Upcoming
Events
Do you want to list an
event on Onzuka.com?
Contact Us
(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
2006
November
Aloha State Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
August
Hawaiian Open of
BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
8/26-27/06
International
Masters & Seniors Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/22-30/06
CBJF World
Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
5/20/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
4/15/06
UFC 59: Reality Check
(MMA)
(Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA)
4/7-9/06
2006
Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA)
4/6/06
Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV
(MMA)
(Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV)
4/1/06
Punishment in Paradise
(Kickboxing)
(Sea Life Park)
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage
Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
3/18/06
Extreme Wars X-1
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/11/06
Hawaiian Championship
of BJJ
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(St. Louis H.S. Gym)
Full Contact Showdown
(MMA)
(Kahuna's Sports Bar & Grill, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base)
3/4/06
Kickin It 2006
(Kickboxing)
(Filipino Cultural Center, Waipahu)
UFC 58: USA vs Canada (MMA)
(Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV)
2/26/06
Pride
31: Unbreakable
(MMA)
(PPV)
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
*Cancelled
until Summer*
2/25/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
|
|
February 2006 News
Part 2
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
 |
Fighters' Club TV
The Toughest Show On
Teleivision
Tuesdays at 9:30PM
Olelo Channel 52 on Oahu
Akaku on Maui
Check
out the FCTV website! |
Fight
To Defend Mixed Martial Arts In Hawaii!
The Hawaii Government is trying to ban or restrict MMA in Hawaii.
Please
contact your local representative and let them know that you
support MMA in Hawaii. Click the link below to look up your Representative
and his contact info!
HB3223
has been passed with Amendments. Basically the bill has been
rewritten to create a MMA Commission to regulate MMA in Hawaii
and passed on to the Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee
and the Judiciary Committee for further hearings.
Get
all the details concerning the two MMA Bills by clicking here
|
Quote
of the Day
"True
love brings up everything - you're allowing a mirror to be held
up to you daily."
Jennifer Aniston, American Actress
|
MMA
& Kempo Seminar
UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Chuck ‘ICE MAN” Liddel
&
Hawaiian Kempo Black-Belt, Chuck Liddell's Trainner
John Hackleman Sr.
Jesus
Is Lord Gym
94-143 Leokane Street #201
Waipahu, Hawaii 96797
Friday Schedule
Seminar Sold Out!!
By
Popular Demand Sunday is added!!
MMA
& Kempo Seminar
Sunday
12PM April 2,2006
Jesus
Is Lord Gym
94-143
Leokane Street #201
Waipahu,
Hawaii 96797
Learn
from the trainner of Champions and the Champion himself, John
Hackleman and UFC Champion Chuck Liddel will be in Hawaii from
Punishment In Paradise with THE PIT fighters and we convinced
them both to share their Knowledge with the fans and fighters
of Hawaii.
Seminar
is a steal at $25.00 Limited Avalability!!
UFC
Champion Chuck Liddel loves being in Hawaii and around Hawaii
fans, John Hackleman is actually from Hawaii and has a Blackbelt
in Hawaiian Kempo.
More
Details will follow!!!
For
more information email bdkamaka@comcast.net
Source: Brennan Kamaka
|
Shinya
Aoki New Shooto Champ! Rumina Sato Loses.
Shinya Aoki will
be holding a seminar in Hawaii on February 25th at the Shobukan
Judo Club!
Called "The Victory of the Truth", the main fight of
the night was between Tatsuya Kawajiri and Joachim Hansen, but
the audience got frustrated, once the fight was declared No contest
at only eight seconds of fight.
From
the UG:
Kawajiri went to close the distance and caught a kick to the
nuts "that enters completely gold." Kawajiri collapsed.
He sat in the chair while the doctor checked him out. Kawajiri
wanted to continue, but the doctor wouldn't let him.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Shooto:
The Victory of the Truth
Friday, February 17, 2006
Yoyogi No.2 Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
-
Megumi Fujii submitted Misaki Takimoto by Armbar at 4:36 in R2;
-
Kenji Osawa defeated Naoya Uematsu by Majority Decision;
-
Mizuto Hirota defeated Danilo Cherman by Unanimous Decision;
-
Tenkei Fujimiya defeated Hiroyuki Abe by Unanimous Decision;
-
Takeshi Inoue defeated Makoto Ishikawa by Unanimous Decision;
-
Antonio Carvalho defeated Rumina Sato by TKO (Punches) at 0:49
in R2;
-
Mitsuhiro Ishida defeated Kenichiro Togashi by Majority Decision;
-
Shinya Aoki defeated Akira Kikuchi Decision by Unanimous Decision;
-
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Joachim Hansen: No Contest.
Source:
Tatame
|
HERO'S
on March 15th
Hero's announced seven fights for its March 15th show at the
Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Hideo Tokoro will be on
the card.
-
Genki Sudo vs. Ole Laursen
-
Caol Uno vs. Rich Clementi
-
Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Ivan Menjivar
-
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Karim Ibrahim
-
Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs. Kim Min-Soo
-
Shungo Oyama vs. Melvin Manhoef
-
Kiuma Kunioku vs. Antonio McKee
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Pride
Absolute may have special rules
Showing is worried about the physical condition of the lighters
fighters, the Dream Stage Entertainment already though about
the possibility of put special rules for the Pride Open weight,
which will be held in May. During a press conference, the president
of the organization, Nobuyuki Sakakibara talked about his plans
for this GP.
-
We are working in the last details and it has a discussion about
accept or not the kicks and knee blows with the adversary on
the ground, when the athletes be from different categories. Also
has the possibility of take the choice for the athletes, as we
usually do (in fights with more than 10kg of weight difference,
the lightest athlete can ask special rules). The things will
be decided when we get closer from the first stage - said him.
