Upcoming
Events
Do you want to list an
event on Onzuka.com?
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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
November
Pride
Bushido 5
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
September
Ring
of Honor 6
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Kauai)
Tentative
9/25/04
NAGA Hawaii State Grappling Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Tentative)
9/11/04
K-1 Hawaii
(Boxing & Kickboxing)
(Aloha Stadium)
August
Ring of Honor 6
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Maui)
Tentative
8/28/04
Hawaiian Grappling Challenge
(Submission Grappling)
(Oahu)
8/15/04
Pride
Final Conflict
(MMA)
(Saitama Super Arena, Japan)
July
Bushido 4
(MMA)
(Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Japan)
7/30/04
Westside
Bash
(Boxing/Kickboxing)
(Ahuna Ranch, Maili)
7/24/04
Submission Wrestling Tpurnament
(Sub Grappling)
(Kahului, Maui, Hawaii)
7/19/04
Pride
Bushido 4
(MMA)
(Nagoya, Japan)
|
|
July 2004 News Part
2
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
Tuesdays at 8:30PM on
Olelo Channel 52
New Time! |
Quote
of the Day
"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think
wise, risking more than other's think safe, dreaming more than
others think practical, and expecting more than others think
possible."
Anonymous
|
Fighters'
Club TV Premier's New Show New Time
It's on Tonight
Tuesdays
at 8:30PM on Olelo Channel 52
Fighters’ Club
TV Episode 22 has been submitted to programming and will air
in our regular timeslot—6pm Tuesdays on Channel 52. It will
premier on July 6th (Tues. night)
and will repeat
for the following 3 Tuesdays at 6pm on Ch. 52 (redundant for
those who still tell me, “I’d watch the show, but I
never know when it’s on.”
Episode 22 features:
Brennan Kamaka’s Punishment
in Paradise:
Corey Daniels (Team
Vitale) vs. Jason Nicholson (808 Fight Factory) + intvw w/ Corey
Harris Sarmiento
(808 Fight Factory) vs. Ben George (Bull’s Pen)
PJ Dean (Hardknocks)
vs. Deshaun Johnson (HMC) + intvw w/ PJ
Prodigy Productions, Rumble
on the Rock (7MAY04)
Royden Demotta vs.
Vance Pu + intvw w/ Royden
Harris Sarmiento
vs. Justin Mercado
Jason Lambert vs
Mike Rogers
Joe Riggs vs. Kendall
Groves
John Marsh vs. Cabbage
+intvw w/ Marsh
Ronald Jhun vs.
Ryan Schultz +intvw w/ Ronald
Technique of the Week
Purebred Omiya’s,
Tetsuji Kato demonstrating a leg-lock takedown w/ BJ Penn
And, Hawaii’s
favorite FCTV Hearthrobs: Mike “I’m the handsome one”
Onzuka, Chris “no you’re not” Onzuka, and Mark
“the other guy” Kurano
Comments, Questions,
Suggestions: Contact us at fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
|
PRIDE
Bushido 4
July 19th, 2004
Nagoya Aiichi Rainbow Hall
Nagoya, Japan
Brazilian
Top Team vs. Japan matchups:
Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogeuira defeats Kazuhiro Nakamura by split
decision.
Takanori Gomi defeats Fabio Mello by KO at 8:07, RD 1.
Paulo Filho defeats Akira Shoji by split decision.
Single
fight matchups:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic defeats Shungo Oyama by KO at 1:00,
RD 1.
Takashi Sugiura defeats 'Giant' Silva by TKO at 2:35, RD 1.
Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Ken'ichi Yamamoto by KO at 3:23, RD 1.
Hayato Sakurai defeats Brady Fink by choke at 4:08, RD 1.
Amar Suloev defeats Dean Lister by split decision.
D. Mishima defeats Marcus Aurelio by split decision.
Luis 'Buscape' Firminho defeats Hiroyuki Abe by triangle choke
at 2:52, RD 1.
Kyosuke Sasaki drew with Eiji Mitsuoka.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
HENDO
TO FIGHT IN PRIDE IN AUGUST
Dan Henderson will be fighting on the next PrideFC card in August
but the question still remains, against who? MMAWeekly spoke
with Dan Friday about his next fight, who he would like to fight
if given the choice, teammates Randy Couture and Matt Lindland's
upcoming bouts among other things. This is a synopsis of what
Henderson had to say. To hear the entire interview, get yourself
a Premium Membership.
Dan
has been training "quite a bit," and staying busy these
days. Along with building his house, he has been preparing for
his fight on August 15th but he still doesn't know who he will
be facing. One thing is for certain, he won't be facing Murilo
Bustamante. Dan said, "I have no idea who I'm fighting,"
but expects to find out in the next few days. His contract with
Pride stared with the Bustamante bout and was a one year, three
fight deal. Basically, he has two more fights left before the
end of November.
When
asked who he wanted to fight if he could choose, Dan said he
wants to fight for a title which means Wanderlei Silva. The two
met before back in December of 2000. Silva got the decision win
back then but Henderson would like another crack at the champion.
There
are several reasons why Henderson thinks a second time around
will be different. The first time they fought, Dan said he didn't
know much about Silva and took the fight on short notice. He
had a two weeks notice but said, "Right after I found out
I was fighting, I kinda got sick with Strep Throat." Looking
back, Dan said he couldn't finish any take downs because he was
simply too tired.
When
asked, straight up, what would be different this time, Dan replied,
"For one, I'd be in shape and ready to go." He went
on to say, "I had about a week of good training for that
and it wasn't enough." Henderson has been asking for a fight
with Silva for the last year, and as he put it, "I haven't
had much luck."
Some
say that Wanderlei is overrated but Henderson doesn't subscribe
to that train of thought. "He wouldn't have won the that
Grand Prix tournament if he was overrated," stated Henderson.
Dan did question Silva's chin though and commented, "He
definitely gets a little protected."
Dan
was asked about his take on Phil Baroni's return to the octagon
coming off of three consecutive loses. He said people either
love Phil or love to see him lose. Henderson spoke candidly in
saying, "I think he should have gotten reprimanded a lot
worse than he got," for striking a referee. He added, "He
should have been out for at least a year."
Henderson
resides in California but is a member of the Oregon based Team
Quest. He makes it to Oregon to train with them four or five
times a year. Sometime this week, he will make the trip there
for two solid weeks of training. He said, "I'm up there
quite a bit. I probably could use a little bit more with them."
Dan,
Randy Couture and Matt Lindland all have bouts coming up in August.
The only down side in Henderson's mind is that the Pride event
is one week before UFC 49 so Randy and Matt won't be making the
trip to Japan to corner him. He has several people who will be
accompanying him but would the absence of Randy and Matt will
be felt.
Dan
doesn't know too much about Lindland opponent, David Terrell,
other than he is good on the ground. It is his opinion that Matt
will try and stand with Terrell with the hopes of a knock out.
Matt has been working hard on his stand up so we will see.
Randy
Couture's light heavyweight title fight against Vitor Belfort
is the main event on the UFC 49 card. Henderson thinks the fight
will go the distance with teammate Couture the victor. His prediction
was, "I feel that Randy will control him and beat on him
quite a bit from the top." He acknowledged that it will
be a tough fight but anticipates Randy controlling Vitor and
wearing Belfort down.
To
hear all of what Dan Henderson had to say, such as if he would
take less money than Pride pays him to fight in the UFC, get
yourself a Premium Membership. For only five dollars a month,
you gain access to the radio archive, our video section of one
on one interview, behind the scenes footage of weigh ins and
press conferences, not to mention the tips of the week from the
top fighters in Mixed Martial Arts. With UFC 49 and the conclusion
of the Pride heavyweight Grand Prix just around the corner, now
is no better time to find out what you're missing.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
KEN
SHAMROCK: UFC'S BIG MONEY MAKER
Ken Shamrock is a UFC Legend, a Hall of Famer and great fighter.
He also is a big box office draw as he has drew the most pay
per view buys in the modern UFC/Zuffa era.
Dave
Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer reports that the UFC 48 show
headlined by Ken Shamrock vs Kimo drew some where in the ball
park of 110,000 buys.
This
would be the second show for Shamrock, in the UFC/Zuffa era since
Zuffa took over the UFC and it would also be the second pay per
view that Ken Shamrock drew over 100,000 buys. The first show
Shamrock was in for Zuffa was against Tito Ortiz at UFC 40. That
pay per view drew somewhere in the ball park of 150,000 pay per
view buys.
If
you want to compare the numbers you could compare this to UFC
46. Tito Ortiz vs Randy Couture was the main event and that show
did 80,000 buys. Bottom line is the fact that Ken Shamrock is
a marketing machine. The only bad news for Zuffa is the fact
that Shamrock is at the end of his career, not to mention he
is 40 years old and is coming off a torn rotator cuff. How long
does he have left? Shamrock told MMAWeekly Radio last week that
he will be ready to go in February, possibly against Tito Ortiz.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Terere
to fight in the Over
Major Bomb: Terere to fight in the Over Division
In
a very big surprise Fernando 'Terere' signed up for the 2004
Worlds for the Over category, where he will probably face the
likes of Fabricio Werdum, Marcio Orletta and other Over Division
stars!
Terere
who has fought and won in the Medium weight category for the
last few years comented: ' I wanted to face Marcio Pe-de-Pano
so much that I signed up for his division!' After finding out
that Pano was going to skip the Worlds to concentrate on his
NHB match Terere said: 'I am always looking for challenges!'
Terere
had beaten Pano in the Absoluto on the Nationals a few years
back and the two had a friendly feud going on
2004
Worlds soon to be rocking!!!
Source: ADCC
|
Leo
Santos deals with AFC Brasil
Dealing to replace his teammate Danilo Cherman during the fight
against BTT Milton Vieira, Black Belt GP champion Leonardo Santos
has been having some troubles to close a purse at the upcoming
Absolute Fighting Championship Brasil, scheduled to rock the
Nova Frigurgo Tênis Clube on next Augusr 28, in Nova Friburgo
(RJ). "We are still dealing. The thing is the purse is not
bad for Brazilians, but it's got good for Leo, once has been
collecting titles," guaranteed André Pederneiras,
Nova União vale-Tudo's technician.
Source:
Tatame
|
"We
are doing now the South-SO"
The plans of the Brazilian Confederation of Olympic Jiu-Jitsu's
president Luiz Hermínio de Morais for Jiu-Jitsu are getting
developed fast. After hosting the North-NE Cup and for the first
time featuring the BJJ World Cup outside of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz
Hermínio talks about South-SO. "I have been talking
with Fernando Paradeda (BTT) and Márcio Corleta (Behring),
who already have federations. We are setting up the South-SO
for this semester. We also gonna feature another edition of North-NE.
My idea is featuring two of each tournament per year," reveals
Luizinho.
The ideas don't stop. Next year Luizinho promises to feature
two phases of BJJ World Cup in different dates. One for black
belts and other for the rest of the belts. "The two tournaments
will be held in July and may be held in different places. I want
more room for black belts," explains Luiz Hermínio.
About the prize cash, Luizinho guarantees the amount will depend
of the sponsorship, but it will be better then this year. Asked
about the new place of the competition, Luizinho affirms: "I'm
already dealing with Minas Gerais, São Paulo and with
a sponsor in Rio de Janeiro".
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by
another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those
who have rekindled this light."
Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965, German Born Medical Missionary,
Theologian, Musician, and Philosopher
|
WESTSIDE
BASH
July 30,
2004
Ahuna Ranch, Maili
Fights start at 7:00 PM
Welterweight
8 Man Tournament
Hawaii’s
Badest Strikers Pound 4 Pound
PJ
Dean (Bad Intentions, Waianae)
Kaleo
Padilla (Westbrook Boxing, Kona)
Clyde
Paling (Jesus Is Lord, Nanakuli)
Mark
Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi)
Zack
(Wailuku Boxing, Maui)
Cheyenne
Padeken (Waianae)
Wayne
Perrin (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
Sean
Taylor (Freelance, Kailua)
Plus…..
*
LIVE MUSIC (Pati)
*
MR. & MRS. BOOTY CONTEST
*
MEN & WOMEN CLOTHING
*
ONO ONO GRINDZ
AHUNA
RANCH, MAILI
FRIDAY
July 30.04
FUN
STARTS 7PM
Ticket
Information call 330-4483
$20.00
Advance/ $25.00 Event Day |
SHOOTO
Champ Jake Shields
Post-Fight interview and link to gallery!
In
the recent Soljah Fight Night 'Hawaii and Japan Unite To Take
On The World' show, local hero Ray 'Bradda' Cooper took on Cesar Gracie student Jake
Shields for the vacant Shooto Middleweight belt. The Shooto Middleweight
division is roughly equivalent to the US Welterweight division.
Jake ended up getting a rear choke in 3:24 of round 1. We interviewed
Shields shortly after his victory, which is expected to catapult
him into the elite at 170 lbs.
KM:
You are the champion. How do you feel? JS: I Feel excellent.
I trained so hard for that, I got it, I was so confident I was
but you never know until you go out there and do it. I’m
glad it’s finally over and I got what I deserve.
KM:
Was there any point you felt in trouble? JS: No. I did get in
a place I didn’t want to get obviously. He mounted me, got
my back…but I practice that position so much with the guys
I train with I was comfortable there. Obviously I don’t
want to be there but there was never a point I was like ‘oh,
no, I’m in trouble’.
For
a gallery of shots from this fight check out http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2004/Shooto/shooto070904/shieldscooper.
KM:
There was one point where you were in his guard and he was striking
up while you were doing body shots. Was he having an effect with
those? JS: Ray Cooper is the hardest I’ve been hit from
the bottom. Still not the kind of punches that are like ‘oh,
no’. He’s the only guy that hit me from the bottom
with some sting in it. I was trying to punch and had a hard time
getting strikes off. I was trying to posture up and finally knew
I had to pass his guard. I wasn’t getting the strikes I
wanted from guard.
KM:
You were saying that went according to plan. JS: Well, first
round submission is what I wanted. That went according to plan.
Me being on bottom didn’t. Me being mounted didn’t.
The plan was to go out there, I wanted to strike him for a minute,
hit him a few times, let him feel I could strike, then take him
down, pass guard, arm bar or punch him out or choke. I ended
up getting the choke I wanted but being on bottom…that part…I
can’t complain.
KM:
You just beat the local favorite. We talked before about being
the underdog against Sakurai and Kikuchi. You are getting a reputation
for being the underdog and beating the favorites. Does that matter
to you at all? JS: Doesn’t matter as long as I’m winning.
I’m going to keep winning. I kind of like being booed but
they weren’t that bad this time. I like having everybody
against me, it fires me up a bit.
KM:
(Note: Jake was cornered by WEC champion Gilbert Melendez) You
train with Gilbert… JS: All the time. We are roommates,
pretty much train together every day.
KM:
I have the hardest time trying to memorize which fighters train
at which Cesar Gracie locations… JS: Yeah, because we have
several affiliate schools. We all train together. Concord is
the main one, but I teach out of San Francisco Fairtex, David
Terrell is out of Santa Rosa, and Nick Diaz is out of Stockton.
We all meet up in Concord plus I drive up to Dave’s a lot.
KM:
How much effect did Gilbert have on your training as opposed
to for instance David Terrell? JS: Actually I’m with Gilbert
every day but I’m with Dave and Nick a lot too. Really those
are the main guys I train with.
KM:
For the fans who haven’t seen WEC and are only familiar
with the heavier Cesar fighters like Nick or Gil Castillo from
UFC how would you put him in perspective? JS: I think he is right
up there. He hasn’t been training quite as long. Give him
six months, he is catching right up and is ready for the big
shows. There is a good chance he is going to fight Richard Crunkilton
coming up which will put him on the map. He has already beat
Stephen
Paling
who is a top fighter. Hopefully he will get in Shooto actually
because he fits right in. You got (Vitor) Shaolin (Ribeiro) right
there, (Joachim) Hansen…they got a stacked division right
there and he would fit right in.
KM:
You are only obligated to defend the title once a year but how
long would you want to train for a fight? JS: Two months, two
and a half months. Give me a month to relax. I train when I relax
three or four days a week but once I start training it’s
twice a day six days a week. Plus the diet…I want to eat.
I dropped fifteen pounds in the last week and a half and that
wasn’t fun.
KM:
Did you gain it back before the fight? JS: Yes.
KM:
You guys are known for balancing weight cutting with endurance.
JS: Weight cutting can affect endurance. I think I did it right
so my endurance was fine, I wasn’t really tired. I think
actually I started slow, that is why I was having trouble in
the beginning and got in a bad position. I started to feel better
as the fight went. As long as you cut weight right it’s
not bad but if you drop weight too fast in saunas…that is
why I dropped it over about three or four days. If you try to
drop fifteen pounds in one day you can really mess yourself up
bad.
KM:
You’d recommend three or four days? JS: Probably about three
days.
KM:
I’ve asked you in the past about the amount of decisions
on your record. This breaks you out of that…I’m eating
my own words. How does that feel to get the first round win?
JS: It feels great. If you are fighting certain guys it’s
really hard. There is a chance I might fight Kikuchi again and
he’s not an easy guy to finish. Sakurai is not an easy guy
to finish. It depends on who they put me against.
KM:
What do you think of the other contenders, who you might fight
next? JS: I’m thinking Kikuchi again. He just beat Nakao,
he’s been on a roll, I’m his only loss. He’s something
like 9-1. He’s a great fighter and the number one contender.
KM:
So is Kikuchi probably next or is next? JS: I wouldn’t mind
fighting one other person first since I just fought him. I’m
willing to fight him again and he has earned the spot.
KM:
Anything else you want to get across or anybody to thank? JS:
Fairtex sponsored me. I want to thank Cesar Gracie obviously,
David Terrell, Gilbert Melendez, Nick Diaz, all of my other training
partners, I can’t name them all. I have a great team that
helps me out. Without them this wouldn’t be possible.
Source: ADCC |
Catching
Up With MONTE COX
We spoke with promoter/manager Monte Cox this past weekend, as
he returned from a brief Colorado vacation. Catching up with
the busiest man in MMA is not easy! The month of June saw him
promoting EXTREME CHALLENGE 58 (June 11th) co-promoting SUPERBRAWL
(June 18th) and flying off to Korea to accompany Team EXTREME
to the Gladiator FC event held there (June 27th). The last week
saw Cox in Hawaii for Jens Pulver's SHOOTO fight, then off to
Alaska for the Alaskan FC, a smaller event held on Wednesday
14th of July.
EXTREME
CHALLENGE & MORE
This
Friday, July 23rd Cox heads for his Ohio event ICE #10, co promoted
with 'Meat Truck' Schall. The event is headlined by younger fighters
Neal Rowe, Rod Housley, Mojo Horne and Ron Fields, and is coming
off a successful run of events at the Metropolis in Cincinati.
After
a lull during the summer months, Extreme Challenge 59 is slated
for September 24th in Minneapolis, and Oct 2nd is the return
of Chicago's XFO which Monte runs in conjunction with Jeff Curran.
TJ
THOMPSON and SUPERBRAWL
Cox
has also been working with TJ Thompson on the successful SUPERBRAWL
events held in Hawaii. The month of September sees the next SUPERBRAWL
event scheduled, and it is rumored to be a whopper! One of the
fights already in the works is a rematch between Tom Sauer and
Hawaii's native son Enson
Inoue.
What makes the event unique is that Enson's brother Egan is also rumored to be on the card
- the first time both Inoue brothers appear in MMA together on
the same card in Hawaii. Almost a sure sellout in the works already!!!
JEREMY
HORN, JENS PULVER, RICH FRANKLIN, JENNIFER HOWE, ROBBIE LAWLER,
TIM SYLVIA, JOE DOERKSON, JUSTIN EILERS
Horn,
one of Cox's most active fighters, sustained a loss in the Gladiator
FC event in Korea, to Anderson Silva. Horn fought Kyle Seals,
a 3-1 fighter from New Mexico this past week in Alaska. Horn
won by TKO 2 and 1/2 minutes into the first round with a body
shot. Horn was still clearly nursing a groin injury sustained
in the opening round of the Silva fight, when he went for a slam
against his opponent. Reports are that Horn could neither kick
or knee in his match with Seals, but used straight boxing to
finish his opponent. Horn is reported to be resting until his
next bout, scheduled against Nathan Marquardt at the IFC's August
14th event in Sturgis.
Jens
Pulver continued his successful run in SHOOTO with a standout
performance and TKO over Stephen Paling. This is his second TKO/KO win in a row at the
143 lb mark. Can a December of 2004 SUPERFIGHT with SHOOTO's
longtime champion Alexandre 'Pequeno' Noguiera be avoided?
The
card in Alaska also saw Rich Franklin win by key lock early in
the first round. Number one ranked ladies fighter Jennifer Howe
won by punches from the mount in round 2 over rugged Linda Lamarack,
a protege of Pain Peters who is only the second woman to last
until round 2 with Howe.
Robbie
Lawler was scheduled to move up in weight to the 185 lb class
in the upcoming UFC, but a recurring injury to his ribs has caused
him to pull out. This injury is reported to have been a problem
for some time with Lawler, who is looking for some time to heal.
Tim
Silvia has started his recovery from his broken arm. Though several
scenarios behind the scenes had Silvia returning to the UFC in
October, it appears that his recovery will extend beyond that.
Word is that Sylvia would like to return by the October UFC event,
however the recovery may not be complete by then.
Joe
Doerkson and Justin Eilers continue to prepare for their UFC
debuts. Both fighters have fought extensively in smaller events
and are ready to take there shot in the UFC. Eilers faces fellow
collegiate football player Mike Kyle in a bout of two great athletes
at heavyweight. At 185 lbs, Doerkson, who may be Canada's best
fighter, takes on Joe Riggs who is best known for a string of
KO's in his last few fights.
Source: ADCC |
UFC
50 - October Return for the East Coast Planned!
With
'UFC 49: UNFINISHED BUSINESS' scheduled for August 21st at the
MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it appears that the UFC will be heading
back to the east coast, to Atlantic City for the UFC 50.
UFC
has concentrated their most recent events in Las Vegas, with
the East Coast getting serious attention from them last in 2003.
November of 2003 saw UFC in Conneticut, at the Mohegan Sun Casino
(UFC 45), while April saw them in Miami for UFC 42. It was 'UFC
41 - Onslaught' that last saw ZUFFA in Atlantic City, N.J. at
the Boardwalk Hall. In 2000 and 2001, the UFC ran 3 shows in
Atlantic City.
The
date for UFC 50 is reported to be Friday, October 22nd, and the
venue will once again be the Boardwalk Hall.
Recent
reports state that ZUFFA's live attendance in Vegas has been
down, with the upcoming August show (UFC 49) being the 6th of
7 shows in their hometown. Word is that UFC 48's PPV buys topped
6 figures, a good number for ZUFFA. This may open the door for
more overseas and southern shows, as ZUFFA may be seeing PPV
numbers improving while the 'live' event develops new homes.
It
is also interesting that these high numbers on PPV come around
the same time of reports that UFC lost it's spots on Japanese
and British PPV. UFC 48 had no international stars after Lee
Murray's bout went by the wayside.
Many
people expect a landmark show from ZUFFA for their 50th UFC,
and a return to a town they have not been two in a year and a
half will hopefully equate to a strong live gate. A few international
stars will both raise the appeal and build of UFC 48's PPV success
by hopefully returning them to foreign PPV.
There
is certain to be much more news on this event in the coming weeks
and months.
Source: ADCC |
K-1
Champion in Brazil!
The
Jiu-Jitsu World Championships have lured to Rio de Janeiro Brazil
former K-1 champion Mark Hunt. With a first sentence like this,
the reader should be asking: 'What are you talking about? What
does a K-1 champ have to do to with a Jiu-Jitsu tournament?'
