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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2006
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
3/4/06
Kickin It
(Kickboxing)
(TBD)
2/26/06
Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
Tentative
2/11/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/4/06
Kickin It Up
(Kickboxing)
(Pagoda Hotel)
January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
1/20/06
ROTR 10
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
1/7/06
Kickin It
(Kickboxing)
(Dole Cannery Ballroom)
2005
12/10/05
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
12/10/05
So You Think You Tough
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
12/4/05
Longman Jiu-Jitsu Open
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kauai)
11/29/05
Tuesday Night Fights
(Kickboxing)
(Central Pacific A.C.'s Academic and Athletic Training Center,
Hilo)
11/25/05
Kickin It 2005 "The Sequel"
Kickboxing Championships
(Kickboxing)
(Ilikai Hotel Ballroom)
11/19/05
UFC 56: Full Force
(MMA)
(MGM Grand
Garden Arena)
11/15/05
Tuesday Night Fights
(Kickboxing)
(Central Pacific A.C.'s Academic and Athletic Training Center,
Hilo)
11/14/05
3rd American National BJJ Championships
(Torrance Unified School District, Torrance, CA )
11/12/05
Full Contact
Showdown
Super
Brawl Qualifer
(MMA)
(Kahuna Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
Aloha
State Championships of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ/Grappling)
(Saint Louis School Gym)
11/5/05
Rumble On The Rock
9: Just Scrap
(MMA)
(Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, Hilo)
|
|
November 2005 News
Part 1
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
Quote
of the Day
"The production of too many useful things results in too
many useless people."
Karl Marx, 1818-1883, German Political Philosopher and Social
Theorist
|
X-1
Battlegrounds at the O-Lounge 2
Weigh-ins
Today!
Weigh-ins
at the O Lounge at 7PM.
Come by to see the fighters and party at the O Lounge!
X-1 Battlegrounds at the O Lounge 2
O Lounge Night Club, Honolulu, Hawaii
November 11, 2005
Tentative Fight Card (Subject To Change)
Derek Thornton (Rock Bottom Fight Team) vs. Deutsch Puu (Freelance)
Vilatonu Fonokalafi (Freelance) vs. Tomas Rosser (Freelance)
Danny Ferriera (Freelance, Streetfighting) vs. Joshua Ferreira
(Freelance, Kickboxing)
Jensen Reese (Freelance, Boxing) vs. Hugh Jones (Freelance, Boxing)
Makoa Hanaike (Team M.M.A.D, Wrestling) vs. Bronson Delima (Bulls
Pen)
Bernard Monderen (Freelance, Kickboxing) vs. Kenneth Mack (Team
Submit)
Chris Procopio (Eastsidaz) vs. Derek Stadler (Bulls Pen)
Thomas Gilbert (Team Mix Breed) vs. Ikaika Jhun (Freelance, Boxing)
The O-Lounge is located next to Ala Moana Shopping Center and
is above Venus night club.
Source:
Event Promoter
|
BENNETT
BREAKDOWN:
ROTR, TUF, TRIGG AND LEBEN
Sorry boys and girls. With football in both College and NFL in
full bloom I have been way too busy with my "real"
sports job. Time to address a billion emails with your questions
in another edition of the Bennett Breakdown.
"I
truly felt Nick Diaz won the fight vs. Diego Sanchez. He was
more active on the ground and Diego didn't do much on the ground.
How did you see it and what's next for Sanchez?" Marvis
Banuelos - Oxnard, CA
I
couldn't disagree with you more. I think it was a close fight
and I scored it 29-28 for Diego, but I don't have a problem with
the way the judges scored it, which was 30-27 for Sanchez. The
only offense Diaz really mounted was the upkick he landed and
he landed a couple of shots during the stand up. Other than that
I was surprised how well Diego neutralized every move Diaz had
for him on the ground. There was some amazing jiu-jitsu by both
guys on the ground and the average guy who doesn't know the ground
fighting game, was impressed as my pseudo sports friends said
they enjoyed the "ground stuff" for the first time
ever.
Diego's
ground n pound was very good, especially the first two rounds.
He did get a little tired the third round, but still this was
Diego's coming out party. This kid is better than most thought
and he will have a chance to continue to earn the respect from
the hardcore MMA fans who don't want to give it to him for whatever
reason. I wouldn't be surprised to see Diego face Karo Parisyan
Super Bowl weekend.
What's
up with your boy Frank Trigg? How is his ankle and when is he
going to fight again? - Richard Manning - Columbus, OH
Trigg
is doing fine and his ankle is healing very well. Trigg is a
freak of nature where his body heals extremely fast. He mentioned
before that his injury is very similar to Terrell Owens surgery
last year as T.O. played in the Super Bowl just six weeks after
the surgery. Trigg if he had to go, could probably fight at the
end of the month; it's healing that well at six weeks after surgery.
As far as where and when he will fight next, I honestly have
no idea. All the major players of MMA have contacted him and
when I say everybody, I truly mean everybody. The major players
want him to fight and he will have to sit down and sort it out.
He will be back for early 2006, but the big question is whether
it will be in California, Hawaii or Japan, which are all, knocking
on his door.
Tell
me about Rumble on the Rock's Tournament for January. Who is
in it? - Steve Niumatalolo - Hawaii
This
should be a great tournament at 175 pounds. To my knowledge they
have locked in Renato
"Charuto" Verissimo, Dennis Hallman, Jake Shields, Ronald "Machine
Gun" Jhun.
I understand they have been talking with Carlos Newton, Frank
Trigg, Sean Sherk, Anderson Silva and Joe "Diesel"
Riggs. They are also bringing in from Japan, Riki Fukuda who
is supposed to be a bad hombre from all accounts. I've heard
nothing but good things from him. If they can sign the guys they
are negotiations with, this will be a tournament for the ages.
It's definitely shaping up to be something very special. By the
way, the winner of this tournament gets to fight BJ Penn.
Can
you talk about the rumor about a major pro-wrestling player that
wants to get involved in MMA? - Chris Figueora
It's
been interesting to see this story gain momentum in the past
week. It sounds like Paul Heyman, formerly of ECW fame and has
done stuff for the WWE, is interested in starting his own MMA
organization. I guess Heyman's WWE contract expires at the end
of December. Dave Meltzer talked about how he has been closely
studying the MMA industry, while the PWTorch, a pro wrestling
insider publication said quote, "Paul believes he has the
next big concept that will revolutionize the industry a second
time, just as he did in the late-90's with ECW."
Heyman
will have to get sanctioned in the state of Nevada or New Jersey
to become a major player, which may or may not be difficult with
his pro wrestling background. The other thing is if he wants
to "revolutionize" MMA, then he better have deep pockets
to do so. It's going to take a ton of money from any organization
to compete with the UFC at this stage of the game. He didn't
have enough money in ECW to compete with the WWE back in the
90's. He will have a similar hill to climb if he wants to compete
with the UFC who now has a TV deal, PPV numbers, and tons of
new fans.
Is
Baroni fighting Chris Leben in the UFC? - Ted Crumpler - Redmond,
OR
Good
question. Leben was not happy to hear the story that he "dodged
Baroni". Rumor has it that Leben was supposed to fight Baroni
in November, but didn't have enough time to train. That didn't
sit well with Leben. Leben came on MMAWeekly.com a couple of
weeks for the Sunday Night Conversation and basically said he
would welcome a fight against Baroni anytime and he wanted that
fight. There is a rumor floating around that the reason why Baroni
isn't fighting in England for Cage Rage was because the UFC offered
him to fight in the Octagon. I heard Baroni was offered a fight
on Super Bowl weekend in the UFC, while Leben believes he is
fighting on January 16th's live Spike TV special. The dates don't
match up right now, but both Baroni and Leben want the fight
by all accounts. Hopefully they can work it out so we can see
a great fight.
I
will be back next week for more of your emails, for those who
have emailed me and I didn't get to your question, please catch
me on the radio end. We do our show LIVE everyday Monday through
Friday at www.mmaweeklyradio.com at 9am Pacific/12 Noon eastern.
It's easier to reach me there and we can address any or all of
your questions on the show with myself and MMA fighter Frank
Trigg. Until next time have a great week.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
MMA
REFEREE: TOUGHEST JOB IN MMA
Much has been said recently about fight stoppages that are either
too quick or not soon enough and the recipient of the majority
of the blame falls directly at the feet of the referee. Refereeing
as a whole, whether the sport be mixed martial arts, boxing,
football or whatever, is possibly the most thankless job in all
of professional athletics. Recently, many of the referees in
mixed martial arts have come under heat from fans and critics
for the decisions they make, and very rarely to they receive
much praise for this extremely difficult job.
The
sport of mixed martial arts as a whole is still very much evolving.
From the early days of the UFC when fights would go on until
literally one man couldn’t take anymore to now where state
athletic commissions like Nevada and New Jersey have put rules
in place to protect the fighters and sanction these rules that
the referees governing the match have to enforce.
For
a sport that is only still in it’s infancy, the referees
who are in charge of the fights haven’t had the years of
watching and learning their trade like referees or umpires in
some of the major sports. But for all the criticism that the
mixed martial arts referee receives, it is they who protect the
fighters from harm and are placed with the supreme power to decide
when enough is enough in any fight.
One
of the most controversial referee stoppages in MMA was in 2003
in a fight between Phil Baroni and Evan Tanner. Referee Larry
Landless, who hasn’t been seen in the UFC for quite some
time, was on top of the action as Evan Tanner gained a very dominant
position on Baroni and started to reign down elbows. Baroni kept
his composure for the most part, blocking most of the shots that
Tanner was throwing. Landless could be heard asking Baroni if
he wanted out, and through the muffled words being spoken, apparently
Landless heard “yes” and stopped the fight and declared
Tanner the winner.
Baroni
was enraged by the stoppage and even went as far as to swing
at Landless, an act that would give the “New York Badass”
a lengthy suspension. Although through numerous replays it was
hard to tell if any words were said by Baroni that led the referee
to believe he was giving up, he was definitely in a very tough
position with Tanner on top throwing some very heavy elbow and
forearm shots.
One
stoppage that garnered referee Herb Dean instant criticism and
then adoring praise was his decision in the UFC Heavyweight title
fight between Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir. As the fight quickly
went to the ground, Mir was able to kick up on his larger opponent
and secure a tight armbar from his guard. Sylvia instantly recognized
the danger he was in and tried to pull out, but in the fray Mir
turned his hips even further causing Sylvia’s arm to snap
in two places. Still, Sylvia did not give up but referee Herb
Dean came rushing in calling a stop to the fight.
Sylvia
was instantaneous with his protests and the commentators at cage
side were quick to point out that the Miletich trained Sylvia
didn’t tapout. As the instant replay was shown a closer
angle displayed Mir pushing against Sylvia’s arm and two
succinct breaks that clearly showed the broken arm. As the cameras
moved around the octagon, Sylvia’s arm was clearly swelling
up and the fight was officially stopped and Frank Mir was declared
the champion.
Referee
Herb Dean was attacked almost instantly for his stoppage in the
fight but after numerous replays that clearly showed Sylvia’s
arm being snapped, Dean was vindicated. After the fight ended
and Sylvia was able to realize the extent of the injury that
he has just sustained, and thanked the referee for helping to
save his career because if the fight had continued, there was
a definite possibility that the injury could have been so severe,
Sylvia may have never fought again.
A
recent fight that comes to mind when referee’s decisions
come under question was in a match-up between “Ultimate
Fighter” season 1 participant, Nate “The Rock”
Quarry and his opponent, Pete “Drago” Sell. World renowned
boxing referee and often UFC judge, Cecil Peoples was in charge
of the action and only seconds into the fight, Quarry landed
a very solid shot to Sell that dropped him to the ground. Quarry
was quick to jump on his downed opponent and landed one more
shot and Peoples was fast in stepping in to stop the fight.
At
the same time as Quarry was about to fire off another shot and
Peoples was stepping in to stop the fight, Pete Sell, a student
of Matt Serra’s jiu-jitsu, seemed to be trying to pull guard
and appeared to be protecting himself. Quarry pulled away from
his downed opponent and Sell quickly jumped up and protested
the stoppage. It was a very tough call to make but the referees
in the octagon have to make the call the way they see it and
Cecil Peoples was doing nothing more than trying to protect the
fighters.
The
staple to refereeing in mixed martial arts has always been “Big”
John McCarthy, who has been with the UFC pretty much from the
beginning. He was around when there were virtually no rules to
now where the UFC is a sanctioned sporting event. McCarthy has
been involved as a referee in almost every major title fight
or main event in the UFC and has rarely been critiqued for his
decisions.
McCarthy,
who along with Nelson “Doc” Hamilton, founded MMARefs,
who offer instructional seminars and teach those who want to
learn the art of refereeing in full contact sports. McCarthy
is definitely the measuring stick by which all professional referees
are judged. No one is infallible, but McCarthy’s decisions
have rarely been questioned and he continues to prove why he
is the best in the business with each fight that he is in charge
of the referee duties.
One
aspect that hasn’t been touched on very much are the referees
in Pride, who have been up and down with their decisions as well.
Many people feel that the referees in Pride allow the action
to go on too long and potentially endanger the safety of the
fighters. Many fights in Pride have shown some very questionable
judgment in regards to the referees and the amount of punishment
that they will allow. But to the contrary of that are the fights
that the referees allow to go on and the fighter that seems out
is able to recover and comeback to win.
A
recent fight between UFC and Pride veteran Ken Shamrock and Pride
superstar, Kazushi Sakuraba, came under heavy fire for the stoppage
that occurred. Sakuraba landed a very solid shot and Shamrock
turned and fell against the ropes. As Sakuraba came in to try
to finish his opponent, the referee jumped in very quickly and
called a stop to the action. Shamrock did look dazed by the shot
and landed with his head between the ropes and out of the ring,
but did regain his composure fairly quickly as well. Again, the
downed fighter was quick to protest and this time Shamrock did
file a protest for the stoppage, although it is highly unlikely
that anything will come of it.
Referees
in mixed martial arts have a clear cut responsibility and that
is to keep the action legal and within the rules and also protect
the fighters at all times and keep anyone from being seriously
injured. Very rarely do the referees receive accolades for their
great work and it is often when they are criticized for what
others may call a questionable decision. In a full contact sport
that moves very quickly it is hard to truly be mistake free,
but the referees of mixed martial arts definitely have one of
the toughest jobs in the entire industry.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
IS
DIAZ'S FUTURE IN DOUBT?
Speculation has run rampant about the future of Nick Diaz. There
were some things backstage that did not sit well with management
before the fight even began.
Apparently
it stems from a backstage incident between Diaz and Sanchez.
There obviously was some heat before the fight started between
the two fighters. One fighter who competed on the show told MMAWeekly.com
quote, "It was bizarre before the fight. We were all warming
up backstage and Diaz and Sanchez were verbally jawing one with
another. There isn't a whole lot of room backstage. Then Diaz
took off his shoe and threw it at Diego. They almost had a brawl
backstage before the fight even started."
Diaz
didn't make many friends in the crowd either watching live at
the Hard Rock Hotel. Before the fight started, Diaz flipped off
Sanchez across the ring and yelled some profanities at him. The
crowd watching in attendance that was already pro-Sanchez started
booing Diaz at the gesture. Was it part of Diaz's plan to win
the psychological war by playing mind games? Probably. The biggest
argument against that though was the problem that this was on
Spike TV, not pay per view television. People are much more lenient
on pay per view compared to free tv.
As
far as Diaz'a contract goes, this was NOT the last fight on Diaz's
contract as a few websites had reported, but with any contract
once you lose a fight you can be cut at anytime.
MMAWeekly
Radio host and former UFC Fighter Frank Trigg talked about UFC
contracts today on the radio show. Trigg said, "People think
that since you are cut from your contract that you will never
be back. That isn't the case. Somewhere down the road, guys come
back. I think Ivan Salaverry will be back and other guys will
be back. Bottom line, it's business. If you are making $10,000
for your first fight, $15,000 for your second and $20,000 for
your third fight of a contract, it's smart for Zuffa to cut you
after your second fight if you lose. Then they don't have to
pay you 20 grand for your last fight. Instead, if you lose, then
they can pay you less money which is good business period. As
far as Diaz goes, it could go either way. If he pissed them off,
he won't be back; if they know it was gamesmanship, then he will."
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that
deep inside us is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our
trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can
risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience
that reveals the human spirit."