After
that, Sakakibara laugh when he admitted that the weight difference
won't affect when the judge will point as winner. If it will
happen or not, the right thing is that to debut in this event,
isn't enough just win the Pride 31.
-
To get in on the event, it may be what fans want. If we put the
athletes away just because they win the fights, we would have
a complete card, but we would be letting away the fan's desires.
Even if an athlete lose his test-fight, he can win the fans and
pay the attention of the GP - he said.
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Yesterday
is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream."
Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931, Lebanese Poet and Novelist
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar
Today!
Sunday,
February 19th
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
HMC
$30.00
|
Academia
Casca Grossa de Jiu-Jitsu
Is Closed Today!
February 19, 2006
Rainbow Gymnastics Academy is hosting the gymnastics portion
of the event at the Blaisdell and will breakdown the floor mat
and take it down to the Blaisdell so class is cancelled.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
See everyone next week!
|
Fans
want Babalu vs. Liddell
UFC 58 to bring lightweights back
Light-heavyweight
UFC champion, Chuck Liddell, wasn’t even discharged by doctors
for his right foot injury, nor had he time to spend the US$250
thousand he earned by beating Randy Couture, and the UFC already
wants to put him face to face with another beast. All the better
for fans, since the organization’s website recently posted
a poll on whether it is time for Brazil’s Renato “Babalu”
Sobral to challenge the champion. The answer was a resounding
yes.
Riding
on the success of reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,”
UFC 58 will bring back the lightweight category, that vanished
right after Yves Edwards’ tremendous KO over Josh “Punk”
Thompson in UFC 49, in August, 2004. Along with Yves himself,
the card features Nathan Marquardt, France’s Kristof Midoux
and Rich Franklin, as well as the main course, BJ Penn vs. Canada’s Georges St. Pierre.
UFC
58 – USA vs Canada
Mandala Bay Events Center, Las Vegas
March 4th, 2006
1- Rich Franklin vs David Loiseau
2- Georges St-Pierre vs BJ Penn
3- John Alessio vs Diego Sanchez
4- Joe Doerksen vs Nathan Marquardt
5- Steve Vigneault vs Mike Swick
6- Mark Hominick vs Yves Edwards
7- Sam Stout vs Kenny Florian
8- Rob MacDonald vs Jason Lambert
9- Kristof Midoux vs Tom Murphy
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
So
What Happens to Frank Mir?
By Jeremy Wall
You've gotta love the matchmaking for Frank Mir. The guy, a former
Heavyweight champion who never lost his belt in the octagon,
ends up spending nearly two years away from the ring due to a
destructive motorcycle accident, and comes back in line for a
shot at his heavyweight title.
Thought
I might catch you sleeping. Of course Mir didn't come back with
a shot at the heavyweight title. He came back in what many purpoted
to be a "warm up" fight. Hey, people said, this guy
has been out of the ring forever. He needs to get back into ring
shape. Sure, he's a former champ and provides one of the few
interesting challengers for Andrei Arlovski at heavyweight, but
this is a real sport, and we try not to make things too interesting
in real sports.
Not
booking Mir in a title shot didn't make any sense then, and it
makes less sense now that he has lost to Marcio "Pe de Pano"
Cruz, who, by the way, was never a pushover opponent.
UFC
is about money. Money is about marketing. Marketing is about
superstars. Superstars are about fights. Fights are about booking
two personalities that people care about, in a fight that peopel
care about. People care about Mir. He's a former champ. It's
that easy. People care about Arlovski because he's the current
champ, but is not the linear champ since Mir never lost the title.
People
didn't care about Cruz. They might now, but I don't think the
potential idea of a Cruz-Arlovski fight is as interesting as
the idea of a Mir-Arlovski fight. Plus Cruz would seem to be
at least one or two or three or however many fights away from
a title shot at this point anyway.
On
paper, this was a tough fight for Mir, because, at one-hundred
percent health, there was realistically only a fifty-fifty chance
that he would defeat Cruz. After nearly two years of ring rust,
that number dipped below fifty percent, dipping low enough to
add something negative to Mir's won-less record.
Why
book the fight? If the point was to shake off Mir's ring rust,
then book him against a weak opponent who he can tool in a couple
of minutes. If the point was to create a new draw out of whomever
defeated Mir, wait until after the Arlovski-Mir fight, and book
Mir against that opponent should he lose to Arlovski (and the
odds say he probably would, although that is certainly never
guaranteed).
The
result of Cruz-Mir means that UFC loses the potential Mir-Arlovski
fight, and only gains a Cruz-Arlovski fight should Cruz defeat
one or two more high-level opponents. And even then the interest
in seeing Mir, who is still the (or at least one of the) linear
champ despite how befuddled that is now, is likely more than
the interest in seeing Arlovski-Cruz.
But
this is a real sport, and there is nothing interesting about
that.
Wall
can be contacted at mmachronicle@hotmail.com
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"To
me old age is always fifteen years older than I am."
Bernard M. Baruch, 1870-1965, American Businessman and Politician
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar
Tomorrow!
Sunday, February
19th
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
HMC
$30.00
|
Garden
Island Cage Match 3 Tickets Now On Sale!
Garden Island Cage
Match 3
Hanapepe Stadium, Hanapepe, Kauai, Hawaii
March 25, 2006
Hi All,
Tickets are now on sale at the following locations:
Meyvn
skate and Surf- Lihue
Tropical Tantrum- Kapaa
Dynamic Tinting- Puhi
Tutu's Cafe - Kalaheo
Sweet and Sassy - Eleele
Wong's Restaurant- Hanapepe
M&H Service- Waimea
Westside sporting goods- Waimea
Thanks
to our sponsors!
