000 in a WSOP event in 2010. UFC ring announcer
Bruce Buffer is also a poker aficionado. He has his own poker
room at the Luxor in Las Vegas.
Source: Yahoo Sports
|
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
|
Source: Romolo Barros
|
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.
|
|