E.E. Cummings, 1894-1962, American Poet
|
Interview
- Pedro Rizzo
Takimoto-
Thank you for talking with us... Now, you first emerged as the
Marco Ruas (UFC 7 tournament champion) number one student. This
was true until the Randleman defeat, who at the time was the
heavyweight to be beaten. Your biggest weapon was always the
low kicks (the strongest in MMA) and your stand up game. You
have always been considered one of the best strikers in the circuit.
Do you think your game became old or it were the others fighters
that evolved?
Rizzo-
It was MMA that developed, like Emelianenko Fedor, for example,
who is an excellent wrestler and muay thai fighter. He is winning
because he represents a very good MMA game, a complete one. I
have to do what he is doing, to be more complete. I'm training
to evolve my game now. The one who thinks he will win now-a-days
doing just one modality will not win anything.
Takimoto- Tell us a little bit about your recent fight against
Kharitonov.
Rizzo-
I fought real badly. I fought against an opponent who was in
the competition pace and that was it. I felt a lot of ring rust;
after all, I went one year and a half without fighting. It was
not my day.
Takimoto- You still have fights to do in Pride. When we will
see you again?
Rizzo-
Unfortunately, in December will be only the Pride stars, which
are fighting and winning. I hope to be listed in the first Pride
of 2006, have and earn a convincible win so to be invited to
be part of the Heavyweight GP.
Takimoto- What changed in you training routine after the defeats,
mainly after this last one, where you were defeated by TKO?
Rizzo-
I put in my mind that I have to improve some fundaments that
I feel I'm weak. I am improving my ground skills and the takedowns.
I'm sharpening even more the stand up part staying more time
in Holland. I'm trying to become more complete.
Takimoto- What do you think you need to do to be in the top of
the rankings again and to be respected again as one of the best
or the best?
Rizzo-
I think I have to fight against someone recognizable. I truely
need to win against a top fighter and show that I can fight against
anyone. I had the chance to figure between the 4 best, but I
lost. Now I will run and try to be again in the top of the MMA
world.
Takimoto- Fedor is the man to be beaten in the heavyweights.
What is the possibility we have to see any Brazilian conquering
the belt?
Rizzo-
His main opposition has to evolve more. Today you have to know
how to trade [strikes], take people down, know the ground game,
always inverting positions. This is what Fedor does. He is doing
the right MMA game, doing everything. I think this is the thing
that the other fighters must do better to win against him. What
Fedor does is almost the same of what Shogun is doing.
Takimoto- Don't you think about fighting in K-1?
Rizzo-
Not now, I'm very focused in MMA and in Pride. If I had conquered
everything in MMA, I would like to fight K-1. But there are still
a lot of things to happen before this.
Takimoto- What are the differences in the trainings that you
do here and in Holland?
Rizzo-
The difference is that there I'm the shortest and the thinnest;
the human material for the heavyweights there is very big. Holland
is, in the stand up capitol, where Brazil is in the grappling
one. And know I knew a wrestling academy where Russians and Bulgarians
train and they are helping me a lot and sharpening my take down
abilities.
Takimoto- Today, Ruas Vale Tudo has a partnership with top Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu Academy - Nova Uniao. What are your thoughts about
this about this?
Rizzo-
I think it is excellent. Andre Pedreneiras [Nova Uniao] is a
lot like me, we have the same mentality and principles. We are
friends and professionals; we respect the name of the academy
and the name of the fighters to give the best for the academy.
We complete their stand up part and they do the same with our
ground part. It was very valid.
Takimoto- Who do you think are the stand outs of the team?
Rizzo-
I think Antoine Jaoude, Eric Tavares, Vitor "Shaolin"
Ribeiro, Thalles Leite, Jose Aldo Jr., and, outside, some athletes
that Marco is training.
Takimoto- Thank you again, please leave a message to your fans.
Rizzo-
Next year will be a year with a lot of fights and I will win
my very expected classic to put myself again as one of the world's
best. I thank everybody who roots for me.
Source: Maxfighting |
November
12th - 8th Grapplers Quest West in Vegas!
THE GREATEST GRAPPLING SHOW ON EARTH!!!
8th Grapplers Quest West Coast Grappling and BJJ Championships
When: Saturday, November 12th, 2005
Time: Weigh-ins start at 8:00 AM, Tournament starts at 10:30
AM
Location:
Durango High School
7100 West Dewey Drive
Las
Vegas, NV
Download
a tournament package now: http://grapplers.com/article_images/gq_west_8.doc
Pre-Register
online and SAVE up to $30 and $10 per ticket, go to: http://grapplers.com/store/midscreen.cfm
Event
to Feature:
- 163 No-Gi Submission Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Divisions
for Children, Teens, Men, Women, Executives (30-40 yrs.) and
Masters (40 yrs. +) and Skill Levels (Novice, Beginner, Intermediate,
and Advanced)
53 Championship Belts on the line for the following No-Gi Divisions:
Children's
Advanced, Teen's Advanced, Executive Absolute, Masters Absolute,
Women's Advanced and Absolute, Men's Advanced
33 Championship Gold Cups on the line for the following BJJ Divisions:
Children's
Advanced, Teen's Advanced, Women's Absolute, Men's Purple, Brown,
and Black Belts
$5,000
in Cash Prizes: 8-Man Lightweight Tournament and 8-Woman Superfight
Tournaments
LeveRAGE.tv
presents: 8-Man Lightweight Superfight Tournament:
Rani
Yahya (Rickson Gracie)
vs.
Chris Brennan (Next Generation)
Wagnney
Fabiano (Toronto BJJ/Nova Uniao)
vs.
Gilbert Melendez (Cesar Gracie/#2 RANKED SHOOTO Fighter in the
World)
Sandro
"Batata" Santiago (Ralph Gracie - Defending Lightweight
Champ
vs.
Wander Braga (Jorge Pereira Black Belt)
Jeff
Glover (Paragon BJJ)
vs.
Phil Cardella
(Relson Gracie/Arnolds Lightweight Champ)
Alternates:
Jack McVicker ("Megaton" Diaz Black Belt)
More Alternates Needed: Please send resumes to: President@Grapplers.com
LeveRAGE.tv
presents: 8-Women Lightweight Superfight Tournament:
Gazzy Parman (Nova Uniao/John Lewis)
vs.
Kathleen Rozzi (Saulo Ribeiro/Rozzi Self Defense)
Lisa
Plaski (Machado - 2-Time GQ Champ)
vs.
Cathy "CJ" McCue (Alberto Crane/Santa Fe BJJ)
Cindy
Hales (Demon Jiu-Jitsu/Seattle BJJ Academy)
vs.
Jeanette Portocarrero (Jean Jacques Machado)
Amanda
Buckner (AMMA)
vs.
Felicia Oh (10th Planet JJ/Jean Jacques Machado)
Alternate:
Gisele Braga (Rodrigo Medeiros - Revolution Team)
More Alternates Needed: Please send resumes to: President@Grapplers.com
LeveRAGE.tv
presents: 8-Women Cruiserweight Superfight Tournament:
Kizma Button (Randy Bloom/Ground Zero)
vs.
Michele "GrappleGirl" Farrow (American Martial Arts
Center)
Katie
Wilebaker (Paragon Jiu Jitsu - Worlds BJJ Champ)
vs.
Milda Shibonis (Pedro Sauer), 2-Time Grapplers Quest Advanced
Champ
Marianna
Garcia (Machado Black Belt - 2-Time GQ Champ)
vs.
Kelly Paul (Ralph Gracie - Pan Ams Champion)
Christy
Thomas (Relson Gracie - Arnolds Pro Champion)
vs.
Sarah Boyd (Alberto Crane/Santa Fe BJJ)
The
Best Referee Team in America:
Chris Savarese, Brandon Vera (UFC Veteran), Tyrone Glover, Amal
Easton, Alberto Crane, Eliot Marshall, Rick Migliarese, Dan Haney,
Tim Carpenter, Rick Macauley, Chris Moriarty, Andrew Smith, Klint
Radwani, Tracy Taylor, Amilcar "Mica" Cipili, and Randy
Bloom
For
more information, go to: http://www.Grapplers.com
Source: Maxfighting |
Grrr!
The Ultimate Fighter Is Good for America
Lessons
in the Octagon
OK
... so you're not a fan of Ultimate Fighting or mixed martial
arts competitions.
I
can't say I blame you. Fighting is not for everyone.
But
if you can get past the scariness of witnessing two athletes
going toe-to-toe in the middle of a ring called "The Octagon,"
you might find a lesson worth passing on to your kids, or one
for yourself.
Last
week, on Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter," a reality
show that puts the word "real" back in reality television,
aspiring professional fighter Sammy Morgan, a 23-year-old Minneapolis
landscaper and nightclub security person, stepped into the ring
with one of the most talented and fierce fighters the UFC has
ever seen, a completely unassuming guy named Luke Cummo.
Luke
is pretty much a dork.
He
meditates, eats the weirdest concoctions of food and has a unique
way of training. What everybody learned after seeing Luke fight
is that what may look unconventional for some can be the secret
to success for others.
Luke
is one of the baddest, smartest fighters this side of Matt Hughes,
a UFC veteran and also a coach on the TV show.
When
Sammy and Luke squared off, viewers and fight fans were treated
to a round-one action reminiscent of the legendary bout between
Forrest Griffin and Stephen Bonner from last season's finale
show. Round two brought a different reality, however.
Luke
knocked Sammy out cold with a knee to the side of the face.
Why
am I telling you this? Bear with me one minute.
Last
week, I read a story about an apparently wealthy New Jersey family
that is suing New York's famed Plaza Hotel because the hotel
cancelled a Bas Mitzvah for the family's daughter.
The
Plaza is undergoing a massive renovation and the place has to
be shuttered during a time when the party is scheduled to take
place. So a few days after making the booking, the hotel called
the family and broke the bad news.
The
Plaza subsequently refunded the family's $12,000 deposit on the
estimated $21,000 party (a Grrr! in and of itself), and also
covered $2,060 for the family's costs for invitations, pins and
a family photo montage.
But
that wasn't good enough, so they called a lawyer.
You
see, the parents were both engaged and married at the Plaza,
and the wife's brothers and sisters all celebrated their coming-of-age
parties at the Plaza as well.
It's
a family tradition that they were understandably looking forward
to sharing with their daughter. Most people can reasonably understand
their disappointment.
But
a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages for "humiliation,
indignity, distress of mind and mental suffering"?
The
place is undergoing renovations, for crying out loud. These things
happen. Start a new family tradition. Take up the Four Seasons.
How about the Ritz? Surely there are other lavish places in which
to begin new traditions.
What,
the New York courts don't have other things to deal with —
like prosecuting white-collar criminals and drug dealers and
murderers and hit-and-run drunk drivers — that this family
wants to help out the local justice system with something to
occupy their time before dismissing this ridiculous claim?
It's
shocking, to say the least.
But
what does any of this have to do with Sammy Morgan getting knocked
out? It goes right to the heart of what's wrong in our great
nation — a nation of coddled citizens who throw tantrums
in the form of lawsuits every time something doesn't go their
way.
Morgan
was competing for a six-figure contract to become a professional
fighter in the UFC league. The UFC is sanctioned by state athletic
commissions and holds pay-per-view and live fighting events in
Las Vegas, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida and other states.
Sammy
is looking to make his dream come true, and with that comes sacrifice.
It means leaving his jobs to train. It means going to bed early,
exercising like a madman, lifting weights, eating well —
in other words, working hard for a better life, something fewer
and fewer of us are doing to live the American Dream.
These
days, we simply expect that dream. We act like being born in
this great country means we deserve of all the things it stands
for, without the sacrifice.
When
Sammy got his wits back after being knocked out, the realization
that he was out of the competition and back to the drawing board
hit him harder than Luke's knee.
"I
didn't make it," he said. "I didn't make it."
And
then the muscular fighter with the heart of gold and steel at
once, a quiet man with an eye of a tiger, a man you'd want by
your side in any dark alley anywhere in the world, cried his
eyes out. He buried his face in his gloves and cried.
He
then sought out his opponent and congratulated him on the win,
and stood with his head high in the center of the ring while
the ref announced Cummo the winner.
Sammy
had class.
All
the way across the country, in what is a world away from Sammy's
reality, a wealthy and successful family is suing a storied establishment
because their daughter won't be able to have her lavish party
there. What kind of lesson do you think those parents are teaching
their daughter?
I
feel sorry for her. I'll take Sammy's way any day of the week.
Nobody deserves anything, and when things don't work out, lick
your wounds and find another way. Come on!
Source: Fox News |
Quote
of the Day
"The welfare of each is bound up in the welfare of all."
Helen Keller, 1880-1968, American Blind/Deaf Author and Lecturer
|
Kona's
Event "So You Think You Tough" Has Been Moved to December
10th!
Sonny
Westbrook's event based in Kona that features kickboxing and
MMA
has been moved back one week and will take place on Saturday,
December
10th. If you on the Big Island or definitely in the Kona area,
you
haven't lived unless you have checked out one of these events.
Source:
Event Promoter
|
The
Ultimate Fighter Season 1 v. Season 2
The
success of the reality show, the Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV
has been overwhelming and resounding. Still, fans compare the
two seasons consistently and rate the first season far better
than they do this year’s Ultimate Fighter 2. I want to look
at the main differences between the seasons and their fighters.
Which season was better? Let’s compare the two in three
key areas.
Drama
That
is what reality is all about and what makes for good television.
Season 2 started with some smiles, some handshakes, and a few
laughs. This is in stark contrast to Season 1 where Chris Leben
rolls into the house, gets wasted, annoys everyone, and then
pees on Jason Thacker’s bed. Excuse me, “spritzes”.
That one episode was arguably more entertaining than any two
season 2 episodes combined and that’s what Spike TV wants.
They need entertainment for ratings and loyal viewers. Why isn’t
drama like that present on Season 2? Firstly, these guys have
the benefit of having seen the mistakes that the fighters from
season 1 made and the things that worked for them. Why do you
think there has been no binge drinking? Jorge Gurgel was right
on the money about drinking and training not going hand if you
wanted to win on that show. Everyone else must have agreed because
there wasn’t any drunken deviance on season 2, not at all.
The personal conflicts on the show were minimal and the fighters
respected each other on Season 2 more so than season 1.
Enemies
Season
1 saw several house arch rivalries develop and that also makes
for great television. Koscheck and Leben, nuff said. Melvin and
Jorge were the most outspoken on season 2 for sure. Melvin was
eliminated early and Jorge injured himself in his fight with
Jason Von Flue causing him to lose and have to leave the show.
After those two left, the biggest moments in the house were the
water/food fight, Team Franklin in their underwear, Rashad’s
injury practical joke, and Luke pigging out. There was no real
hatred between the competitors unless you count Jorge and Jason,
but that was obviously built up to be more than it was. Hatred
brings out the worst in people and makes them want to beat the
other person more than just to advance. The biggest rivalry on
the show seemed to be Rashad Evans and coach Matt Hughes after
his bizarre antics in the ring against Tom Murphy. The fighters
all seemed to be a lot more relaxed, maybe this carried over
to the octagon, and that made for a less exciting show overall.
Fighting
Pacing.
Plain and simple. Season 2 started with little to no human fireworks.
The worst fight in Ultimate Fighter history occurred between
Rashad and Tom, Melvin and Josh put up a decent fight, and then
Brad and Rob rolled to a disappointing submission that many feel
Rob let happen. In my opinion, the fighters this year all tried
a little too hard at just getting by enough to win. Sure, there
were memorable fights like Gurgel vs. Von Flue, Luke vs. Sammy,
and Rashad vs. Keith but the last two were in the finals. Throughout
the season, the fights were marred by injuries, poor performances,
and somewhat stale decisions. Many fans said that they would
have settled for a cut victory or anything else besides a decision
or another lackluster fight. Season 1 saw many finishes whereas
season 2 saw a whopping total of three.
Season
2 had its moments but it lacked was personalities. Gurgel, Melvin,
and Rashad were the real stars of this show from an entertainment
standpoint. I think for the most part that the show was a success
but it really seemed like the emotion was drained from the house
after a few weeks. There will most certainly be a season 3 and
a loyal following but how will it stack up against the previous
2 seasons? Only time will tell.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Ultimate
Fighter Journal: Episode Twelve
The entire final episode of The Ultimate Fighter 2 featured the
remaining two semi-finals matches. They opened the show with
the revealation of whether or not Jason Von Flue will be able
to compete against Joe Stevenson. Turns out the cut on his forehead
was healed enough for him to fight, so Marcus Davis, brought
in as a backup in case Von Flue was injured, was once again ousted
from the competition.