Kuhio Motors
Aloha Beach Resort
Garden Isle Disposal
Aloha Rainbow Screening
Tire Warehouse
M&H Service
Triple T Plumbing
AH Marshall Construction
Dr Coy Rebmann DDS
Knockout Hawaii
Island Radio 98.9
Source: Event Promoter
|
Academia
Casca Grossa de Jiu-Jitsu
Is Closed This Sunday!
February 19, 2006
Rainbow Gymnastics Academy is hosting the gymnastics portion
of the event at the Blaisdell and will breakdown the floor mat
and take it down to the Blaisdell so class is cancelled.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
See everyone next week!
|
David
Terrell vs. Scott Smith
Terrell, Smith to Square Off at UFC
Two
talented rising stars, David Terrell and Scott Smith, will test
their skills against each other in a local California grudge
match at UFC 59 – Reality Check, which will be held on April
15th at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim.
The
UFC 59 show, which features the light heavyweight bout between
Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, will air live on pay-per-view,
beginning at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.
Terrell,
known to fight fans as ‘The Soul Assassin’, returns
to the UFC for the first time in over a year on April 15th. Best
remembered for his debut performance in the Octagon, when he
knocked out Matt Lindland in 24 seconds in August of 2004, the
Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu ace was stopped by Evan Tanner in a battle
for the vacant UFC middleweight crown in 2005, but he’s
looking to get back into the win column with a victory over Smith.
Smith,
who will be making his UFC debut on April 15th, has made quite
a name for himself with successful runs in WEC, Gladiator Challenge,
and IFC shows. Most recently, he engaged in a frenetic 1:58 war
with Justin Levens on January 13th, with Smith emerging victorious
via an emphatic knockout.
Source: Gracie Fighter
|
Who
is Brandon Vera?
By Sean McClure
Brandon “The Truth” Vera has exploded into the UFC
Heavyweight limelight like no other fighter has in the recent
past. His first UFC win was over jiu jitsu specialist, Fabiano
Scherner with TKO via a nasty looking knee to the head. After
that fight Vera told the crowd he wanted to be the first person
to ever hold the light heavyweight and heavyweight titles at
the same time but noone was laughing. Vera’s talent in the
Octagon speaks volumes about his potential, more than his mouth
ever could. Recently, at UFC 57 he demonstrated how deadly his
stand up really is by knocking Justin Eilers out with a head
kick followed up by a knee to the chin at just one minute and
twenty five seconds of round 1. Eilers was sent face first to
the canvas and Vera was sent into the spotlight once again.
His
MMA record is deceptive at the first glance making him look inexperienced.
He has fought professionally only 6 times but has won all of
them via KO/TKO save for one in 2003 that was won by unanimous
decision in the NLF, Next Level Fighting organization. Vera is
young, fast, dangerous, and looking for a place in UFC history.
Many fans on the internet have all speculated that he would do
well by dropping down in weight to the light heavyweight division
mainly due to his body frame seemingly being naturally more suited
for the 205 class. Vera has stated publicly that he would take
it into consideration if the UFC asked him to and if it was good
for the sport.
What’s
in Vera’s future? Hopefully not current UFC Champion, “The
Pit Bull” Andrei Arlovski. While Vera is very talented and
can make a huge impact onthe sport, but he is not ready for Arlovski,
who would derail his UFC hopes of becoming the next big thing
in 2006. He certainly has the charisma, the natural ability,
and the potential to do just that. Keep an eye on this kid to
help give the UFC some of the depth it needs, and to provide
some very exciting fights for us all to enjoy.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Stressed
spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!"
Source: Unknown
|
Murilo
Bustamante Seminar
Today!
Friday, February
17, 2006
6 - 9 PM
Central
Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
23 S. Kamehameha Hwy. #204
(Wahiawa, next to Jack in the Box)
Please
contact Tammy 228-1711 or centraloahujiujitsu@yahoo.com
for more information, including cost of seminar.
|
Extreme
fighting may face more fees
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
A bill seeking to regulate the extreme-combat industry includes
a revenue collection formula unheard of by state tax officials,
and promoters say higher fees would cripple their ability to
stage fights in Hawai'i.
HB3223,
passed out of the state House Tourism and Culture Committee yesterday,
calls for promoters to pay a license fee of 3 percent of the
first $50,000 in ticket sales and an additional 5 percent of
all sales over $50,000. Additionally, the measure asks for 5
percent of all television and Internet revenue and 5 percent
of all pay-per-view and DVD sales.
The
bill will next be heard by the House Judiciary Committee.
Patrick
Freitas, who along with T. Jay Thompson runs Icon Sport, said
the proposed revenue collection would prevent all but a few international
companies from putting on fights.
"It's
nuts. It's gonna kill us," he said yesterday. "We initially
came out and supported (the bill), but we're changing our stance.
We're looking at $12,000 to $20,000 in fees going back to the
state per fight. That's way too much money. Let's give the current
system more power."
Most
sporting events are subject to the state general excise tax of
4 percent from ticket sales and other event-generated revenue.
The
proposed licensing fees and revenue collection are "unusual,"
said Frank Ruff, a tax specialist with the state Department of
Taxation.
"As
far as different levels of income coming in and being taxed at
different rates is new to me," he said. "Nothing like
that is on the tax books."
The
bill also establishes a five-member, independent body called
the Mixed-Martial-Arts Commission of Hawai'i, to be appointed
by the governor.