We want to remind everybody that Hunt just came from his first
experience in MMA (he lost to Hidehiko Yoshida in Pride GP 2004
last June) and that he promised to compete again under MMA rules.
The
fact is that the 2001 K-1 GP Champion started to train grappling
under Marcelo Rezende in Sydney, Australia a few weeks prior
to his MMA debut, and the kickboxer took advantage f the fact
that Rezende was coming to Brazil to watch the Worlds.
It
wasn’t a vacation for the New Zealand born Hunt, who is
now training at least twice a day in Gracie Barra headquarters.
One of the sessions is together with the professional fighters
such as Renato Babalu, Daniel Gracie, Gustavo Ximu, Pe de Pano
and others. 'I couldn’t believe his skills in boxing,’
said Pride winner Daniel Gracie. 'He touched me with his gloves
whenever he wanted!'
Hunt
does not rest after the pro sparring. Usually, he takes a shower
and 'relaxes' wearing a blue gi. Then, he waits for the second
session, which is Marcio Feitosa’s special classes for the
team and the competitors who will participate in the Worlds.
And
for those who don’t believe in his future success in MMA
due to his weaknesses on the ground, someone special advices:
'I know he’s a talent. If he trains hard for a few months,
I believe he can become a Pride winner' bets BJJ expert Renzo
Gracie, who saw him rolling.
Source: ADCC |
Carlson
Gracie Prohibits BTT leaders at his MMA Event!
Jiu-Jitsu
Master Carlson Gracie has just arrived from Chicago this Sunday
to arrange the final details for his new MMA event 'REAL FIGHT',
that will take place on July 30th at the Hebraica Gymnasium,
in Rio de Janeiro.
As
usual, Carlson went straight from the airport to Porcão,
one of the best barbecue restaurants in Rio, to meet his best
friend, the filmmaker Oswaldo Paquetá.
While
he was waiting for his meal, Carlson called us to give his expectations
for this new event, which will be broadcast by Globosat (Brazilian
cable TV). 'The event will be outstanding! I came to Rio in advance
to set up the last details with the other promoters. The event
will be full of great surprises' guaranteed the master, claiming
that he authorized the participation of two BTT members with
one condition: 'I´m a nice guy. I authorized BTT to participate,
but I gave one condition: Ze Mario, Allan Goes, Murilo, Bebeo,
Liborio and Carlão cannot be in their corner. If these
6 guys want to see the event they will have to pay for regular
tickets to get into the gymnasium', stated Carlson.
Paulo
Boiko and Neca will be BTT representatives at the event. The
strikers are featured in a heavywweight battle between Muay Thai
specialist Eduardo Maiorino (Champions´Factory) and Italian
boxer Alessio Sakada (Brasil Dojo).
Complete
Card (Subject To Change):
-
56 Kg: Daniel Pit (Fabricio JJ) x Neca (BTT)
- 60 Kg: Ivan Alves (Artur Mariano) x Rodrigo Bicudinho (Ipanema
JJ)
- 65 Kg: Rodrigo Totti (De La Riva) x Ricardinho (Gold Fighters)
- 76 Kg: Tomas de Sá (Juquinha JJ Team) x Peterson Mello
(Boxe Thai)
- 76 Kg: Jacão (Manimal CG) x Claudionor Fontenelle (Artur
Mariano)
- 83 Kg: Antonio Sergio (Oziris CG) x Guilherme Lima (Gracie
Barra)
- 83 Kg: Paulo Boiko (BTT) x Júnior Besouro (Top Fight)
- 83 Kg: Ivan Batman (Manimal CG) x Ângelo Sérgio
(Boxe Thai)
- 83 Kg: Alessio Sakara (Brasil Dojo) x Eduardo Maiorino (Champions
Factory)
- 91 Kg: Marcelo Dourado (Nocaute) x Luiz Fernando Pimpolho (Nova
União)
Source: ADCC |
Heating
Up For Bushido 4
It's finally time to boogie down in Japan for Dean Lister!
By Eduardo Alonso
Ever
since he started dedicating himself to Martial Arts, Dean Lister's
life has been always progressing as he continued to improve as
a fighter and was always taking his time and measuring his steps
with smarts and caution, making sure he would be in for a long
and fruitful run, in a sport where a fighter can burn bridges
as easily as one can count to three. His smart decisions, along
with his grappling skills and physical strength, are probably
his most impressive characteristic in the MMA game and now Lister
is likely taking his most important step to date, landing in
one of the biggest fighting promotions on earth, Pride! This
coming weekend "The Boogey Man" Dean will take the
magic he worked in the most diverse places in the past, such
as the Brazilian mats in Abu Dhabi 2003, or the fearsome cage
of KOTC, to the Pride Bushido Ring, facing probably the most
dangerous striker he ever fought in Amar Suloev. Always in a
good mood, the American fighter took his time to talk to FCF
about this coming match-up, and several other matters on his
career, just one day prior to his departure to the land of the
rising sun. As Full Contact Fighter gets heated up for Pride
Bushido 4, Dean Lister shares his thoughts on the fight game,
enjoy!
FCF:
After you've reached your moment of glory winning the Abu Dhabi
absolute division in 2003, you have been dedicating yourself
to MMA. Will this be a trend from now on in your career?
DL: I always try to train actions and positions that work in
MMA and also are effective in grappling competitions. I just
train more in Kickboxing and takedowns when I have a fight coming
close.
FCF:
Over the course of your MMA career you have only fought at KOTC.
How did you develop this relationship with the event, and why
did this happen? Weren't you invited by other shows such as the
UFC?
DL: I have had many shows ask me to fight but I had a contract
with King of the cage and they treated me well. I have had some
tough opponents in the event and had a good chance to develop
my personal style.
FCF:
Your last fight was a judges' decision loss to tough Jeremy Horn,
at KOTC 31. What's your take on the decision, and what do you
think you could've done better in that fight?
DL: Jeremy Horn is a very tough and smart opponent and it was
absolutely a very close fight, a big factor in my loss was the
blood. I received an elbow, the first strike I received from
Jeremy Horn in the fight, and it cut me badly. The blood loss
took my strength from me, blinded me badly and didn't look good
in the eyes of people watching the fight. I feel I won rounds
1 and 2, I lost round 3 and round 4 was close with me winning
the end of the round. I only feel I win a fight if I finish my
opponent so I don't feel I deserve the victory but I don't think
of it as a loss, I think of the fight as being very close than
most people know, after all one judge out of three gave me the
decision, he felt I won the fight, but overall I let educated
fans watch the fight and make their own decisions, but it was
a great learning experience.
FCF:
Are you a fighter that cares about rematches? If so, do you intend
to face Horn again down the road, as you already "avenged"
your other loss in MMA, to Jacen Flynn?
DL: Sure if it is in my future I'd love to have a rematch but
it's not as important to me as some might think, my fights in
Pride are more important and if I get a rematch there, then that's
great.
FCF:
It's been more than six months since you fought Jeremy Horn,
and you haven't fought since. You were even cogitated to face
Ricardo Arona once in Pride, but the match didn't go trough.
What happened? Was that fight pure speculation or was it indeed
negotiated?
DL: It's strange that I used to train with Arona at one time,
for one month the first time I visited Brazil. I was surprised
that we were being put to fight each other and yes it was almost
official but I had a serious injury to one of my shoulders, and
could not fight or even train. Now after about six months and
a lot of physical therapy I feel very strong in my shoulder.
FCF:
Now you're finally doing your Pride debut, at Bushido 4. How
are you feeling about fighting in Japan? Was this a dream to
you, and did you sign a multi-fight contract with Pride?
DL: Yes a dream come true, I did sign a multi-fight contract
with Pride and I look at all the work I've done to prove myself
over my life and this is the last place I need to prove myself.
FCF:
Your opponent, Amar Suloev is a pretty tough fighter himself.
What weight will that fight be under, and what do you know about
your opponent?
DL: My opponent is very skilled and tough, the fight will be
under 205 lbs. and I'm actually not sure what to expect from
my opponent, he's well rounded but he will for certain try to
make the fight standing and won't want to be on the ground too
much.
FCF:
Everybody knows you have a great ground game and this may be
your key to victory. But how's your stand up game now? Are you
already feeling comfortable to trade strikes against someone
such as Suloev?
DL: I am much improved in my striking ability but everyone knows
I want the takedown in the fight game. Also Suloev is a very
good striker and I can't fight in his world, I need to take him
into my world.
FCF:
Last time I interviewed you, you had stepped out of the mat after
winning the absolute division at Abu Dhabi 2003. I asked you
then how would you spend your prize money (Laughs), so now I
can ask you again! How did you end up speding your prize money
Dean?
DL: Nothing really impressive, I was smart with my money and
got myself out of debt, paid off my student loans from college,
car loans, credit cards (also from college) and didn't go out
spending my money on stupid things. The only thing I did new
with my money was buy a plane ticket for a unbelievably beautiful
girl I met in Brazil to come and visit me in San Diego. She is
now my wife and we are very happy, so I guess I spent my money
wisely.
FCF:
You seemed to have a great time in Brazil at Abu Dhabi, and later
you returned to the country for the BJJ worlds last year. How
do you like coming to Brazil, and do you have any plans on returning
soon?
DL: I've always had a great time in Brazil and love visiting
every time. The only thing I did new with my money I won in ADCC
was buy a plane ticket for an unbelievably beautiful girl I met
in Brazil at the Mundials to come and visit me in San Diego.
Her name is Flavia Mazoni, she is now my wife and we are very
happy, so I guess I am much closer to Brazil now then ever. I
think I'll come back to Brazil for Christmas to visit her family
this year.
FCF:
Finally, is your Abu Dhabi superfight against Ricardo Arona going
to take place next year? Have you been contacted about it yet?
DL: I haven't been contacted and don't know where it will take
place but I'm sure it will happen, I've heard rumors it will
be here in the U.S.A
FCF:
Thanks so much for your time Dean, good luck in your fight, I
can't wait to see it!
DL: Thank you.
Source: FCF |
Quote
of the Day
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in
moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times
of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King,1929-1968, American Black Leader, Nobel Prize
Winner, 1964
|
PRIDE
BUSHIDO 4 - This Monday Nite in Japan!!!
Nagoya
Rainbow Hall / Nagoya, Japan
Monday, July 19th, 2004
PRIDE
FC presents their 4th BUSHIDO event this Monday evening in Nagoya,
Japan. The event is seen in Japan as smaller than the highly
anticipated PRIDE Grand Prix later this summer, and several reliable
sources are stating that ticket sales for the event are low (puroresupower.com
reported an over/under for legitimate paid tickets sold as 4,500-5,000)
Nevertheless, PRIDE is delivering a solid card with 11 matches
scheduled featuring many of Japan's best fighters facing the
top international talent the world has to offer. Despite the
BUSHIDO series earlier billing as a show exclusively for the
lower weight classes not being the case, there are a lot of 'littler'
fighters on the show, adding to the event's appeal.
The
feature bouts of the event pit the BRAZILIAN TOP TEAM against
TEAM JAPAN, with two of BTT's frontline fighters joining two
younger guys in the feature. The two younger fighters, Fabio
Mello and Buscape are fighting tough, experienced Japanese fighters
in Takanori Gomi and Hiroyuki Abe respectively, however it is
a confident BTT crew heading to Japan, as studs Rogerio Nogueira
and Paulo Filho offer rematches to Kazuhiro Nakamura and Akira
Shoji in bouts they are heavily favored to win.
The
undercard features Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic, who continues to
try to work his way back into the Grand Prix with a busy schedule.
Japanese stars Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai and Dokonjonosuke Mishima
appear on the undercard, facing Americans Brady Fink and Marcos
Aurelio respectively. Fink and Aurelio represent Team Oyama and
American TOP TEAM, perhaps opening the door for some of the USA's
top teams to participate in the themed BUSHIDO shows. Up until
now, PRIDE's BUSHIDO has featured Brazilian themes of the Gracies,
ChuteBoxe and now BTT.
Perhaps
the most intriguing matchup on the card is the international
bout between RED DEVIL's Amar Suloev and the ADCC Absolute Champion
Dean Lister. Suloev is an accomplished striker and MMA fighter,
while Lister's background of Jiu Jitsu and Submission fighting
saw him thru to a KOTC title, but he is genreally considered
less experienced in MMA. This looks like the 21st century version
of the classic grappler/striker matchup, as both men must impose
their distinctive styles to win.
Also
on the card is the freakish Paulo Cesar 'Giant' Silva, who comes
off a loss to Ogawa in the GP. He faces pro wrestler Takashi
Sugiura in a bout he is likely to win. Both may also fight on
a series of pro wrestling shows being hyped around Naoya Ogawa
at the end of July.
The
entire card appears below.
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 (Fight Card Subject to Change)
BRAZILIAN
TOP TEAM vs. TEAM JAPAN
- Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (BTT) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Yoshida
Dojo)
- Fabio Mello (BTT) vs. Takanori Gomi (Kiguchi Dojo)
- Paulo Filho (BTT) vs. Akira Shoji (Free)
- Luis 'Buscape' Firminho vs. Hiroyuki Abe (AACC)
FIGHT
CARD:
- Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic (Cro Cop Squad Gym) vs. Shungo Oyama
(Free)
- Paulo Cesar 'Giant' Silva (Free) vs. Takashi Sugiura (NOAH)
- Ikuhisa Minowa (Free) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (Free)
- Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai (Japan) vs. Brady Fink (Team Oyama)
- Dean Lister (City Boxing) vs. Amar Suloev (Red Devil Fight
Club)
- Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Cobra Kai) vs. Marcos Aurelio (American
Top Team)
- Kyosuke Sasaki (U-File Camp) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (RJW-Central)
Despite
s delay of several days before airing in the US, this is a card
worth watching.
North
American pay per view begins on Sunday, July 25th, 2004 at 3:00pm
EST, 12:00pm PST (please check each respective carrier for later
evening replays). For customers of DISH Network, the premiere
will be Sunday, August 1st, 2004 at 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST. Check
http://pridefc.com for exact details.
Source: ADCC |
Kid
Peligro Jiu-Jitsu News . . .
2004 Worlds Qualifier Completed.
Now it is on to the Big show
by: Kid Peligro / ADCC JJ Editor
The
2004 Worlds Qualifying Tournament was held this past Saturday
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event the last chance for athletes
qualify to compete in the Big Show to attain qualification status.
Atheltes qualify to the main event by competing and placing in
several events throughout Brazil along with the Pan-Ams and the
European Championships. Foreign fighters are automatically qualified
as the CBJJ does not have enough qualifying events Worldwide!
While
the event is important to the lower belts fighting for a chance
to enter the Worlds, it is mostly a formality for the Black Belts,
as most of the active top fighters that want to compete are already
qualified, there are hardly any entries for the Black Belt qualifier.
Since first and second place in the event qualify for the Worlds,
generally all that is needed for the Black Belts to get a berth
is to sign up and maybe have one match, as there is hardly a
bracket with more than 3 fighters.
This
year's notables in the qualifier were multiple times World Champion
Saulo Ribeiro, who did not compete last year and former World
Champions Rico Vieira and Rafael Gordinho for the same reasons.
Marcelo
'Siriema', one of the main tournament organizers for the CBJJ
informed us that he has received a huge amount of entries and
they have been feveressly sorting out the cards and will have
the brackets soon on the CBJJ website www.cbjj.com.br
We
will be posting some notables and any surprises as they develop!
The
Tournament starts Thursday July 22nd! Be there or be square!
Source: ADCC |
Ze
Mario Sperry talks about BTT at Bushido 4!
by: Rafael Werneck
One of the leaders of Brazilian Top Team, Ze Mario Sperry will
be in the corner to help his teammates during the challenge against
Team Japan scheduled for Bushido 4 on July 19th, in Nagoya, Japan.
Before
getting on a plane, Ze Mario shared his expectations about Bushido
4, especially with regards to the Pride debuts of his disciples
Fabio Mello (who is going to face Tanakori Gomi) and Junior Buscape
(who will fight Hiroyuki Abe).
'Mello
and Buscape are ready to fight. They are so calm, so well trained
that there is not much to talk to them about right now. They
both know it is not going to be easy, but for them it is already
very satisfying to be invited to the biggest MMA show in the
world. After all the hard work and training they´ve been
through during so many years they finally made it' says Ze Mario.
The
BTT leader is very confident in his partners performance. 'We
are going to Japan to win everything we can. Of course I believe
in going 3 x 0, but it is not going to be easy. Those who are
representing Team Japan are top fighters in Japan. For example,
this Gomi guy is a very tough fighter, who has never lost in
Pride' alerts Sperry.
In
the challenge between Brazilian Top Team against Team Japan,
two of the three fights will be rematches, and by coincidence
in the two previous fights, the Brazilians stepped out of the
ring as the winners. Rogerio 'Minotouro' defeated Kazuhiro Nakamura
by submission in Pride 25 and Paulo Filho did the same with Akira
Shoji in Pride 22.
'The
motivation for the guy who lost the first fight is the biggest
danger to the guy who won. If the athletes accept to do the rematch
it is because they want to beat the one who defeated him in the
past more than anything. The secret to winning this kind of bout
is to be confident, but always respect your opponent' stated
Ze Mario.
Source: ADCC |
The
Savage Truth: Say it ain’t so Joe … err, Dana!
by Greg Savage
Coming off three consecutive losses and without a win since September
2002, Phil Baroni is back in the UFC this August against Ronald Jhun. Now I know the top
brass at Zuffa feel Phil is a potential super star with his pro-wrestling
like persona and exciting let-it-all-hang-out style, but that
fact just adds to the disbelief of many MMA fans and journalists
after hearing of this match.
Here
you have a guy you feel sells tickets and could be a huge box
office draw, and you are setting him up in a no win situation.
Don’t kid yourself, Jhun is no joke -- there is a real possibility
your friend and aspiring poster boy will be going down in defeat
for the fourth straight time.
Then
what will your precious commodity be worth?
Personally,
I think Baroni is great for the sport and would not mind seeing
him back, but I can not fathom the reasoning behind this decision.
Why wouldn’t you set him up with a couple fights in smaller
shows to let him get his confidence and swagger back? Bring him
in after he decapitates a couple tomato cans and give him a real
shot to get back into the middleweight title picture.
Now,
I am sure Phil, in hopes of ending that losing streak, can’t
wait to get back in the Octagon, but he needs someone to look
out for his best interests -- and that is not happening in this
situation. Baroni is tough-as-nails and has tons of heart and
pride, but those traits that he brandishes inside the cage are
of no use at this point. Ask any fighter if they want to get
paid and the answer will undoubtedly be "yes," but
that is why skillful management is so important in guiding fighter’s
careers.
I
guess I just have a biased opinion on this matter. I really don’t
want Phil’s UFC career to end up on the scrap heap, because
Lindland-Baroni III needs to happen. That is the best feud running
in MMA, but it just won’t be feasible if Baroni -- who lost
the first two encounters as well as two fights to Evan Tanner
, his nemesis’s teammate -- cannot get a couple notches
in his win column.
Speaking
of Lindland, he will have his hands full with Dave Terrell. Rumor
has it Zuffa believes Terrell should be able to tune up “The
Law” and possibly mop up the entire middleweight division.
Trust me, I have seen Dave Terrell fight on a number of occasions
and he is the real deal, but having the Zuffa curse -- the proverbial
black cloud -- hanging over your head would not be my ideal way
of making a UFC debut.
Don’t
get me wrong, I know I have been pretty critical of some UFC
practices in the past, but like I have stated before, Zuffa is
the best hope for MMA in North America. On a whole I feel they
are doing their best to turn the UFC into as popular and profitable
a promotion as possible, while retaining the kind of respectability
that was so lacking when they took over a few years ago.
With
that said, I do feel UFC President Dana White lets his personal
emotions come into play a bit too much, and this decision to
have Phil Baroni leap right back into the Octagon is a picture
perfect example. Dana and Phil have a great personal relationship
but that should not cloud your vision when you are promoting
a sport that sells itself on being the best and most realistic
form of combat athletics in the world. I have heard it time and
time again from officials inside the Zuffa inner circle that
only when they had more fights could they properly promote fighters
and build stronger divisions.
Personally,
I feel Dana wants what’s best for the sport and I have never
heard anything to the contrary from anyone on the inside at Zuffa.
The guy has poured his heart and soul into this venture, and,
like all of us at different points in our lives, has come up
short on occasion. Despite the fact that I don’t necessarily
agree with a lot of the things that have been done in promoting
this sport that I love so much, you won’t hear me, unlike
some pundits, calling for the heads of the people who, with their
time, dedication and financial wherewithal, have rescued MMA
from the depths of near total isolation -- at least not yet.
Source: Sherdog |
LINDLAND
GIVES HIS TWO CENTS ON MUSHNICK
In another MMAWeekly exclusive, Matt Lindland will be contributing
to MMAWeekly from time to time and he wrote down his thoughts
about the recent NY Post article by Phil Mushnick and sent this
in to the newspaper.
Mr.
Mushnick:
-I
read an article that you authored in the NY POST a few days ago,
and it prompted me to write this short reply. Hope it finds its
way to you.
The
tone of your article was a familiar one; and the attitude it
represented is one that I, and other people involved in Mixed
Martial Arts, have viewed as a challenge for a while now. It
is an attitude fostered more by ignorance than by knowledge;
more by fantasy than by fact, more by a reliance on hearsay than
by direct observation. And the challenge is not merely to oppose
such factors on their face, but to attempt to present a more
comprehensive, realistic, interpretive mental lens through which
something new, and innovative, may be viewed and understood.
Consider this note my acceptance of that challenge; for the sake
of the sport of MMA, and for the sake of sport itself.
I
returned from Sydney, Australia in 2000 after winning the Olympic
Silver Medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling. It was the culmination
of a lifetime of effort, and struggle, and sacrifice. I cannot
tell you in words, Mr. Mushnick, how hard I worked and how much
I sacrificed to be granted the chance to represent my Country
(and, by extension, represent YOU, Mr Mushnick, an American Citizen)
on the international stage of competitive athletics. I am certain
that a Sports Journalist of your stature had many opportunities
to observe, and comment on, the Olympic Games; and I am just
as certain that you brought all of your knowledge, and all of
your experience, to the task of reporting on the Olympics to
your readership I am just as certain that you treated their faith
in you, as someone they, your readers, believed in, and trusted,
with the greatest possible level of professionalism; and that
you shared your insights and knowledge with them.
And
I believe in you, Mr. Mushnick. And I trust you as well. Please
trust me enough to read on, and allow me to share with you as
you have shared with countless sports fans for decades.
Give
this idea a moment's consideration. Three recognized sports,
all of which are both Olympic sports as well as have established
and accepted World Championships, National Competitions, and
Scholastic competitive architectures that reach down to grade-school
levels, are running events, Swimming events, and Bicycle events.
All
three have provided more thrills, and excitement, and drama,
than a humble wrestler like myself can ever describe in a few
sentences. Remember Mark Spitz? Carl Douglas? Lance Armstrong?
Jesse Owens? And so many others I cannot possibly name; all great
athletes, competing in great sports. And then someone said.....What
if we combine these three great disciplines? What if we create
another great sport, one which challenges those who choose to
attempt to excel at it, to dare to be great at all three? And
so, the Triathlon was born. And you cannot disagree with its
legitimacy as a sport, or disregard and disparage its competitors,
can you, Mr. Mushnick?
Allow
me to mention a few other sports, each as compelling, and legitimate,
as the three listed above:
Boxing,
Judo, Wrestling, Taekwondo. All Olympic Sports; all with histories,
and legacies of triumph and accomplishment that are part of the
very social fabric of this, the greatest nation on earth, and
virtually any other you choose to name. Need I mention the great
Muhammad Ali? Dan Gable? George Foreman waving the American flag?