Dana
White and Matt Hughes favour Joe Stevenson against Jason. It
is implied that Jason is better standing and that Joe should
take him down, but Joe says that he wants to keep it standing
to score a knockout and the $5000 bonus.
That
could have turned out to be a mistake for Joe, but it ended up
turning out nicely despite the fact that Jason was actually dominated
the standup in the first round until Joe decided to take him
to the ground. From there, it was easy as Stevenson was able
to submit Von Flue with an armbar late in the round. He should've
simply taken Von Flue down out of the gate and he would have
finished the fight much more quickly. So now he's set to face
Luke Cuommo in the finals in what should be a very interesting
matchup that will probably garner more fan interest than the
heavyweight fight.
Next
up was Brad Imes vs. Seth Petruzelli. Dana White picks Seth as
the winner, same as me and just about everyone else. Seth, who
has done K-1, was able to dominate the fight early with strikes
standing up. However, in the second round, Seth made the mistake
of taking Brad to the ground where Brad was able to do damage
to Seth punching up from his back.
With
the first two rounds split, the third round saw Brad take Seth
down and pound him on the ground as Seth faded late in the fight
and showed little ability away from his stand-up skills.
It
actually ended up being a split-decision victory for Brad, even
though he clearly won the final two rounds of the fight. He is
now facing Rashad Evans in the finals, which is not the fight
I think most people expected to see at heavyweight. Either this
means that the "top" heavyweights in this competition
were overrated, or that competition at the heavyweight level
is such a fluke thing that anyone can win.
And
that ends this series. The heavyweight competition ended up being
a big surprise, especially with Mike Whitehead and Keith Jardine
both being eliminated by Rashad Evans. Evans looked to have little
heart early in the series, but he has really turned out an excellent,
surprising performance by series end. With the welterweights,
Joe Stevenson making the finals is no surprise. I remember a
couple of years ago I did an article in an old Touch of Evil
Newsletter on King of the Cage where I recommended that two future
stars from that promotion could be Charles Bennett and Joe Stevenson.
I would love to see Bennett on The Ultimate Fighter. Nevertheless,
Rashad-Brad and Joe-Luke are the two finals matches set for this
Saturday night.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Histories make men wise; poets, witty; the mathematics,
subtle;
natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able
to contend."
Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, British Philosopher/Essayist/Statesman
|
Rumble
On The Rock 9: Just Scrap Results
by Michael Onzuka
Rumble On The Rock 9: Just Scrap
Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, Hilo, Hawaii
November 5, 2005
ROTR
has come back to its roots at the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium
with match ups that proved to be short, but action packed. The
time keeper was busy, but the judges weren't as all the fights
ended in the first round with the majority of the fights ending
with a mata leao or reverse naked choke. Some fights to note
in the very fast paced event were Mercado/Rodrigues fight where
both fighters were highly touted boxers. Rodrigues hit Mercado
with a wicked hook that stunned Mercado who kept his bearings
and took the fight to the ground where he controlled the positioned
and eventually secured the choke and the Carter/Dacquel fight
were both fighters were hurt during this very quick bout. Both
fighters clinched and Carter kept a Muay Thai clinch throwing
knees, but Dacquel kept his head up and fired back with some
devastating punches that stunned Carter. Carter countered with
blows on instinct in an attempt to create some space to recover
and caught Dacquel with a vicious knee that opened a cut that
required 14 stitches and finished with straight right to drop
Dacquel and cause a halt to the fight. It was a blood bath due
to the huge cut, but it was probably the most action packed 38
seconds I have seen in a while. I would not doubt that these
two fighters may rematch in the future because both were very
well matched and other than the cut, the fight was going back
and forth. Relative unknown Carlos Condit, a 21 year old sporting
an impressive 12-2 record, proved that he is the real deal by
taking some solid shots from a hard hitting Ross the Boss and
was very active with some slick Muay Thai elbows and knees as
well as some smooth arm bar attempts from the guard. Condit eventually
swept Ibanez, mounted, and pounded until the referee saw enough
and called a halt to the bout. The main event was the most anti-climatic
fight of the night as boxer Sua came out swinging some huge hooks
while Cabbage countered with some crisp jabs. Cabbage softened
up Sua with some leg kicks and then body locked Sua eventually
to the ground after Sua was holding the cage numerous times.
Once they hit the ground, Sua immediately tapped and did not
let Cabbage do any damage on the ground.
Ikaika
“Crazy Brown” Brown (Dirty Curty Team Submit) vs. Mike
Bickers (Nova Uniao)
Bickers by reverse naked choke at 54 seconds in round 1
Devin Telles (Da Barn) vs. Mike Justo (Nova Uniao)
Justo by corner stop due to punches from half guard at 1:02 minutes
in round 1
Maluhia Kuahiwinui (Puna Boyz) vs. Buddy Betts (Nova Uniao)
Betts by reverse naked choke at 2:55 minutes in round 1
Gaven Mata vs. Albert Manners (Puna Boyz)
Manners by reverse naked choke at 27 seconds in round 1 (Mata
was put to sleep)
”Sugar” Shane Nelson (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Isaac Kuikahi
(Mix Breed)
Nelson by reverse naked choke at 3:09 minutes in round 1
Justin Mercado (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Brent Rodrigues
Mercado by reverse naked choke at 1:10 minutes in round 1
Scott “Superman” Spencer (Nova Uniao) vs. Patrick Fonohema
(Team Tama)
Spencer by reverse naked choke at 1:49 minutes in round 1
Jay “Excailbur” Carter (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Jason Dacquel
(Mix Breed)
Carter by TKO (referee stoppage) at 38 seconds of round 1 (Dacquel
had a major cut)
Ross “Da Boss” Ebanez (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Carlos Condit
(Fit NHB)
Condit by TKO (referee stoppage due to punches from the mount)
at 1:27 minutes in round 1
Wesley Correira (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Junior Sua (LAP)
Correira by tap out as soon as Correira took his opponent down
at 1:21 minutes in round 1
|
Source: Event Promoter
|
PRIDE
NEW YEAR CARD
Below are some of the official and unoffical matchups that are
being circulated in the Japanese media for the PRIDE card on
December 31st. A total of 10-11 matchups is expected to take
place on the card:
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Mark Hunt or Rodrigo 'Minotauro'
Nogueira
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. Sergei Kharitonov or Mark Hunt
Vanderlei Silva vs. Ricardo Arona
Dan Henderson vs. Murilo Bustamante
Takanori Gomi vs. Hayato Sakurai
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. TBA
Ken Shamrock vs. 'Tank' Abbott
Paulo Filho vs. Ryo Chonan
'Zuluzinho' vs. TBA
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Belfort
Confirmed for Cage Rage 14
by Pedro Wrobel
LONDON, Nov. 4 — Sherdog.com can reveal that a bout between
Vitor Belfort and Antony Rea has just been confirmed for Cage
Rage 14, scheduled for the Wembley Conference Centre on December
3.
Speaking
exclusively with Sherdog, Cage Rage co-promoter Dave O'Donnell
confirmed two further star-studded bouts, with PRIDE fixture
Akira Shoji taking on UFC veteran Mark Weir and Luiz Firmino,
from the Brazilian Top Team, taking on the Capital City Fighting
Alliance's Tyrone Glover. The participants of the latter match
are fighting for a place at a forthcoming Bushido show.
In
other big news, Cage Rage continues to attract more attention
from the mainstream UK media. Front, a popular magazine aimed
at men, will be running a four-page article covering Cage Rage
13 in its December edition. The February edition of the same
magazine will be running a six-page article on how MMA training
compares with a conventional gym workout.
Their
plucky reporter is currently suffering from injuries sustained
whilst training at the Elite gym in South London.
Cage
Rage 14 has seen a couple of changes from the card previously
advertised. The latest version is:
Vitor
Belfort vs Antony Rea
Curtis Stout vs. Anderson Silva
Akira Shoji vs Mark Weir
Tyrone Glover vs. Luiz Firmino
Alex Reid vs Daijiro Matsui
Matt Lindland vs Antonio Schembri
Mark Epstein vs Brian Adams
Sol Gilbert vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam
Brad Pickett vs. Robbie Oliver
Robert Berry vs. Marc Goddard
Dean Bray vs. Nigel Whitear
Dave Legeno vs. Alan Murdock
Ross Mason vs Darren Guisha
Ryan White vs Mark Buchanan
Paul Daley vs Joey Van Wanrooy
Source:
Sherdog
|
UFC
56 CARD
Below are the official and unofficial matchups that are scheduled
for the UFC 56: 'Full Force' card on November 19th. A total of
eight matchups are expected to be announced soon:
Rich
Franklin vs. Nate Quarry
Matt Hughes vs. Joe Riggs
Tim Sylvia vs. Aussuerio Silva
Georges St-Pierre vs. Sean Sherk
Jeremy Horn vs. Mike Van Arsdale
Stephen Bonnar vs. James Irvin
Sam Hoger vs. Jeff Newton
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Zuluzinho
wants a Pride belt
By Alexandre Lobo
After making his first fight at Pride 30, on last October 23,
Zuluzinho - son of the legendary King Zulú - has already
retook the training and said that is ready to fight and get on
the tops of the biggest Vale-Tudo events of the world. During
this exclusive, the giant of 2,20m and 175kg shows he is not
a big man. Aware of the big opportunity, Zuluzinho promises to
give his best to take to the world the legacy left for his father.
Which
was the sensation of fighting at Pride?
I
accomplished an old dream. I was impressed with the Japanese
fans affection. I didn't even know I would have fans in there.
People are starting to get to know me now, but I have been working
hard for a while. I have fought 37 times in North Region of Brazil
and I defeated all my opponents by KO. Now, I have a structure
that allows me to fully dedicate me to the training. Now I am
working on to be one of the best of the world in the heavyweight.
Pride will have to think about making new larger belts.hihihi
A
lot of people say you are not ready to fight good fighters. That
you are fighting at Pride because of your father.
I
have been following chats and commentaries on the internet. The
most part of people are rooting for me. That is really good.
I am happy about the big affection that the fans feel about my
father. He did important things to the fight history and a lot
of people are rocking because of him. When I say I am here to
payback, I am serious. I know I own my dad to be fighting at
Pride. And I am really proud to may continue his job. I don't
like to be polemical. I just want to be good inside the ring.
Are
you happy with the end of your first fight at Pride?
I
think that the judge committed a mistake. he shouldn't stop the
fight so early. But I understand his decision. Sentoryu accepted
to fight with me besides the weight difference of 70kg and the
height difference of 25cm. He is a good fighter, he was lighters
then me. However, he suffered some knee blows of the head and
fell really fast. But who commands the fight is the judge and
I left the ring pleased with my performance. I am training to
be better for the next event. I hope to make a good show and
prove that I deserve to be there.
What
do you think about your weight?
Well,
I have big and heavy bones, but I know that I would be more agile
if I lose some weight. The problem is I've never had the perfect
training conditions. Only now I have. Now I am calm and focused
to train. I want to be the best heavyweight I could be. A lot
of people are working for me. And now I just need few sponsors
to help hem out to develop my game. Pride, my family and my technician
also believe in me. That's all I need.
There
are some rumors that you are being welded for some big teams...Have
you received some formal invitation?
A
lot of people think that the people from North are outdated.
That we are not reached by advanced techniques. I don't need
rescues. This is just prejudice. Where's the best of Jiu-Jitsu
currently? My technician, Ricardinho Bulldog, is excellent. He's
won 12 Vale-Tudo bouts. I'm training Jiu-Jitsu with him for about
seven years. My Boxing trainer, Lula, already journeyed a lot
of times with Brazilian Boxing team. In Belém and in Maranhão
I have sparrings of my size to beat and to roll in the soil.
I don't need to go to Rio de Janeiro or Curitiba. Pride saw me
here, training at Bulldog Team and I intend to still represent
it. I am happy to be able to show to the North fighters that
we don't need to let our teams to apply to the biggest shows.
When
can we see you fighting again?
I'm
training really hard. Besides my first fight wasn't that good,
I think Pride liked my performance. I don't have anything confirmed
yet, but I am waiting for a new invitation.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot."
Source Unknown
|
Kickin
It Updated Fight Card!
WHAT : KICKIN IT 2005 "THE SEQUEL"
KICKBOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS
WHEN : NOVEMBER 25, 2005 (FRIDAY 6PM - 10PM)
WHERE : ILIKAI HOTEL BALLROOM
MAIN EVENT
BOB ATISANOE (3-0) KING OF THE GIANTS TITLE (2-2) ANTHONY BILIANOR
HSD 251 AND OVER GOODSPORT KICKBOXING
DAVID BALICAO (9-1) SEMI-PRO WELTERWEIGHT TITLE (5-0) BRANDON
VISHER
HSD 140-146 GOODSPORT KICKBOXING
NUI WHEELER (3-1) LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE (3-3) TAVIS KAGAWA
TEAM SOLJAH 130 - 134 LAUPAHOEHOE MUAY THAI
VINNIE DELASANTOS (2-1) SUPER WELTERWEIGHT TITLE ((3-2) DEREK
MINN
TEAM SOLJAH 147 - 152 LAUPAHOEHOE MUAY THAI
THIS FIGHT WILL HAVE LEG KICKS AND THE BIG ISLAND BOY(MINN) IS
A TECHNICIAN IN THAT FIELD. MINNS LAST FIGHT WAS IN THE WELTERWEIGHT
DIVISION. HIS COACH FEELS THAT HE WILL STILL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE
AT THE SUPER WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION WHEN HE MEETS TEAM SOLJAHS
DELASANTOS WHO IS ALSO A VETERAN IN FIGHTING LEG KICKS BUT LOOKS
MORE CONFIDENT WITH HIS HANDS. MINN WILL TRY TO SHOW DELASANTOS
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A KICKBOXER AND A THAI BOXER (W/OUT THE
KNEES AND ELBOWS).
KAIKA CHOYFOO (2-2) MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE (2-0) SHANEN KIRA
JESUS IS LORD 153 - 159 TEAM MIXBREED
DALE KAMAI (2-1) LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE (2-0) NICK TIQUI
TEAM SOLJAH 167 - 174 ANIMAL HOUSE
TEENAGER CHAMPIONSHIPS
BEN RODRIGUES (4-1) SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT JR. TITLE (2-0) LORENZO
MORENO
HSD 158 -165 BULLSPEN
SHAISON LAUPOLA ((3-0) SUPER WELTERWEIGHT JR. TITLE (2-1) TIM
LAPITAN
JESUS IS LORD 147-152 BULLSPEN
RED DAVIS (2-1) SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT JR. TITLE (1-2) EDMUND LI
ANIMAL HOUSE 135-139 HMC
JUSTIN PIAMONTE (2-1) FEATHERWEIGHT JR. TITLE (1-2) DARRYL LABRADOR
ANIMAL HOUSE 120 - 124 HSD
DARRYL (17) WILL BE WITH A REACH ADVANTAGE ON NOVEMBER 25 WHEN
HE MEETS JUSTIN (15). DARRYLS ONLY WIN CAME FROM SOMEONE WHO
HE DIDNT HAVE A REACH ADVANTAGE OVER. JUSTIN WHO USUALLY FIGHTS
IN THE SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT (115-119) WILL STEP HIS GAME UP AGAINST
A HEAVIER AND OLDER OPPONENT. DONT LET JUSTINS GOOD LOOKS FOOL
YOU, THIS PRETTYBOY CAN BANG. DARRYL WILL TRY AND CHANGE THAT.
HIS LOOKS THAT IS.