"When
you look at an event like this, there are millions of dollars
being made and the state needs to capitalize on that," said
Rep. Jerry Chang, D-2nd (Hilo), the bill's author. "By creating
a commission, the commission will regulate it and make sure everyone
is getting paid and the public is getting its money's worth.
We're crafting the framework and the commission will create the
rules."
Chang's
measure is aimed at regulating extreme combat bouts like "Rumble
on the Rock," "K1" and "Ultimate Fighting
Championships."
States
across the country have been rushing to create regulatory bodies
for the sport over the past four years in order to collect revenue
and rein in unlicensed, backroom cage brawls.
In
December, the California State Athletic Commission officially
sanctioned mixed-martial-arts by setting up a regulatory body,
paving the way for the state to tap into a multi-million dollar
revenue stream. It is one of 20 states now regulating mixed-martial
arts.
The
Mixed-Martial-Arts Commission of Hawai'i would be responsible
for enforcing an expansive list of laws that govern everything
from the number of paramedics and licensed physicians at fights
to the amount of liability a promoter faces if he doesn't provide
adequate punch for consumers' dollars.
Commission
members, one of which must be a former fighter, will carry badges
and attend events.
The
popularity of mixed martial arts started to take off in the 1990s
and has become an international industry worth hundreds of millions
of dollars, selling out 10,000-seat arenas in Las Vegas and Tokyo
in addition to racking up pay-per-view sales. The Ultimate Fighting
Championship, a company run by Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, two
brothers who own Station Casinos in Las Vegas, is the largest
U.S. extreme combat company operating.
UFC's
reality series, "The Ultimate Fighter," drew more than
2 million TV viewers during November's season finale, according
to Nielsen Media Research.
Tickets
to fights in Hawai'i range from $30 to $350, and some events
have drawn more than 7,000 people.
Icon
Sport, a subsidiary of international fight promoter Future Fight
Productions, earned more than $4 million in gross revenue in
fiscal 2005 and has held more than 500 bouts in the state since
1996.
Under
the current law, the state receives a $500 fee and an unspecified
amount of revenue generated from facilities rentals for each
fight.
Before
an exemption became law last year, mixed-martial-arts contests
and other forms of extreme combat were technically illegal, but
promoters squeezed bouts through loopholes in the law for more
than a decade. Under the law the governor signed in May, promoters
can get an exemption if they:
-
Supply a referee and a licensed ringside physician;
-
Guarantee safety for the fighters; and
-
Pay a $500 fee to hold the contests.
Extreme-combat
bouts are currently monitored by investigators with the Regulated
Industries Complaints Office, and any violation of the exemptions
in the law subjects the promoter to the possibility of a $10,000
fine per offense.
Rep.
Tommy Waters, D-51st (Waimanalo, Lanikai), had introduced a bill
that would have banned the sport in Hawai'i after parents in
Waimanalo complained their children were re-creating the bouts
and getting injured. That bill died.
Waters
also takes issue with children emulating mixed-martial artists,
especially those recently in the news for high-profile arrests.
Last
year Rumble World Entertainment's B.J. Penn was charged with
assaulting a police officer, and Icon Sport's Jason "Mayhem"
Miller was charged with burglary.
Penn
will stand trial this summer for punching a uniformed Honolulu
police officer at a post-fight party and Miller will go to trial
after he was arrested for breaking into his ex-girlfriend's apartment
in December.
"I
would certainly be concerned if children were looking up to these
guys as role models," Waters said. "Rather than aspiring
to become a professional mixed martial artist I would hope that
young people would aspire to bigger and better things and that's
aside from the fact that some of these guys are getting into
trouble (with the law).
"Sure,
you got your bad eggs in the NFL, but for the most part these
people went to college and are good role models. I think (HB
3223) is better than nothing and at least it puts some parameters
in place. I'm a little disappointed, but I believe in the process.
Nobody came out and testified in favor of my bill and it died."
Reach
Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
|
Aoki
Ready for SHOOTO Middleweight Title Shot
Days
before he hopes to add his name to the impressive list of SHOOTO
167-pound titleholders, Japan’s Shinya Aoki spoke with Sherdog.com
about Friday’s challenge against middleweight champion Akira
Kikuchi.
The
jiu-jitsu ace comments on his controversial decision loss to
Hayato Sakurai, his thoughts on PRIDE and K-1, and his plans
for the future.
Sherdog.com:
What’s your background? How did you start training?
Shinya
Aoki: I’m originally from Shizuoka prefecture, and I came
here to attend university. I used to do judo before, and when
I shifted from judo to MMA I met Nakai-sensei, so I joined this
gym (Paraestra Tokyo) and that’s why I’m here.
Sherdog.com:
Why did you make the shift from judo to MMA?
Aoki:
Because I have more fighting opportunities with MMA.
Sherdog.com:
Which do you like more, judo or jiu-jitsu?
Aoki:
I like techniques, so I like jiu-jitsu better.
Sherdog.com:
If you had to pick between concentrating on jiu-jitsu or being
a fighter in SHOOTO, what would you pick and why?
Aoki:
I’d like to mainly concentrate on jiu-jitsu in the future.
With jiu-jitsu I can fight for a longer time, and also I love
technique.
Sherdog.com:
You’re fighting at 167 pounds (76 kgs). That’s middleweight
for SHOOTO. Fans outside Japan who follow your career think that
you’re too small for that weight and it would be advantageous
for you to go down to 154 lbs (70kgs). Have you considered going
down in weight or are you comfortable where you are now?
Aoki:
I don’t think that I’m small for 76 kilograms. I feel
comfortable at this weight.