These sports, and the athletes who compete in them, have all
been instrumental in the very ability of humanity to define itself.
They
all trace their origins back to the very beginnings of human
civilization, and like we all share a common ancestor, long lost
in the mists of history, so all of these combat sports also share
a common ancestor. A great, all-encompassing Sporting Discipline,
with dignity, and honor, and compassion, and respect for its
competitors and spectators alike. A Combat Sport where individuals
could train, and compete, with grace. Mixed Martial Arts is an
attempt to connect with that; to rediscover and recreate that
great Discipline.
It
is, in essence, an experiment in Living Archeology. Imagine,
if you will, the excitement you might feel if you were offered
the chance to observe the Pyramids being built...or the Great
wall of China...or the Inca Temples in Peru. What a gift that
would be! To reconnect with that spirit, that Humanity, that
was then, and is now. I was honored, and thrilled, to become
involved in Mixed Martial Arts as a competitor, trainer, advisor,
and coach. I have never regretted the time I took to look into
the sport, and see it for what it really was, rather than take
someone else's word, or discount it after a brief, flitting glance
at something that was outside of what I was used to, beyond the
boundaries of my preconceptions, my fixed ideas.
Let
me share that with you, Mr. Mushnick. Please join me. Join US.
The competitors of today and the heroes of the past. Allow me
to be your Virgil, your guide, on a journey of exploration. Come
and observe a sport with a history, and a language, that is waiting
for you to understand it, and appreciate it. A sport with a safety
record that puts sports like boxing and football in the shade;
with a concern for its competitors' well-being that will surprise
you. Come to our next competition as my guest. Meet the fighters.
Watch them train, prepare, and compete. Look in their eyes.
Meet
their families and supporters. Hear their stories. We are having
our next event in Las Vegas on August 21st. I will personally
reserve a ringside seat for you. Meet the Judges. The Referees.
The Athletic Commission. They are all waiting for you. They all
want to share with you, and tell you their stories of how they
became involved, and why they think Mixed Martial Arts is important,
and special. And they believe in you, like I do. You are an Elite
Journalist with a unique opportunity.
Hope
to hear from you.
Matt
Lindland
OLYMPIC
SILVER MEDALIST,WORLD MEDALIST and 5x NATIONAL CHAMPION
Source: MMA Weekly |
PRIDE
BUSHIDO PREVIEW:
RANALLO BREAKS DOWN CARD
After following the sport of Mixed Martial Arts since it's conception,
working events in Canada from pro wrestling to Muay Thai bouts,
Mauro Ranallo now finds himself as the play by play voice of
PrideFC.
Ranallo
recently spoke with MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio about Monday's Pride
Bushido show, his broadcasting background, and the phenomenon
that is Bob Sapp.
Sports
commentators are always under the microscope of the viewing public
and MMA is no different. Mauro Ranallo replaced Stephen Quadros
and knows just how big those shoes are that he is filling. Ranallo
said, "It is always difficult to replace someone who has
been there since the beginning."
Mauro
has done everything from being a radio DJ to announcing pro wrestling
in Calgary. Three years ago Ranallo crossed paths with Bas Rutten
at a submission tournament in Vancouver and had the privilege
of working with Bas on a low budget MMA film. He described Bas
as, "One of the most charismatic people I've ever met and
just a natural born entertainer."
The
two worked well together and stayed in touch over the years.
Last summer, Rutten called him up and told him about Quadros'
departure so Mauro sent in a demo and was hired immediately without
having to meet with Pride in person based mainly on Bas' recommendation.
Ranallo stated, "He [Bas] put his reputation at stake."
Mauro
takes his job seriously. "If you want to do it and do it
well, you have to do your homework," stated Ranallo. He
went on to say, "I truly am an MMA fan. I'm not just here
collecting a paycheck." Regardless if he remains in the
sport of MMA, he wants to see the sport grow to the level of
any other mainstream sport out there.
Tonight's
Pride Bushido card features Team Japan verses the Brazilian Top
Team, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic against tough Japanese
fighter Shungo Oyama, Dean Lister up against Amar Suloev and
others. Mauro expects it to be another successful show and discussed
some of the match ups.
According
to Ranallo, Mirko hasn't been the same since his devastating
loss at the hands of Kevin Randleman. "Cro Cop" has
changed trainers and was "very humble" in his last
fight against Hiromitsu Kanehara. Mauro stated, "This coming
Sunday's fight will indeed be a tell-tale sign of just where
Mirko Cro Cop is in his career." He anticipates seeing the
"old Mirko Cro Cop." Mirko's opponent, Shungo Oyama,
is an aggressive Japanese fighter as Ranallo put it. He expects
to see Oyama go toe-to-toe with Mirko in an exciting fight.
In
a fight that "could indeed rank up there as the fight of
the night," Dean Lister will square off against Amar Suloev.
It will be both fighter's Pride debut. Lister is coming off a
loss in King of the Cage to Jeremy Horn and Amar has put together
a four fight winning streak with his last win over Din Thomas.
Ranallo said he is "happy Dean Lister's getting a chance
finally in the big time."
Team
verses Team battles may not appeal to the American fans but in
Japan, it sparks the interest of the public. In this installation
of Team Japan against the Brazilian Top Team, Takanori Gomi will
be going against Fabio Mello. Speaking about Gomi, Mauro said,
"This guy could be a Japanese superstar in the future."
Some may say that he already is.
Ranallo
spoke at length about Bob Sapp. He said he kinda feels sorry
for Sapp. He commented, "This guy was just run in the ground.
He never had an opportunity to train. He was constantly doing
appearances....He never got the chance to become the fighter
I think he could have become." Mauro blames the K-1 office
for doing that to Sapp. He is fearful that the same thing could
be happening to Mirko "Cro Cop." "I don't want
to see the same thing happen to Mirko," he stated.
Source: MMA Weekly |
PRIDE
BUSHIDO PREVIEW
MISHIMA VS AURELIO
Pride Bushido Volume 4 Preview
Marcus Aurelio vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima
Though
they're not well known in the world-wide fight community, insiders
know that Marcus Aurelio and Dokonjonosuke Mishima could provide
one of the more entertaining fights of the night at Pride Bushido
Volume 4.
A
2nd degree Brazilian Jiujitsu Black Belt at American Top Team,
Aurelio is one of the rising stars in mixed martial arts. Though
he has been competing in MMA for only two years, he has compiled
a very impressive record of 11 wins and only 1 loss (a controversial
split decision to Antonio McKee). Though his resume of wins doesn't
include a lot of eye-grabbers, he did defeat UFC veteran Rich
Clementi in the third of three fights in one night to win the
ZST Lightweight Championship. Aurelio also holds the lightweight
titles in Ring of Fury, Absolute Fighting Championship, and Hook
n Shoot.
Aurelio
has a tremendous knowledge of the ground game that few can match.
He is very aggressive on the ground, usually dominating position,
and always actively working for the submission. Though he's not
known for his standup game, Aurelio isn't afraid to go there
and with American Top Team's recent emphasis on boxing, his hands
are always getting better and better.
Of
his eleven wins, only one has gone to a decision. Aurelio is
very aggressive and likes to finish, a point he rarely fails
to meet. He will push the pace of any fight with any fighter.
A
veteran of the MMA scene since 1998, Mishima is a staple in both
Shooto and Deep, two of the top Japanese promotions. With a record
of 14-3-2, he's been very impressive over his career and his
list of opponents is no less impressive. His three losses are
to Din Thomas, Takanori Gomi, and Ralph Gracie. Mishima has defeated
Robert Emerson, Tesuji Kato, Ryan Bow and Fabio Mello.
With
a 3rd degree Black Belt in Judo, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu,
and a wealth of wrestling skills, Mishima, like Aurelio, is also
highly skilled on the ground and is very comfortable there. He
doesn't have much of an impressive standup game though and isn't
really a threat to knock anyone out on the feet.
Mishima
does have a flair for entertainment though. Much like Genki Sudo
or Kazushi Sakuraba, he is more than willing to through a few
high-risk maneuvers into his repertoire. Also a participant of
professional wrestling, Mishima likes to entertain after the
fight as well, often times doing flips or performing moonsaults
(a high, exaggerated back flip) off the ring post onto his entourage.
Who
Wins?
This is another very tough one to call. Aurelio is probably the
more highly skilled and more well-rounded fighter of the two,
but Mishima has more experience and has faced more top level
competition than Aurelio. Though he lost to both Gomi and Thomas,
the only top ten fighters he has faced.
I
would have to give the edge to Aurelio in this one though. If
the fight goes to the ground, I can't see Mishima submitting
or TKOing Aurelio, though there is a good chance that Aurelio
could put the
finishing hold on Mishima. If they stay on their feet, which
probably isn't too likely, Aurelio's ever improving boxing and
Muay Thai skills should keep him ahead of the game with Mishima.
The
most likely opportunity for Mishima to win is by decision. But
as long as Aurelio can handle Mishima's unorthodox, flashy style,
he should be able to overcome him and apply the finish.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Mark
Hunt wears a Gi at Gracie Barra
Fighter from New Zealand Mark Hunt and great start of K-1 is
in Rio de Janeiro training at Gracie Barra Combat Team's head
quarter with the Vale Tudo team. According to the GBCT manager
Carlos Malta, the invitation came out through an old Carlinhos
Gracie black belt. "He trains there in Australia with Vietcong
and after the loss to Yoshida, he realized he need improving
his ground skills," reveals Malta, who evaluates the guest:
'He has such a great game on the feet and it has been amazing
the information exchanging. Besides that, he is such a gentleman
and very humble man... he has been training wearing Gi like everybody,'
concluded.
Source: Tatame |
Fernando
Tererê meditates for Mundial
Champion
at the 3rd BJJ World Cup of Jiu-Jitsu among the middleweights,
Fernando Tererê will not obey his doctor and he will fight
at the VIII Mundial of Jiu-Jitsu, scheduled to rock the Tijuca
Tênis Club on July 24 and 25. Tererê, who got the
finger hurt during his first bout at BJJ world Cup, warns he
will not train to fight the weight and the open class.
-
For whom fought the ADCC with a broken rib and saw a guy winning
with no arms, it will not be a finger that will take me away
from a Mundial. I am facing this event like a test for me. Now
I just gonna put my Gi again for the Mundial. It does not longer
matter: winning or losing. I just want to fight. Until there,
I am just meditating,' jokes Tererê.
Source: Tatame |
Akebono
Loses Again in K-1
K-1 WORLD GP 2004 in SEOUL
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Chamshil Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea
Asian
GP tournament:
Quarterfinals:
Zhang Qing Jun defeats Akebono by unanimous decision.
Shingo Koyasu defeats Dolgolsuren Sumiyabazar by TKO at 2:02,
RD 1.
Tsuyoshi Nakasako defeats Lee Myeon Ju by unanimous decision.
Kaoklai Kaennorsing defeats Dennis Kang KO, RD 1.
Semifinals:
Shingo Koyasu defeats So Chul* by unanimous decision.
Kaoklai Kaennorsing defeats Tsuyoshi Nakasako by majority decision.
Final:
Kaoklai Kaennorsing defeats Shingo Koyasu by unanimous decision.
Single
fights:
Remy Bonjasky defeats Aziz Khatou by KO at 1:25, RD 2.
Glaube Feitosa defeats TOA 'The Samoan Beast' by KO at 1:49,
RD 1.
Jerome Le Banner defeats Terrence Lizby by KO at 1:00, RD 1.
*Replaced
the injured Zhang Qing Jun
Source: Fight Sport |
Quote
of the Day
Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds
you plant."
Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850-1895, Scottish Essayist, Poet, Novelist
|
Shaolin
gets ready for his next challenge
by: Rafael Werneck
Current Shooto welterweight champion Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro
remains
unbeaten in MMA after his victory over Mitsuhiro Ishida on July
9th, making his record 10-0 for his career.
After
spending some relaxing days in Hawaii, where he last fought in
July, the
Brazilian is back in his homeland. Shaolin will be very busy,
as his wedding is scheduled for July 24th. Vitor paused briefly
with us to talk about his last bout, won by judges decision.
'The
fight was good. I did my best to win by submission in the first
round, but the guy was a warrior and I couldn´t get him.
I tried a leg triangle, an arm
triangle, and an arm-lock, but Ishida was defending himself in
a very efficient way. His aim was not to be defeated by submission
and that was my toughest obstacle' says Shaolin.
Vitor
also shared with ADCC the secret of being invincible. 'My answer
to this kind of question is to have a proper training program,
a good coach, a good family and a nice woman by my side. I´m
working my ground game always looking for the better way to reach
the submission. I´m working my standing game as well and
I always pay attention to Dede´s [coach Andre Pederneiras]
instructions. I trust very much in my preparation' confesses
the Shooto champion.
Unlike
many fighters whose dream is to be invited to fight in Pride,
Shaolin doesn´t think about any changing to another organization:
'Shooto is getting better every day. I´m very focused and
I don´t think about anything else but to keeping my welterweight
belt.’
On
July 24th, Vitor Ribeiro will start a new phase of his life.
Totally in love with his fiancé, Shaolin is ready to say
'yes' to Janaina Raris. 'I am anxious but not tense. I've been
with her for so long. And it is very easy to say ‘yes’
to somebody I love so much' says Vitor, who is going to spend
his honeymoon at the eco-resort in a paradise city called Itacare,
in Bahia. He has earned it!
Source: ADCC |
2004
Worlds less than one week away
With
less than one week to go for the 2004 Worlds things are heating
up quickly. Today, Friday 16th, is the last day to sign up for
the event. As usual many of the top stars wait for the last minute
to drop their names in the 'hat'.
Soon
we will have all the info on who competes in what division. What
BIG surprises will be in store this year. More on this in the
next few days. For info check out www.cbjj.com.br
First
West Coast Jiu-Jitsu Championships
The
1st West Coast Jiu-Jitsu Championships has been scheduled for
September 25, 2004. The Tournament will be held here in Northern
California, in the Main Gym of San Francisco State University
located at 1600 Holloway Ave. in San Francisco.
The
West Coast Tournament is organized and promoted by the same people
that have successfully done the United gracie Tournament, Charles
and Ralph Gracie. The event will be Gi only! Head organizer Charles
Gracie told us: After 3 great United Gracie events, especially
the last one with record number of competitors and spectators,
we decided it was time for another event in the early fall. So
we hope to see everyon e her on SEptember 25th for the first
West Coast Jiu-Jitsu Tournament!'
The
tournament will have children, juniors, adult, master, senior,
male and female, divisions from white to black belt levels. Mark
this date on your calendar! September 25th, 2004 - West Coast
Jiu-Jitsu Championships. For more detail check out www.charlesgracie.com
or call (650) 756-7579
Charles
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
7340 Mission St., Daly City, California 94014 - USA
Phone: (650) 756-7579 Fax: (650) 756-1260 www.charlesgracie.com
Source:
ADCC/Kid Peligro |
Randy
Couture & Tito Ortiz Training together!
Open to the Public!
Come
meet Randy "The Natural" Couture and "The Huntington
Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz in person at the EMPIRE EVENTS
CENTER in Sacramento on August 17th from 6pm-8pm. This will be
a live, FULL CONTACT training camp to help Randy prepare for
his upcoming UFC 49 fight with Vitor Belfort on 8/21/04. Cost:
$5 General Admission $10. VIP **ALL AGES WELCOME**
Cameras
allowed, NO VIDEO. Proceeds to benefit SIERRA COLLEGE Wrestling
program. Autographs as well as hats, t-shirts and other gear
will be available after the event.
for
more info. www.USACagefighting.com www.EmpireEventsCenter.com
Source:
Sherdog |
Pride
Bushido Volume 4 Preview
Dean Lister vs. Amar Suloev: Fight of the Night?
Despite
featuring Team Japan vs. Brazilian Top Team, Pride Bushido Volume
4's thunder could be stolen by a couple of Pride first-timers.
Dean
Lister and Amar Suloev. This is one of the most highly anticipated
fights on the card by most hard core mixed martial arts fans.
Dean
Lister, despite a very respectable 6-2 record in MMA, is really
most highly regarded for his grappling abilities. He won the
2003 North American Abu Dhabi trials despite having to progress
through the tournament with an injured knee. He then went on
to the Abu Dhabi 2003 Submission Wrestling World Championships,
losing in his weight division before winning the Absolute (or
open weight) Division, submitting 3 of his 4 opponents, an Abu
Dhabi record.
Since
Abu Dhabi, Lister has been focusing almost entirely on mixed
martial arts. His grappling background is a very solid mixture
of wrestling, sambo and Brazilian Jiujitsu. With his opponents
knowing that he is a demon on the ground, few are willing to
go there with him. Thus Lister has spent the better part of the
last year or so honing his
Muay Thai and boxing skills to help round out his game.
How
many men in mixed martial arts can say that they've won not only
one, but two 8-man tournaments? Amar Suloev can. He won an 8-man
tournament at World Vale Tudo Championship in Brazil and at 2
Hot 2
Handle in Holland. Not only that, but he has also fought and
won two fights in one night on two separate occasions. Now that
is the
definition of tough. A two time veteran of the UFC, unfortunately
Suloev didn't fare so well there losing to Chuck Liddell and
Phil
Baroni.
Part
of the Russian Red Devil Sportsclub that also counts Fedor Emelianenko
and Andrei Semenov among its fighters, Suloev is a good example
of today's well-rounded mixed martial arts fighter. He has a
strong skills in wrestling, sambo and kickboxing. He's show that
he will stand and bang with strikers (i.e., Liddell and Baroni),
but won't hold back from going to the ground either, nearly half
of his wins are by submission.
Who
Wins? Who knows? But I will say that this fight has all the potential
in the
world to be the fight of the night. Lister has been working hard
to round out his game and improve his striking, but is it at
the level of
Suloev's striking skills? Probably not. Suloev is a great striker
and should have the edge while the two remain standing.
If
this one goes to the ground, it's hard to believe that anyone
could have the edge on Lister, considered one of the top grappler's
in the world at any weight. Suloev won't have the edge if this
fight hits the ground.
So,
the million dollar question is "where will this fight take
place?" My bet would be that eventually, as in most fights,
this one will go to the ground where Lister has the edge and
probably the win. If Suloev can somehow keep the fight on the
feet, he should be able to outstrike Lister and take the fight.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
|
PITMASTER
SAYS ICEMAN WILL BE READY
Thursday's
edition of MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio featured legendary trainer,
"The Pit Master," John Hackleman, Hackleman spoke about
Chuck Liddell's upcoming match on August 21st, at UFC 49, against
Vernon "Tiger" White and gave his take on steroid use
in Mixed Martial Arts.
Chuck
Liddell could have waited for Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture
to settle their trilogy and get his title shot against the winner,
but he decided to take a fight with Vernon White instead. There
is no better way to put it than in Hackleman's own words, "If
he doesn't win, he's screwed." John continued, "all
the pressure's on Chuck and Chuck knows that."
Hackleman
said White is a dangerous fighter who has forty seven professional
MMA fights under his belt. Chuck isn't looking past Vernon by
any means. According to Hackleman, Chuck is looking like he did
before his fight with Tito Ortiz. John stated, Chuck's "pretty
up for it."
Liddell
isn't doing anything different to prepare for Vernon than he
has done in the past. Hackleman said it will be a "tough
fight" and sees it kinda like Chuck's first round Pride
Grand Prix match up against Alistair Overeem.
Comparing
"Tiger" White and Liddell, Hackleman said, "I
think Chuck's more dynamic, more explosive. I think chuck hits
harder. I think he has a better all around game." We'll
see come August 21st.
"Pit
Master" addressed the issue of steroid use in the sport
of MMA. He doesn't see it as a problem and thinks the estimates
of eighty to ninety percent of fighters using is "way high."
John
has been in the fight game for thirty years and simply stated,
"When you get hit in the chin, I don't care how much steroids
you're taking, you're going down. Kimo tested positive and it
sure didn't help him."
He
said that weigh classes prevent it from being too much of a factor
in who wins or loses. He conceded that in sports like football
or weight lifting it will give you a definite advantage but fighting
is too technical of a sport for steroid use to be very beneficial.
He added, "I don't think it gives you that much of an edge."
"It doesn't do anything to protect your chin," commented
Hackleman.
To
hear all of what the "Pit Master" had to say such as
some of his classic stories, get yourself a Premium Membership.
The interview is up in the radio archive for your listening pleasure.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
LUDWIG
WINS IN K-1, SO WHAT'S NEXT?
There is no doubt that Duane “Bang” Ludwig is one of
the most exciting fighters in the US. Upon returning Stateside
after successfully defeating Serkan Yilmaz at K-1’s World
Max 2004 show in Japan, Bang spoke with MMA Weekly’s Mick
Hammond about the fight and what he’s got on the horizon.
When
asked about his fight with Yilmaz Duane said, “It was a
good fight. I thought it was going to be tougher but it wasn’t.
It was fun because he throws awkward kicks. It’s the kind
of fight I thought I was going to win anyway and so I went out
had fun and worked off some steam.”
Ludwig’s
match with Yilmaz was to determine the alternate for the main
tournament should someone get injured. Unfortunately for Bang
he did not get the opportunity to compete in the tournament and
when he was asked about the performance of eventual winner, Buakaw
Por Puramuk, Bang said, “He was on, his kicks are amazing.
He wasn’t playing at all, he went in there and beat their
asses, it was amazing. None of his fights were close at all.”
When the subject of possibly facing Puramuk came up Ludwig said,
“It would be a good fight and I’d like to fight him
but I doubt K-1 will set it up. With them you never really know
what they’ll do, but maybe I will get him in the tournament
next year.”
Ludwig
discussed his future ambitions in the conversation when he said,
“I’ve got a lot of stuff in the works now, both K-1
and MMA, but nothing I can go public with right now. I would
like to fight on the August 3rd K-1 show in Vegas if I can and
would like rematch with John Wayne Parr. I really want to get
in some MMA soon and maybe fight in the next Romanex if we can
work out something where I have more time to prepare.”
Currently
relaxing at his wife’s family’s home in Texas Bang
was asked how he feels weight wise and responded, “Well
I’m still growing. I normally walk around about 170lbs and
this last time it was hard to cut weight. I won’t be moving
up in weight though anytime soon for K-1 as I still have a year
and a half on my contract with them that states I have to weigh
154lbs for everything unless it’s a superfight with special
stipulations like the BJ Penn fight was. I’m 180 though
now because of my wife’s family’s cooking. I got off
the plane directly from Japan and they looked at me and said
I’m too thin and that they need to feed me (laughs).”
Source:
MMA Weekly |
K-1
World GP in Seoul Press Conference
K-1 Press Release by Monty DiPietro
SEOUL, July 15, 2004 -- The fighters in the K-1 World Grand Prix
2004 in Seoul met the media today in a press conference at the
Lotte Hotel Jamsil in the Korean capital. Set for this Saturday
July 17, the 8-man tournament will determine the K-1 Asian Grand
Prix Champion, who will go to the GP 2004 Final Elimination in
September to fight for a spot in this year's Tokyo Dome Final.
Saturday's
Asian GP tournament will follow the signature K-1 elimination
format -- four quarterfinal bouts advancing four fighters to
a pair of semifinals, the two winners there meeting in the final.
Thus the Champion will have to win three fights in one day.
The
eight tournament fighters hail from five different Asian countries.
In the first quarterfinal matchup, American-Japanese Akebono
will meet 18 year-old Chinese Sanda fighter Zhang Qing Jun. A
Former Sumo Grand Champion, Akebono has dropped his first two
K-1 matches (although these came against Bob Sapp and Musashi)
and the big guy will try to use his 122kg weight advantage over
Qing Jun to turn things round here.