KIDS CHAMPIONSHIPS
SAGE YOSHIDA (2-1) 11 -13 YRS OLD BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE (1-0) FRED
WAGNER
HMC 110 - 114 HSD
KONA MEYERS 8 YRS. OLD 55# TITLE TBA
HSD HMC
KAI KAMAKA (1-1) 10 YRS. OLD 65# TITLE (2-0) JUSTLY LAQUIHON
808 FIGHT FACTORY HMC
MICAH ABCEDE 9 YRS. OLD 70# TITLE KILEY RAMIRO
EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB HMC
ROBBIE OSTAVICH (2-0) 12 YRS. OLD ATOMWEIGHT TITLE (0-0) WAYNE
SMITH
JESUS IS LORD 98 - 103 ANIMAL HOUSE
JACELYN KIM 11-12 YRS. OLD GIRLS ATOMWEIGHT TITLE JAZLYN KIM
EWA BEACH FIGHT CLUB 98 - 103 GOODSPORT KICKBOXING (MAUI)
THIS WILL BE KICKIN ITS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT FOR A GIRLS
TITLE. THE LAST NAMES ARE THE SAME BUT NO RELATION. YOU'LL FIND
OUT THAT THEY ARE NOT RELATED ONCE THE BELL RINGS. THE EWA BEACH
GIRL PUT ON AN IMPRESSIVE SHOW OF SKILLS AT KICKIN IT 2005 PART
3 IN AN EXHIBITION BOUT AGAINST TEAMMATE TAWNY KAHEAKU. THE MAUI
GIRL WILL MAKE HER DEBUT ON NOV. 25 AND HER COACH FEELS CONFIDENT
SHE WILL PUT ON A GOOD SHOW FOR THIS WILL BE BOTH OF THE GIRLS
FIRST REAL FIGHT.
DAHWEN BRIGHT 8 YRS OLD 60# TITLE JESUS SANTOS
HSD HMC
ALL PARTICIPANTS AND MATCHES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Source: Event Promoter
|
ANDERSON
SILVA MAY SOON RECIEVE BJJ BLACK BELT FROM 'MINOTAURO'
Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' reports that former Chute Boxe star
Anderson Silva is close to getting his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black
belt from Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira.
Anderson
has been training often with the Nogueira brothers in BJJ and
boxing since he left Chute Boxe. "Rodrigo and Rogerio are
like brothers to me. Thanks to them, I improved my ground skills
a lot", stated Anderson.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Dream
Match Up
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski
by Robert Rousseau
There are plenty of outstanding fights that have never taken
place, nor likely will ever take place in mixed martial arts.
I, like many fight fans, often wonder what would happen if the
best that Pride has to offer were to tangle with the UFC. With
Dream Match Up, I’ll break down these fights as if they
were going to happen for fight fans.
DREAM
MATCH UP
It’s
never happened, but what if it did?
Fedor
Emelianenko vs. Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski
What
Fedor brings to the table– Fedor is one of the most powerful
men to ever fight in mixed martial arts. He’s redefined
the ground and pound by becoming the most dangerous puncher ever
while in someone else’s guard, and in his two sound defeats
of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira he showed the ability to literally
power out of submissions by one of the very best jiu- jitsu practitioners
going. What’s more, Fedor is a master game planner. He always
knows how to attack his opponent and doesn’t deviate from
a successful strategy. In his recent fight with Cro Cop, Fedor
demonstrated his tactical superiority by staying in a constant
attack mode which resulted in “The Croatian Sensation’s”
inability to set his feet and deliver the devastating kicks we’ve
come to expect from him. Thus, Fedor actually out struck a man
that may be the very best overall striker in heavyweight history.
Beyond
this, Fedor has strong submission skills, a good chin (also shown
in the Cro Cop fight), and always enters the ring in shape. With
the exception of having never displayed anything significant
in the line of kicking skills, Fedor really has no weakness.
What
Arlovski brings to the table– Arlovski’s hands are
sledgehammers. This was best demonstrated when he knocked out
the previously impossible to stop “Cabbage” Correira.
Since then, Arlovski’s powerful fists have become near legendary,
having taken out the likes of Justin Eilers and a very talented
stand up fighter in Paul Buentello quite easily. In his fight
with Tim Sylvia, Arlovski not only showed the power we’ve
come to expect by dizzying the former champion with a single
punch, but also proved his worth with a successful submission–
the right after the takedown kind that many talented Sambo practitioners
are able to put into play– ending Sylvia’s chances
with a leg lock
Beyond
this, in a few of his fights, Arlovski has demonstrated the ability
to take a good punch. He has also exhibited more than adequate
low kicks.
Despite
a list of impressive knockouts, Arlovski still hasn’t demonstrated
well rounded fighting skills as of yet. How good is his ground
game? How about his wind? It’s been difficult to tell because
his fights don’t usually last long, nor do they end up on
the ground. Why not? Well, in actuality, it’s because no
one ever tries to take him to the ground (most of his UFC fights
have been against guys that prefer to strike). Therefore, even
his take down defense is semi- unclear.
But
he’s definitely dangerous. Very dangerous.
How
would it look if Fedor won?– Fedor would crowd Arlovski
in much the same way that he crowded Cro Cop. This would result
in an eventual take down. And once the fight ended up on the
mat with Fedor on top, the Pride Champion would begin to throw
bombs. Arlovski– untested on his back– would be up
against one of the best guard destroyers in history. In that
type of predicament, things would get ugly quick. Though Arlovski
would show toughness and a good jaw, it would only be a matter
of time before he tired under the tremendous onslaught. That’s
when Fedor would either submit him or the referee would stop
the bout on the account of a cut.
How
would it look if Arlovski won?– Fedor’s attempt to
crowd Arlovski wouldn’t work. Why? Because crowding would
be less effective with Arlovski than it was with Cro Cop simply
because Arlovski’s legs aren’t his best weapon–
his hands are– and hands need less room to maneuver and
gather power. Arlovski would throw his customary fast and decisive
haymakers, scoring on the somewhat less skilled boxer, Fedor.
Then Arlovski would hit him with that punch. You know, the one
that dizzied Tim Sylvia and knocked out Buentello, Eilers, and
“Cabbage.” Fedor would hit the mat like a ton of bricks–
violently knocked out in the first round.
Who
would actually win in the Octagon (UFC rules)?– Arlovski
is dangerous and the Octagon is his home, but it would actually
work against him. In order to win Arlovski would have to keep
it standing and the walls of the Octagon would actually help
the Pride fighter to floor him more quickly. Though Fedor doesn’t
have much experience– as far as I know– at using the
Octagon walls, as is customary with him, his training team would
have him ready to use them come game time. And he would use them,
delivering powerful blow after blow to Arlovski’s face while
the UFC Champion’s guard was tested. In addition, the UFC’s
elbow allowance would actually serve to help Fedor in the dominant
position by giving him another weapon. Only “The Pit Bull’s”
toughness would get him through the first round, but by the second
Fedor’s blows will have done their damage, eventually causing
the referee to stop the bout midway through that round (UFC timed
rounds- five at five minutes a piece) due to a bad cut over one
of Arlovski’s eyes.
Who
would actually win in the ring (Pride rules)?– Unfortunately
for Arlovski, though the ring would be to his benefit, and he
would nail Fedor with a few hard punches in the first round,
Fedor’s chin would once again prove worthy. Toward the end
of the first round, the Pride Champion would finally take Arlovski
to the ground and begin to exert his dominance. By the end of
the second round, a round where the second half would be a demonstration
of Fedor’s ability to ground and pound, Arlovski would begin
to wilt under the pressure. By the middle of the third and final
round, Arlovski, tired and battered, would make a mistake born
of fatigue and Fedor would capitalize with an arm bar.
Winner
no matter what the case– FEDOR EMELIANENKO
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
'CRO
COP' SPEAKS
The PRIDE official website interviewed Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic
a few days after his second victory over Josh Barnett. Here's
what Cro Cop had to say:
Interviewer:
This event had a sub-title of "Starting Over" (only
in Japan). How do you feel about this?
Cro
Cop: It was a very important fight. I put pressure on myself
by fighting Josh, a former UFC Champion, 7 weeks immediately
after I lost to Fedor. I'm glad it turned out the way it did.
Interviewer:
You had the advantage on the ground. Was this in response to
Barnett saying that you don't have a ground game?
Cro
Cop: I was completely better on the ground. I think I had an
advantage over Josh 2 or 3 times.
Interviewer:
You took some knees in the thigh.
Cro
Cop: There was no damage at all.
Interviewer:
You still seem to be tired from the last fight. What do you think?
Cro
Cop: This was definitely a short period for my body. The theme
of this event was "Starting Over", and my opponent
was Josh, so I thought this is something I have to do as a fighter.
Interviewer:
What will you do from now?
Cro
Cop: I'll leave that up to PRIDE.
Interviewer:
How about New Year's Eve?
Cro
Cop: I will be back.
Interviewer:
You said before that you would like to fight Nogueira on New
Year's Eve?
Cro
Cop: Anybody will be fine. That's for PRIDE to decide.
Interviewer:
When would you like to fight Fedor?
Cro
Cop: If PRIDE will put the fight together, anytime.
Interviewer:
You will probably have to fight Fedor in next year's Heavyweight
Grand Prix. What do you think about that?
Cro
Cop: I'm always ready.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."
Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa and Anti-Apartheid
Activist
|
Rumble
On The Rock 9: Just Scrap Tonight!
Rumble On The Rock 9: Just Scrap
Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, Hilo, Hawaii
November 5, 2005
Not
only does Rumble head back to Hilo, but it also returns to the
venue that started it all, Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium. The
same venue that the world’s largest and most prestigious
Hula competition.
Ikaika
“Crazy Brown” Brown (Dirty Curty Team Submit) vs. Mike
Bickers (Nova Uniao)
Maluhia Kuahiwinui (Puna Boyz) vs. Buddy Betts (Nova Uniao)
Gaven Mata vs. Albert Manners (Puna Boyz)
”Sugar” Shane Nelson (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Isaac Kuhihahi
(Mix Breed)
Justin Mercado (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Brent Rodrigues
Scott “Superman” Spencer (Nova Uniao) vs. Patrick Fonohena
(Team Tama)
Jay “Excailbur” Carter (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Jason Daquel
(Mix Breed)
Ross “Da Boss” Ebanez (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Carlos Condit
(Fit NHB)
Wesley Correira (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Junior Sua (LAP)
Source:
RWE
|
ULTIMATE
FIGHTER 2: ULTIMATE FINALE LIVE
TODAY
And On & Coming Schedule
* Saturday, Nov 5 - 9:00 PM - Midnight, ET THE
ULTIMATE FIGHTER 2: ULTIMATE FINALE LIVE
Saturday,
Live on Spiketv - The Ultimate Fighter II Finale
Main
Event - Welterweights
Diego Sanchez vs Nick Diaz
The
Ultimate Fighter Season 2 Heavyweight Final
Rashad Evans vs Brad Imes
The
Ultimate Fighter Season 2 Welterweight Final
Luke Cummo vs Joe Stevenson
Welterweights
Kenny Florian vs Kit Cope
Marcus Davis vs Melvin Guillard
Josh Burkman vs Sammy Morgan
Heavyweights
Keith Jardine vs Kerry Schall
UFC
Upcoming Events and News
November 3, 2005
On
Spike TV this Week -
Click Here for Schedule
*
Tonight, Thursday, Nov 3 - 11:00 PM - Midnight, ET/PT
UFC UNLEASHED
*
Friday, Nov 4 - 9:00 - 10:00 PM, ET/PT
TUF 2 (encore episode #11)
*
Friday, Nov 4 - 10:00 - 11:00 PM, ET/PT
TUF 2 (encore episode #12)
*
Friday, Nov 4 - 11:00 PM - Midnight, ET/PT
UFC UNLEASHED
*
Saturday, Nov 5 - 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM, ET/PT THE
ULTIMATE FIGHTER 2 MARATHON
Source:
UFC
|
ROYCE
DISSES EDDIE BRAVO
Royce Gracie made the following statements on the UG forum regarding
Eddie Bravo:
Royce
when asked what he thought of Eddie Bravo's jiu-jitsu innovations:
"I have no idea what Eddie Bravo is doing with jiu-jitsu."
Royce
when asked if he thought Eddie Bravo got lucky when he submitted
Royler Gracie: "Well what has Bravo done since?"
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Marcus
Vinícius de Lucia Training professionals
By Eduardo Ferreira
Owner
of one of the biggest BJJ academies in American West Coast: Beverly
Hills Jiu-Jitsu Club, Marcus Vinícius de Lucia is concerned
about the development of Vale-Tudo around the globe. As far the
sports grow up, Marcus Vinícius believes there isn't room
for amateurs. That's the reason BJJ back belt organizes the I
Seminário Internacional de Vale-Tudo e MMA (1st Seminar
of Vale-Tudo and MMA), in Rio de Janeiro, on November 17 to 20.
During interview to team TATAME, Marcão talks about the
seminar expectation and what fighters and pupils may expect from
it.
Tell
me how the idea of the seminar came out?
Vale
Tudo is getting developed in all over the world. Brazil is still
the main polo of masters and fighters. We also have specific
professionals working in that area, I mean, for Vale-Tudo. We
are exporting athletes, trainers for many countries and the idea
of creating a seminar came out because of this need. I gathered
together an excellent group of professionals to feature a huge
seminar. I want the pupils to have a high level instruction.
I am positive this course will bring benefits for all and for
the sport.
What
people might expect for the seminar?
They
will be able to watch all the theoretical classes. Who desires
may join the practical ones too. I'll introduce the seminar with
a speech about Vale-Tudo. I will discuss important topical as
history, rules, deals, career plan, training and many other subjects.
Who
else will be conducting the talk during the seminar?
Minotauro
will teach Jiu-Jitsu made for Vale-Tudo and American Darrel Gohlar
will teach Wrestling. Teaching Muay Thai, we would feature Rafael
Cordeiro, due to his excellent job with Chute Boxe, but unfortunately
he will not be able to show up due to Storm Samurai. So, Pedro
Rizzo will replace him. We are also going to have Professor Paulo
Caruso talking about physical preparation. Inside the poll, the
train is commanded by Professor Alexandre da Gama. Both of them
are masters and have great experience with fighters. About nutrition
and supplementation, Dr. Oswino Pena, will chat about it. Former
Vale-Tudo fighter, Jiu-Jitsu master and psychologist João
Alberto Barreto will take care of the mind preparation of the
fighter. Dr. Patrick Fowler, who owns Premiere Clinic, in California,
will talk about lesion prevent techniques. He works with several
Vale Tudo and Jiu-Jitsu fighters and other professional athletes.
Well, I built the "Dream Team" of Vale-Tudo preparation.
You
said there are going to be more attractions. Tell me about your
plans.
The
foreigners will have translation in the seminar. We will also
feature a competition and point fighters to fight at Jungle Fight
and WEC. They will receive prizes and equipment. We are going
to have special guests, who are going to be interviewed as Wallid
Ismaill/JFC, Scott Adams/WEC, Rogério Minotouro/BTT, José
Mário Sperry/BTT, Murilo Bustamante/BTT, Renato Babalu/GBCT,
Roberto Correa/GBCT, Joinha /SPORTV, Marcelo Alonso/TATAME, Flávio
Canto/Judô and others. We gonna have a party to celebrate
the seminar and also a Ring Girl contest. The winners will earn
several prizes!
Please,
send a message to wants to apply it?
I
believe this seminar will add a lot for athletes, trainers, professors,
and fighters. It will be an unforgivable experience. Who faces
the seminar as an important chance will be in a high level of
knowledge. It is such an investment and the return is certain.
There is no room for amateurs in the market. Who want to appear,
has to be professional and know a lot about Vale-Tudo.
Source:
Tatame
|
JAPANESE
OLYMPIC WRESTLER SIGNS WITH K-1
The Japanese media announced that K-1 has signed Japanese Olympic
wrestling silver medalist Katsuhiko Nagata, and that Nagata will
make his MMA debut on K-1's December 31st card.
Nagata
will most likely fight at 185 pounds. He is also the brother
of Japanese pro wrestling star Yuji Nagata.
Source:
Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"Inventories can be managed, but people must be led."
H. Ross Perot, American Businessman/Politician/Founder of Electronic
Data
Systems
|
Rumble
On The Rock 9: Just Scrap Tomorrow!
Rumble On The Rock 9: Just Scrap
Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium, Hilo, Hawaii
November 5, 2005
Not
only does Rumble head back to Hilo, but it also returns to the
venue that started it all, Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium. The
same venue that the world’s largest and most prestigious
Hula competition.