Sherdog.com:
When you went to the Abu-Dhabi grappling championships last year,
you face two of the biggest stars in that event: Marcelo Garcia
and Royler Gracie. What was it like being there and competing
with the best grapplers in the world?
Aoki:
Well, the results say that I lost, but for me the answer is simple
— I just have to keep going and going and I will win eventually.
Sherdog.com:
How were Garcia and Gracie technique-wise?
Aoki:
Their basic techniques are down-pat, very good.
Sherdog.com:
In your pro-fighter record you fought Keith Wisniewski last year
and you won by standing armlock, actually breaking Wisniewski’s
elbow. In a jiu-jitsu tournament here in Japan, you fought Kuniyoshi
Hironaka and you broke Hironaka’s arm by armbar. Many MMA
fighters follow the “train to break” mentality when
it comes to submissions. Do you follow this philosophy?
Aoki:
I’m not out to break anyone’s arm, but the thing is
that the guys didn’t tap, so their arms broke.
Sherdog.com:
Your ring entrance music is “Baka Survivor” (“Baka”
means stupid or “simple minded” in Japanese). Why did
you choose this song? Is there any significance behind it?
Aoki:
Daisuke “Amazon” Sugie is a friend of mine, so we decided
to use the same ring entrance music.
Sherdog.com:
So that’s the only reason why you picked it? Is there any
meaning to it?
Aoki:
(laughs) No meaning.
Sherdog.com:
When you walk to the ring, you do a dance with the “Baka
Survivor” song. Do you feel that you can dance better than
Genki Sudo (Pictures)?
Aoki:
(laughs) I don’t think so, no way.
Sherdog.com:
OK, back in SHOOTO of August last year, you were fighting Hayato
Sakurai, in the first round. You caught Sakurai with a front
choke, so basically under SHOOTO rules that’s a catch. So
for that round on the judges’ cards you should have gotten
10-8 in points, but you didn’t. How do you feel about that?
Aoki:
I don’t want to complain about it, but the only thing that
I thought more about after that was: What more do I need to do
in a fight? What’s kind of techniques do I need to use to
get the outcome that I want? That’s more important to me.
I feel that there is no need to complain about the decision.
Sherdog.com:
Did you feel at the moment that the choke you caught Sakurai
with was tight?
Aoki:
Yes, it was tight.
Sherdog.com:
You fought very good in that fight and it was very close. Many
fans think that you should have won by decision. How do you feel
about your performance in that fight?
Aoki:
At the time I did my best.
Sherdog.com:
Is that everything?
Aoki:
That’s everything.
Sherdog.com:
Your second pro fight was in DEEP against Jutaro Nakao, where
you lost by knockout. Would you like to avenge that loss?
Aoki:
The promotions are different, so perhaps I will not have a chance
to fight him again.
Sherdog.com:
So you want to stay strictly with SHOOTO?
Aoki:
I’d like to fight in the UFC as well.
Sherdog.com:
What do you feel about fighting in a cage rather than a ring?
Aoki:
No difference.
Sherdog.com:
For the upcoming SHOOTO show you will be fighting the SHOOTO
middleweight champion, Akira Kikuchi. How do you feel about this
fight?
Aoki:
It’s going to be a grappling war. The person with the best
technique is going to win.
Sherdog.com:
Are you worried about Kikuchi’s stand-up game?
Aoki:
No. (laughs) Both of us are not that good in stand-up, so it
will be alright.
Sherdog.com:
Kikuchi has a very strong judo background and his ground game
is good. Are you looking forward to fighting on the ground with
him?
Aoki:
I’m really looking forward to grappling with him.
Sherdog.com:
Are you more interested in winning the belt or beating Kikuchi?
Aoki:
I’m not fighting for the belt, nor am I fighting for Kikuchi.
I’m fighting for myself. That’s what’s important.
Sherdog.com:
Good answer. If you get the win against Kikuchi, you will become
the SHOOTO middleweight champion, would you like to follow other
SHOOTO champions and go to bigger promotions such as PRIDE or
K-1 HERO’s?
Aoki:
I’m not interested in PRIDE or K-1 HERO’s.
Sherdog.com:
Any particular reason?
Aoki:
Because it’s not martial arts, it’s just an event.
PRIDE and K-1 are just entertainment. That’s not martial
arts for me.
Sherdog.com:
That’s a very strong opinion. I understand that you recently
became a cop, why did you choose that profession?
Aoki:
I know that I could fight in PRIDE or K-1 and make money, but
that would go against my principals, so I figured that I would
take on a normal job, and as a cop I can protect Japan.
Sherdog.com:
Are you a cop now?
Aoki:
The results will come out in April.
Sherdog.com:
If you become a cop and you see someone doing something wrong
on the street, are you going to tell that person to stop or are
you going to choke him out, or apply an armbar or something?
Aoki:
(laughs) Actually, I’m a weakling and I’m really scared
of fighting. (laughs) I’m just going to run away.
Sherdog.com:
But you’re suppose to protect Japan, so how are you going
to run away?
Aoki:
(laughs) OK, I’ll arrest him then, but no choke-out.
Sherdog.com:
That’s good. What’s your schedule like? What’s
a normal day for you?
Aoki:
I’m a sports science student at Waseda University now. After
school, practice, then free time.
Sherdog.com:
How many times a week do you train and for how long? What do
you focus on, gi, no gi, striking?
Aoki:
For striking I do the mitts, bag, shadow [boxing], sparring and
stretching for about an hour and a half. And then at night for
one and a half hours I do ground work, with and without the gi.