The
second bout will pit Mongolian Dolgosuren Sumiyabazar against
Shingo Koyasu. Sumiyabazar is a two-time freestyle wrestling
Olympian, a brother of current Sumo Yokozuna (Grand Champion)
Asashouryu; Koyasu meanwhile is a Seidokaikan fighter with five
years of K-1 experience.
Tsuyoshi
Nakasako of Japan will step in against Lee Myeong Ju in the third
quarterfinal. Nakasako has struggled as of late, dropping seven
of his last eight bouts. Ju has a record of 21 wins in 24 Muay
Thai fights, and is one of two fighters who will be representing
Korea here.
The
second, Korean-Canadian MMA fighter Dennis Kang , will step appear
in the last quarterfinal against Muay Thai fighter Kaoklai Kaennorsing
of Thailand. The Korean media has adopted the photogenic Kang
as a hometown favorite -- a TV crew met him at the airport and
he has been the subject of numerous interviews. "This is
a patriotic country and I love the attention," said Kang,
who speaks fluent French and English but little Korean. "I
accept the challenge, I have been working on boxing [with former
Canadian Champ Tony Pep] and I will give 110% on Saturday!"
There
will also be three Superfights on the Seoul card:
In
the first, Defending K-1 World GP Champion Remy Bonjasky of the
Netherlands will meet hot Belgian Aziz Khattou. Bonjasky has
been victorious in nine of his last ten K-1 fights, while Khattou
is on a four-bout winning streak of his own, so this promises
to be an exciting matchup.
TOA
of New Zealand will bring a 35 kg weight advantage to his Superfight
against Brazilian Kyokushin fighter Glaube Feitosa; and Seoul
will host the return of one of K-1's fiercest fighters -- Jerome
LeBanner of France. After taking a year off to recover from a
broken left arm, LeBanner will step in against American fighter
Mariano, who will make his K-1 debut in this Superfight.
The
K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Seoul kicks off at 1:00 pm local
time on Saturday July 17, at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium. Check
back here for complete coverage soon after the final bell.
Source: Monty DiPietro |
BTT
busy and flying, "Mendigo" clear to enter Japan, Ninja
and Silva training hard, Jacare dominating in BJJ, "Big
Dog" retires and more news from Brazilian events!
The
Brazilian Beat:
By Eduardo Alonso
As cold continues to make its presence known during the Brazilian
winter, in the coldest July the country has seen in years, the
MMA scene manages to stay hot and present all sorts of action
for the avid fight fans. Pride Bushido 4 next weekend continues
to be the current favorite dish on everybody's menu, with the
Brazilian Top Team army ready to conquer Japan. However, other
happenings made sure there is a bit of everything for every taste,
as a new "wave" of MMA shows are just around the corner
in Brazil, and plans for international events in later months
are already in the works. From established promotions, such as
Heat, to new ones, such as Brazilian Challenger and Real Fight,
and even international ones like the AFC, Brazil will have numerous
shows in the coming months, and FCF has news from them all, plus
training news from the top camps and tidbits from the international
shows. So, enjoy summer in America and Europe, as this reporter
freezes while FCF lights the fire and brings the beat straight
from the uncharacteristically cold Brazil!
Meca
11 sensation Tony de Souza was finally granted his Japanese visa.
"Mendigo," [beggar] as he was nicknamed by the Brazilian
fans, is still in his beloved country of Peru and told FCF that
his visa was granted by the Japanese consulate; therefore he
is clear to fight in Pride! De Souza, who will stay in Peru where
he is training his students until the end of the month, will
be competing in Japan in September's Pride Bushido show, a likely
opponent is Takanori Gomi. At the end of July the UFC veteran
will return to Brazil to resume training with the Nova Uniao
team in Rio de Janeiro.
The
Brazilian Top Team squad is already on their way to Japan for
their battle with Japanese fighters at Pride Bushido 4 this weekend.
With some of the group departing for the land of the rising sun
on Monday, the rest of the crew left Brazil this Wednesday, led
by the "Zen Machine" Mario Sperry. According to Sperry
all the team prepared very hard and all fighters are in top shape
for the show. Mario himself expects to be fighting again around
September or October, as his priority has been to help the preparation
of all BTT fighters, including Rodrigo "Minotauro"
Nogueira in his task of becoming the Pride Heavyweight GP 2004
champion.
The
newest MMA show in the Brazilian Northeast is almost set to go.
Brazilian Challenger will be taking place in the city of Natal,
also home of Heat FC, this next July 29th, and the news are that
the show will be fought inside an octagon! Inside the cage eight
young fighters will battle in a tournament, where to be the champion
they'll have to win three fights in one night, like in the old
UFC days. Besides Heat FC veteran Sergio Junior, and Bitetti
Combat veterans Rivanio Aranha and Loquinha, the show will now
also count with Deep veteran Gleison Tibau, who was a win over
BJJ great Fernando Terere in his record. The official brackets
will be released soon, and FCF will keep you posted.
Speaking
of the gorgeous city of Natal, rumors have that Heat FC may be
returning with his third edition in late September, also in the
city of Natal. Heat's third edition was postponed due to problems
with sponsors, and no final date has been set yet. Now, the rumor
floating around is that the next edition may take place in September,
possibly in a tournament format. FCF will keep you posted.
Training
has been as tough as ever in the Chute Boxe headquarters. With
Wanderlei Silva's match against Yuki Kondo getting closer and
closer, the "Axe Murderer" has been dedicating himself
to his training sessions with the same intensity he showed when
he was starting up. Wanderlei has been sparring hard with his
teammate Murilo Ninja Rua, among others. Ninja, who has been
improving his shape, and his brother Mauricio Shogun may be fighting
again in September, but nothing is sure right now.
Master
Carlson Gracie event, Real Fight, has been seeing many changes
on its card, scheduled for July 30th, in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
As of now fighters such as Roan Carneiro and Fabio Mello are
out of the card, due to Mello's fight in Pride Bushido and Roan
likely due to his participation in AFC Brazil. Also, the main
event between UFC veteran Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas and
Rodrigo Riscado is also not going to happen, making the card
so far a bit of a disappointment. One interesting thing though,
is that Meca veteran Marcelo Dourado, who became famous in Brazil
due to his participation in the last Big Brother TV show, is
now taking part on the event facing Luiz Fernando Pimpolho, from
Nova Uniao. Other standouts in the show are K-1 veteran Eduardo
Maiorino, and Meca veterans Claudionor Fontinelli, Ivan "Batman",
and Alessio Sakara.
Coming
up in August 28th, at the city of Nova Friburgo, located in the
state of Rio de Janeiro, AFC is going to hold his first ever
show in Brazil. AFC Brazil is drawing attention of everybody
in the MMA scene in this country, with a very solid card featuring
names such as Eric Tavares, Marcel Ferreira, Milton Vieira, Jeff
Monson, Aaron Riley, Leornardo Santos, Roan Carneiro and Rodrigo
Ruas. Ruas and Carneiro are scheduled to fight each other, in
a fight that promises to be the best of the night. Coming from
his Black Belt Challenge GP win, Leonardo Santos will face Meca
stand out Milton Vieira in a fight that has also all the tools
to be great! FCF will have more on AFC Brazil later down the
road.
Profight
FC took place this past July 3rd in the city of Porto Alegre,
counting with matches in submission wrestling, Muay Thai and
MMA. Unfortunately for the promoters, the lowest point in the
show was that the main event in Mixed Martial Arts ended up not
taking place, as Carlos Aveline decided not to fight hours before
the show, due to a problem regarding his purse agreement with
the promoters, leaving Meca veteran Allesandro Custodio without
an opponent. Here are the results of the other MMA fights:
Nelson
Velasque def. Rodrigo by forfeit
Tiago
Minu def. Alex Alves by rear choke
Eduardo
Munra def. Leandro Costa by rear choke
This
past weekend the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Cup, promoted by CBJJO,
gathered the curiosity of all the "Smooth Art" lovers
around the globe. The action was heated on the mats, and two
things quickly drew everybody's attention: Ronaldo Jacare's amazing
display of skills and Fernando Margarida Pontes comeback to Jiu-Jitsu
competition, after being on the sidelines for long due to injury.
Margarida returned in great fashion, showing good form and winning
the heavyweight division, while Jacare was spectacular winning
the light heavyweight division. As in a movie script, both guys
ended facing each other in the finals of the absolute division,
only to Ronaldo Jacare show his magic and crush Margarida in
a solid 11-0 win, to become also the Absolute champion. Another
stand out in the World Cup was Fernando Terere, who won the Middleweight
division and kept showing everybody he is still in the top of
the game. Now all the focus will be laid on the BJJ World Championship,
promoted by CBJJ coming up later this year.
In
a move that surprised many fighting fans around the world, "The
Big Dog" Ricardo Almeida retired from fighting competitions,
and this includes, of course, MMA competition. Ricardo's decision
was made after a lot of thought, based on his desire of becoming
a great Jiu-Jitsu master, helping other individuals and being
able of learning more about his loved art of Jiu-Jitsu and its
impacts on life. Coming from a solid win at Pride Bushido 3,
Almeida still had a long career ahead of him in MMA and had the
chance to compete in shows such as UFC, Pancrase and Pride, even
resigning his Pancrase belt due to his retirement decision. Time
will tell if the "Big Dog" won't ever step in a MMA
ring again to compete, and FCF wishes him all the best in this
new phase of his life!
Source:
FCF |
WRESTLER
KYLE MAYNARD WINS ESPY AWARD
by: Eddie Goldman/ADCC Wrestling Editor
Kyle Maynard, the high school wrestler afflicted with congenital
amputation, has won a 2004 ESPY Award. 'It's just shortened limbs,
arms that end at the elbows and legs that end at the knees,'
as he has described his condition so matter-of-factly, but this
past season Maynard was able to get within one win of becoming
a high school All-American wrestling against non-disabled athletes.
Maynard
was one of 36 ESPY winners who were selected by fan voting. He
won in the category of 'Best Athlete With A Disability.' He was
the only wrestler nominated in any category this year.
The
winners of the 12th annual ESPY Awards were announced at an event
at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre Wednesday. ESPN will have a tape-delayed
broadcast of the awards show on Sunday, July 18, beginning at
9 p.m. EDT.
Below
is the ESPN press release announcing the winners of the 2004
ESPY Awards.
Armstrong
Repeats as Best Male Athlete at ESPY Awards
Taurasi
Named Best Female Athlete; Pistons Best Team & Upset; Brown
Best Coach
More
Than 10.5 Million Fans Voted to Determine Winners in All Categories
LOS
ANGELES, July 15 -- Lance Armstrong, currently on a quest for
his sixth straight Tour de France crown, was voted by fans as
Best Male Athlete at the 12th annual ESPY Awards at Hollywood's
Kodak Theatre Wednesday. It was Armstrong's second consecutive
honor in that category. Former UConn basketball star and current
Phoenix Mercury player Diana Taurasi captured Best Female Athlete
and Best Female College Athlete, the latter a repeat performance
from 2003.
For
the first time, fans determined the winners in all 36 ESPY Awards
categories, including the 19 cross-cutter honors that pit athletes
from different sports against each other. More than 10.5 million
votes were cast from June 21 through July 9. Armstrong took the
honors over other Best Male Athlete nominees Tom Brady, Barry
Bonds, Kevin Garnett and Peyton Manning, while Taurasi edged
out Best Female finalists Justine Henin-Hardenne and Annika Sorenstam.
The
Detroit Pistons, fresh off their NBA title victory over the Lakers,
had a strong night. They won Best Team over the New England Patriots,
UConn Men's and Women's Basketball, the Florida Marlins and Tampa
Bay Lightning, while they also took the trophy in the new Best
Upset category. Pistons coach Larry Brown edged out Geno Auriemma,
Bill Belichick, Bob Ladouceur and Jack McKeon in Best Coach/Manager.
In
other key cross-cutter categories, LeBron James was named Best
Breakthrough Athlete, the Patriots-Panthers Super Bowl Best Game,
Miracle Best Movie and teenage surfer and shark attack victim
Bethany Hamilton Best Comeback. Also, Masters winner Phil Mickelson
won Best Championship Performance, Eric Gagne's (Los Angeles
Dodgers) 55 Straight Saves In One Season captured Best Record-Breaking
Performance and Brett Favre's (Green Bay Packers) amazing game
(399 Yards, four touchdowns) one day after his father's death
was selected Best Moment. The New Orleans Saints' laterals for
a touchdown won the Best Play trophy.
Of
the 17 sport-specific categories, only four were repeat winners
from 2003: Barry Bonds (Best MLB Player), Annika Sorenstam (Best
Female Golfer), Serena Williams (Best Female Tennis Player) and
Gail Devers (Best Female Track and Field Athlete).
The
ESPY Awards also included the presentation of the Arthur Ashe
Courage Award. This year, the recipient was Liberian soccer star
and UNICEF ambassador George Weah, who has, at great risk, worked
tirelessly to help his war-torn country.
OTHER
ESPY AWARDS TIDBITS:
*
UConn Sweeps College Categories: UConn stars Emeka Okafor and
Diana Taurasi, who each led their teams to NCAA titles, were
selected Best Male and Best Female College Athlete, respectively.
*
Pistons Lead The Way: The Pistons' Best Team award marked only
the second time an NBA team has won that trophy (Lakers -- 2002).
*
No ESPY In Team: Since 2000, a total of 10 Best Male/Best Female
Athlete trophies have been awarded. Diana Taruasi's selection
this year marked only the second time in that span that a team
sport star won either honor (Mia Hamm -- 2000).
*
No Tiger: This was the first year since 1999 that Tiger Woods
has not received an ESPY Award. His record ESPY Award total of
15 is not in jeopardy, however. Of the 2004 winners, Barry Bonds
and Annika Sorenstam, who each now have six, are closest to Tiger.
*
Gail Force: Gail Devers took the trophy for Best Female Track
and Field Athlete for the second straight year, after Marion
Jones had won the award the previous five.
*
Lights, Camera, Action: The Best Action Sports Athlete honors
each went to first-time winners and X Games gold medalists: Bike
Stunt star Ryan Nyquist (Male) and Wakeboarder Dallas Friday
(Female).
*
Four Straight Williams Years: The Best Female Tennis Player award
went to a member of the Williams family for the fourth straight
year: (Venus -- 2001 and 2002; Serena -- 2003 and 2004).
*
Annika, Annika: Golfing star Annika Sorenstam has now won the
Best Female Golfer three consecutive years. She's been recognized
six times overall, beginning in 1996.
*
Amazing Athlete and Story: High school star wrestler Kyle Maynard,
born with congenital amputation (no elbows or knees) was selected
Best Athlete With A Disability.
*
The Great Outdoors: Log rolling champion Tina Bosworth became
the first athlete other than an angler to win the Best Outdoors
Sports Athlete in the three-year history of the category.
A
complete 2004 ESPY Awards winners list follows:
2004
ESPY AWARDS -- WINNERS - ALL VOTED BY FANS
CROSS-CUTTER
CATEGORY WINNERS
BEST FEMALE ATHLETE: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut Basketball
BEST MALE ATHLETE: Lance Armstrong, Cycling
BEST TEAM: Detroit Pistons
BEST COACH/MANAGER: Larry Brown, Detroit Pistons
BEST COMEBACK: Bethany Hamilton, Surfing
BEST UPSET: Detroit Pistons
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETE: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
BEST GAME: Super Bowl: Patriots-Panthers
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE: Eric Gagne, L.A. Dodgers --
55 Straight Saves In One Season
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE: Phil Mickelson -- Masters
BEST PLAY: New Orleans Saints' Last-Play Laterals Result in TD
BEST SPORTS MOVIE: Miracle
BEST FEMALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Diana Taurasi, Connecticut Basketball
BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut Basketball
BEST MOMENT: Brett Favre, Packers -- 399 Yards, 4 TDs A Day After
Father's Death
BEST FEMALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE: Dallas Friday, Wakeboarding
BEST MALE ACTION SPORTS ATHLETE: Ryan Nyquist, Bike Stunt
BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY: Kyle Maynard, Wrestling
BEST OUTDOORS SPORTS ATHLETE: Tina Bosworth, Log Rolling
INDIVIDUAL
SPORT CATEGORY WINNERS
BEST MLB PLAYER: Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants
BEST NBA PLAYER: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
BEST WNBA PLAYER: Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm
BEST BOWLER: Pete Weber
BEST BOXER: Antonio Tarver
BEST DRIVER: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
BEST NFL PLAYER: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
BEST FEMALE GOLFER: Annika Sorenstam
BEST MALE GOLFER: Phil Mickelson
BEST NHL PLAYER: Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
BEST JOCKEY: Stewart Elliott
BEST FEMALE SOCCER PLAYER: Mia Hamm, U.S.
BEST MALE SOCCER PLAYER: David Beckham, Real Madrid
BEST FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER: Serena Williams
BEST MALE TENNIS PLAYER: Andy Roddick
BEST FEMALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE: Gail Devers
BEST MALE TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE: Tom Pappas
ARTHUR
ASHE COURAGE AWARD: George Weah
CO-PRESENTING
SPONSOR AWARD WINNERS
The 2004 ESPY Awards also included two co-presenting sponsor
awards.
GMC
PROFESSIONAL GRADE PLAY: Steve McNair, Titans -- Makes Playoffs
Despite Injuries
UNDER
ARMOUR UNDENIABLE PERFORMANCE AWARD: Brett Favre, Packers --
399 Yards, A Day After Father's Death
Source:
ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what
you do are in harmony. "
Mahatma Gandhi. 1869-1948, Indian Political, Spiritual Leader
|
MURRAY
VS. SILVA
The UK-based MMA promotion known as Cage Rage has announced that
Lee Murray vs. Anderson Silva has been signed to be the main
event of their show on September 11th.
Source: Fight Sport |
ALMEIDA'S
FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE ANNOUNCEMENT
In another MMAWeekly Exclusive, Mick Hammond had a chance to
speak to Ricardo Almeida right after he shocked the fight world
with his announcement that he wanted to retire. Here is the exclusive
interview on MMAWeekly.com.
Ricardo
Almeida Interview by Mick Hammond
Earlier
this week Ricardo Almeida did something that few professional
athletes do. He retired at the top of his game. Almeida, a Brazilian
born scholar did the unthinkable leaving his family and country
behind at a very early age to pursue a dream of martial arts
perfection which lead him to Renzo Gracie’s Academy in New
York. From there he managed to overcome early career setbacks
to achieve championship glory. Almeida talks about his decision
to retire, the road behind, and the path ahead.
MMA
Weekly: First off Ricardo, as I’m sure everyone recently
found out, at only 27 years old and with just 10 fights under
your belt, you are retiring from active fighting in MMA. Can
you tell us why?
Ricardo
Almeida: I come from a family of academic professors, who chose
to be professors even though they had other options. My father
whom I have the utmost respect for is the president one of the
biggest sustainable development NGOs in Brazil and still finds
time to teach at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. My
brother Flavio Almeida is also another example, he’s one
of the best Jiu-Jitsu competitors and probably the most talented
fighter I ever got the chance to see. He also stepped away from
the mats in search of other dreams, although his career on the
mats could’ve been even more brilliant.
When
I first began fighting I always had in my mind that I would not
make a career out of MMA. That I would get the experiences I
wanted and move out early. I got a lot more than I ever wanted
out of it. I met great people, had the chance to fight for and
win the highly esteemed King of Pancrase title, in my last fight
I had the chance to fight representing Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at Pride,
the biggest MMA event in the world. What is enough for some people
others may belittle, I am lucky enough to feel fulfilled with
what I have accomplished. Of course in my mind I know I have
only began to tap into my potential as a fighter however in my
heart I feel I can contribute a lot more as a teacher than as
a fighter
MMA
Weekly: Being so close to your teacher Renzo Gracie, was it difficult
to tell him about your decision?
Ricardo
Almeida: It was uncomfortable to know we would not go up to the
ring together again. But as always he gave me huge support. Renzo
was in my corner at all my fights, and it always gave me a huge
sense of confidence and security. Once I was in the ring I was
like a machine, I would go onto a mode I only recognized Renzo’s
voice and I knew he would guide through a way to win. I was very
fortunate to have Renzo as my Sensei but I am truly fortunate
to have him as a friend.
MMA
Weekly: I think what comes as a shock to most fans is that you
retired seemingly still on the rise in the sport. You’ve
won your last six fights, won the Middleweight King of Pancrase
title, and just made a successful return to Pride at Bushido
3. Most fighters step away on the downside of their careers,
so how hard is it to step away seemingly at the top of yours?
Ricardo
Almeida: Off course it is probably harder to do that, more so
when you are winning than when things don’t go your way.
One of the most important lessons I have learned in Jiu-Jitsu
is to be detached from expectations and outcomes. I could always
grapple with the fact that I could have gone further but the
bottom line is I am not making this decision heavy-hearted. I
am looking forward to the days ahead and the challenges of building
a school which I hope to be a staple of excellence in the martial
arts community.
MMA
Weekly: Go back over your fight career with us Ricardo, tell
us some of the highlights and some of your more memorable moments
in and out of the ring?
Ricardo
Almeida: I remember loosing to Matt Lindland (at UFC 31) and
being really upset not really at the loss, but at being disqualified,
which is something I’ve never been in my life until that
point Lack of experience played a major role back then.
The
Andre Semenov fight (at UFC 35), I remember going back to the
corner after the first round I was hurt, I had a crappy mouthpiece
which ripped and chipped my tooth and it badly lacerated my mouth.
I remember drinking a lot of blood so they would not stop the
fight. In my mind all I was thinking was I don’t care what
happens I will keep fighting. I got TKO’d but I have no
regrets I never quit. I just went back to the gym worked on my
mistakes and I truly believe if I didn’t have a fight like
that I would never be able to put together six wins in a row
plus the Pancrase title. In life every moment has a purpose,
that match made me a much better competitor.
Last
year at the ADCC tournament in Brazil, during my match against
Ronaldo Jacare after I don’t know how many overtimes I felt
I was so tired that I could not get more tired and I was having
so much fun, that guy pushed me probably beyond my limits. After
the fight I felt like we were long lost brothers or something,
it is difficult to explain.
My
fight against Kazuo Misaki (in Pancrase), many American fans
don’t get to see but Pancrase has some great talent. Anyway
I had a broken rib in my last day of training before I left for
Japan plus I had to cut down to 180lbs for the first time in
MMA. When the fight started I couldn’t breathe or twist
my body so all technique and strategy went out the window it
was all guts and I won a majority decision which would set up
the fight against Nathan Marquardt when I won the Middleweight
King of Pancrase title.
Lastly
the Bushido 3 fight in the Gracie VS Japan face off. For a Jiu-Jitsu
kid growing up watching the old Vale Tudo matches where there
was no money involved only the pride and reputation of Jiu-Jitsu,
personally in the ring nothing will top that for me. Like many
said, I was a Gracie for a day, and it’s not an easy task.
I left the ring that day admiring their legacy even more if that’s
possible. That was truly the biggest honor to me. I remember
watching Renzo in crunches up and down cornering all of us, helping
us out in every way in the locker room, and even being very much
in pain he took the time to guide us through victory once again.
I can’t help but think to myself, “that’s a true
Sensei! That’s what I want to become.”
MMA
Weekly: Tell us what it is you will be doing now that you have
decided to retire from fighting?
Ricardo
Almeida: I have a dream that Jiu-Jitsu becomes a big part of
as many people’s lives as I can possibly reach. I believe
it is an individual’s duty to society to develop himself
to the maximum of his capabilities so ultimately he can give
back and contribute. That is what I will be doing, developing
my self in other areas that have nothing to do with fighting,
as well as with my school providing a positive environment where
I can influence and help as many people in the study of Jiu-Jitsu
and pursuit of personal excellence.