Ikaika
“Crazy Brown” Brown (Dirty Curty Team Submit) vs. Mike
Bickers (Nova Uniao)
Maluhia Kuahiwinui (Puna Boyz) vs. Buddy Betts (Nova Uniao)
Gaven Mata vs. Albert Manners (Puna Boyz)
”Sugar” Shane Nelson (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Isaac Kuhihahi
(Mix Breed)
Justin Mercado (Grappling Unlimited) vs. Brent Rodrigues
Scott “Superman” Spencer (Nova Uniao) vs. Patrick Fonohena
(Team Tama)
Jay “Excailbur” Carter (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Jason Daquel
(Mix Breed)
Ross “Da Boss” Ebanez (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Carlos Condit
(Fit NHB)
Wesley Correira (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Junior Sua (LAP)
Source:
RWE
|
"FABER,DANZIG,
AND MONTOYA EXECUTE AT KOTC"
This past Saturday, October 29th youth was served and the next
generation of fighters made a statement at the taping of King
of the Cage’s “Execution Day” PPV in Reno, NV.
On an evening that not only saw the largest crowd for an MMA
event in Reno in over two years, eight of nine fights ended in
finishes, providing for an exciting night of action.
Headlining
the card where two KOTC Championship bouts as well as a special
feature match showcasing talent from Ken Shamrock’s new
Lion’s Den team. In the main event, KOTC Lightweight Champion
Takumi Nakayama faced off against rising American prospect Mac
Danzig who had what could only be described as one of the best
all-around performances by a fighter all year.
Nakayama,
a veteran of Shooto and ZST, was the favorite coming into the
bout, but had a difficult time the entire evening applying himself
against Danzig. Throughout the whole fight Mac displayed skills
on par with some of the best 155lb fighters in the world, effectively
stifling nearly all Nakayama’s attacks.
Early
in the first round Danzig landed multiple high knees out of clinch
to Takumi’s head, controlling the stand up action before
applying a spinning belly-to-belly style wrestling takedown.
From there Danzig controlled the action, showing great patience
on the ground, keeping Nakayama from escaping or making position
changes. As the round came to an end Danzig managed to take Nakayama’s
back but time expired before he could exploit his advantage.
In
the second round it was much of the same as Mac landed a solid
knee to Takumi’s head as Nakayama came in for a shot. Showing
great heart and warrior spirit, Nakayama managed to work hard
and secure a takedown but Danzig quickly escaped and landed quick
combo as they stood up. It was here that Danzig’s skills
proved to be superior as he showed tremendous head movement,
avoiding nearly all Takumi’s punches, and conversely landing
combos and flurries with crisp, accurate precision. The second
round closed out with Mac landing a hard right hand and sprawling
out of an attempted takedown by Takumi, who try as he would,
couldn’t get any advantage in the fight.
As
the third round opened, Nakayama landed his best punch of the
night with a good counter left, only to be driven back by a flurry
from Danzig. As the two clinched Takumi had his best offensive
output as he attempted many knees to the body, landing a couple,
in an effort to steer momentum his way, but it didn’t last.
As the two separated Danzig landed a hard right hand followed
by knees and yet another flurry of punches, opening up a deep
gash on Nakayama’s head. Takumi’s corner wisely threw
in the towel as a bloody Nakayama was being driven back against
the cage by Danzig’s relentless assault, putting an end
to the fight at 2:45 of the third round.
Again,
Nakayama showed the heart of a champion, but in the end it was
Danzig’s complete performance, standing, wrestling, and
grappling, that won him the title. If Mac continues to do what
he did against Nakayama in his future bouts, he could very well
be the next great American lightweight fighter.
The
evening’s other title match didn’t go nearly as long
as standout 145lb fighter Urijah Faber of the Capital City team
defeated a game, but overmatched Shawn Bias to retain the KOTC
Bantamweight Championship. Right from the start the two very
aggressive fighters had a wild standing exchange before going
to the ground. From there it was even more chaotic as both worked
feverishly for an advantage.
To
his credit, Bias matched the speed of Faber, who is known for
his tremendous energy level, but Urijah’s skill was just
too much for his opponent to handle. As the two worked on the
ground Faber found himself on Bias’ back in north/south
position, from there Bias tried to posture up and flip Faber
off of him using Urijah’s legs, but Faber synched in hard,
locking something of a triangle choke on Shawn. Bias was able
to escape but as he pulled back to stand up and get away from
Faber, Urijah locked on a guillotine choke forcing Bias to tap
out at 1:55 of round 1.
Faber
continues to prove he’s one of the best at the 145lb division,
which is quickly becoming a showcase for some of the best young
fighters around. With the win Faber will now look to defend his
title against top contender Nam Phan or possibly head to Japan
where he could make a big impact possibly in Shooto’s 143lb
division. One thing is for sure, Urijah Faber is a star in the
making, and is definitely someone to keep an eye out for in the
coming year.
In
the evening’s last feature bout, local fighter Richard Montoya
of the new Lion’s Den, took on Aaron Brink in a fight sandwiched
between the two title matches. Montoya continues to improve his
overall game, becoming a complete fighter under Shamrock’s
guidance, as he quickly clinched the former heavyweight Brink
as the fight started. Montoya was able to trip Brink to the ground
briefly before the two worked their way back to the standing
position where Richard applied a standing guillotine on Aaron.
From there Montoya was able to pull guard and finish off Brink
with the guillotine at 1:55 of Round 1.
Montoya
continues to look more impressive each time out, and with each
bout he becomes a more complete fighter compared to his striking-heavy
earlier days. With continued work at the new Lion’s Den,
Richard could begin to make a serious name for himself as he
evolves into a solid prospect at 205lbs.
In
other action on the under card, KOTC staple Ruben “Warpath”
Villereal got back on the winning track, after losing his last
bout to Ricco Rodriguez in July, by defeating an overmatched
Jason Wieff by TKO in the first round of a fight totally dominated
by Warpath. Takefumi Hanai defeated Royce Gracie/Travis Lutter
product Buddy Clinton by KO just 18 seconds into the third round
of their bout after landing a wicked right hand to put Clinton
on the ground before pouncing on him to finish the fight. Hanai’s
unorthodox style seemingly confused Clinton while the two were
standing, whereas Clinton controlled the ground fighting, and
ultimately Hanai’s power advantage became the great equalizer.
Lastly
two local prospects shined bright as well, the first being undefeated
lightweight Ryan Healy, who beat a resilient Adam Torres by armbar
at 3:50 of round 1. Healy slammed his way out of a standing guillotine
choke after missing a big right hand to start the fight. From
there the two jockied for position and Torres even managed to
reverse being back mounted by Healy only to have Ryan apply the
arm bar to finish the fight. Later in the evening local heavyweight
fighter Dan Molina out of the new Lion’s Den looked extremely
impressive as he dominated fellow Reno product Phil Garcia. Just
seconds into the bout Molina got a double-leg takedown and proceeded
to work from side mount to north/south position where he applied
a very Shamrock-esque ankle lock at 1:00 of round one to force
Garcia to tap out. With the win Molina further proves the fact
that the next generation of the Lion’s Den are going to
be tough to beat in the coming years.
Full
Event Results
Mac
Danzig def. Takumi Nakayama by TKO (Corner Stoppage) @ 2:45 of
Round 3
Richard
Montoya def. Aaron Brink by Guillotine Choke @ 1:55 of Round
1
Urijah
Faber def. Shawn Bias by Guillotine Choke @ 1:24 of Round 1
Ruben
Villereal def. Jason Wieff by TKO (Referee Stoppage) @ 3:52 of
Round 1
Takefumi
Hanai def. Buddy Clinton by KO @ :18 of Round 3
Jamie
Jara def. Joe Coda by Split Decision (30-26, 28-29, 30-27)
Dan
Molina def. Phil Garcia by Ankle Lock @ 1:00 of Round 1
Ryan
Healy def. Adam Torres by Armbar @ 3:50 of Round 1
Arron
Jameson def. Stephen Thames by Guillotine Choke @ 1:12 of Round
1
KOTC
“Execution Day” will debut on PPV on November 11th
on TVN, In Demand PPV, and Dish Network.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BJJ
Brazilian Team results available
Gracie
Barra and Pedro Gama Filho were the two big teams of BJJ Brazilian
Team Championship, which took place on October 29, at Universidade
Gama Filho's gymnasium, in Rio de Janeiro. Making his debut in
Jiu-Jitsu, Renato Babalú fought and lost but Gracie Barra
got the heavyweight title, ruling the tournament with brown and
black belts. At the final, Gracie Barra defeated TT Jiu-Jitsu
by 3x1. Over the lightweight division, Barra athletes ended defeated
by Pedro Gama Filho athletes, by 3x2.
Source: Tatame
|
BARNETT
SPEAKS
Josh
Barnett (bottom left) was dominated in both the standup and ground
game, enroute to losing a second straight fight to Mirko "Cro
Cop" Filipovic.
The
PRIDE official website interviewed Josh Barnett a few days after
his second loss to Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic. Here's what Barnett
had to say:
Interviewer:
Do you agree with the decision?
Barnett:
I completely agree. I just didn't think it would go the way it
did.
Interviewer:
Has your shoulder completely healed?
Barnett:
It's healed but it's not 100%.
Interviewer:
Did it have any effect on the fight?
Barnett:
There was no effect at all. The only effect it might have had
was that I didn't train enough.
Interviewer:
Was a standing fight one of your strategies?
Barnett:
Yes and no. Don't you think so now that you've seen it? I wanted
to take it to the ground and finish it there. I'm an MMA fighter
and that's a big strength for me. I've knocked out Takada and
Kitao with kicks. If it had been K-1, I probably would have done
that and I probably would have won. My biggest problem is that
my conditioning isn't good and I didn't train enough. I didn't
have enough stamina.
Interviewer:
How much training did you do? How much time do you think you
would need to win?
Barnett:
I had a month and a half. Normally, if I had a month I would
have been doing a pro-wrestling tour and training for an MMA
fight, so I don't think the problem was the length of time. It's
difficult to do pro-wrestling and train for MMA at the same time.
I can't say exactly what the problem was this time but the entire
reason for my loss is that I didn't do what I needed to.
Interviewer:
What is your next goal?
Barnett:
I have several goals but I need to take another look at myself.
I know to think about it for a while. This was my 36 th fight
since I was 18. I know everyone expects a lot from me.
Interviewer:
Pressuring him life Fedor did made it hard for him to attack
you. Do you think that will work for everyone?
Barnett:
I don't think it will work for everyone. Mirko is quick, smart
and strong. He listens to what his corner man says. Fedor's fight
went very well. Even if we have a rematch, I don't think my strategy
will change much.
Interviewer:
What do you think about Mirko's ground skills?
Barnett:
Mirko is really a basic fighter but he's smart and his way of
attacking was good. That's any important point and I was tired.
I clinched with him but it didn't go well. He used the corners
well, too. I think that strategy was sent from his corner. I
was tired and wasn't able to respond to that.
Source: Fight Sport |
SHAMROCK
FILES PETITION WITH PRIDE
Ken
Shamrock supposedly in disbelief over the controversial quick
stoppage to his fight with Kazushi Sakuraba.
Ken
Shamrock announced that he has filed a petition with DSE/PRIDE
over the controversial stoppage in his fight against Kazushi
Sakuraba, which took place last week on the PRIDE 30 card.
Source: Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy
godmother to
endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity."
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, Former First Lady of the United
States
|
SHIELDS:
TRIGG RUNS HIS MOUTH TOO MUCH
Jake Shields is without doubt one of the most underrated fighters
in MMA. A former Shooto Champion at 167.5lbs, Shields has defeated
some of the toughest fighters around including Jeremy Jackson,
Hayoto “Mach” Sakurai, Milton Vieira, and Akira Kikuchi.
And if that wasn’t enough, earlier this year he defeated
TUF 1 Champion Diego Sanchez at Abu Dhabi 2005.
Yet
Shields, a member of the Cesar Gracie Fight Team, still remains
virtually unknown by the majority of the new generation of MMA
fans. Jake was hoping to change that this year at the upcoming
Rumble on the Rock 175lb tournament. But when he spoke to MMA
Weekly recently, Shields revealed the tournament is going to
be on hold until next year, a fact that he is not happy about.
“The
tournament keeps moving back,” said Shields. “I just
found out today that they moved it to January 20th. First it
was November, then December, and now January. I’m kind of
frustrated about this, I want to fight.”
Jake
continued, “I was really excited about being in the tournament
but I’m getting tired of them pushing it back. I’ve
been training hard for it and am in great shape. There’s
a bunch of those guys I wanted a piece of, Frank Trigg, Dennis
Hallman, and Charuto Verissimo. You know I really want a piece
of Trigg, we’ve had a few words in the past and I think
he runs his mouth too much.”
Now
that the tournament is delayed, Shields will continue to train,
help his teammates, and look for other opportunities before the
end of the year. “I’m not going to wait for the tournament,
I want to take something and I told Cesar today to start calling
around. I’ve been beating the crap out of people in training
and I’m two weeks away from being in fighting shape, so
if something came up that is a good offer, I will take it,”
explained Jake.
Along
with getting himself ready to fight, Shields plans to help teammate
Nick Diaz prepare for his upcoming bout with Diego Sanchez on
the season finale of TUF 2 in November. According to Shields,
his match with Sanchez at Abu Dhabi opened his eyes to some of
Diego’s weaknesses and he’ll pass along those insights
for Nick to exploit.
“I’ll
be working with Nick next week. I saw holes in Diego’s game
that I know Nick can take advantage of. Diego’s a tough
guy, but we’re working on a good strategy and Nick should
be able to take the match. Diego doesn’t have the hands
to stand with Nick. He thinks he does, he’s very cocky,
but Nick will change that,” proclaimed Shields.
After
Diaz’s fight, Shields will again focus on his career, and
as he says, he’s ready to step up and make his mark once
and for all against the best competition around.
“I
was hoping to get in some good fights this year. I was offered
to fight (Hayoto) Sakurai (earlier in the year) but he wouldn’t
fight me. I’m ready to fight anyone now. I don’t know
if I’ll go back to Shooto, making the cut to 167.5lbs has
been tough on me. I’ve been lifting more and getting bigger
so even the cut to 170 would be a hard cut. That’s why the
tournament was perfect for me at 175lbs. Plus I heard the winner
of the tournament was going to fight BJ Penn, I think that would
be a great fight. If that didn’t happen I was maybe going
to call out Matt Hughes and see what happened.”
Source: MMA Weekly
|
TUF
2 HEAVYWEIGHT SETH PETRUZELLI
A newcomer featured on season 2 of Spike TV’s hit reality
show The Ultimate Fighter is rapidly attracting new fans and
making waves. Seth “The Silverback” Petruzelli is a
Cape Coral, Florida native currently living in Orlando where
he studies and trains MMA at one of the legendary Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
schools, and is also on the Dean’s List at The University
of Central Florida with a GPA of 3.0. Seth is ambitious, athletic
and academically impressive and is excited about his future in
the sport.
Cindy
Ortiz interviewed the 25 year-old TUF 2 heavyweight last week.
Seth is 6’ tall, weighs 229-pounds and not only does he
have the best eyebrows in the business, he’s also one of
the funniest and kindest gentlemen in the sport of MMA. In this
one-on-one interview, Seth gives us a little bit more insight
into The Silverback.
Cindy
Ortiz: Hi Seth!
Seth
Petruzelli: Hey Cindy! How ya doing?
Cindy:
Pretty good. Are you ready to get started?
Seth:
Sure!
Cindy:
Had you not become a fighter, what do you think you would have
become?
Seth:
Probably doing what I’m doing now, working in real estate
with my family in Cape Coral, Florida.
Cindy:
Why and how did you get into the sport of MMA to begin with?
Seth:
It was my friend, Carl that introduced me to the sport of MMA.
He started telling me about it and took me to a couple of classes
because he knew I wrestled and was good in karate so he thought
I would like it. I picked up on it really easy and went from
there.
Cindy:
How long have you been training?
Seth:
I’ve been taking martial arts for 19 years and for the past
five years, I’ve been training as a pro. My amateur record
is 1-0-0 and my pro record is 9-2-0.
Cindy:
That’s respectable. Are you part of a fight team or do you
represent a certain gym?
Seth:
Yeah, I fight under Macio Simas Jiu-Jitsu Gracie Barra in Orlando,
Florida.
Cindy:
What martial art forms have you trained in and what’s your
current level of proficiency?
Seth:
Shito-Ryu Karate, 1986-present
Wrestling, 1994-present
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1999-present
Kun Tao Kung Fu, 1993-1995
Muay Thai Kickboxing, 1999-present
Cindy:
Tell me a little bit about your immediate family (parents, siblings).