When it’s near a fight, I train at least twice a day, afternoon
and night, six days a week.
Sherdog.com:
You only have six fights as a pro-fighter so far, is there anyone
in particular who you would like to face?
Aoki:
Diego Sanchez.
Sherdog.com:
Why?
Aoki:
Because I want the viewer to have a good time and have an exciting
match.
Sherdog.com.
Sanchez is a big star in the UFC now. Besides Sanchez is there
anyone else?
Aoki:
Karo Parisyan, Georges St. Pierre. But the one that I would really
like to face is Nick Diaz.
Sherdog.com:
He fought Joe Riggs in the UFC and Riggs won. They went to the
Las Vegas hospital after the fight. At the hospital they started
to talk smack to each other and Diaz punched him.
Aoki:
Really? (laughs)
Sherdog.com:
The police asked Riggs if he wanted to press charges, but he
declined.
Aoki:
(laughs)
Sherdog.com:
With the UFC, would you like to fight either Matt Hughes or B.J.
Penn?
Aoki:
I’d like to do it but right now I think that Matt Hughes
would be a bit too strong.
Sherdog.com:
What about Penn?
Aoki:
Penn is very strong as well; for 70 kilos they’re the top.
Sherdog.com:
I read before that you were planning on retiring from pro-fighting
and just concentrate on jiu-jitsu and grappling tournaments,
are you still with that idea?
Aoki:
In the future, yes.
Sherdog.com:
What are your plans for the future? Do you want to keep going
with sports science, or be a cop, or open your own school and
teach?
Aoki:
Basically I’ll be a cop, but as a hobby I’d like to
have my own dojo.
Sherdog.com:
Thanks for your time and good luck on Friday.
Aoki:
Thank you.
Source:
Sherdog |
Nakai
talks Vale Tudo, SHOOTO and Rickson
TOKYO
— Sherdog.com recently headed down to Paraestra Tokyo to
talk with Vale Tudo legend Yuki Nakai (Pictures), who laid the
groundwork for events like Friday’s SHOOTO welterweight
championship between Tatsuya Kawajiri and his challenger Joachim
Hansen.
We
asked Nakai about his history, the old days of SHOOTO and his
legendary performance in the Japan Vale Tudo tournament, which
included his infamous bout versus Gerard Gordeau and an appearance
in the finals against Rickson Gracie.
Sherdog.com:
Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us.
Yuki
Nakai: No problem.
Sherdog:
How did you start in SHOOTO? What was your background before
you started competing?
Nakai:
I was born in Hokaido and then came to Tokyo. I used to do judo
and wrestling before, and I always wanted to do MMA, and because
SHOOTO was the first total fighting style in Japan I really wanted
to do it.
Sherdog:
When did you come to Tokyo?
Nakai:
It was Yokohama actually (city next to Tokyo). I came in 1992.
Sherdog:
Did you come there for training?
Nakai:
Yes I did.
Sherdog:
What made you become a pro-fighter in the first place? I know
that you trained with Tiger Mask (Japanese pro-wrestling legend,
Satoru Sayama).
Nakai:
It was always my childhood dream. I always wanted to be a pro-fighter.
Sherdog:
At the moment before the Japan Vale Tudo, you were the SHOOTO
welterweight champion, and then you were picked by the SHOOTO
Commission to represent SHOOTO. Can you tell us your experience
when you were in the Japan Vale Tudo?
Nakai:
What I thought about it?
Sherdog:
How were you feeling when you were going to the tournament? Rickson
Gracie was in the same tournament. What were you thinking?
Nakai:
I was 70 kilograms (154 pounds) and everyone else was bigger
than me. In Vale Tudo at that time, there were not many technicians
apart from the Gracie family, and SHOOTO was as popular at that
time. I had confidence in my abilities and I was quite confident
that I could win.
Sherdog:
How do you think fighting in SHOOTO back at that time compares
to fighting in SHOOTO today?
Nakai:
I fought first in 1994, then in ‘95, and even the rules
have changed to Vale Tudo, so I had time to prepare for Vale
Tudo. Before that time there was no punching or kicking on the
ground. And Sayama changed; they wanted Vale Tudo to be more
sporting, so that’s why they slowly changed the rules to
make it more like a sport.
Sherdog:
I apologize for the question, but I know that in your first fight
in the Japan Vale Tudo tournament you fought Gerard Gordeau,
and you had an accident when fighting. Gerard was gouging your
eyes. I want to know how you were feeling at the moment when
that happened and what injuries you sustained.
Nakai:
I was prepared that Gordeau would be using some kind of dirty
techniques, and according to the rules, if you used dirty techniques
two or three times you would lose, so I was expecting Gordeau
to lose because of his tactics. I was expecting to win because
of all the rule infringements.
Sherdog:
Did you receive any damage from Gordeau’s tactics?
Nakai:
I can’t see with my right eye, even now. Complete loss of
vision in that eye.
Sherdog:
You had three fights that night in the Japan Vale Tudo tournament.
You won the first two fights — one by heel hook and the
other by armbar — then you met in the finals with Rickson
Gracie. You were very badly damaged from the previous two fights,
how did you feel at the moment when you faced Rickson?
Nakai:
He had good technique, and I did a lot of judo and ground work
as well and I thought that I’d use my ground work to fight
with Gracie. I was really confident that I would make it to the
finals and I was very confident that I could beat Rickson.
Sherdog:
After your loss in the fight with Rickson, how did it change
you? What did you realize that you would have to change in your
game?
Nakai:
Rickson had superior techniques and I was a bit surprised because
he was much better than I thought. But it was a good experience
for me to understand the top-level fighter at that time.