MMA
Weekly: Thank you for taking time out of your schedule during
this emotional time in your life to speak to us. Is there anything
you’d like to say to your fans, family, or training partners
in closing out this interview?
Ricardo
Almeida: I would like to thank my wife for loving me and putting
everything on hold to support me through my career. Renzo Almeida,
my son, who gave a new meaning to my life and brought such joy
I had no right to expect. My family for all the sleepless nights
worrying about my welfare while I was in the other side of the
world following my dreams. Carlos Gracie Jr. for giving me the
gift of having Jiu-Jitsu in my life. Renzo Gracie for the guidance
and opportunities I would not be here if not for him. Martin
Rooney for the grueling workouts and for all his time and effort
to make me the athlete I am today. Gene Dunn for arming me with
courage to make wise choices. My students for their loyalty and
inspiration also for having to put up my absence from time to
time. And all who have contributed, which would be an endless
list. To my fans I offer my never ending gratitude and the certainty
that I will take up on any challenge in my life as I did it in
the ring. Thanks for all the support MMA Weekly. Take care.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
WHAT
WILL CRO COP'S
MENTAL STATE BE FOR THIS FIGHT?
At 2 to 5 one wouldn’t think that former pro wrestler turned
MMA fighter Shungo Oyama has much of a chance against Croatian
killing machine Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipovic at Pride’s
Bushido 4 show this upcoming Sunday. But with recent history
surrounding both fighters, it could be far more competitive than
people would think.
This
fight of course has been created to further establish Cro Cop’s
deep seeded desire to return to the top of the Pride rankings,
thus securing a title shot sometime later this year or next year,
but Mirko hasn’t been quite the fighter he was last year
at this time.
Going
into the inaugural Bushido show last year Cro Cop had been on
a tear. After his initial awkwardness transitioning from K-1
to MMA, a more poised Cro Cop had been laying to waste some of
the most respected and feared fighters in MMA such as Kazuyuki
Fujita, Heath Herring, and Igor Vovchanchyn. But with success
came laziness, as it seemed the overconfident Cro Cop relied
too much on his natural talent when facing Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
at Final Conflict 2004. Unable to finish the Brazilian standing,
the fight went to the ground where Cro Cop quickly was submitted.
Despite the loss Filipovic came back to win his next two fights
in quick fashion before his overconfidence again cost him against
Kevin Randleman at Total Elimination 2004 in April of this year.
After
being knocked out for the first time in his MMA career Cro Cop
decided not to wait to recover from the after effects of such
a loss, taking a fight less than a month later at Bushido 3 against
Hiromitsu Kanehara. It was clear however despite his dominance
of Kanehara, Cro Cop was no longer the crisp, fierce striker
that made him the most feared stand-up man in MMA. He seemingly
sleepwalked through the fight, looking very predictable in his
actions, just going through the motions. It is with this in mind
that his upcoming fight with Shungo Oyama at Bushido 4 may be
more unpredictable than people expect.
Sure
Oyama’s record screams mismatch, but he has fought very
hard in all his 7 MMA fights never backing down from any of his
opponents. Beginning with a KO victory over Mike Bourke at KOTC
7, Oyama has faced some of the most formidable fighters below
205lbs. Owning a unanimous decision victory over Renzo Gracie
from Pride 21, Oyama has also lost close competitive fights to
Phillip Miller, Wanderlei Silva, Wallid Ismail, Ryan Gracie,
and most recently against Dan Henderson at Pride 25 last year.
It’s
his tenacity and willingness to engage which makes Oyama such
an entertaining and possibly dangerous fighter. With Cro Cop’s
contentment to stick to the same gameplan time in time out, Oyama
may be able to capitalize and take advantage of patters in Filipovic’s
style. With his good wrestling skills and unrelenting aggressiveness
he could provide a very dangerous challenge to Filipovic like
Kevin Randleman was.
Conventional
wisdom says this fight will come down to Mirko’s sharpness
against Oyama’s aggression. If Mirko looks flat footed as
he has been over his last couple of fights it could be yet another
uninspired performance if he cannot get in a devastating strike
on Oyama who not known for having a granite chin.
If
that is the case then it is possible for Oyama to maybe outwork
Cro Cop and get a decision. Then again there is always the Randleman
factor, it’s happened once and it could happen again, so
it seems Cro Cop is his own worst enemy when it comes to this
fight. Win or lose if Shungo is entertaining he could well earn
a return trip to Pride where he is still a decent draw with the
Japanese public.
So
it’s a battle of will and who imposes it first and often
that will determine the winner of this fight. It could be fast,
brutal, and entertaining which is what Pride wants, and it also
could help revitalize Mirko Cro Cop, which is what Pride wants
even more.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Over
100 Registered For Las Vegas K-1 Tryouts
In a span of seven days, K-1 has received over 100 applicants
for the open fighter tryouts that it will conduct on Thursday,
August 5th and Friday, August 6th at Las Vegas, Nevada’s
Bellagio Hotel and Casino.
“We’re
very pleased to see such an overwhelmingly positive response
in such a short period of time,” said K-1 USA CEO Scott
Coker, who devised the two-day program to bolster the roster
of competitors in the Superheavyweight (200 pounds and above)
and J-Max (154 pound limit) divisions maintained by the martial
arts fight promotion. The tryouts are open to fighters who meet
these weight specifications and who have competitive experience
in any type of martial art and/or the sport of boxing. “When
I created this program, I did so with the intention of attracting
fighters from every neck of the woods so we would be able to
take a good look at the existing pool of talent throughout North
America and give everyone an equal shot at becoming a part of
the greatest martial arts fighting sport in the world. Nearly
every professional sports league – whether it’s the
NFL or the NBA – conducts some sort of open tryout every
year so that scouts and other recruiters have an opportunity
to assess all sorts of potential out there that might not otherwise
come to their attention. Why should K-1 be any different?”
Coker’s
brainchild, which will precede Saturday, August 7th’s K-1
“Battle At The Bellagio III” fight card, will see auditioning
athletes demonstrate their combat skills by going through a variety
of striking drills on pads and sparring with one another. Representatives
from K-1 headquarters in Japan as well as K-1 USA, the North
American outfit of the fight promotion, will be on hand to take
in the action and make recruiting decisions. The tryout sessions
will not be open to the public.
Fighters
who wish to take part in the tryouts must arrange to do before
Tuesday, August 3rd by scheduling an appointment with Sven Bean,
K-1 USA’s Director of Fighter Development. Mr. Bean can
be reached via telephone at (303) 246-5237 or via email at beanz4@msn.com.
Depending on the number of athletes who register, the trials
may be extended to Saturday, August 7th.
All
K-1 tryout participants will be required to make their own travel
and lodging arrangements and to bring their own equipment (16
ounce boxing gloves, mouth guard, groin protector, and shin guards)
for use during sparring sessions. Additionally, each contestant
must bring to his tryout a personalized biography that lists
his height, weight, date of birth, residence, fighting discipline,
competitive record, and achievements (if applicable).
K-1
is a martial arts fighting sport that derives its name from its
inclusion of a wide array of combat disciplines, including Karate,
Kung-Fu, and Kickboxing (“K”), and its intent to determine
one champion in one ring (“1”). After being staged
for the first time in Japan in 1993 under the direction of founder
Master Kazuyoshi Ishii, it later evolved into the country’s
most popular sport and achieved popular culture status there
as its athletes turned into larger-than-life celebrities.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
K-1
debuts in Korea next Saturday
Has just finished the first press conference of K-1, which will
be held in Korea. The tournament is scheduled to happen at the
Jamsil Olympic Stadium, Seoul, on next July 17th. Besides the
whole debut in Korea, the new detail is there is going to be
a eight-men-tournament from five Asian places. The winner will
fight at the semifinal of K-1 GP 2004, next September. Sumo champion
Akebono will try his first victory over the tournament against
young chinese Zhang Qing Jun.
Over
the second fight, wrestler from Mongolia Dolgosuren Sumiyabazar
will take on experienced Shingo Koyasu (Seidokaikan). Local fighter
Lee Myeong Ju will face Tsuyoshi Nakasako and the other Korean,
Dennis Kang, will fight Kaoklai Kaennorsing (Thailand). Over
the competition, Brazil will be represented by Karate Kyokushin
fighter Glaube Feitosa, who will face TOA.
After
being defeated to Francisco Filho at last May 30's K -1, GP 2003
champion, Remy Bonjansky, returns to the ring facing Belgian
Aziz Khattou. Away form the rings almost for an year, due to
a injured arm, Jerome LeBanner is back. He will face American
fighter Mariano, who debuts at K-1.
Source:
Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
"Well done is better than well said."
Ben Franklin, 1706-1790, American Scientist, Publisher, Diplomat
|
Rickson´s
MMA Debut: Missing Fight Found!
The
Brazilian Samurai was born! Rickson Gracie´s MMA debut
is the subject of Brazil´s Gracie Magazine cover report
for their 90th issue. Several photos of Rickson and his opponent
Rei Zulu fighting in Brasilia (Brazil's capital), on April 25th
of 1980, are published for the first time in the history.
At
the age of 20, Rickson had never been in a professional fight
before and was not considered the family champion yet. Assisted
by his father, Master Helio Gracie, and his brother Rolls, Rickson
beat Rei Zulu, who was bigger, 14 years older and unbeaten at
that time. It was the first step Rickson Gracie took on the way
to becoming one of the greatest fighting legends of our time.
Zulu
and Rickson fought again four years later in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, in the match many people have seen on the Gracie in Action'
tapes, but there are virtually no clues regarding the first fight
between the two until the release of this historic GRACIE Magazine
issue!
The
July edition of GRACIE Magazine also gives the readers an opportunity
to see Zulu´s fight is still going on as well. Living in
a small house in Maranhao, north Brazil, he is not fighting for
money anymore now in his fifties. He is fighting to survive.
Poor and forgotten, he receives small help to provide food and
health care for his family.
www.graciemag.com
Source: ADCC
|
Dean
lister - PRIDE BOUND!
This weekend in Pride “Bushido 4” Dean Lister takes
on Amar Suloev. Officially a member of Gracie United, Lister
is the current ADCC Unlimited class champion and former King
Of The Cage Middleweight champion. His black belt in BJJ came
from Jeff Higgs who trained under Rickson Gracie black belt Fabio
Santos. Suloev is a member of the Red Devil Fight Club based
in Russia and is the ADCC #9 ranked 170.1-185 fighter.
After
winning and defending it twice, Lister relinquished his KOTC
belt prior to fighting Jeremy Horn at 205 pounds back in December.
He has recently talked about not being sure if that is the weight
at which he will continue to compete or not but his difficulties
at making 185 put him in-between those weight classes. Dean is
coming off a loss to Jeremy Horn by majority decision in a fight
where an early elbow opened up a cut that partially blinded Dean
for the remainder of the fight. Dean’s only other loss was
his first fight against Jacen Flynn in an outdoor KOTC show,
where rain soaked the canvas and impaired several of the fighters’
ability to get traction. Dean won their rematch.
KM:
Your next fight is in Pride. Congratulations. How are you feeling
about this? DL: Thank you. Feeling good. I know it’s going
to be a good trip, nothing but positive.
KM:
Your opponent is Amar Suloev, maybe the toughest fighter you
have faced so far. What do you think of Amar? DL: Actually it’s
funny. I had this feeling about Jacen Flynn which is one of my
old opponents (note: KOTC 7 & 12). I saw the guy fight and
I don’t know why, somehow I knew I would face him and I
faced him. I had it about Amar when I saw him a long time ago.
He’s a good sportsman which I admire. I know he’s going
to be tough on the ground but he’s really tough to take
down and tough to strike with. He has the chin and he’ll
hang in there, he’s a tough guy. I feel like he’s a
really tough opponent and actually that is what I want. Win or
lose I know I’ve always taken the hard way.
KM:
This is possibly the biggest test of your standup. Do you feel
that is accurate? DL: Yeah. The biggest name I’ve fought
before this was Jeremy Horn. Pretty much I understand he is going
to be playing angles, circles, and try to knock me out but it’s
probably going to be him being patient I imagine and being smart.
I heard he has a good sprawl…we’ll see how my takedowns
are.
KM:
Did you get a chance to see his fight against Din Thomas? DL:
I didn’t see that.
KM:
Amar out-weighed Din by about twenty pounds. It’s going
to be different with you. DL: Yeah, I think by about five pounds,
I’m not sure.
KM:
Tell me about your loss to Horn. DL: I definitely won the first
round. (Regarding the bloody pics on the internet) that was the
first elbow…I lost more blood than people realized. I think
it affected my cardio a little bit. With the cut I couldn’t
see very well on my feet. I never had that experience before
so I didn’t know how to react. If you can’t see and
somebody is punching you…I didn’t know where I was.
One time I took a kick and fell on my butt. That doesn’t
look good to the judges. It was a close fight. One judge gave
it to me and the others to him.
KM:
One thing I wanted to clarify was the weight class. It wasn’t
for your Middleweight belt? DL: It was the last fight on my contract.
I had already by that fight given up my belt. It’s up for
grabs but I still have the belt, it’s still here (at home).
Dean
is sponsored by Bad Boy fight gear and Osiris Shoes. He teaches
BJJ at City Boxing in San Diego. For more on Dean check out www.cityboxing.com.
For
a gallery of Dean’s last defense of his KOTC belt check
out http://malarky.udel.edu/~keith/2003/kotc/kotc25.htm.
Source: ADCC
|
Touch
of Evil's UFC Newswire
The following information comes from the July 5th issue of Touch
of Evil Newsletter. Ordering info can be found at http://www.touchofevil.us.
--
The confrontation between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock at the
UFC 48 post-fight press conference was not staged by Zuffa, but
was both Tito and Ken acting on their own
--
Shamrock seems to only have one fight left on his contract with
Zuffa
--
The total payroll for UFC 48 was $586,000. This is much higher
than the payrolls for UFC 47 ($333,000) and UFC 46 ($540,500).
The total payroll for guarantees not including win bonuses was
$411,500. The total payroll for dark matches not aired in full
on the pay per view was $26,000. That figure does not include
the St. Pierre-Hieron fight since it aired in full on the pay
per view broadcast. The average pay for the event was $36,625,
up from a low $20,812 for UFC 47 and up from UFC 46 at $33,781
as well. The average guarantee for the event was $31,654, up
from only $15,688 for UFC 47 and up from $27,031 at UFC 46. There
was a 14.6% difference in the average guarantee for this event
and the average overall payout including win bonuses. That is
way down from a 32.7% difference at UFC 47 and way down from
a 25% difference at UFC 46, which shows that the guaranteed payroll
for this event was very high. The increase between total payrolls
from UFC 47 to this event was 76% and a $253,000 increase, which
is huge.
--
Zuffa was said to have been pleased with the early estimates
for the show on pay per view
--
Zuffa has already seen a number of fighters that they are interested
in for the reality show. The idea of the show is to take fighters
who are still in the early going of their career to show the
journey of what it takes to become a mixed martial artist and
make it into the UFC from that journey’s very beginning
as opposed to having someone who has been fighting for years
and knows the ropes on the show.
--
The reason for the upcoming Chuck Liddell vs. Vernon White match
is because of a legit feud between Liddell and White. Liddell
also likes to stay busy, making this match much like how Liddell
risked his number one contendership status at UFC 40 against
Renato Sobral.
--
Karo Parisyan is back in UFC after his impressive decision victory
over Shonie Carter at WEC 10.
--
The Yves Edwards-Josh Thomson fight is certainly not for the
lightweight title at this time. UFC will continue with a scaled
back version of the lightweight division for now, but will not
have a champion in the near future
--
It's not impossible for Matt Lindland and Evan Tanner to fight
each other just because they are in the same camp. The problem
with this fight is that, because both are friends and know each
other so well, they may have a boring fight. But that doesn't
mean it can't be done. Tanner has said he'd be willing to fight
Lindland. This would be the most natural matchup at the middleweight
level if Lindland defeats David Terrell.
-- Wanderlei Silva is claiming that he will be fighting either
Mirko Cro Cop or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on New Year's Eve.
Both fights are bad ideas for Pride and here's why. Pride has
to continue to book Silva against Japanese fighters with the
idea of creating a new Japanese star out of whichever fighter
defeats Silva. Since Sakuraba, the most popular Japanese fighter
of them all, has tried and failed to defeat Silva three times,
it’s become the Japanese dream to defeat Silva, who is a
modern day pro wrestling heel in an MMA way. Everybody loses,
and although Silva is unbeaten in Pride, he will lose eventually,
and if you continue to simply book him against quality Japanese
opponents, he will lose to one of them, whether it be Yuki Kondo,
or Hidehiko Yoshida, or even someone like Kazuo Misaki or whomever.
If Silva is defeated by a non-Japanese fighter before he loses
to a Japanese one, the loss to the Japanese fighter, should it
then happen, won’t mean as much because Silva would no longer
be undefeated. Losing to Quinton Jackson is not as good as losing
to someone like Kondo, but Pride is lucky Jackson beat Ricardo
Arona, because if Arona beat Silva, and he very well could have,
then because of his lack of charisma and name value in Pride,
he would not be a very good box office draw as Middleweight champion.
If Yoshida is ready in time (he might not be) for New Year’s
Eve, I think Yoshida vs. Silva II would be the fight to book
on that night if Kondo doesn’t beat Silva in August. Silva
is definitely fighting Jackson in October, and after that if
he fights Fedor or Mirko on New Year’s Eve, then Pride is
really banking on Kondo to come out of the August 15th show with
the win, because I don’t like the odds of Silva being able
to defeat Kondo, then Jackson, then either Nogueira or Mirko
all in one year.
--
Mirko vs. Randleman II is a good idea for Pride, because Mirko
is really cold right now and he needs a big win, and he'd have
a chance to avenge the loss that turned him cold here. Odds are
that Randleman will not be able to defeat Mirko twice (although
anything is possible)
--
The most likely fights for the Grand Prix Finals are Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Naoya Ogawa and Sergei Kharitonov vs. Fedor
Emelianenko. Fedor and Kharitonov are former training partners.
Nogueira was the opponent that most fans in Japan wanted to see
against Ogawa in the second round in a poll conducted by DSE
awhile ago. This would most likely leave Nogueira vs. Fedor in
the finals in a rematch of one of the most exciting Pride Heavyweight
title matches there's been.
--
Bas Rutten, Mauro Ranallo and Clyde Gentry III were all quoted
in looking at the Giant Silva vs. Ogawa match in compared to
the Ogawa vs. Leko match, the latter of which many feel was worked.
“The fight between Ogawa and the Giant: of course they think
it's fixed because they are both pro wrestlers,” wrote Bas
Rutten. “I don't believe it. I think that fight was legit.
We had the same shit with Leko/Ogawa. Once a pro wrestler is
involved, they think it's fixed, whatever.”
--
The rumored rematch between Sakuraba and Wanderlei Silva doesn't
look to be happening in the near future, considering Silva is
booked to fight Yuki Kondo and Quinton Jackson already this year,
and is claiming to be fighting either Nogueira or Mirko on New
Year's Eve.
Source: ADCC
|
MMA
TOP 10 FIGHTERS AND BROADCASTER POLL
Each month we show you our MMA Top 10 Fighters and Broadcasters
poll. Once again if you are a fighter that has competed in the
UFC or Pride organizations you are eligble to vote. Just contact
ryanbennett@mmaweekly.com for more information. Without further
ado, here is July's Top 10 MMA poll
JULY
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
(210-265
lbs.)
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION - (210-265 lbs.)
The fighters made Fedor the overwhelming favorite this month
as he got every single first place vote. Last month he had 9
of 10. Tim Sylvia drops from 3rd to 7th while Frank Mir cracks
the top five and Sergei Kharitonov.
1.
Emelianeko Fedor - 99 Points (10 first place votes)
2. Minotauro Nogueira - 85 Points
3. Josh Barnett - 75 Points
4. Mirko Cro Cop - 74 Points
5. Frank Mir - 72 Points
6. Andrei Arlovksi - 69 Points
7. Tim Sylvia - 42 Points
8. Pedro Rizzo - 31 Points
9. Sergei Kharitonov - 25 Points
10. Heath Herring - 18 Points
Others
receiving votes - Kevin Randleman (15), Travis Wiuff (8), Justin
Eilers (7) , Ken Shamrock (6), Mike Kyle
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS DIVISION
(205
lbs.)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION - (205 lbs.)
Randy
Couture has gained ground on Vanderlei Silva. Couture is just
one vote back of the top spot. Kevin Randleman is back in the
Top 10 after his win.
1.
Vanderlei Silva - 96 Points (6 first place votes)
2. Randy Couture - 95 Points (4 first place votes)
3. Quinton Jackson - 86 Points
4. Chuck Liddell - 71 Points
5. Vitor Belfort - 63 Points
6. Tito Ortiz - 42 Points
7. Dan Henderson - 37 Points
8. Ricardo Arona - 20 Points
9. Babalu Sobral - 17 Points
10. Yuki Kondo - 15 Points
Others
Receiving Votes - Murilo Ninja Rua - 11, Rich Franklin - 10,
Sakuraba - 8, Murilo Bustamante - 12
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION
(185
lbs.)
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION - (185 lbs.)
1.
Matt Lindland - 98 Points (8 first place votes)
2. Jeremy Horn - 87 Points (2 first place votes)
3. Evan Tanner - 62 Points
4. Ricardo Almeida - 50 Points
5. Joe Doerksen- 42 Points
6. Nathan Marquardt - 38 Points
7. Amar Suloev - 37 Points
8. Anderson Silva - 27 Points
9. Lee Murray - 19 Points
10.Paulo Filho - 14 Points
Others
receiving votes - Jorge Rivera (10), Trevor Prangley (9), Niko
Vitale (8), Dave Menne (6), David Loiseau (4),
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION
(170
lbs.)
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION - (170 lbs.)
BJ Penn holds steady at the top spot. Nick Diaz and Frank Trigg
both jump into the Top 5.
1.
BJ Penn - 99 Points (8 first place votes)
2. Matt Hughes - 90 Points (2 first place vote)
3. Sean Sherk - 75 Points
4. Nick Diaz - 69 Points
5. Frank Trigg - 51 Points
6. Charuto Verissimo - 49 Points
7. Georges St. Pierre - 31 Points
8. Jason Black - 30 Points
9. Jake Shields - 26 Points
10.Karo Parisyan - 17 Points
Others
receiving votes - Hayato Sakurai (13), John Alessio (10), Spencer
Fisher (5), Pete Spratt
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION
(155
lbs.)
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION - (155 lbs.)
Finally a unanimous #1 in this weight class in Shaolin Ribero.
He has now taken over the top spot.
1.
Shaolin Ribero 98 Points (10 first place votes)
2. Takanori Gomi - 89 Points
3. Josh Thomson - 78 Points
4. Bang Ludwig - 70 Points
5. Genki Sudo - 69 Points
6. Jens Pulver - 43 Points
7. Joaquin Hansen - 33 Points
8. Yves Edwards - 26 Points
9. Din Thomas - 25 Points
10.Hermes Franca - 23 Points
Other
receiving votes - Caol Uno - 16 Points, Marcus Aurelio - 14,
Dokojonosuke Mishima- 13 Matt Serra - (10) Rich Clementi - (7),
Jorge Gurgel - (3),
Voters include:
Fighters
- Phil Baroni, Chris Brennan, Jeff Curran, Dennis Hallman, Matt
Lindland, Steve Berger, Evan Tanner, Sean Sherk, Din Thomas;
Dan Henderson, Yves Edwards, Pete Spratt, Nathan Marquardt, Duane
Ludwig and David Loiseau
Broadcasters
- Eric Apple (King of the Cage), Randy Harris - (WTAN Sports),
Jeff Osborne (Hook N Shoot & Shooto); Ryan Bennett (IFC,
Rumble on the Rock and WEC), Monte Cox (Extreme Challenge)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BIG
SURPRISE: ALMEIDA RETIRES
Ricardo Almeida Announces Retirement from MMA
According
to the Renzo Gracie web site, current Middleweight King of Pancrase
and Renzo Gracie Black Belt Ricardo Almeida has announced his
retirement from mixed martial arts/vale tudo competition.