Seth:
My father, brother and I own a real estate business where we
buy property, fix it up and sell it.
My mother works as a title insurance agent and my sister works
with her.
Cindy:
Are there any fighters in your background?
Seth:
No, but my brother (23 years-old), sister (20 years-old) and
parents are all black belts in traditional karate.
Cindy:
Now that’s a cover for Pro Karate Weekly! Who has been the
single most influential person in your career thus far and why?
Seth:
There have been a number of people who drive me; myself not wanting
to fail at anything I do has been a big part of it. I got that
from my karate instructor Bernie Dougherty. He was a huge part
of my life growing up and without his teachings, I don’t
think I would be fighting professionally. He really went out
of his way to guide each student to be a better person, not just
in karate but in life and to follow the rules. My family is very
supportive, as well, and I want them to be proud of me. That’s
important.
Cindy:
Now Bernie sounds like an awesome instructor. Is he still around?
Seth:
Yeah, he still teaches in my hometown, Cape Coral, Florida. I
would highly recommend his influence and teaching methods to
anyone because Bernie is just one of those people who make you
want to be a better person, and those lessons stay with you for
the rest of your life.
Cindy:
That’s great, Seth. I have also noticed there seems to be
a lot of emphasis on making your immediate family proud of you.
Why is their approval so important?
Seth:
Oh, wow… let me see if I can explain this. The Petruzelli
name… I don’t know; I guess I want to be the first
Petruzelli to really get our name out there… you know, like
be the first famous Petruzelli.
Cindy:
You know Seth, that’s the impression I kept getting, but
I didn’t want to “put the words” in your mouth.
So, it is a “fame-game!” What gives?
Seth:
(laughter) I’ll say it. I want to be famous and I want my
family to be proud of me and look up to me!
Cindy:
Do you come from a competitive family of over-achievers? Every
one of ya’ll have black belts in karate!
Seth:
Oh, yeah. My family is really competitive, but in a good way.
My grandfather on my mom’s side of the family owns shipyards
all over the country and all her family works for them; they’re
very competitive they all have their own shipyard and they try
to make their business better and more successful than the others,
so yeah… I want to achieve something for my family that
is a step above anything they can do (laughter)!
Cindy:
Well, alright then! Who impressed you the most from season one
of The Ultimate Fighter?
Seth:
Forrest, for sure! He’s a great person and is funny like
me (laughter)! I hung out with him at the last UFC (55) before
and after his fight with Elvis and he’s a cool guy and has
the same personality as I do as far as goofing off and not taking
things too seriously.
Cindy:
What was the first MMA event you ever saw and what did you think
about it?
Seth:
It was a UFC event and I’m pretty sure it was UFC: 1. I
was like 12 years-old when I saw it and to be honest, I thought
it was dumb because I was a “karate kid” annnnnnnd
THAT was the best art form (laughter)! Obviously, I’ve “grown
up” since then and appreciate so many of the other styles
out there.
Cindy:
When you showed up for TUF on day one, besides yourself, who
else did you think would make it to the finale in both weight
divisions?
Seth:
Wow; there were a lot of talented fighters on the show. I’d
have to say Keith and Joe (based on my day one thoughts) because
I knew they both could fight.
Cindy:
What were you doing at the exact moment you got the call and
found out you were in?
Seth:
(laughter) I was getting wasted (j/k)! I think I was just watching
TV when I got the call.
Cindy:
What single piece of advice would you give to up and coming fighters?
Seth:
Train your ass off and don’t give up on your dreams, even
if others tell you to. You’ll regret it later if you do.
Cindy:
What do you think fans would be surprised to learn about you?
Seth:
I think they would be surprised at how sensitive I am.
Cindy:
For the record, is Seth Petruzelli available?
Seth:
(laughter) No, he’s not… he’s not. Seth has a
girlfriend.
Cindy:
Do you want to share anything about her?
Seth:
Her name is Leslie and she’s a really cool girl. I think
we make a good team; we both shoot for the stars and we’re
both pretty independent. She’s one of the top mortgage brokers
in the company and she graduated from UCF a few years ago.
I
definitely want to put it out there how much I appreciate all
the support and understanding she gives me. She’s a really
great girl and she makes me want to be a better person and (laughter)
I don’t know anyone else who would put up with me like Leslie
does!
“Take
It From Me” Feature
The
best overall advice anyone can give to potential TUF competitors
is to “expect the unexpected!” Unfortunately, the generalization
doesn’t shed any light on what the experience is really
like. Having gone through it yourself, what would you tell potential
TUF hopefuls they should expect from these key areas?
Cindy:
What should they expect from the housing environment?
Seth:
The house will break all the time. The A/C and electric suck!
The A/C was constantly broken and the power would shut down all
the time. If you were cooking and someone tried to turn something
on, the power would shut down.
Cindy:
From the coaches?
Seth:
To beat you till you puke… then beat you some more (laughter)!
Cindy:
From the trainers?
Seth:
Same as the coaches… and Ganyao to make you do 10,000 elbows.
He’s big on throwing elbows and he taught me a lot. What’s
funny is I’ll be cornering a fight and in the background
I’ll hear Ganyao yelling for the guy to throw some elbows
from clear across the ring! He’s cool, though! So is Marc
Laimon and Peter Welch!
Cindy:
From the Spike TV crew?
Seth:
To make you do retakes. There were times (a lot) when Dana would
get mad and start yelling about something and we’d start
smirking or Randy would be trying to explain a challenge and
we couldn’t keep a straight face! I don’t even know
what was so funny about it all but it would just happen and they’d
make us do the scene again… and again… and again, until
we weren’t smiling!
Cindy:
From Dana?
Seth:
To tell you aren’t tough enough! Dana was messing up, too.
He’d say something wrong or start laughing and would say,
“Oh shit!” and have to shoot it again. Nothing that
would change the outcome or anything, but like someone would
make a noise or something that would make him laugh when he was
trying to be cool or mean and it would mess him up! Dana’s
actually a great guy and he’s just like the rest of us were…
until you pissed him off!
Cindy:
From the fellow competitors?
Seth:
To probably make friends, even if you try to avoid it… and
to see them naked… even if you try to avoid it!
Cindy:
From the public after the show starts airing?
Seth:
To be in love with you! ha-ha! Seriously though, people have
been so supportive when they recognize me and that’s a good
feeling. I appreciate it.
Cindy:
TUF is not a reality show meant for every MMA fighter out there.
What type of fighter should NOT consider doing the show and why?
Seth:
A shy fighter with no personality because you won’t get
any air time. A fighter in need of privacy… well, obviously
that’s not possible. Fighters unable to make adjustments,
like with their training regimen or schedule.
Cindy:
We often hear about a fighters “heart.” What is your
definition of heart?
Seth:
To never give up no matter if you are winning or losing. Never
quit.
Cindy:
How do you prepare mentally before a fight?
Seth:
I meditate and think to myself “no one has been training
as long as I have, so I am better and more prepared.”
Cindy:
Do you get nervous before a fight?
Seth:
Yes, I get very nervous, like huge butterflies in my stomach
all day long; about winning, not about getting hurt.
Cindy:
Tell me the names of a few fighters you wouldn’t mind “mixing
it up with” in the octagon and why.
Seth:
I’d love to fight anyone… especially any of the light-heavyweights
from season one. All of my pro fights were HW and I fought guy’s
way bigger than me. I knocked out Bob Sapp, fought Gan McGee,
so if I’m destroying the big guys, I’m thinking I’d
like to take on some of the 205’ers from season one.
Cindy:
So, you’d be interested in stepping down a weight division
and challenging some of those guys?
Seth:
Yeah, I’d like to.
Cindy:
What are some of the sacrifices you have made in order to compete
in the sport of MMA?
Seth:
Let’s see… I have been in college for seven years because
of fighting and I can’t go out all the time because it’s
not good to when you’re training. I have done nothing but
eat, sleep and train hardcore for fighting for the past five
years. I have been around the world fighting and have met some
great people and have beaten a lot of good fighters because of
it. It’s all worth it.
Cindy:
How many more credits do you need to complete your degree?
Seth:
Let’s see, I need five more classes so that’s 15 credits.
Cindy:
Which is stronger: your mental or your physical game?
Seth:
I’m mentally and physically equally tough.
Cindy:
Do you keep in touch with any of the other fighters from the
show (if so, who)?
Seth:
I keep in touch with all the season 2 guys. They are all good
friends of mine. Great guys!
Cindy:
What is the biggest misconception the public has about the TUF
or the sport of MMA?
Seth:
That we are all bad-ass guys with no respect; we’re actually
quite the opposite. Most of us fight for the competition; it’s
not out of hatred for another person. The sport of MMA is like
a human chess match. I think the UFC and Spike TV are doing a
lot as far as educating the public about the sport of MMA so
it can gain real mainstream acceptance because martial arts is
something just about anyone can get involved with and benefit
from.
Cindy:
Who are 3 established fighters you would like to train with?
Seth:
Cro Cop, Sakuraba and Randy Couture. Actually, I got to train
with Randy during the show and it was great.
Cindy:
But there are a couple of Pride fighters you’d like to train
with?
Seth:
Yeah. When I fought my last K-1 fights in Japan, it was such
a great experience. That was the time of my life in Japan, I
loved it there and me being in karate since I was six and exposed
to the Japanese culture and I love everything about it. I’d
love to fight in Japan. Maybe the UFC will have a show there
eventually.
I
love Sakuraba’s crazy fighting style and I try to imitate
a lot of it with my spinning back-kicks and stuff and training
with him and picking his brain would be awesome.
Cindy:
Yeah, I noticed the kicks when you fought Dan Christison on the
show! What is the strangest experience you have had with a fan?
Seth:
Oh man! I got a funny one! One time when I fought for K-1 in
Japan, I got a call from a Japanese guy to come up to my room
and talk. I thought he was a news guy so I let him in and he
sits next to me like TOOO close and I was like “OK…
when is this interview going to start?” He said, “No
interview; I just want to look at you…” with this creepy
look on his face! I got up ASAP and got my Japanese friend to
kick him out!
Cindy:
You must have been wearing that same wig you have on in the picture
posted on the TUF forum! Seth is a total hottie as a woman, too!
Seth:
Yeah, I am… thanks, Cindy! My friends, family and girlfriend
will be pleased! Just kidding! I have a lot of fun!
Cindy:
How important are fans to this sport and what are some ways you
feel they can show their support for their favorite fighters?
Seth:
The fans are the main reason I fight; without them, there’s
really no point. They can show their support by coming up to
me in public and say “hello” because it makes me feel
good to be recognized for my hard work. They can also buy a t-shirt
at silverbackseth.com!
Cindy:
There you go pimping your site already! While you’re at
it, tell me who some of your sponsors are and how did you secure
them?
Seth:
Sponsors? What are those? Anyone interested in sponsoring me,
please send me an e-mail (budo1437@aol.com). I need some sponsors
and I’ll definitely fight hard to win and make you look
good!
Cindy:
And you’ll pimp their logo on your web site, right?
Seth:
You got that right! Sponsors are very important, especially MMA
fighters because this is a new sport and our athletes aren’t
as well known as most pro athletes, even though MMA is probably
the most physically demanding sport on the planet. Cindy, did
I happen to mention I am in need of some sponsors (laughter)?
It would help me with my training so that I don’t need to
worry about other things; I could concentrate on fighting and
I’d be a great investment.
Cindy:
Hmm… I think you might have said something about needing
sponsors about 15 seconds ago, but I’ll make sure I get
it in at least one more time, just in case! By the way, Seth,
what do you do to promote the sport of MMA?
Seth:
I am on the internet talking to fans 24/7 and I am on a national
radio show every week to promote it and educate people about
mixed martial arts because the popularity of the sport is growing,
but as an athlete involved with MMA, I’m committed to keep
pushing it. Sometimes people get sick of hearing me talk about
it all the time, but that’s what it takes to spread the
word.
Being
part of TUF is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I figure
there’s a lot of other athletes who have the same dream
me and the other season one and two fighters did, so we owe them
their chance to compete because we got ours. I don’t know…
that’s how I look at it anyway.
Cindy:
Do you have a web site, dojo, trainer/instructor, sponsors you’d
like to plug, or a message for your fans?
Seth:
Yeah, www.silverbackseth.com is my web site and everyone should
check it out. There are a lot of pictures posted and fans can
send me an e-mail and say “hello.” They can also visit
me at www.theultimatefighter.tv site where all of the fighters
have online forum fan clubs and we love to hear from you guys.
I appreciate each and every one of my fans because without them,
there’s really not much of a point to fight. Being a part
TUF and the UFC is a dream come true for all of us and thanks
to everyone for all the support and encouragement because it
makes a huge difference.
Cindy:
Well Seth, that’s going to about do it. Thanks for taking
the time to share some of the “behind the scenes” action
with your fans. Good luck next weekend!
Seth:
Thanks, Cindy! I appreciate the interview!
Cindy:
You’re welcome!
Source: MMA Weekly
|
DO
WE FINALLY HAVE MONDAY NIGHT WARS?
Full-Blown Monday Night War on the Verge of Breaking Out?
The
face of Monday nights may be on the verge of changing once again,
with a full-blown Monday Night War having the potential to break
out sometime in the next six months. Information obtained by
MMAWeekly indicates that some or all of the following things
may be on the verge of happening: A) Spike TV continuing to air
UFC Unleashed in the Monday at 10:00 PM timeslot for considerably
longer than the network originally anticipated, B) Spike TV continuing
to air UFC programming in the Monday at 11:00 PM timeslot even
after the second season of The Ultimate Fighter concludes, and
C) Spike TV giving the "TNA Impact" pro wrestling show
a new timeslot of Monday nights at 9:00 PM, head-to-head with
the first hour of WWE Raw.
If
all of those things happened, it would be a full-blown revival
of the famed Monday Night Wars. Instead of WCW Nitro on TNT providing
the head-to-head competition for WWE, it would be a combination
of TNA and UFC programming serving as Spike TV's weapons against
WWE Raw on USA Network. As was the case with the October 3rd
one-night showdown, nobody on the Spike/UFC/TNA side is delusional
enough to have the goal of outright beating WWE Raw in the ratings.
Instead, the goal would simply be to draw away a significant
portion of the young male demographic that often watches WWE
Raw on Monday nights.
Spike
TV first dipped its toes in the proverbial "Going Head-to-Head
with WWE Raw" water by scheduling a live UFC special to
run head-to-head with WWE's return to USA Network on October
3rd, a move that caused Vince McMahon to go into full-fledged
"War Mode," complete with all of the consequences that
pro wrestling promoters have been all-too-familiar with since
the 1980's.
Spike
also decided to continue airing new episodes of The Ultimate
Fighter every week in the Mondays at 11:00 PM timeslot, instead
of moving the new airings of TUF to Saturdays at 9:00 PM as originally
planned. Finally, in news that was broken exclusively on MMAWeekly
in late September, Spike decided that UFC programming would be
matched up against WWE programming on a weekly basis, with new
episodes of UFC Unleashed airing every Monday night at 10:00
PM starting on October 10th.
Why
Spike TV is Strongly Considering These Additional Moves
These
moves are being strongly considered by Spike TV management due
to a variety of factors. First of all, there's the fact that
the Monday night airings of UFC Unleashed have done fairly well
in the ratings when you consider their conspicuous lack of promotion,
and more importantly these airings have significantly cut into
the second-hour ratings growth that WWE Raw typically experiences.
Last
week's episode of UFC Unleashed drew a 1.2 overall rating, the
show's highest yet in the Monday at 10:00 PM timeslot, and it
also drew a 2.2 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-to-34-year-old
male demographic. It seems likely that the ratings for UFC Unleashed
are going to continue to grow as more people figure out that
it's on the air every Monday at 10:00 PM.
There
is also the fact that WWE is very vulnerable right now, and Spike
TV smells blood to a certain extent because of WWE's ratings
collapse since its first show on USA Network. The first episode
of WWE Raw back on USA Network drew an overall rating of 4.4.
The next week, Raw's overall rating was down drastically to 4.0.
The week after that, Raw's overall rating was down drastically
again to 3.6. The rating was 3.9 last week, but the normally
large second-hour ratings growth was non-existent (the first
hour drew a 3.9 rating, and the second hour stayed at 3.9).