Sherdog:
I understand that after the fight with Rickson you decided to
start training jiu-jitsu, basically bringing this style back
to Japan with you when you returned. So what was the process?
Who did you start training with? Who did you get your black belt
from?
Nakai:
For the first two years I kept it a secret that I was blind in
my right eye because at that time many people were against Vale
Tudo. I didn’t want people to think that Vale Tudo was a
dangerous sport. I got my injury from illegal techniques; I didn’t
want Vale Tudo to have a bad reputation. I had to give up my
fighting career because I couldn’t see the punches coming
at me. After that, for one year I didn’t compete. At that
time a lot of Japanese fighters were not top class and they were
losing a lot of fights, and then I thought what’s needed
to win? At that time I was doing a lot of judo, but then I started
to think OK, let me try jiu-jitsu, and then I started with a
white belt.
Sherdog:
So whom did you get your Black Belt from?
Nakai:
I got it from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
Sherdog:
I heard once that when you went to the Mundials and you were
in the Brown Belt division, I think you won your division or
placed among the top. After that Carlos Gracie Jr. told you that,
“you should not fight at Brown Belt anymore, you should
fight at Black Belt.” So did you get your Black Belt from
Carlos Gracie Jr.? Is that story true?
Nakai:
Every time I fought with a brown belt I would ask the organizers
“Can I fight in this competition with so-and-so belt?”
and at the Pan-Americans they said that I needed the black belt,
but I didn’t have a main teacher — I had a lot of different
instructors but not one set teacher. For me, I got it from the
Federation.
Sherdog:
After that you came back to Japan and founded the Japanese Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the Pareastra gyms, what do you feel
is the impact of your work?
Nakai:
I thought Brazilian jiu-jitsu fit the Japanese.
Sherdog:
Why?
Nakai:
Japan is judo. Brazilian jiu-jitsu basics are judo. People who
did judo were the people who were teaching Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Of course, it’s not only judo but [also] a lot of ground
work. But the basics of Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the same as judo,
and for Vale Tudo it’s very important, lots of groundwork.
And I felt that Brazilian Ju-jitsu would be popular in Japan.
So, when I started my dojo, of course, we had Vale Tudo class.
But I felt we should have a lot of jiu-jitsu classes as well.
Sherdog:
Was opening a dojo something that you wanted to do for a long
time?
Nakai:
I thought about it since the time I moved to Yokohama. Then I
had this idea that I’m going to have my own dojo.
Sherdog:
When you opened your first gym, did you realize that it was going
to be such a success? There are many gyms that represent your
name, and out of that jiu-jitsu has spread all over Japan. Did
you realize at the moment how big it was going to become?
Nakai:
I was 100 percent sure that it was going to get big.
Sherdog:
After all these years, are you satisfied with your success?
Nakai:
Sure it’s all over Japan, but I feel that more and more
people are going to pick up on this sport.
Sherdog:
You’re basically a legend and champion for many SHOOTO fans
and fighters, both inside and outside of Japan, especially because
of the courage you showed in the Japan Vale Tudo. So a bit of
a silly question: but do you really feel like a legend?
Nakai:
I’m not a legend — it’s too early. I’m a
jiu-jitsu practitioner.
Sherdog:
Do you realize that you have a lot of fans outside of Japan,
foreigners that follow SHOOTO in Europe and America?
Nakai:
I’m thankful that people know about me. Ten years have past
and still people know about me and I’m very grateful about
that.
Sherdog:
So what’s next, what do you want to accomplish?
Nakai:
I want to be the world champion of jiu-jitsu.
Sherdog:
What about your work in Japan with jiu-jitsu, your school, what
do you want to accomplish?
Nakai:
I want students of my gym to get stronger and go to the next
level. Also normal people who come to the jiu-jitsu school, if
they’re satisfied and they’re happy about what they’re
doing, that’s good enough for me.
Source: Sherdog
|
The
Savage Truth: Setting the record straight
by Greg Savage (greg@sherdog.com)
I
love it when a little satire erupts into a heavy flow of hate
e-mail, flooding my inbox. If nothing else it lets me know people
are reading my rants. The only problem is the people who end
up firing off their threats and tirades usually don’t get
the big picture.
Maybe
I should explain myself a little better. I think most people
get my point of view but its more and more apparent by the tone
of many of the e-mails I have received as of late that there
is a huge contingent who are willing to give the UFC, Zuffa LLC
and Dana White a free pass on anything and everything because
of the fact that the sport is growing by leaps and bounds at
this very moment.
While
I agree that the Zuffa era as a whole has been good for the sport
of MMA, I am not willing to turn a blind eye and just accept
whatever Zuffa decides as the best we can do for our sport. That
would be the worst thing for the sport in the long run, so save
your “support the sport” e-mails (pull your finger
off the send button right now).
I
guess the reason I have been so hard on Big D over the past few
years is the belief, as I have stated before, that the UFC is
the best chance for the continued success of the sport of MMA
— not just the UFC — in North America. I don’t
always agree with the things the company does and, as you know,
I have no problems raising those issues. That does not mean I
do not admire the job they have done since taking over a promotion
struggling to tread water only five short years ago.
To
be honest, I never thought I would see the day the sport of MMA
would reach the heights it has already ascended over the past
year or so. Much of that success can be directly attributed to
the hard work and dedication of a group of people who were severely
shorthanded for the longest time and continue to log long hours
in their quest to make the UFC as big as it can be. The leader
of that movement is unquestionably Dana White and no matter how
many times I question his motives or direction let the record
show I respect his efforts and appreciate the colossal strides
North American MMA has taken under his stewardship.