Giving
up his Pancrase belt, Almeida apparently has decided that he
wants to dedicate himself more fully to Brazilian Jiujitsu in
the "search of personal and technical excellence."
He hopes that one day he will become a Brazilian Jiujitsu master
to be regarded much in the same light as such legendary masters
as Helio Gracie, Carlinhos Gracie and Renzo Gracie.
Although
his mixed martial arts career was somewhat short-lived - he holds
a record of 8 wins to 2 losses - Almeida's fight resume is very
impressive. He was not one to shy away from world class opposition.
His
only losses were a disqualification to top middleweight Matt
Lindland and a TKO loss to a very tough Andrei Semenov. Among
his wins, Almeida can include Eugene Jackson, Akira Shoji, Ikuhisa
Minowa, Ryo Chonan, and his Pancrase title win over Nathan Marquardt.
A
veteran of Pancrase, Pride and the UFC, Almeida is highly regarded
as one of the top middleweights in the world and will be sorely
missed in the world of mixed martial arts, but one can hardly
hold it against a man who has a mission to fully realize the
potential of his passion.
Good
luck to you Ricardo!
Source: MMA Weekly
|
THE
BEST MMA TRAINER IN THE STATES?
When
you think of great trainers in the United States the names Pat
Miletich, Colin Oyama and John Hackleman come to mind, but the
man who hasn't gotten a ton of credit, but deserves it is Cesar
Gracie.
When
you look at the best young fighters in MMA, many are a part of
Cesar's fight team. Nick Diaz, David Terrell, and Jake Shields
are all ranked in the Top 10. Gil Castillo is a former Top 10
fighter in the world and Gilbert Melendez is the WEC Lightweight
Champ. Gracie has them all ready for upcoming fights.
Tuesday
Cesar was featured on MMAWeekly SoundOff Radio and discussed
Jake's Shooto win, Diaz and Terrell's next bouts, as well as
the on going saga between he and Frank Shamrock.
Jake
Shields is coming off a nice win over Ray Copper over the weekend
by way of a first round submission. Gracie said it was important
for Shields to finish Copper, especially because Jake's six previous
fights went to the judges score cards.
Cesar
characterized Jake as a "really good fighter, really smart
fighter." When asked by radio show host Ryan Bennett where
he ranked Jake, Cesar said, "definitely in the top ten."
Gracie added, "I think he can give anybody a good fight.
I think he can beat anybody."
Nick
Diaz will be facing Karo Parisyan at UFC 49, August 21st, and
Cesar talked about that match up but first discussed Nick's big
win over Robbie Lawler at UFC 47. Gracie said it was Diaz' plan
going in to the fight with Lawler to, "stand up and duke
it the whole time." He know that Robbie would be thinking
Nick would want to take the fight to the ground so Diaz worked
on his boxing and as we saw, "Nick is actually a really
good boxer."
Cesar
doesn't expect the fight between Diaz and Parisyan to be anything
like the Robbie Lawler fight. "This fight will go to the
ground," predicted Gracie. He anticipates some good round
action, grappling and clinching. There is a definite contrast
in fighting styles and Cesar said, "it's going to be an
interesting match up."
Also
on the UFC 49 card is David Terrell, who will be facing off against
Matt Lindland. Cesar thinks it is going to be a good fight with
Terrell pushing the action. He describe David as, "He's
good wrestling. He's got very good stand up. He hits like a mule,"
and he is hard to take down. Cesar commented that Matt Lindland
is a good friend but unfortunately he is fighting Terrell, unfortunately
for Matt.
Of
coarse, we couldn't have Cesar Gracie on the radio show and not
ask him about Frank Shamrock. When asked why they aren't fighting,
Cesar said, "You're going to have to ask Frank that one."
Cesar heard that Frank made the statement, "He would fight
any Gracie anywhere for any amount of money." Gracie stated,
"I think it's being proved that Frank will fight no Gracie,
nowhere, for no amount of money."
The
fight was rumored to be nearly signed in Rumble on the Rock but
Cesar said there's "always something with Frank." He
went on to say, "you can't beat anybody if you don't show
up." He said that he doesn't really care if Frank doesn't
fight but wants Frank to "quit wasting people's time,"
and added, "it's almost comical at this point."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
UFC
PRESIDENT RETURNS SHOT AT NEW YORK POST
A few days ago, the New York Post slammed the UFC in an article
by Phil Mushnick and today Dana White, UFC President fires back.
Attn:
Letters to the Editor
(letters@nypost.com)
The New York Post
1211 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10036
Dear
Editor,
Phil
Mushnick’s Prime Time TV Column (July 11, 2004) regarding
the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship® reality series
on Spike TV expressed a strong opinion about the UFC® brand.
While Mr. Mushnick is certainly entitled to his beliefs, he should
base his opinion on facts. For example, the UFC brand promotes
live mixed martial arts (MMA) contests between world-class athletes
who cross-train in multiple styles, including boxing, kickboxing,
wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. MMA is a true sport featuring
competitors from successful backgrounds in other arenas, including
the Olympics and the Pan American Games. Additionally, many of
the athletes are college-educated and excelled in Division I
athletics.
What
is perhaps most disturbing about Mr. Mushnick’s column is
his use of unidentified “chroniclers” of the sport
to assert that there has been 8 deaths in “UFC-like competitions.”
The fact is that there has never been a death in the UFC or in
any regulated MMA promotion. Most other contact sports, including
boxing, cannot make the same claim.
A
journalist with Mr. Mushnick’s experience should know that
asserting something as serious as deaths in a sport should be
properly researched. To merely attribute the erroneous information
to faceless “chroniclers” is bush league reporting.
Mr. Mushnick is better than that.
Dana
White
President
Ultimate
Fighting Championship®
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and
you'll help them to become what they are capable of becoming."
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, 1749-1832, German Poet, Dramatist,
Novelist
|
WESTSIDE
BASH
Friday July 30,2004
Ahuna Ranch, Maili
Welterweight 8 Man Tournament
Hawaii's Pound 4 Pound Badest Strikers!!
Clyde Paling (Jesus Is Lord, Nanakuli)
You might be familar with that last name, Yes he is the brother
of Stephen "BOZO" Paling and YES he does hit HARD coming
from Dennis "THE MENACE" Tadio & Pj Dean.. Clyde
participated in AFC 1 and was runner up of that 8 man tournament.
Clyde has then dropped weight and is ready for BATTLE.
Cheyenne "OH CAN HE PUNCH" Padeken (Waianae)
Padeken a top ranked boxer in Hawaii who recently won the Punishment
In Paradise Kickboxing Championship earlier this month. Padeken
is a very experience fighter both in MMA, Kickboxing, and Boxing
that comes to the ring with POWER.
PJ DEAN (Bad Intentions, Waianae)
Dean who is a AFC 8 Man tournament winner will lay it on the
line also. Dean brings a RESPECT ALL FEAR NONE attitude.
Mark "EL TORO" Moreno (Bulls Pin, Kalihi)
Moreno as we all know is a HARD PUNCHER that can K.O. anyone
at anytime. Look for fireworks when he throws his leather.
Kaleo Padilla (Westbrook Boxing, Kona)
Padilla a Boxer from Hilo that was born and raised in Waimanalo,
Oahu is coming off a win in a rematch over Mark Moreno. Padilla
is looking to turn Pro as a boxer but has one more step he wants
to do before that. Padilla also has tremendous POWER.
Wayne Perrin III (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
Perrin a newcomer to the game has the capabilities and skills
to stand and strike with any of these veterans.
Deshaun "3D" Johnson (HMC, Kaimuki)
Johnson, a Superbrawl and Warriors Quest Veteran, who recently
won a Kickboxing and MMA Championship in Punishment In Paradise
also likes to stand and bang with them all. He has a lot of experience
to put it on the line with the best of them.
Zack (Wailuku Boxing, Maui)
Zack is the unkonwn of this tournament who recent battled Mark
Moreno to a close descion and showed cased GREAT stand up skills
in a exhibition match aganist Johnson. Zack is also a gloden
gloves boxer who is flying in to get his RESPECT.
PLUS.....
LIVE Reggae & Hawaiian Musicalong with a ....
Booty Contest
TICKET INFORMATION 330-4483
$20 Advance $25 Event Day
Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime event on the WESTSIDE!!!!
|
André
Pederneiras Evaluates Shaolin's bout at SHOOTO Hawaii
Nova
União leaders André Pederneiras recently traveled
to Hawaii from his home in Brazil. In Hawaii, he worked SHOOTO
Champion Vítor Shaolin Ribeiro's corner at 'Shooto Soljah
Fight Night', last July 9th. Now back in Brazil, Pederneiras
talked about the fight, giving us a brief evaluation of Shaolin's
match:
'Shaolin
ruled the whole fight, and he ended each round catching Mitsuhiro
Ishida's back. He also tried many submissions, such as a key-lock
and a couple of chokes, but he was not able to finish' states
Perderneiras.
According
to him, Ishida did not play a fair game 'He only defended himself.
He didn't want to be defeated by KO or submission, because in
fact, being defeated by only a decision, and finishing the match
against us was already a victory for him. Unfortunately, in staying
completely defensive and safe, he didn't allow Shaolin to impose
his game' lamented 'Dede'.
According
to Pederneiras, Shaolin is on the way bac to Rio de Janeiro this
week, as the Shooto champion enjoyed a few more days in Hawaii.
Source:
Tatame
|
The
'Big Dog' Retires!
July
13th will be a special day for Ricardo 'Cachorrao' Almeida. Today,
the current Pancrase middleweight champion announces his retirement
from MMA competition. According to him, the reason for this unexpected
decision is that he wants to dedicate himself to becoming a great
Jiu-Jitsu Master. Ricardo Almeida wrote a moving letter where
he explains the reasons for his decision. Today, the MMA fans
may have lost a great champion, but they won’t have to wait
too much to have a great Jiu-Jitsu Master named Ricardo Almeida.
Check
out Almeida's resignation letter:
“After
14 years integrally dedicated to competition, from my very first
Jiu-Jitsu championship as a white-belt, to the glamour of the
ADCC mats in the United Arab Emirates and fighting before thousands
in Pride, Pancrase and the UFC, I announce my retirement from
competitions. This includes resigning my middleweight belt from
Pancrase.
The
reason for my retirement is my will to improve myself personally
and educationally. I have a desire to reach the same level as
the masters who have inspired me so much during all these years:
Master Renzo Gracie, Master Carlos Gracie Jr. and the Great Master
Helio Gracie.
Today,
I start a new phase in my journey as a representative of Jiu-Jitsu,
in which I resign a belt in favour of searching for the wisdom
inherent to these great masters. I hope that one day I will have
the honour of wearing a Jiu-Jitsu red belt. From now on, I will
dedicate myself integrally to spread the philosophy and the techniques
that influenced so much my choices and life style. Thank you
to everyone who I had the chance to share my experiences with.”
Ricardo
Almeida
Source: ADCC |
Jacare
talks about his World Cup win - Mundial 2004 around the corner
and many other news
2004
World Cup Champion Ronaldo 'Jacare' Talks about his win:
KP-
Congratulations on your victory!
RJ- Thanks it felt good
KP-
What was your most difficult match?
RJ- I can't really say. I fought a lot! Many fights!
KP-
Which match did you like the most?
RJ- The one against Margarida, because I completely dominated
it, he couldn't do anything. I did two big throws and passed
his guard quickly. I completely neutralized him. The public was
going crazy, center stage and the mat was bright with lights
and everyone was screaming and yelling with every point that
I scored it was great!
KP-
Any other matches that stick out?
RJ- I fought very hard against Erik Vanderlei
KP-
How long have you been training JJ?
RJ- Seven years!
KP-
You have won the 2004 Pan-Ams Weight and Absolute, now the 2004
World Cup weight and absolute, what makes you so good?
RJ- Practice
KP-
Practice??
RJ- Practice, practice practice. I dedicate myself completely
to Jiu-Jitsu, I train 6 hours a day!
KP-
Everyday?
RJ- Everyday, and when a tournament comes around I forget about
everything and train even more!
KP-
Everything?
RJ- Everything even women, it is total dedication
KP-
Who are you looking forward to fight in the 2004 Worlds?
RJ- I want to fight all the best guys!
KP-
Anyone in particular?
RJ- All the best, Roger Gracie, Pe de Pano, all of them!
KP-
And if you fight Pe de Pano?
RJ- I am going to do a beautiful match for everyone to see! It
is going to be a great fight! I am going with all the confidence
in the World!
KP-
You won the Worlds weight and Absolute in the Brown last year
right?
RJ- Right. I won the World Cup and the Worlds weight and absolute
last year in the Brown Belt!
KP-
Any message to your fans?
RJ- Don't give up on your goals! That is the ticket!
KP-
Thanks Jacare
RJ- Thanks Kid!
2004
Worlds in 2 Weeks!
the
2004 Worlds is coming up in 2 weeks. With major players going
to Rio, like Jacare, Saulo, Xande, Margarida, Terere, Roger Gracie,
Pe de Pano, Comprido, Bibiano, Reis and many others top dogs,
this promises to be the bomb! The CBJJ registrations will end
this Friday so better run and make sure you are signed up and
ready to go! For more info check out CBJJ
Source: ADCC
|
GIANT
SILVA ADDED TO BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 FIGHTCARD!
LOS ANGELES, California – An additional match has been added
to the BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 fightcard as Paulo Cesar “Giant”
Silva will face Takashi Sugiura of Japan. Already previously
announced are matches featuring Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic,
Dean “The Boogey Man” Lister, Hayato “Mach”
Sakurai, and a team match between the Brazilian Top Team and
Team Japan. BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 will take place from the Nagoya
Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, Japan and is scheduled to debut on North
American pay per view for customers of iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, and
TVN on Sunday, July 25th, 2004 at 3:00pm EST, 12:00pm PST (please
check each respective carrier for later evening replays). For
customers of DISH Network, the premiere will be Sunday, August
1st, 2004 at 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST.
Matches
shown in ascending order:
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 4 Fight Card
Brazilian
Top Team vs. Team Japan
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (BTT) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Yoshida
Dojo)
Fabio Mello (BTT) vs. Takanori Gomi (Kiguchi Dojo)
Paulo Filho (BTT) vs. Akira Shoji (Free)
Additional
Matches:
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Cro Cop Squad Gym) vs. Shungo
Oyama (Free)
Paulo Cesar “Giant” Silva (Free) vs. Takashi Sugiura
(NOAH)
Ikuhisa Minowa (Free) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (Free)
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (Japan) vs. Brady Fink (Team
Oyama)
Dean Lister (City Boxing) vs. Amar Suloev (Red Devil Fight Club)
Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Cobra Kai) vs. Marcos Aurelio (American
Top Team)
Bushido
Challenge Matches:
Hiroyuki Abe (AACC) vs. Luis “Buscape” Firminho
Kyosuke Sasaki (U-File Camp) vs. Eiji Mitsuoka (RJW-Central)
(Fight
Card Subject to Change)
BUSHIDO
VOLUME 4 will take place from the Nagoya Rainbow Hall in Nagoya,
Japan and is scheduled to debut on North American pay per view
on Sunday, July 25th, 2004 at 3:00pm EST, 12:00pm PST for customers
of iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, and TVN (please check each respective carrier
for later evening replays). For customers of DISH Network, the
premiere will be Sunday, August 1st, 2004 at 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm
PST. The event will be available at a reduced rate of $19.95.
For additional replay times, please contact your pay per view
provider or http://pridefc.com/.
For
more information on PRIDE FC, visit http://pridefc.com/!
Source: ADCC |
2nd
IGJJF is heating up
The
2nd IGJJF Open Championship is building momentum. The new rules
that make
the competition more exciting by preventing stalling and encouraging
submission were introduced for the first time last year. The
new concept has left competitors and attendees anxiously waiting
for this second event. It is scheduled for August 28,29 at Lynwood
High School. Besides the few modifications on the rules, which
now include 1 point for takedown and a maximum time of 30 minutes
per match, the organizers keep pushing the envelop when it comes
to the Grand Prize. While last year the winners received all
expenses paid trips to Brazil, to stay and train with Grandmaster
Helio Gracie, this time, the ultimate reward promises to be no
less exciting. The Grand Prize winners will go on a cruise to
Ensenada, Mexico to participate in a jiu-jitsu seminar taught
by no other than Grandmaster Helio Gracie, who will be at ringside
watching the tournament.
For
more info go to IGJJF
Source: ADCC
|
Wanderlei
talks about Rickson Gracie, Fedor, Couture and more!
Pride
middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva is training hard to get
back into the ring. The star of Chute Boxe, who last fought in
February, is scheduled to face the Japanese star Yuki Kondo on
august 15th, in one of the Pride GP special matches. Over the
course of the last few months as he was recovering from knee
injury, Wand worked hard to advance the popularity of MMA among
the mainstream of Brazilians. His last act of promotion was to
participate in a chat
session at the Brazilian website virgula.com.
For
almost one hour, Silva talked about several subjects, including
Rickson Gracie, Emelianenko Fedor, money and much more. Now,
if you missed the opportunity to chat with the champion, you
can check out here some of what Wand had to say to the fans!
Wand
on:
TACTICS
AGAINST KONDO: 'My intention is to fight standing. This is my
fighting style and I believe the audience appreciates this kind
of attitude.'
QUINTON
JACKSON: 'If I have to face him again I will kick his ass again.'
MONEY:
'Pride´s prize money does not make anyone a millionaire,
however, it is much better now. More than 1000% better. I believe
in the future, MMA purses will be better than the prizes the
boxers recieve.'
FEDOR
EMELIANENKO: 'He is an athlete I would love to face. Especially
if he conquers the heavyweight GP. I want ro be a fighter who
overcomes every obstacle. I want to be the best, defeating those
who are considered the best.'
RANDY
COUTURE: 'I was hoping to face him this year. And I hope to do
it as soon as possible. I want to get him before he retires!'
RICKSON
GRACIE: 'Rickson is an athlete that made history in MMA, but
nowadays, if he wants to face any top fighter, he will have to
improve his game. MMA has evolved a lot.'
Source: ADCC
|
UFC
Welterweight Title Hunt:
St. Pierre vs. Hughes?
By Loretta Hunt
23-year-old
French Canadian fighter Georges St. Pierre has an important decision
to make in the next few days. The talented welterweight, who
made quite an impression on fans just three weeks ago with a
sharp stand-up dismantling of opponent Jay Hieron at UFC 48,
says he's been offered a fight with former champion Matt Hughes
for the vacant UFC welterweight title sometime in October. No
contracts have been signed, and although the 7-0 newcomer has
voiced some reservations about facing off against such experienced
34-4-0 opposition so early on in his career, he also concedes
it might be an opportunity to good to pass up.
A
2nd degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate, as well as a black
belt in Japanese Ju-Jitsu, St. Pierre is a purple belt in Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu under Nova Uniao's Wagnney Fabiano and Brazilian Top
Team's Fabio Holanda. He has studied boxing and Muay Thai for
the last year and a half and began wrestling with the Canadian
National team three years ago. Nicknamed "Rush" for
his explosive fighting style, St. Pierre currently trains alongside
fellow MMA stands-outs David Loiseau and Ivan Menjivar.
With
a solid ground and pound debut against a tricky, judo-infused
Karo Parisyan at UFC 46 paving the way for his return to the
Octagon two shows later, St. Pierre has already displayed a promising
range of skills. But, will it be enough for stalwart wrestler
Hughes? "I have to establish a good strategy and train hard,"
the always-polite Quebec native commented of the proposed match-up.
"I think that I'm going to do pretty well."
Source: FCF
|
ARTICLE
TRASHES UFC
Mushnick Not Big on Spike TV or UFC
New
York Post writer, Phil Mushnick is infamous for hating nearly
everyone and everything, so take the following article he wrote
concerning the UFC and Spike TV with a grain of salt.
No
one's really sure where Mushnick developed such a pessimistic
outlook on life, but somehow he convinced the post that his dour
ravings should be published. If you'd like to contact that Post
and give them a critique
on Mr. Mushnick's musings, they can be contacted at letters@nypost.com
Spike
TV's New Low: 'Ultimate Fighting'
By Phil Mushnick, New York Post
FIRST,
the good news. Spike TV, this January, will be forced to dump
one of its lowbrow shows.
Yep,
it has to make room for "The Ultimate Fighting Championship,"
a cut-to-the-chase enterprise, once closeted, on pay-per-view,
that sells honest-to-badness violence, real-deal brutality and
blood instead of
ketchup.
"UFC"
is one of those shows that can’t be excused or rationalized
by enabling TV execs as "fantasy." It’s boxing
without gloves, sanctioned street-fighting. Just what the doctor
ordered.
Spike
TV is advertised as TV’s "First Network For Men."
That’s a lie. It’s actually TV’s latest network
that caters to young punks, wannabe young punks and all other
forms of desensitized and vulnerable young and mostly male viewers.
Spike
TV, along with MTV and BET, is part of the Viacom stable of networks
that are largely and indisputably dedicat- to bringing out the
very worst in young America. Spike TV promotes all the redeeming
values of a switchblade.
"People
don’t understand ‘The UFC’ and there are certain
misconceptions that we want to dispel," UFC TV executive
Craig Piligian recently told The Post.
Bunk.
People fully understand the UFC. It’s about the further
and bolder selling of violence to a mostly young audience. And
it takes only a few minutes viewing to understand exactly that.
In
fact, it takes only a few minutes viewing of most Spike shows
to know that it’s a network designed to add to the cumulative,
pop cultural effect that daily leaves society in a deeper hole.
Spike,
naturally, is loaded with pro wrestling. Just about everyone
in TV now works off a worn copy of the Vince McMahon’s plan
to attract young viewers through every imaginable twisted act
of violence, sex and profanity.
Spike
airs "Real TV," quite a bit, too. That’s a show
predicated upon any video footage — pro or amateur —
that includes genuine violence, from street riots, to car crashes,
to skateboarders falling down courthouse steps, to two women
trying to scratch each other’s eyes out,
to hang gliders who hang on while failing to glide.
Spike,
the first network for men, also presents "GameRiot,"
a show that celebrates video games, most of which are attached
to all forms of uncivil and even criminal behavior. As we previously
suggested, Spike
is no more for men than a junkyard filled with old refrigerators
is for children.
In
"MXC," Spike presents a show that, according to Spike’s
Website, includes "some of the funniest and most hazardous"
stunts ever attempted. Funny and hazardous? Is that anything
like "America’s Funniest Home Tragedies"?
Remember
kids, MXC reminds you not to try this at home. Or this, or this,
or this, or this, or this . . .
"Striperella"
is another fine Spike show. It’s a cartoon series that stars
Pamela Anderson as a stripper.
Yup,
"Ultimate Fighting" will make a nice fit.
News
accounts, including one in The Post, reported that UFC’s
promoters claim that no one has ever been killed as the result
of being a ‘UFC’ contestant. That might be technically
true, but since 1979 there have been, according to chroniclers
of blood sports, at least eight deaths attributed to UFC-like
competitions.
But
short of live executions, UFC will just have to do.
"This
is huge for us," UFC President Dana White told the Holly-wood
Reporter about his deal with Spike. "It will take ‘UFC’
to the next level." Yeah, the next level, just below the
last one.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Always do right; this will gratify some and astonish the
rest."
Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American Humorist, Writer
|
Fighters'
Club TV Premier's New Show New Time
It's on Tonight
Tuesdays
at 8:30PM on Olelo Channel 52
Fighters’ Club
TV Episode 22 has been submitted to programming and will air
in our regular timeslot—6pm Tuesdays on Channel 52. It will
premier on July 6th (Tues. night)
and will repeat
for the following 3 Tuesdays at 6pm on Ch. 52 (redundant for
those who still tell me, “I’d watch the show, but I
never know when it’s on.”
Episode 22 features:
Brennan Kamaka’s Punishment
in Paradise:
Corey Daniels (Team
Vitale) vs. Jason Nicholson (808 Fight Factory) + intvw w/ Corey
Harris Sarmiento
(808 Fight Factory) vs. Ben George (Bull’s Pen)
PJ Dean (Hardknocks)
vs. Deshaun Johnson (HMC) + intvw w/ PJ
Prodigy Productions, Rumble
on the Rock (7MAY04)
Royden Demotta vs.
Vance Pu + intvw w/ Royden
Harris Sarmiento
vs. Justin Mercado
Jason Lambert vs
Mike Rogers
Joe Riggs vs. Kendall
Groves
John Marsh vs. Cabbage
+intvw w/ Marsh
Ronald Jhun vs.
Ryan Schultz +intvw w/ Ronald
Technique of the Week
Purebred Omiya’s,
Tetsuji Kato demonstrating a leg-lock takedown w/ BJ Penn
And, Hawaii’s
favorite FCTV Hearthrobs: Mike “I’m the handsome one”
Onzuka, Chris “no you’re not” Onzuka, and Mark
“the other guy” Kurano
Comments, Questions,
Suggestions: Contact us at fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
|
SHAMROCK
HAS MORE TO SAY ABOUT INJURY
Update & Clarification on Ken's Rotator Cuff Injury, Before
Kimo Fight
Story By: Ken Shamrock.com
We
wanted to update the Ken Shamrock's rotator cuff injury story
from a few days ago. We reached Ken Shamrock tonight as he was
arriving at the "TNA Asylum" prior to his Aug 7 Pay
Per View Wrestling return. KenShamrock.com asked him about his
rotator cuff injury, and about the possibility of getting injured
more while working pro wrestling matches.
Ken
Shamrock: I wanted the fans to know the whole story - I injured
my arm training few years ago for one of my fights - and I have
been nursing it for few years. While training for the Kimo fight,
my shoulder continued to bother me. So following my fight with
Kimo I decided to go in and have an MRI done to find out what
the issues were with my shoulder. I found out that I had a small
tear in my labrum and I needed surgery.
On
the Rotator Cuff surgery:
Ken
Shamrock: They are thinking it will be orthoscopic surgery which
will put me down for 1 -2 months of physical therapy. During
the procession of my therapy I am going to continue to work my
ACL and legs so they are back to 110% - I will immediately start
an aggressive therapy program and my doctors anticipate a quick
recovery for me.
I
also want to add that while I was seeing was the doctor in Reno
- he told me that my knee was in great shape following the Kimo
fight - with no problems or anything.
Funny
story - The doctor walks into the room and asks, 'What knee did
you knock Kimo out with? He goes - Was it was good knee or your
bad knee? Because if it was your bad knee - I'm afraid I might
be liable'. (laughs)
Question:
Ken, many UFC fans are a bit nervous about your return to pro
wrestling, they feel you could injure your rotator cuff more
or suffer another career ending injury - that would hinder your
return to UFC?
Ken
Shamrock: Pro wrestling is something where you can always work
around particular injuries. So with that - I am not worried.
NWA: TNA is very accommodating - all the guys in the locker room
are very respectful and willing to work around my injuries .
- I love what I do in UFC. I am planning on wrestling for NWA:TNA
on their Wednesday night PPVs until my rotator cuff surgery which
will be on August 11 in Reno, Nevada.
Working
in TNA - is a lot of fun - It is entertainment - it is just great
group of guys and a great product people should check out. I
got to bring my 4 boys to the show tonight - it was just a great
experience, Jeff Jarrett, Dusty Rhodes, Road Dogg all of them
- it's great man- my boys love it!
But
this doesn't have anything do with my PASSION - which is my return
to the UFC - REAL FIGHTING - when I fight Tito Ortiz - or who
ever else UFC wants me to fight - I am going to bring it to another
level.
I
WILL be at UFC 49: Unfinished Business! I am scheduled to make
numerous media appearances for them all over the country to help
promote this HUGE Pay Per View event on August 21 when Randy
Couture and Vitor Belfort fight in one of the most anticipated
rematches in UFC history for the light heavyweight title.
I
am also really excited as the Lions Den's own Vernon White will
surprise a lot of people when he faces "The Iceman"
Chuck Liddell. MGM Grand - UFC 49: Unfinished Business - Don't
miss it!
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
LEBEN
TO FIGHT SAKURAI AT BUSHIDO 4
We knew that Pride had listed Hayato "Mach" Sakurai
and an opponent to be announced for Bushido 4, but now we know
who that opponent is. Team Quest fighter Chris Leben has been
slotted to face Sakurai on the July 17th Bushido show.
A
fighting legend in Japan, Sakurai went undefeated over the first
five years of his career, earning a record of 15-0-2. That record
includes wins over Caol Uno, Frank Trigg, Jutaro Nakao, and many,
many more great fighters. In short, Sakurai is no slouch.
Over
the past 3 years though, Sakurai has been on a bit of a slide.
Starting with a loss to Anderson Silva and his UFC debut to Matt
Hughes, he has just four wins to five losses, most recently losing
to Rodrigo Gracie.
Pride
may be looking for an easy fight to get Sakurai back on track,
but if that is the case, they are sorely mistaken. Chris Leben
is not a tomato can that will come in and fix the ills that have
beset a faltering legend. On the contrary, Leben is a rising
young star that is looking to finally break into the big time.
And in his last fight, he broke UFC veteran Benji Radach's jaw.
Leben
doesn't have near the experience that Sakurai does – his
professional record is just 5-1 – but he does have the hunger
that comes from being a young fighter trying to fight his way
to the top.
"I
feel like I'm starting to get some recognition, but this is Bushido,
this is awesome!" said Leben. That may make him sound a
little star struck, but he's not, "I finally get to go to
Japan, but I'm going to handle business. I'm going to punch him
in the face."
That
may sound like big words when facing off with a proven veteran
like Sakurai, but Leben is no slouch either. His 5-1 record includes
wins over the aforementioned Benji Radach and AKA's Mike Swick,
his only loss is to another rising star in Canadian Joe Doerksen.
Is
Leben worried about the reception he'll receive in Japan having
to face one of their Legends? Of course not. "They're going
to love my style. I'm not going to roll around with him, I'm
going to knock him out. I'm going to take his head off,"
remarked the brash young fighter.
Though
Leben is classified as a rising star right now, he will have
risen if he defeats Sakurai.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
K-1
TO HOLD OPEN FIGHTER TRYOUTS
In
an effort to recruit new talent, K-1 will host open tryout sessions
on Thursday, August 5th and Friday, August 6th for fighters interested
in competing under its promotion. The two-day affair will take
place at Las Vegas, Nevada’s Bellagio Hotel and Casino before
Saturday, August 7th’s K-1 “Battle At The Bellagio
III” fight card.
The
trials, which will be utilized to thicken the rosters of K-1
USA’s two existing weight divisions - Superheavyweight (200
pounds and above) and J-Max (154 pound limit)- are open to fighters
who meet these weight specifications and who have competitive
experience in any type of martial art and/or the sport of boxing.
Throughout
each of the two days on which the tryouts will be held, auditioning
athletes will be asked by the event coordinators to demonstrate
their skills by going through striking exercises on pads and
sparring with one another. Representatives from K-1 headquarters
in Japan as well as K-1 USA, the North American outfit of the
fight promotion, will be on hand to take in the action and make
recruiting decisions. The tryout sessions will not be open to
the public.
Fighters
who wish to take part in the tryouts must arrange to do before
Tuesday, August 3rd by scheduling an appointment with Sven Bean,
K-1 USA’s Director of Fighter Development. Mr. Bean can
be reached via telephone at (303) 246-5237 or via email at beanz4@msn.com.
Depending on the number of athletes who register, the trials
may be extended to Saturday, August 7th.
All
K-1 tryout participants will be required to make their own travel
and lodging arrangements and to bring their own equipment (16
ounce boxing gloves, mouth guard, groin protector, and shin guards)
for use during sparring sessions. Additionally, each contestant
must bring to his tryout a personalized biography that lists
his height, weight, date of birth, residence, fighting discipline,
competitive record, and achievements (if applicable).
K-1
is a martial arts fighting sport that derives its name from its
inclusion of a wide array of combat disciplines, including Karate,
Kung-Fu, and Kickboxing (“K”), and its intent to determine
one champion in one ring (“1”). After being staged
for the first time in Japan in 1993 under the direction of founder
Master Kazuyoshi Ishii, it later evolved into the country’s
most popular sport and achieved popular culture status there
as its athletes turned into larger-than-life celebrities.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
'CRO
COP' NEWS
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic
Mirko
'Cro Cop' Filipovic talked with the Japanese media and announced
that he will undertake a rigorous summer training camp in Japan.
Cro
Cop added that he has dropped the unheard-of Mike Bencic as his
BJJ instructor, and will now be training with someone he termed
as a 'giant wrestler'.
Kazushi
Sakuraba will also be involved in Cro Cop's training at some
point.
Source: Fight Sport
|
TITO
INSINUATES THAT MILETICH CAMP ON STEROIDS
The
steroid accusations keep flying in MMA, with Tito Ortiz being
the latest to accuse others of taking steroids.
When
asked if he was or would train with Pat Miletich and his camp,
Ortiz replied with the following statement (bad grammar and all)
on the UG forum:
"I
dont do juice (do steroids). so why train with Pat (Miletich)?"
-Tito Ortiz
MILETICH RESPONDS TO TITO STEROID ACCUSATION
Pat
Miletich has responded to Tito Ortiz's insinuation that anabolic
steroids are part of the Miletich training system:
Hello
forum members, I do not come here often and certainly do not
write on forum often. I thought after reading Tito's words of
wisdom on why he should not train at my facility. I would respond
to the man who seems to hop around on one foot because the other
foot is in his fucking mouth.
My
friend Tito, I seriously doubt anyone on my team would stay part
of my team if I were to allow you to come train at my facility.
It would be just you and I and that Tito is a fact. You are not
well spoken, and in a way I do feel sorry for you because I don't
think it's an act. After we spoke a few shows ago I thought you
might be changing into a somewhat better person. Guess I was
wrong.
Yes,
Tim Sylvia made a mistake and he has paid for his mistake. You
on the other hand have not paid for your deliberate lies about
what truly happened in London. Your lies cost Tony Fryklund his
UFC career, and quite frankly I will tell you that you could
not face the fact that you got dropped on your face by Lee Murray.
Yes,
I watched him light you up like a Christmas tree in that London
alley. Tony Fryklund and I pushed Lee and his boys away from
you and saved your ass. Then we picked you up off the pavement
so you might have a little dignity, you repay that with bold
faced lies and cost Tony his career with the UFC.
I
do not measure a man by how well he fights but how honest he
is with himself and with others. That being said, you are truly
a boy in my book.
Yes
Tito, this is Pat Miletich and now by your last statement you
have not only offended me but Matt Hughes, Jens Pulver, Tony
Fryklund, Jeremy Horn, and the list goes on and on. I'm sure
you will respond with a well thought out post and try to sound
smart or tough or somewhere in between the two.
Yes,
you are truly brilliant and I look forward to the day when one
of my fighters are standing across from you,and we will both
be grinning at you my blond haired friend.
Yours
truly,
Pat
Miletich
Source: Fight Sport |
UFC-SPIKE
TV DEAL HUMILIATED BY NEW YORK POST
Once
a Boxercise instructor, Dana White is now UFC president.
The
New York Post wrote a scathing attack on the UFC, Spike TV, and
their TV deal.
Here
is an excerpt from the hatchett job article:
"This
is huge for us," UFC President Dana White told the Holly-Wood
Reporter about his deal with Spike. "It will take 'UFC'
to the next level." Yeah, the next level, just below the
last one.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"Tell me I'll forget, show me , I may remember, but involve
me and I'll understand."
Chinese Proverb
|
Fighters'
Club TV Premier's New Show New Time
It's on Tomorrow Night
Tuesdays
at 8:30PM on Olelo Channel 52
Fighters’ Club
TV Episode 22 has been submitted to programming and will air
in our regular timeslot—6pm Tuesdays on Channel 52. It will
premier on July 6th (Tues. night)
and will repeat
for the following 3 Tuesdays at 6pm on Ch. 52 (redundant for
those who still tell me, “I’d watch the show, but I
never know when it’s on.”
Episode 22 features:
Brennan Kamaka’s Punishment
in Paradise:
Corey Daniels (Team
Vitale) vs. Jason Nicholson (808 Fight Factory) + intvw w/ Corey
Harris Sarmiento
(808 Fight Factory) vs. Ben George (Bull’s Pen)
PJ Dean (Hardknocks)
vs. Deshaun Johnson (HMC) + intvw w/ PJ
Prodigy Productions, Rumble
on the Rock (7MAY04)
Royden Demotta vs.
Vance Pu + intvw w/ Royden
Harris Sarmiento
vs. Justin Mercado
Jason Lambert vs
Mike Rogers
Joe Riggs vs. Kendall
Groves
John Marsh vs. Cabbage
+intvw w/ Marsh
Ronald Jhun vs.
Ryan Schultz +intvw w/ Ronald
Technique of the Week
Purebred Omiya’s,
Tetsuji Kato demonstrating a leg-lock takedown w/ BJ Penn
And, Hawaii’s
favorite FCTV Hearthrobs: Mike “I’m the handsome one”
Onzuka, Chris “no you’re not” Onzuka, and Mark
“the other guy” Kurano
Comments, Questions,
Suggestions: Contact us at fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
|
Vitor
"Shaolin" Seminar Tonight!
Three time black belt world Jiu-Jitsu Champion and current Shooto
World Welterweight Champion, Vitor "Shaolin" Riberio
will be conducting a seminar at the Relson Gracie Main Academy
from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The cost will be $40.
What:
Shaolin Seminar
Where: Relson Gracie Academy
844 Queen St.
Time: 7:30-9:30 pm
Cost: $40
Bring
your gi and no gi clothes because I do not know if the type of
seminar has been decided yet.
Come
support one of the best grapplers on the planet!
|
COFFEE
GUY EXCLUSIVE: BARONI VS. JHUN
Before
reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.
The
following exclusive report was sent to us by our Zuffa informant
called 'Coffee Guy':
Nothing
is official yet, but look for Phil Baroni to replace the injured
Robbie Lawler on the UFC 49 card. Baroni's opponent will be Ron
Jhun.
Source: Fight Sport
|
Jhun
Still Gunning For UFC 49 Debut:
Awaits New Opponent
By Loretta Hunt
Rumors
make the MMA world go 'round, but Ron "the Machine Gun"
Jhun is hoping one particular weed of gossip will get trampled
as quickly as it has sprouted up. Despite the confirmed news
that opponent Robbie Lawler has withdrawn from his upcoming bout
with Jhun due to a recurring rib injury aggravated in training,
the experienced 21-11-2 Hawaiian rep says he's still on the roster
for August 21st's UFC 49, pending a new adversary to be announced.
"I
got some bad news," Jhun recounted from UFC matchmaker Joe
Silva's recent phone conversation with the UFC's newest middleweight
entry. "Don't worry, your still fighting, but Robbie's out."
After word had gotten back to Jhun that he himself had been injured,
the Hawaiian says he wasn't surprised by the development and
continues to train at full speed.
Earning
his nickname for his fast and aggressive hands in the cage, Jhun
seemed a game opponent for fellow brawler and Miletich Martial
Arts fighter Robbie Lawler, and even though the Hawaiian has
grown accustomed to fighting at welterweight for the last two
years, he eagerly took the opportunity at middleweight. A replacement
for Lawler has yet to be suggested, yet Jhun anticipates the
bout to remain at 185 pounds in observation of the promotion's
current efforts to build up that weight division. "I'm always
ready for whoever they put in front of me," the construction
worker by day comments. "In this sport, you have to accept
all challenges."
Source: FCF
|
2004
World Cup Update
Update
from the final day of the 2004 World Cup, in the Brown belt Absolute
sensational Andre 'Indio' Galvao wins again repeating last year's
feat of winning both his weight and the absolute Brown belt for
the second year in a row. Galvao fought 7 matches on his way
to the absolute title winning 5 by submission!
One
of the most anticipated matches in years, the Black Belt Absolute
finals match pitting Ronaldo 'Jacare' v Fernando 'Margarida'
has just finished with Ronaldo Jacare announcing to the World
he is currently the best! After winning the weight and the absolute
in the 2004 Pan-Ams, Jacare repeats the performance in the World
Cup beating Fernando Margarida by a score of 11 x 0!
Fernando
'Terere' dislocated his thumb on his first match and had to fight
the rest of the matches without being able to properly grip with
one hand: 'The thumb was done after my first match. Isubmitted
my opponent witha wrist lock in 1 1/2 minutes but injured the
thumb. After that I had to use more strategy to win, but I will
be ok for the 2004 Worlds!'
Xande
Ribeiro: 'I am very happy with my results and I will be even
more ready for the 2004 Worlds!'
Saulo
Ribeiro v Margarida was one of the best matches of the event
with Margarida winning by advantages with a 4 x 4 points score!
After the event Saulo stated: 'It was a great match and I look
forward to the Worlds. The level here was very strong and I am
catching my rhythm again after being away from competition while
establishing myself in the US, but overall I am very happy!'
Finals
results:
Rooster:
Arlison Melo v Alexandre Pessanha - both NU close out the bracket
Super-Feather: Rico Vieira v Armando Guedes - Ricardinho by pts
Feather: Mario Reis v Reinaldo Ribeiro - Reis by adv 8 x 8 in
pts
Light: Nova U. closes with four fighters including Leo Santos
and Rodrigo Feijao
Medium: Fernando Terere v Cassio Werneck - Terere winner by pts!
Medium-Heavy: Ronaldo Jacare v Marcel Lozada - Both Brasa close
out!
Heavy: Fernando Margarida v Eduardo Telles - Margarida by submission
Super-Heavy: Xande Ribeiro v Erik Wanderlei - Xande Ribeiro by
pts 6 x 0
Over: Marcio Corletta v Fabricio Werdum - both Winner Behring
close out
Absolute:
Jacare v Margarida - Jacare by points 11 x 0
Big
thanks to TT Bahia Team for the assist in reporting!
Source: ADCC
|
Open
Class: Jacaré owns Bahia mats
Just amazing. That's the way we can define the final of Black
Belt open class, between Ronaldo Jacaré and Fernando Margarida,
at the 3rd BJJ World Cup, held in Bahia. With a take down, Jacaré
got wide open the victory way, that ended with a knee on a belly.
Final result: 11x0 over Margarida.
Over the weight categories, Jacaré did it again and close
with teammate Marcel Louzado (Brasa). Margarida ruled the heavyweight
and took home R$5,000 after submit Eduardo Telles (TT Jiu-Jitsu)
via foot-lock. Even injured, Fernando Tererê (TT Jiu-Jitsu)
defeated Cassio Werneck (BTT) and got the gold at the middleweight.
Xande Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá) scored 6x0 in Erik Wanderlei
(Gracie Barra BH) and showed Bahia a great time.
Mário Reis (BTT) ruled the tournament one more time and
won Reinaldo Ribeiro (Brasa) by three advantages, after a 8x8.
Mário and Reinaldo were simply amazing and submitted all
his opponents. Former Mário Reis' teammates, Fabrício
Werdum and Márcio Corleta closed the super super heavyweight
and the same fact happened at the rooster, with Arlisson Melo
and Alexandre Renan (Nova União). Other ones to close
were Black Belt GP champion Leonardo Santos, Rodrigo Feijão,
Leonardo Peçanha and Danilo Cherman. Over the brown belt,
once again André Galvão (TT Jiu-Jitsu) gave no
chances and won Tiago Gaia (Nova União) by 2x0.
Yesterday's
Results
Open Class' final: Jacaré Vs Margarida
Fernando Margarida and Ronaldo Jacaré, two of the most
BJJ phenomenon fighters nowadays will be face to face today at
the end of BJJ World Cup Opan Class final. This final may be
mark the sport's history once both fighters did a great job during
the semifinals. Jacaré ruled Fabrício Werdum and
scored 13x0. Fernando Margarida showed a lot of technician and
scored 30x2 in Marcel Louzada, one of the surprises of this open
class, who won Saulo Ribeiro and Eduardo Telles. Today later
we gonna know who will take R$5,000 home.
Saulo loses at the Open Class and Japanese rule at brown
One of the favorites to the open class title has failed. Saulo
Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá) lost his third fight to Marcel
Louzada (Brasa). Over the brown belt, one of the best names in
the competition was Isamu Shishido (Nova União). Shishido
defeated Fernando Tererê's cousin, Leandro Martins (TT),
at the final by 8x7. Shishido started well and got Martins back
twice. But the Brazilian swept, passed the guard and put a knee
on the belly, but it was not enough. 'For us he is like new BJ
Penn. The only thing different is that he does not like punches!,'
said André Marola, who trains Shishido in Brazil. 'I like
it at all. I will come back next year to defend my title,' warned
the Japanese.
Foreign rocking the blue open class
Besides the 160 subscriptions at blue open class, in fact only
half really fought at the tournament. Gouram Abdel Hakim, super
heavyweight champion did a great performance and won his first
fight via flying triangle choke and won by points the second
about against Gabriel Rodrigues who also was great was Canadian
AJ Scale (Wagney Fabiano's pupil). He first passed trough Carlos
Eduardo Aragão (Tatá) and then, won Júnior
Nolasco (NU/ Natal) by 7x4.
Source: Tatame
|
Learning
about Life at the BJJ World Cup
Text by TEAM TATAME
Alberto
Nery Lemos (Ricardo Tannus - BA) gave a real lesson about life
and how it must be enjoyed at the 3rd BJJ World Cup event held
at the Sesc Gymnasium in Salvador, Bahia.
The
Brazilian athlete competed despite missing both arms, due to
an accident suffered when he was eight years old. Young Lemos
was playing on the roof of his house when was surprised by an
electric shock, cauding him to lose his two limbs.
Alberto
showed himself to be a real winner during the tournament. He
defeated Hélcio Leonardo (Nova União - Zulu) by
an advantage after landing a take down. The result drove the
audience nuts!!! It was something to hear all the compliments
he received from the local audience and other competitors. Alberto,
a BJJ purple belt and he fights at the featherweight category
and is a State BJJ champion. He is also is a submission champion.
'I have been practicing Jiu-Jitsu for five years. This sport
for me is a therapy!! I love when people are cheering for me,
they support me and it is damned good when I win' stated Alberto,
who ended defeated in his second fight. Once again however, he
was really the biggest attention getter for the audience of the
Sesc Gymnasium.
Source: ADCC
|
The
Beggar’s Banquet at Meca
During the recent Meca FC 11 event held near Rio de Janeiro last
month, a UFC vet conquered the 'carioca' audience with his unusual
look. The unkempt beard and the blue pajama short of Tony de
Souza inspired the audience to start calling him “Mendigo”
(beggar, in Portuguese).
All
this was supposed to be just for fun, but De Souza started his
fight against Luiz Azeredo at a high level, pushing the fight
and trying to take Azeredo to the ground. The crowd got excited
and just like at a Brazilian soccer maych, the crowd sang songs
to support him throughout the three rounds. A typical soccer
audience at an MMA tournament, MECA 11's De Sousa bout was transformed
into one of the most exciting moments of the sport in Brazil.