At
the same time, WWE Raw has devolved creatively over the past
few weeks into an outlet for the McMahon family to get its jollies
on national television, and the numbers would seem to indicate
that I'm not the only person who has that opinion. (The latest
example would be Vince McMahon making fun of long-time employee
Jim Ross' real-life cancer scare in a seven-minute-long skit
on this week's Raw.) The amount of people who have been turned
off of the WWE product in the past few weeks, as reflected in
the ratings and the huge backlash to various offensive things
that have been done, is a blow to WWE while at the same time
representing a huge opportunity for Spike TV.
The
final factor that has Spike TV on the verge of making a major
commitment to Monday nights is the fact that the first four episodes
of the TNA Impact pro wrestling show on Spike TV have performed
very well in the ratings.
(Even
though it's pro wrestling and not MMA, it's important to talk
about TNA in this case, because any potential Monday Night War
would not be UFC vs. WWE; it would be the combination of TNA
and UFC vs. WWE.)
Airing
in the less-than-ideal Saturday at 11:00 PM timeslot, the first
four episodes of TNA Impact have drawn overall ratings of 0.8,
0.8, 0.8, and 0.9. That is considered a big success for a product
that had never previously been on national cable television other
than a mid-2004 to mid-2005 run on Fox Sports Net, which is more
of a collection of regional FSN affiliates than it is a legitimately
"national" cable network.
As
a result of all these factors, Spike TV has given TNA Impact
a huge test by scheduling a two-hour primetime special that will
air on Thursday, November 3rd from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM (followed
by UFC Unleashed at 11:00 PM on that date).
If
TNA's primetime special performs exceptionally well in the ratings,
and if TNA Impact continues to experience ratings growth in its
latenight timeslot on Saturday nights, sources have told MMAWeekly
that it would become very likely that TNA Impact would be moved
to Monday nights at 9:00 PM, possibly as soon as a few months
from now.
Additionally,
sources tell MMAWeekly that if TNA Impact does indeed get the
coveted Monday night at 9:00 PM timeslot up against WWE Raw,
it would also be likely that a two-hour block of UFC programming
on Monday nights (from 10:00 PM to 12:00 AM) would become a long-term
fixture on Spike TV, all of which would combine to mean that
another "Monday Night War" would be on in full force.
Repeats
of UFC Unleashed could air on Monday nights at 11:00 PM when
The Ultimate Fighter is not in season, and in general UFC Unleashed
is a show that is produced with a large number of repeat airings
intended for every episode. However, as I have written before,
Spike TV would need to actually start promoting UFC Unleashed
at some point, and the UFC would need to incorporate a lot more
behind-the-scenes training footage and interviews to go along
with the old fight footage, if UFC Unleashed is to be successful
over the long run.
Primetime
Specials on Spike TV
If
TNA does not impress Spike TV with its primetime ratings on November
3rd, it would still appear to be very likely that the coveted
February 13th, 2006 slot on Spike TV will still be going to TNA
instead of the UFC. Much to WWE's chagrin, WWE Raw will be preempted
on February 13th due to USA Network's coverage of the Westminster
Dog Show. This represents an excellent opportunity for Spike
TV to put either a TNA special or a UFC special in that timeslot,
and right now it appears that Spike TV is much more interested
in giving that spot to TNA (which may already have that timeslot
on a weekly basis by the time February rolls around).
On
the other hand, when WWE Raw is preempted for two weeks in the
late summer due to USA Network's coverage of the US Open tennis
tournament, the UFC would be much more likely to get a primetime
special on either one of those two dates (August 28th, 2006 or
September 4th, 2006). Those two dates would be prime real estate
for a UFC live fight special on Spike TV because WWE Raw will
not be airing on those dates, and the people who normally watch
Raw would probably be more interested in watching UFC programming
on Spike TV than they would be in watching the US Open on USA
Network.
Regardless
of what happens with the long-term timeslots of UFC and TNA programming
on Spike TV, the UFC has secured the timeslot for another head-to-head
ratings battle with WWE and USA Network on January 16th, 2006
(as first reported by MMAWeekly last week). A live UFC fight
special is scheduled to air on Spike TV head-to-head with WWE
Raw on that date.
There
should be absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that this will
be seen by Vince McMahon as another "act of war," so
don't be surprised if you see WWE magically decide to make the
January 16th, 2006 episode of WWE Raw one of its biggest shows
of the year, just as it did with the October 3rd show.
Additionally,
there will be two occasions over the next couple of weeks on
which repeat UFC programming will be airing head-to-head with
WWE programming. First, the 11th and 12th episodes of The Ultimate
Fighter 2 will be re-airing on Spike TV on Friday, September
4th from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The first hour of that block will
be going head-to-head with WWE Smackdown on UPN, which has been
drawing overall ratings in the 2.5 range in its new timeslot
of Friday nights from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Finally,
one of the scheduled replays for "The Ultimate Finale"
of TUF's second season will be airing head-to-head with WWE Raw.
After its first airing at 9:00 PM on November 5th, the three-hour
"Ultimate Finale" telecast will be re-aired at midnight
that same night; then again at midnight on Sunday night, November
6th; and finally once more at 10:00 PM on Monday night, November
7th, head-to-head with WWE Raw. You can bet that all parties
involved will be watching very closely to see what affect, if
any, the Ultimate Finale airing will have on Raw's second-hour
ratings growth.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"The production of too many useful things results in too
many useless
people."
Karl Marx, 1818-1883, German Political Philosopher and Social
Theorist
|
Is
Ken Shamrock Finished?
Let
me pose a simple question to you: coming off his knockout (albeit
controversial) loss to Kazushi Sakuraba this past weekend, is
the legendary, UFC icon Ken Shamrock finished? There is a very
simple answer to this question and it is neither yes or no.
The
answer is that he was finished years ago. Ask Fujita. Or Tito.
Or Rich Franklin. Or Dan Severn after UFC 9. The point I'm making
with this roll call of Shamrock losses is that he has been finished
for nearly ten years now. That's actually just one of the points
here. The other is that a fighter can be finished forever but
will still be around. Ask Evander Holyfield. Or Mike Tyson. Or
Sakuraba himself.
Shamrock's
fight against Sakuraba was a bad loss. You can't get knocked
out by someone so much lighter than you and not be embarassed,
even if the ref stoppage was quick and even if the fight was
setup so that Sakuraba could score a win over a big name. No
matter what the underlying circumstances surrounding the finish,
it was still a bad fight for Shamrock. He still got tagged with
that punch from Sakuraba. And he still stumbled back.
But
Shamrock, who is a terrible boxer even by MMA standards, has
stumbled back metaphorically many times before. The loss to Dan
Severn, his final fight as UFC Superfight champion, was a joke.
It remains the worst (or maybe now the second worst, ask Ivan
Salaverry) fight in UFC history. It was a big deal fight on pay
per view, a big deal fight at the live gate, but the end of the
fight was no big deal as Severn won a joke decision in one of
the most boring fights any of us have ever witnessed, even if
we've never witnessed it. It hurt Shamrock's credibility badly,
and it was such a terrible match that it derailed Severn's career
for good despite the fact that he was the guy that won the decision.
So
Shamrock fought once more in UFC (a win against Brian Johnston)
and left for WWF. And then he came back years later, showing
up in Pride in 2000 with a win over pro wrestler Alexander Otsuka.
Fine. But what wasn't so fine was his performance against Kazuyuki
Fujita. He just gassed out. They were clinched in the corner,
Shamrock was gassed, and he gave up. I asked him about that fight
when I interviewed him for my book, and he gave the same reason
he's given in many other interviews: he had no reason. He was
unprepared. He just gave up.
But
that was years ago now. People forget about the failures of a
big star if they stay away long enough and then make a comeback
at the right time. The difference between the Fujita and Sakuraba
losses, though, is that now Shamrock is past the age of forty.
How long can he stay away at this point? How many comebacks does
he have left?
As
many as he wants, since Ken Shamrock is an image and not a fighter,
and as long he he keeps himself in physical shape and makes all
those great excuses that casual fans believe and then comes back
at the right time against the right opponent, his age is limitless.
I can't imagine him retiring while he still looks fairly young.
Same with Sakuraba. People in the U.S. talk about Sakuraba retiring
constantly. Sakuraba will retire when he's dead. He's not anywhere
close to the end. By far.
Shamrock
can write off the loss to Sakuraba as a fluke loss. The ref stoppage
is his excuse, just like slipping (or whatever) was his excuse
against Franklin and whatever injury he had was his excuse against
Tito and a bad decision was his excuse against Don Frye in that
loss. People believe it. I don't but people do. And that's okay,
because belief is the foundation of image, and image is everything
and that is what draws at the box office. Shamrock can lose as
many fights as he pleases, but he will never be finished until
he fights in the United States in a match that doesn't draw.
When that happens, not even another rematch against Kimo can
save him.
Source: Maxfighting
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Interview
– Renato "Babalu" Sobral
Takimoto- Hello Babalu, you are coming off 9 straight victories.
That is 3 years without losing and you are consistently ranked
as one of the top ten in the world at 93kg (205 lbs). Do you
feel you have arrived at the time of being the real champion?
Sobral- I don't know. I'm fighting of course. It all depends
on the promoters and my manager. Put someone will be in my line
of fire and I am going for the kill.
Takimoto- Tell us a little about your preparation for the recent
fight against Chael Sonnen?
Sobral-
Well, this fight was really difficult because I had a lot of
problems. First because of the weight limit, I did something
wrong with my diet and I arrived 9kg heavier and had a lot of
difficulties to achieve the 93kg limit and it left me very tired.
Besides that, I was coming from an injury and because of that
my preparation was very different. My first month was only physical;
the second was more the technical part. In reality, I fought
in a rush, I was 65% prepared. But my coaches always believed
in me and I fought because I wanted to.
Takimoto- What did you know about his fight style?
Sobral-
I knew he was part of the national wrestling team, and that we
was coming very well trained. This fight was the chance of his
life.
Takimoto-
Tell us how the fight was.
Sobral-
To tell you the truth I don't even remember really well. Everything
was real fast, with alot of positions. I only know that I won
by triangle.
Takimoto- Before the fight, you promised to destroy his face.
Did you acheive that?
Sobral-
I didn't have time. The only thing that I have time to do was
to break his foot with a heelhook and submit him.
Takimoto- Now you have one fight left in your contract. You have
a proposal from Pride or do you prefer to stay in UFC?
Sobral-
This thing my coaches and my manager decide. My desire is to
become rich.
Takimoto- With the Gracie Barra Combat Team you already have
5 victories, 3 by submission, 1 by KO and 1 by unanimous decision.
Can your style now be called Gracie Jiu-Jitsu?
Sobral-
It can be called an upgrade in my career because of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Takimoto- Do you know what will be your next fight?
Sobral-
Not yet, I only will know after UFC 56.
Takimoto- Is there anybody that you wish to fight?
Sobral-
Forrest Griffin. He thinks he is a star [because of TUF popularity]
but he knows that I am the real star. But he already let it clear
that he doesn't want to fight against me. Let's see if the matchmaker
can put this fight together.
Takimoto- And how about Chuck Liddell?
Sobral-
Somewhere along the way he will be on my schedule. But his next
fight is against Couture. I don't want to keep making challenges
to him. But I do want to fight against the champion. So whoever
comes, I will crash. Thank you guys!
Source: Maxfighting
|
Joe
Lauzon - Making His Way
Joe Lauzon is coming off of a first place finish at the NAGA
North American Grappling Championships, winning the 150-160 pound
expert division. Along the way he defeated Lloyd Irvin standout
Mike Easton via kneebar.
Lauzon
is 8-2 in his professional career, with a win over tough UFC-vet
Mike Brown to his credit. He did not fair as well in his last
fight against UFC competition, losing in the main event of APEX
Championship Fighting: Undisputed to Ivan Menjivar.
His
interest in mixed martial arts (MMA) did not come about through
the typical story line, instead taking up fighting with his friends
through an infatuation with professional wrestling.
“When
pro wrestling was big it seemed like my entire high school was
crazy over it. We didnt have a wrestling team, but we would try
and wrestle with each other, and make each other tap out and
give up.”
Lauzon
continued, “Then my trainer (Joe Pomfret) came and did a
Jiu Jitsu and Karate demo for our high school at an assembly,
and that was that.”
Soon
after that he was taking grappling classes, and could not get
enough of his new sport.
“I
was hooked from the start. We had guys training for fights, and
I was doing fine against them, so of course I wanted to try too.
My only real problem was that I wasn’t old enough; you have
to be 18 in Massachusetts,” he said.
He
fought in his first match just two weeks after his 18th birthday,
and has not looked back.
Joe
reflected on his first spotlight match, against hard-hitting
American Top Team fighter Mike Brown at Combatzone 8. Brown came
in to the match with an 8-2 record, his only losses to top lightweights
Genki Sudo (at UFC 47) and Hermes Franca.
“The
fight with Mike was tough because he is very good at controlling
from the guard,” he said. “I was so exhausted from
trying to make things happen. I even started creating openings
for him to pass my guard so I could try and catch with a sweep
or a submission. It eventually worked when I caught the sweep...
but it was a very physical fight.”
Unlike
the fight with Brown, Lauzon felt that against Menjivar he let
the size of the event get to him. Fighting for one of the largest
shows in Canada against a competitor that took Matt Serra the
distance, he lost his focus.
Lauzon
stated, “I think like a lot of people, I let a big fight
screw with my head. I went in there and just fought; everything
we had worked on and planned went out the window, which really
bothered me after the fight.”
He
gave Menjivar the credit due for the win, but clearly had his
regrets. “Ivan is a badass, but I felt fine in there with
him.”
One
glaring problem in the Menjivar fight stems from unique rules
the state of Massachusetts has for MMA, where knees and elbows
are prohibited.
“One
major shortcoming I have had is the lack of training with knees
and elbows. We can't do them in Massachusetts, so we don’t
really work on them that much, because most of our fighters only
fight locally,” he said. “So I don’t think I made
any mistakes in the fight, it was more of a mistake in how we
trained for the fight.”
Just
keeping MMA legal in Massachusetts has been a struggle, with
uneducated local communities clamping down on events they see
as brutal and excessively violent. Seeing this first-hand, Lauzon
knows that there is a delicate balancing act in working with
the state’s boxing commission to keep MMA legal, which means
sacrificing knees and elbows at this stage.
“It's
coming around. The boxing commission has been making steady progress
with MMA, and that’s all we can ask for. We really want
knees and elbows, but we don’t want to deviate from what
the boxing commission set as rules, because we have a clean history
and don't want to change anything, and have something happen.”
Next
up for Lauzon is Combatzone: Night of Champions, where he will
face King of the Cage and Superbrawl combatant Antoine Skinner,
who comes in at 16-4 and a wealth of experience.
“I
have some video on him, so I think I have a good idea of how
the fight will play out. He looks really strong…a good explosive
wrestler,” Lauzon said. “He likes to throw his hands,
but I'm not really all that worried about any of that. I've been
in there with really strong wrestlers before, and, I think, more
accomplished wrestlers, and I've done pretty well.”
In
addition, Lauzon is looking to his previous loss not as a confidence
drain, but motivation to step up his game at the next chance
he gets.
“I
wouldn't want to fight me after a loss,” he said.
He
continued, “I'm my own biggest critic. Even when I win,
I watch tape and look at every single exchange and transition,
and break it all down as to what I did well or what I could have
done better. So even after a win, I'm pretty critical over what
went on... but after a loss, its about 10 times worse. My cardio
will be great, I feel crisp in standup and wrestling, and once
it hits the ground I am always at home.”
With
fights against Brown and Menjivar, a win over Skinner could very
well put Lauzon within striking distance of a fight in Pride
or the UFC. But, despite his accomplishments at a relatively
young age, Lauzon has managed to keep his perspective; he fights
for the challenge and the enjoyment, not promises of glory and
startdom.
“I'll
keep working on things, and when it happens it happens. I'm doing
this for fun; if it’s not fun, I have no problem walking
away from fighting,” Lauzon said.
Lauzon
maintains a busy fighting and training schedule, but also has
other things on the horizon.
He
replied, “On a normal basis, we train 4 days a week, Monday
through Thursday. Monday is kickboxing and grappling, Tuesday
and Thursday is grappling, and Wednesday is MMA. We train around
1.5 to 2.5 hours a night, and then take the weekend to rest and
heal up. Then by the time Monday comes, all you want to do is
train.
“I
go to school full-time, and I work. Right now I'm on Co-Op, so
I'm working full-time at a job in my major for the semester,
because I had classes all summer. So I [fight] until the middle
of January, and then it’s back to classes. I keep telling
everyone January is the start of Fight Season. I would like to
fight once a month from January until August. I like always having
something ahead of me, to keep me on top of things.”
Joe
wanted to make the following thanks as he continues to prepare
for his next fight: “Just wanna thank all the guys who help
me out with training, all my guys at RSD and South Shore Sportfighting.
They kick my ass on a regular basis to get me ready for fights,
and I wouldn’t be doing it without them.”
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which
it is impossible to be silent."
Victor Hugo, 1802-1885, French Poet/Dramatist/Novelist
|
The
greatest JJ fighter of all time
Authorities on the sport choose Rolls Gracie, almost unanimously,
to defend the 70's
First of all, let’s agree that, before 1970, three fighters
reigned undisputed through Brazilian mats: Masters Carlos, Helio
and Carlson Gracie. Out of respect they’re not in this election.
From the 70’s on, Carlson dedicates himself exclusively
to teaching the “smooth art,” as had done the other
two Jiu-Jitsu legends. Therefore, a new generation of fighters/competitors
starts to show their worth. It is the goal of this report to
point out who was the best offspring of the generations that
followed the three pioneers of the sport in Brazil. On this first
step, GRACIE Magazine heard ten Jiu-Jitsu authorities who answered
two simple questions: Who was the best fighter in the seventies?
And why?
In
the opinion of eight jurors, Rolls Gracie is the great name of
that period. Sergio Ires, known as Serginho de Niteroi, got two
votes and arrived in second. There was no third place. The recurrent
explanation for Rolls superiority was his versatility. “He
had a phenomenal ease to learn everything. He was good at boxing,
judo, wrestling, and so he perfected his Jiu-Jitsu, which was
already excellent,” says master Osvaldo Alves. Rolls was
also remembered by most voters as one of the most charismatic
fighters in Brazilian martial arts history. Gracie was about
to win this election with 100% of votes until we called Master
Carlson Gracie in Chicago. The temperature over there was around
0o F, but Carlson set the voting on fire: “I choose Serginho
de Niteroi. Rolls never beat him.”
Helio
Gracie had already warned us: “My son, the whole truth is
something no-one is ever going to know.” Carlson’s
statement generated a huge controversy. His right-arm, Osvaldo
Paqueta, confirmed that Rolls used to lose to Serginho while
training. However, many of the fighters of the time, who didn’t
want their names to be published, guaranteed the information
was fake. It would be the reporter’s job to get Rolls and
Sergio back together to ask: “After all, which of you was
the best fighter in the 70’s?” Too late, for they’ve
both passed away. Rolls had a fatal kite accident. Serginho was
a victim of Rio de Janeiro’s violence in 2000. “They
could set the record straight by training up in heaven,”
jokes Master Fernando Pinduka, who, in spite of being one of
the famous disciples of Carlson, disagreed with his professor
and voted for Rolls.
We
don’t know for sure in what year those trainings Carlson
saw where Sergio beat Rolls took place. Ires was seven years
older than Gracie. That is, if they did train in 1970 (as many
believe), Serginho was 26 and Rolls only 19. It’s no rule,
but fighters’ pinnacle is usually attained around 27, when
the athlete obtains a good combination of experience and physical
strength. In this case, teenager Rolls was in disadvantage before
an almost 20 lb heavier adult Serginho. “Serginho used to
win in the beginning, but in time they became leveled, and Rolls
turned into a phenomenon,” recollects Master Carlson, unwillingly
defending this paragraph’s theory.
Lack
of records hinders election
In
the 70’s the Jiu-Jitsu championships were rare. “What
used to happen a lot was that the guys from one gym went to visit
another academy, which, in turn, paid the visit back,” tells
us Osvaldo Paqueta. Besides, there was the strong culture of
training behind locked doors. What happened inside the academy
died there, a sort of silence-law respected to this day. To make
it worse, the Jiu-Jitsu Federation, founded in 1967, held the
first championship only in 1973. Old-timer photojournalist /
tough guy Ricardo Azoury recalls that the number of black-belts
was very restricted at the time: “The most expected fights
were in blue and purple belts.” As there was no martial
arts “market”, there weren’t any specialized magazines
that would register the trainings, results and main events in
those days. Therefore, all that’s left to the future generations
is a couple of pictures and the memory of such witnesses as Master
Rorion Gracie: “I remember at that time Rolls lived, slept
and breathed Jiu-Jitsu. He was very active and competitive…
My vote is an homage to him.”
Master
Pinduka shares Rorion’s thinking path and points out, perhaps,
Rolls’ main advantage over Serginho: “Niteroi was less
of an athlete. He fought less championships, was a politician
and wasn’t all that dedicated to the sport. Rolls was more
of a competitor, he won all the challenges and was always on
the spotlights.” At one of the few times he entered a tournament,
in the mid-seventies, Sergio defeated by points no-one less than
Rorion Gracie. Rolls was also impeccable at competitions. Once
he broke an opponent’s arm with a flying armlock, at 20
seconds of combat. “Of course Rolls didn’t mean to
do it. The strike was so fast there was no time for the adversary
to give up,” recollects the black-belted policeman Redley
Vigo.
But in a championship at Melo Tennis Club, around 1976, Rolls
won a close fight against Paulo Roberto de Carvalho, or Paulo
Boca (“Mouth,” in English), his friend from the wrestling
and judo trainings. GRACIE Magazine located Boca, now 53 (that
is, in February ’04) and asked him to talk about the fight.
“I weighed 30 pounds more than Rolls, which meant nothing
in the face of his technique. He could fight standing –
he never ran away – and he confronted me at judo. We both
risked a few takedowns till the fight went to the ground. He
was at the bottom. I was trying to pass the guard and he was
trying to sweep me. The time ran out and the judge gave him the
victory. Part of the crowd jeered at the result, but I respect
the judge’s decision,” says Paulo Boca, who deems Serginho
a great name in Jiu-Jitsu history, but votes for Rolls.
In
Serginho’s opinion, the best was…
Before
closing the election for the 70’s hall of fame, we looked
for Sergio Ires Jr., Serginho’s son, to find out whether
he had any information relevant to this report. Bull’s eye.
At age 31, Junior recollects that his father and Rolls were great
friends: “They adored each other, there was no competition
between them. I guess out of respect for their friendship, my
father didn’t enroll himself in the same tournaments as
Rolls.” Mrs. Selysette Marques, Serginho’s widow and
mother to Sergio Jr., tells us that, to Niteroi, the greatest
fighter of all time was Carlson Gracie. She doesn’t remember
the trainings between Serginho and Rolls, but she guarantees
her husband never lost to any of the Gracies. “Rolls was
a sweet person, Sergio never told me anything about their serious
trainings. They were very close in those days,” Selysette
recalls.
“Those were romantic times,” summarizes Master Romero
Jacare. “In the championships, for instance, there wasn’t
any of today’s organization. People would sell oranges at
the benches to throw at the athletes. There was always a barbecue
running loose, with smoke on the fighters’ faces –
fighters who battled under a zinc roof, that is, at 100oF!”
he completes – his vote was for Rolls too. Finally, the
State of Rio de Janeiro’s Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s president,
Master Robson Gracie, concludes our retrospective with great
conviction: “Rolls was the best Jiu-Jitsu fighter ever.”
Thus Gracie wins our election by an undisputed advantage of six
votes in relation to second placer Serginho de Niteroi. Some
of the jurors in this report point out that, at the end of his
reign, maybe a year before dying, Rolls beat easily a new black-belted
member of his family, one who was just starting to be noticed.
A certain Rickson Gracie… But that is for the second part
of our “The greatest of all time” series,” concerning
the eighties.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Wanderlei
opens his guard
Chuteboxer recognizes bad fight against Ricardo Arona and fires:
“I think about this rematch all the time”
Having recently come home from Europe, Chute Boxe star Wanderlei
Silva thinks of nothing but preparing for this year’s last
Pride edition, scheduled for the night of December 31st, in the
Saitama Super Arena. And in that mood he has already chosen the
ideal opponent for the fight: Ricardo Arona, against whom he
intends to put his belt at stake. After hearing critiques on
his performance and nearly weeping as he returned to Curitiba,
with the homage given him by the teammates after the dramatic
loss, Wand spoke to GRACIEMAG.com, among other issues, about
the relation between his losses to Arona and Belfort, the plan
of competing among the heavyweights in 2006 and what it was like
to play ball with no one other than the greatest football player
in the world, Ronaldo Gaucho, his fan (and idol).
In the fight with Arona, which defined one of the Pride GP’s
finalists, what was your tactical mistake? Why didn’t you
play aggressively from the start?
I used a completely wrong strategy. I was waiting for him to
attack, which he didn’t; I remained in this dilemma and
got the worst of it. And when we hit the floor I should have
played a little more Jiu-Jitsu. But I’m not here to whine;
when it comes to me it’s “you win, you win,” or
“you lose, you lose.” There’s no crying over losses,
nor saying, after losing, that it was due to hitting my head
against the ground.
Do
you agree with those who say, as he did himself, that Arona beat
you both standing and on the floor?
Except he didn’t fight anything either, it was an awful
match. Of the two takedowns he applied, on one I slipped and
on the other he just ran in my direction and I ended up falling.
And standing I got a few kicks right, but that was pretty much
it. Actually it was a bad fight, we both fought poorly.
What
went through your mind in the first few moments after the fight?
At the time I was upset, when I got off the ring my only desire
was to leave the place, but the boss [Rudimar Fedrigo] talked
to me and calmed me down. He is a tremendous coach, a perfect
leader, he knows just what to say at the exact time. Soon I cooled
down and went on to support Shogun, which was the right thing
to do at the time. The moment he was stepping into the ring I
yelled, “Finish that guy,” and we all know he did just
what I requested [laughs].
After
the loss, were you disappointed at yourself?
I was sad for my performance, after all the fight was ugly and
boring, quite unlike the way I like to play. At home I watched
it twice and decided I’m never watching it again. Not because
of having lost, as I’ve stated, but for my attitude. However,
this ill success made me reconsider a couple of deficiencies.
Losing is always a bitch, but I’ve drawn a few conclusions
from it. I also realized that this year I had a tough routine,
with a bunch of injuries, which did hinder me a bit. I was well
prepared, but a little tired from all the fighting and injuring.
Soon
after the match you declared not to be all that interested in
fighting Arona again. What happened?
I said that because I had just been knocked out. But I have already
asked the boss to schedule the new year’s eve fight with
Arona as soon as possible, and now with the title at stake. I
think about this rematch all the time – earlier today I
was beating the bag thinking of Arona. And I know he’ll
accept to fight me because he thinks he did a terrific fight,
when what actually happened was that we both fought terribly.
Despite
the sadness, you had something to celebrate with your teammate’s
win. How do you evaluate Mauricio Rua’s exhibition throughout
the Grand Prix?
His victory was undisputed, there was no doubt he was the best
this year. He beat the toughest guys and displayed his talent
impeccably. After he defeated Quinton Jackson he went on showing
the finest fighting skills. He took part in the fight of the
year against Rogerio Minotouro and if he keeps it up he’ll
remain at the top for a long time. There’s something very
positive about him, that is, not to see much difference among
the guys he faces. Shogun takes on anyone he is put up against
and lets his game loose. In spite of being newer than me in the
academy, he’s got a lot to teach me.
What
did you feel as you returned home? Was it any different?
I saw that that some things happen for us to perceive we have
friends beside us. Both my family and my co-workers gave me a
lot of support. I arrived at Chute Boxe after coming from Japan
thinking people were going to treat me differently, but it was
just the opposite and that was really moving. Everyone there
applauded me and I realised they are on my side in the bad moments
as well. This reception in Curitiba was very comforting and gave
me a lot more will to show my potential, which stimulates me
into training even more.
Do
you consider this moment as dramatic to your career ass your
loss to Belfort? Can you trace a parallel between theses fights?They’re
different moments, but they were both really hard. The loss to
Vitor was quite complicated, but the lesson that issued from
the one against Arona was knowing that I’m a much better
fighter than I showed there. This time I was truly disappointed
at my Jiu-Jitsu. When the fight ended I was sure I had lost.
I’m really hard on myself, I can’t accept such an exhibition.
I can hardly wait to fight again.
Were
you disappointed at the criticism from the fans? What would you
like to tell your critics?
I’m never shaken by criticism. I’ve been competing
for a long time now and I take it as normal. I doesn’t happen
only to me, you know, but with many athletes in all sports. And
some of the criticism is good – as well as sincere when
they come from my friends and fans. What I want is to apologize
to the fans, not for having lost, but for having fought that
way. I’d like to tell them that now I’m gonna show
them all my potential and do what they all expect from me, that
is, to give a spectacle.
Next
year there’s the Heavyweight Grand Prix. Are you really
thinking of taking part, and how do you see your prospects?
My contract with Pride ends in and I’ll see what they offer
to negotiate from there. If I win on new year’s eve it will
be a lot easier, we’re always in evidence after winning.
If it’s a good offer, I’m in, I want to take on those
guys next year. And they might actually match me against Cro
Cop, whom I’ve already fought, but there are plenty of new
guys arising who can make good fights against me.
During
your stay in France you played ball with Ronaldo Gaucho before
Barcelona’s game with Saint Ettiene. So now he is a fan
of yours?
[Laughs.] Ronaldo is a nice guy. He told me he watches my fights
and likes MMA. I played some ball with him, tried to pull something
out, but felt that football isn’t really my calling, it’s
hard for me to get a kick right when I’m in the pitch.
Source:
Gracie Magazine
|
Ultimate
Fighter Journal: Episode 10
Matt
Hughes and Dana White are flabbergasted at Mike Whitehead's loss
to Rashad Evans last week, since Whitehead was such a heavy favourite
to win the entire heavyweight division. Whitehead speculates
that he might not be a fighter after all, whatever that is suppose
to mean.
Rashad
suffered a sprained wrist in the fight, but fooled everyone left
in the house when he returned from the doctor. He broke down
and cried and said he would not be able to fight in the semi-finals.
Then he laughed. Mean joke.
Jason
Von Flue suffered a bad cut in training and had to go back to
the doctor. There was speculation that Jason wasn't going to
make it to the semi-finals.
They
outlined how the semi-finals process is going to work this season.
Last year there were an even amount of fighters on each team,
so they just head team vs. team semi-finals for each weight divison.
But they can't do that this year because the teams are uneven.
Dana White told the eight guys still left in the house at that
point (seven by the end of the show) that Franklin and Hughes
would meet with White and they would determine what the fights
would be. They never really outlined criteria for selecting the
matches, which makes the competition seem somewhat hollow on
that level. That's like just kinda mixing and matching the MLB
playoffs based on what matches Bud Selig would like to see.
They
ask the different fighters who they want to face. Joe Stevenson
wants to fight anyone. Luke wanted to face Jason the most and
Joe the least. Luke says he would go nuts if he had to fight
Joe. He should have said he would slow the fight down and make
it as boring as possible, because then they definitely would
not have put that fight together.
Sammy
wants to fight Jason. Jason refuses to tell them who he wants
to fight.
For
the heavyweights, Rashad, Seth and Keith all want to fight Brad.
Seth wants to fight him because he likes bigger opponents and
the others think Brad is inexperienced. Brad wants Seth or Rashad.
After
the commercial, Dana spoke to the fighters. He said he was disappointed
with their lack of killer instinct. Nothing like telling your
own fighters on your own show that they suck. It's weird because
the NHL won't allow anyone involved with hockey to say anything
remotely bad about the product right now, whereas here you have
the company president talking about how poorly these fighters
did. Does Dana have any business training at all? It's times
like this when it becomes glaring obvious that his methods are
ill-refined.
The
welterweight semi-finals are Luke vs. Sammy and Jason vs. Joe.
For the heavyweight it is Keith vs. Rashad and Brad vs. Seth.
So you likely end up with Luke vs. Joe and Seth vs. Keith in
the finals. They bring back Marcus Davis (why him it was never
explained) in case Jason's cuts prevent him from fighting.
Luke
vs. Sam took place this episode. Luke was able to pull a surprise
victory off, dizzying Sammy with a right and knocking him out
with an elbow and knee. Luke is the first finalist now, slated
to meet the winner of Joe vs. Jason (or possibly Marcus).
Source: MMA Weekly |
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