'I knew what they were calling me out, but it didn’t matter.
The important thing is that they were startedsupporting me and
that was significant to my victory' thanked Tony “Mendigo”
de Souza.
Inside
the ring, Tony satisified the crowd by presenting good wrestling
skills and showing all he knows as a BJJ brown belt. In one of
Tony’s best moments in the fight, the Peruvian almost submitted
Azeredo by an unusual spinal lock, incorrectly interrupted by
the referee. After Tony’s victory, the André Pederneiras’
fighter stepped out of the ring and ran around it carrying the
Meca trophy and thanking the crowd for the energy they sent to
him. It was something to behold.
Source: ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible;
and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226, Italian Preacher, Founder of
the Franciscan Orde
|
2004
World Cup Black Belt Absolute
Jacare vs Margarida in the finals
The
2004 World Cup absolute division is finished for today with Ronaldo
Jacare and Fernando Margarida scheduled to face each other tomorrow.
Starting out with 30 plus participants including Ronaldo Jacare,
Saulo & Alexandre Ribeiro, Fabricio Werdum, Marcel Louzada
& Fernando Margarida the event had some spectacular matches.
Saulo lost to Louzada by advantages, while Margarida defeated
Xande by 4 x 2. Jacare submitted his opponents and Werdum had
impressive wins on the way to the semifinals
Semis:
Werdum
v Jacare - Jacare 13 x 0
Margarida
v Louzada - Margarida 30 x 2
In
other belts, the foreign athletes made a big push with several
Australians getting hardware, Andrew 'Gorto' Gorton & Dave
O'Brian getting Gold & Rob Toman with a shiny Silver and
Japanese fighter Isamu Shishido getting Gold in the Brown
Big
thanks to Fredson Alves and Terere for the assist in reporting.
Source: ADCC/Kid Peligro |
PRE-FIGHT
INTERVIEW: SHOOTO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION, VITOR 'SHAOLIN' RIBEIRO
by: Denis Martins
SHOOTO's
155 lb Champion Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro fought a non title match
in Hawaii this past Friday. He is now 10-0 in MMA competition.
Denis
Martins: Hi 'Shaolin', where is your belt? 'Shaolin': The belt
is in Japan. Andre Pederneiras left it in Japan in January because
Joachim Hansen's name was still on the belt and they are changing
it to my name. I will grab it in Hawaii, I guess.
Denis
Martins: Are you sad notbeing able to keep the belt with you
since January? 'Shaolin': No I am not. I won it in January when
my teammates Joao Roque and Marcos 'Loro' Galvao also went to
compete in the first SHOOTO event of 2004. I left the belt with
them to change the name to the current champion, me. The most
important thing is that I know that the belt is mine by my own
merits.
Denis
Martins: I have not talked with you in a long time so I do not
know if you remember what you said in our previous interviews
about getting a submission in Japan. I think you could not have
gotten it at a better time! 'Shaolin': (laughs) I wanted to beat
Hansen in a way that left no doubts with fans and media that
I deserved that belt. I was very well trained in that position,
and in others that I would have tried if the arm-triangle did
not work. My desire to submit him was greater than in previous
fights because the belt was on the line. I think I started 2004
with a lot of luck on my side, I submitted Hansen who had beaten
Rumina Sato and Takanori Gomi. It was wonderful.
Denis
Martins: Did you train differently for that title match than
for previous fights? 'Shaolin': I had the same strategy and the
same way of training. I did not want to fight three rounds. I
was ready on the feet, I had a good wrestling base, and my submissions
were solid from my jiu-jitsu training. I did not think Hansen
would surprise me in that fight because I was ready for everything.
My cardio was good and my game-plan was tight. Of course a punch
on the chin could sink me ,but I blocked all of Hansen's attacks
and I am the champion now.
Denis
Martins: You showed interest in fighting Gomi but it did not
work out after he lost the belt to Hansen. Do you feel a title
shot against Gomi would be a bigger challenge than Hansen was?
Shaolin: I am not sure about that. Hansen was the champion at
that time, so I was happy to take it from him. If it had been
Kawajiri or Sato, it did not matter; my goal was the belt and
not a fighting a specific fighter. My desire to fight Gomi ended
when he lost the belt to Hansen. By the way we (Gomi and I) are
young fighters and I see a match between us in the near future,
anyway.
Denis
Martins: You are the champion now and I see Alexandre 'Pequeno'
Franca Nogueira (the SHOOTO lightweight champion) fighting only
twice per year. You had been fighting three times a year. Do
you think that you will adopt the same fighting pace of 'Pequeno'?
'Shaolin': I think this is a good policy because the promoters
need to search for true contenders. The best reason to fight
only twice a year is that then we can dedicate ourselves to other
activities such as seminars.
Denis
Martins: Where have you been in last 7 months without any fights?
Shaolin': I have been to Canada, the UK, France and the USA doing
seminars. I liked this pace because I can take a rest and have
fun. Then in the second semester, I go with a lot of energy to
the training sessions.
Denis
Martins: Well SHOOTO champion, is it true that you are going
to UFC soon? 'Shaolin': UFC contacted me, but they wanted me
to fight in the welterweight division against Matt Hughes. I
prefer to fight in my weight class. There have been some rumors
that the lightweight division would be extinguished, but I do
not believe that. I do not think my time in the UFC has come
yet, but I am very happy fighting for SHOOTO Japan which treats
very well.
Denis
Martins: Is there an exclusive contract between SHOOTO and you?
'Shaolin': I am with SHOOTO in 2004 but next year I do not know
what will happen. SHOOTO is a good experience and they treat
me well, so I will treat them well too. I am going to fight three
times this year. After Hawaii, I will fight in September and
December and all for SHOOTO. I wanted 4 fights. However, I can't
take part in the event on American soil (the MFC Euphoria tournament)
which is close to my last two SHOOTO bouts at the end of year.
Anyway, there is no contract of exclusivity with SHOOTO.
Denis
Martins: Did not the UFC offer you a fight versus Yves Edwards
or Josh 'The Punk' Thomson? 'Shaolin': They wanted to book me
against Hughes. I did not feel that this would be a good opportunity
so I chose to keep myself in SHOOTO. I hope to defend my belt
and follow in Pequeno's footsteps. He has defended his belt successfully
for 5 years.
Denis
Martins: Did you watch Hermes França's last two fights
in the UFC? 'Shaolin': Yes, I did.
Denis
Martins: Tell us your thoughts. 'Shaolin': I think that Thomson
won the first two rounds and França won the last one.
Also, the referee interfered with França's combo when
he started punching, but I think Thomson won this one. I did
not agree with the França/Edwards result. Edwards was
taken down and did not throw any good punches. When the fight
was finished, Edwards looked disappointed and França was
happy but the judges' decision was not what França expected.
Look, I am not saying this just as a Brazilian rooting for another
Brazilian, I am just talking about the fights without any personal
allegiance.
Denis
Martins: They (Thomson x Edwards) may fight for the title soon.
What do you think? 'Shaolin': I do not think this will be a great
fight. I think Edwards will gas out. Thomson puts himself on
the line when he fights and Edwards does not.
Denis
Martins: We were used to seeing you fighting in the Arnold Classic
Submission event. Why did not you fight this year? 'Shaolin':
Well I am the SHOOTO champion now, so I do not want to be a 'bridge'
to success of my opponents. If I win it is okay because I am
the champion, but if I lose and possibly lose badly, it looks
like I do not deserve the title and the guy who beat me will
be the new star. I was focused on my seminars when the Arnold
Classic was taking place and I was injured too. I like the Arnold
event and the prize there is very good. Also, I would fight Marcelo
Garcia if given the opportunity again. If it does not happen
now, it will happen one day.
Denis
Martins: Would you like a rematch with Garcia? 'Shaolin': I always
will. He is at the top of his game without a gi and has proved
it by conquering all submission events he took part. That was
his day when we fought and I do not dispute it. I could have
lost that match fighting like I did against Leonardo Vieira or
Marcio Feitosa, always fighting until the final moment. Now my
focus is on MMA. I plan on dedicating myself to submission again
in 2006 or 2007.
Denis
Martins: 2006 or 2007??!! So is ADCC 2005 not in your plans?
'Shaolin': If they invite me, I will go. But if they do not invite
me, I will have other things to do. ADCC is a nice event that
gives you a lot of recognition. However, it is not my deal now,
I am in MMA.
Denis
Martins: Your opponent in SHOOTO Hawaii is ADCC 2003 veteran
Mitsuhiro Ishida. He is 6-1-1 in MMA and ranked number 10 in
his weight class. I am sure you have seen his matches and realized
he has excellent takedowns. What are your feelings about this
fight? 'Shaolin': Yeah, he has a very effective ground'n'pound
style and he is very aggressive. I am training a lot of wrestling
to counter Ishida's skill and I believe this will be a very good
fight for the Hawaiian fans.
Denis
Martins: Tony DeSouza is an excellent wrestler and he was in
Brazil until last week. What did he add to your game with his
knowledge? 'Shaolin': Tony added many things to my game but they
are a secret and will only be shown in the ring! This guy (Tony)
does not use strength to keep some positions and he taught me
something about that. Everybody who watched MECA FC 11 saw how
he
handled Luiz Azeredo (from Chute Boxe) without too much effort.
Denis
Martins: Would you like to add anything? 'Shaolin': I would like
to say thank you very much to my family and mainly to my mom,
who allows me to concentrate on my training. This is very important
to me since it allows me to work harder to beat my opponents.
Source: ADCC |
BTT
Army Ready for Bushido 4
by: Rafael Werneck
After ruling South Korea at their inaugural Gladiator FC event
in June, the Brazilian Top Team army now concentrates its forces
on their next challenge: Pride Bushido 4, scheduled for July
19th. BTT team will be represented by Rogerio 'Minotouro' Nogueira,
Paulo Filho and Fabio Mello.
This
will be Filho's 2nd appearance in PRIDE. In his first appearance
in November of 2002, he defeated Japanese fighter Akira Shoji
by submission. Now, he is confident he can do it again as he
grants Shoji a rematch. Filho also believes that teammate Mello
wil lalso have a good performance. This will be the debut in
Pride for Mello, who is facing the dangerous Takanori Gomi. This
will be Mello's fifth MMA fight, and he has a record of three
wins and one loss.
Gomi
was one of the Japanese fighters in the challenge between the
Gracies and Japan in Bushido 3. He defeated Ralph Gracie using
a knee and now is considered 'the man to beat' by Paulao. 'This
Gomi guy is very arrogant. It is time a BTT fighter kicks his
ass' said Filho, who has an MMA record of seven victories in
seven fights.
Like
Paulo Filho, Rogerio 'Minotouro' Nogueira fought and won in the
Gladiator. And like his teammate, he is going to face a fighter
he has beaten before in the next PRIDE. He is aware of the danger
that Kazuhiro Nakamura represents. 'I know he is much better
than the first time we fought. But I can assure you I have some
surprises to show him as well' says Minotouro.
One
of the BTT leaders, Mario Sperry was expected to be one of the
team representatives in Bushido 4. He is concentrating his attentions
on Rodrigo Minotauro´s training for the heavyweight GP
finals.
Source: ADCC |
The
Beggar’s Banquet at Meca
by: Alexandre Lobo / Team TATAME
During
the recent Meca FC 11 event held near Rio de Janeiro last month,
a UFC vet conquered the 'carioca' audience with his unusual look.
The unkempt beard and the blue pajama short of Tony de Souza
inspired the audience to start calling him “Mendigo”
(beggar, in Portuguese).
All
this was supposed to be just for fun, but De Souza started his
fight against Luiz Azeredo at a high level, pushing the fight
and trying to take Azeredo to the ground. The crowd got excited
and just like at a Brazilian soccer maych, the crowd sang songs
to support him throughout the three rounds. A typical soccer
audience at an MMA tournament, MECA 11's De Sousa bout was transformed
into one of the most exciting moments of the sport in Brazil.
'I knew what they were calling me out, but it didn’t matter.
The important thing is that they were startedsupporting me and
that was significant to my victory' thanked Tony “Mendigo”
de Souza.
Inside
the ring, Tony satisified the crowd by presenting good wrestling
skills and showing all he knows as a BJJ brown belt. In one of
Tony’s best moments in the fight, the Peruvian almost submitted
Azeredo by an unusual spinal lock, incorrectly interrupted by
the referee. After Tony’s victory, the André Pederneiras’
fighter stepped out of the ring and ran around it carrying the
Meca trophy and thanking the crowd for the energy they sent to
him. It was something to behold.
Source: ADCC |
Wallid
Gives Peace a Chance
by: R. Nogueira
'In 1997, someone asked me what was my biggest fault' starts
Wallid Ismael. I answered that it was my radical way of thinking
and acting. It wasn’t an act or 'marketing', I was just
crazy! I was a revolting guy who went from the Amazon to Rio
de Janeiro without a friend and without any money'. That’s
how Ismail, now 36 years old, analyzes his troubled youth. Ismael
has always been known as a rebel in the world of martial arts,
making lots of fans and lots of enemies too.
Now
Wallid considers himself at a more advanced stage in life. 'I
don’t need to make enemies anymore' says the black-belt,
who has made peace with old rivals such as Ryan Gracie, Luiz
'Bebeo', Roberto Gordo and Wanderlei Silva.
There
are three reasons for Wallid’s new way of life, Wallid states.
First, he is getting on in years, he doesn’t make mistakes
of youth anymore. Second, Wallid has managed two successful editions
of Jungle Fight. Third, Wallid has a friendship with Antonio
Inoki, who advises his brazilian partner about the best way to
deal with problems, and how to make policy.
Source: ADCC |
Dean
Lister ready for his debut in Pride
by: Gleidson Venga / Team TATAME
Dean Lister has spent the early part of his MMA career winning
most of his matches at King of The Cage, even holding one of
their title belts. Lister's fame erupted in 2003, which he earned
by taking the absolute category at ADCC 2003, beating top grapplers
such as Saulo Ribeiro, Alexandre Cacareco and Márcio
Pé de Pano. This result gave Lister his entry to
the ADCC Super Fight against Ricardo Arona, the present ADCC
superfight champion.
Appropximately
1 year after winning the ADCC, Dean Lister has a new huge challenge
in his way: he will debut in Japan at Pride Bushido 4, scheduled
for July 19th. His opponent will be tough Russian Amar Suloev,
an experienced fighter who has fought in UFC and many other international
events.
The
American knows things won´t be easy for him. Lister
quotes:
'Amar
Suloev is a top fighter who comes from the Russian RED DEVIL
School, so I can expect a very prepared and strong fighter in
Pride Bushido 4. I´ve been training a lot and also.
I´m taking good care of myself not to get injured,
and I´m very anxious for this debut'.
Source: ADCC |
Today's
news from BJJ World Cup BA
Great names fighting at the Open Class
As soon the second day of competition end at the BJJ World Cup,
Team TATAME brings in first hands the name of the atheltes will
fight the Open Class and a R$5,000 cash prize. World Champions
as Saulo Ribeiro, Ronaldo Jacaré and Fernando Margarida
will share the same mat with athletes as Alexandre Ribeiro, Eduardo
Telles, Fabrício Werdun, Márcio Corleta, André
Candido and Danilo Cherman. The Open class is scheduled to start
at 15h.
COMFIRMED ATHLETES AT BLACK BELT OPEN CLASS:
-
Jackson Moura (Jakson Moura);
- Yuri Fernandes (BTT);
- Paulo Streckert (Lotus Club);
- Fabio Nascimento (Lotus Club);
- Cley Bastos (Kezen JJ);
- Fabricio Monteiro (Gracie Barra);
- Marcel Louzada (Brasa);
- Delson Pe-de-Chumbo (Pitbull);
- Rodrigo Ribeiro (Pitbull);
- Cristiano Lazzarini (Gracie Barra);
- Ronirley Costa (Alliance);
- Pedro Galiza (BTT);
- Sergio Santos (BTT);
- Rogério Passos (TT);
- Eduardo Telles (TT);
- Denis Gomes (Athaíde Jr);
- Francisco Santoro (Athaíde Jr);
- Admilson Juquinha (Gracie Humaitá);
- Cláudio Daniel (Gracie Humaitá);
- Marcos Paulo Cardoso (Nova União/ Ceará);
- Rosemberg Kiff (Federação do RJ);
- Alexandre Moura (Nova União - Zulu);
- Carlos Eduardo Caroni (Yamazaki);
- Maurício Fett (Rodrigo Poderoso);
- Wellington Araújo (Federação Baiana);
- Alessandro Bruno (Federação Baiana);
- Silvio Proença (BTT);
- Carlos Eugênio Corrêa (Eugênio Club);
- Fabrício Werdum (Behring);
- Márcio Corleta (Behring);
- Alexandre Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá);
- Saulo Ribeiro (Gracie Humaitá);
- Lênio Furtado (Tata);
- Otávio Tatá Duarte (Tatá);
- Fernando Margarida (BTT);
- Yuri Fernandes (BTT);
- Pedro Damasceno (BTT B);
- André Marola (Nova União - Dedé);
- Danilo Cherman (Nova União - Dedé);
- Eduardo Santana (AJBA);
- Ronaldo Jacaré (Brasa);
- André Gomes (Federação Baiana).
Araruama's purple rules middleweight
Today, all purple belts fought at BJJ World Cup, held in Bahia.
Highlight at the category, Vítor Bonfim, coming from Araruama
(RJ's cost), who ruled the most disputed division of the night:
middleweight. Vítor didi six bouts and submitted three
of them. At the end, Vítor faced a Nova União athlete,
Marcus Vinícius, and won by 8x0.
Over the featherweight division, the champion was José
Maria Costa (TT Jiu-Jitsu) who scored 5x0 in João Luís
(Guigueto Team). Alysson Rossei (Nova União) won the supersuper
heavyweight scoring 4x2 in Daniel Mosquito. Take a look bellow
the full list of champions.
3rd BJJ World Cup
Sesc Gym,nasium, Salvador - Bahia
July 8 and 9, 2004
White Adult
Rooster
1º: Thiago de Almeida - Nova União Natal
2º: Rodrigo de Oliveira - Dharma
3º: Leandro Oliveira - Gracie Humaitá
3º: Jonas Miranda - Nova União Natal
Super featherweight
1º: Luiz Padilha - Nova União Natal
2º: José Barros - Nova União Natal
3º: Romerito de Lima - Natal
3º: Francisco de Assis - Bahia
featherweight
1º: Fernando Guimarães - Federação
do Rio de Janeiro
2º: Tarso Ribeiro - Federação Baiana
3º: Rodrigo Cerqueira - Jacaré
3º: Leonardo Barbosa - Nova União Natal
Lightweight
1º : Felipe Ywasaki - Nova União
2º : Samuel Motta - Giovanni
3º: Jair Vicente - Nova União
3º: Jorge Cledson Santos - Rostan Lacerda
Middleweight
1º: Luis Felipe Aguiar - Federação Baiana
2º: Nilson Gomes - China JJ
3º: Hamid Homena - Nova União
3º: José Augusto Madureira - Federação
Baiana
Middle heavyweight
1º: Doriam Hemig - Jackson Moura
2º: Bruno Bonati - Alliance
3º: Rodrigo Santos - Dharma
3º: Cleomar Rodrigues - China JJ
heavyweight
1º: Gley Mathias - Nova União Natal
2º: Neuber Jatoba - Nova União Natal
3º: Antônio Pereira da Silva - Mario Sucata
Super heavyweight
1º: Cláudio da Cruz - Federação Baiana
2º: Micael Lins - Federação Baiana
3º: Goldofredo Alves - Federação Baiana
3º: Flávio Antônio dos Santos - Nova União
Super supewr heavyweight
1º: Flávio Rydlewanki - Nova União Natal
2º: Amauri Fonseca - Nova União
3º: Rodrigo Nascimento - Nova União
3º: Marcos Bacelar - Corpo e Mente
Blue Young
Rooster
1º: Anderson Souza - Nova União Natal
2º: Arinaldo - Cavaru
3º: Cláudio Cotrin - Nova União Natal
3º: Rafael Limcom - Federação do Rio de Janeiro
Superfeatherweight
1º: Paulo Eduardo Grillo - Nova União Natal
2º: Rodrigo Ferreira Gomes - Nova União
3º: Helton Barberino - Dharma
3º: Magno Cardoso - Casquinha JJ
Lightweight
1º: Felipe Cardoso - BTT
2º: Alberto Ferreira - Nova União Natal
3º:Alex de Souza - Nova União
3º: Natã de Souza - Eq. Key M S
Middleweight
1º: Diogo Luiz - Nova União
2º: Danilo Mota - Dela Riva
3º: Kleber Nascimento - BTT
3º: Diego Almeida - Alliance
Middle heavyweight
1º: Alen de Andrade - Gracie Humaita
2º: Cleber Borges - BTT
3º: Petrotchuccelli Lima - Federação Baiana
3º: Caio Valério - Dela Riva
heavyweight
1º:Jonatas Gomes - AJJBA
2º: João Ferreira - Federação Baiana
3º: Vitor Moscon - Nova União
3º: Rafael Pereira - Nova União
Super heavyweight
1º: Rodrigo Mendes - Kezen JJ
2º: Lucas Scantamburlo - Fed. Rio de Janeiro
3º: Vinícius Coutrin - Equipe Zeca
3º: Erick Gonçalves - Nova União Natal
super super heavyweight
1º: Gilson Antônio - Nova União Natal
2º: Jarder Borges - Federação Baiana
3º: Paulo de Tarso - Federação Baiana
Blue Master
Featherwight
1º: David O` Brien - Roots Australia
2º: Gilmar Queiroz -
3º: Alexandre Goulart - Manimal family
3º: Evandro Alves - Dharma
Lightweight
1º: Luiz Guerra - Corpo e Mente
2º: Denílson Silva - Corrente JJ
3º: Mauro Silva - Nova União Natal
3º: Alexandre Mario - Rostan Lacerda
Middlweight
1º: Ricardo de Souza - Nova União
2º: Alexandre Cardoso - Fed. Baiana
3º: Edival Laurindo - Gutembergue Melo
3º: Luciano Vasconcelos - Fed. Baiana
Middle heavyweight
1º: Cristiano Santos - Fed. Baiana
2º: Franklin Ferre - Bahia
3º:Rodrigo Cortes - Gracie Humaitá
3º: Paulo Baraúna - Fed. Baiana
heavyweight
1º: Andrew Gorton - Roots Australia
2º: Joilton Ramos - Barracuda
3º: Paulo Sérgio de Araújo - Fed. Baiana
3º: Raimundo Corrêa - Barracuda
Super heavyweight
1º: Luiz André Santana - Multi Garra
2º: Robert Toman - Roots Australia
3º: Biraci José - Fed. Baiana
super super heavyweight
1º: Eduardo Lázaro - Dela Riva
2º: Jailson Santos - Velame Brothers
3º: Iatan Cordeiro - Kezen JJ
4º: Zildervan Lobo - Fed. Baiana
Blue Adult
Rooster
1º: Caio Terra - Brasa
2º: Edílson Rafael - Gutembergue Melo
3º: Lisandro Rafael - Romeu Bertho
3º: João Barbosa - UGF/SE
Super featherweight
1º: Eduardo Costa - Brasa
2º: Marlos Vandré - Corpo e Mente
3º: Danilo - Nova União de Natal
3º: Luciano Aldiguieri - Impacto
Super heavyweight
1º: Gouram Hakim - Behring
2º: Bruno Santos - Brasa
3º: Bruno Rodrigues - Deo JJ
3º: Murilo Lima - Corpo e Mente
Source: Tatame |
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