It
is his vision and his company’s strategy that I have taken
umbrage with at times and I think it would be a disservice to
the sport if those, like myself, who have a pulpit of sorts keep
our questions and criticisms to ourselves and just toed the company
line. Their monopolistic tactics and heavy handed treatment of
those who refuse to kowtow to them are serious and deserve critical
discussion.
I
kind of liken this to the situation Major League Baseball went
through last spring as the steroid issue exploded into a media
crisis for the National Pastime. The media free-for-all and fan
outrage were surely less than palatable for MLB but the patrons
of the sport deserved to know the truth about the integrity of
the game.
On
the flipside, I am sure there were some fans that mumbled about
that those unappreciative journalists that drudged up this dirt
about their favorite sport and just wished it would go away.
Hell, why not? Everyone likes seeing more scoring, especially
home runs, and records that stood for decades come crashing down
like Justin Eilers seems to every time he gets in the cage.
These
are actual email I received after last week’s column:
“Dana
White has given me MMA on free TV, what the f*** have sites like
Sherdog and MMAWeekly done for the sport? Please STFU and enjoy
the fights.” – Louis M.
“The
UFC has gotten huger than ever before and it’s all because
of Dana White. As long as I keep seeing fights for free I will
be happy with the UFC.” – Rob F.
I
can picture people like this writing to ESPN.com writers last
spring:
“Why
don’t you just STFU about the steroid issue, baseball is
great with more scoring and more home runs. Just enjoy the offensive
outburst and quit trying to ruin it for the rest of us.”
– F.O. Luser
“Baseball
is at its apex right now and I think we should just let sleeping
dogs lie. I am just happy to be getting to watch the records
continue to fall. Heck I will be able to tell my kids I saw a
guy hit 73 homeruns in one year. Steroids, Shmeroids! –
I.M. Dum
The
fact that I question the way the UFC operates does not automatically
compel me to look at the company, as a whole, in a negative light.
If anything I would suggest that it shows that I do care where
the promotion is heading and how they intend to eventually get
there. In my estimation, the shortsighted people with the blinders
lining up their shots of Kool-Aid are a bigger hindrance to the
sport than a handful of excoriating articles.
UFC
57: Thoughts and Shots
Although
I vanquished the overmatched Mike Sloan in the Great Sherdog
Debate I couldn’t help but feel a little sad seeing Randy
Couture take another beating at the hands of Chuck Liddell. It
was surreal as he became the first legitimate MMA star to call
it quits in the cage. I got goose bumps watching him exit the
arena and actually kind of felt sorry for Chuck because his big
win was suddenly dwarfed in significance by “The Natural”
calling it a career.
Considering
he is arguably the best 205 pounder in the world at the moment
I am positive he will have plenty more opportunities to claim
the spotlight. Truthfully, I don’t see anyone other than
Mauricio Rua knocking off “The Iceman” anytime soon.
Not Wanderlei Silva, not Renato Sobral, not Quinton Jackson and
definitely not Tito Ortiz. (Here is this week’s e-mail flashpoint,
fire away.)
Speaking
of “Babalu” Sobral, his fight with Mike Van Arsdale
erased any doubts I had about the Liddell-Couture fight. Watching
him take a fighter that gave Randy fits apart with such ease
cemented my prediction. That said, I don’t see how he can
dethrone the champ. I am sure he will have a better showing than
his disappointing loss at UFC 40 but I don’t see anyway
he can get Liddell to the ground where he would have the advantage.
I
guess Frank Mir really wasn’t ready when the UFC wanted
him to fight Andrei Arlovski last September. Hell, he wasn’t
ready to fight the very talented and highly decorated grappler
Marcio Cruz, who may be the only heavyweight on the UFC roster
with worse stand-up than Frank. Let’s all hope, now that
he has knocked off some of the considerable ring rust, Mir can
return to the form that saw him snapping limbs on his way to
the UFC title.
Note
to Paul Buentello, please don’t ever say that retarded tag
line ever again. The only thing I fear is you getting on the
microphone. Oh, I almost forgot, great fight.
How
bout that Joe Riggs-Nick Diaz fight? Great fight but what in
the hell was Tony Weeks thinking? Word is he tallied the fourth
round for Riggs as well after watching Joe recover from getting
dropped again and drilling Diaz in the head with a bedpan. That’s
40-36 for those of you scoring at home.
Truth
be told, I had the fight 28-27 for Nick Diaz with the second
round being extremely close. I had no problem with Riggs getting
the nod. My only question is will they bill the rematch as Riggs-Diaz
II or III when it inevitably takes place?
And
I can’t end this column without mentioning the interview
Diaz did on MMAWeekly Radio. I felt so dirty after listening
I jumped in the shower before running off to church. Seriously,
has anyone ever launched as many F-bombs in one interview? If
so I haven’t heard it.
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"We
are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the
responsibility for our future."
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish Playwright and Nobel Prize
Winner for Literature
|
The
End For Randy Couture
By Jeremy Wall
On
February 4th, after suffering a second-round knockout loss to
Chuck Liddell, one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial
arts history announced his retirement.
Finishing
his career with a 14-8 professional record, Randy Couture will
be defined as one of the most accomplished fighters to have ever
competed inside the octagon. The eight losses on his record are
deceptive, and prove that statistics in mixed martial arts are
largely meaningless. A closer examination of his actual wins
shows him to have held dominance over top skilled talent both
at the heavyweight and 205-pound weight classes.
The
only man to win both the UFC Heavyweight (265 pounds) and UFC
Light-Heavyweight (205 pounds) titles, Couture was also the promotion's
first two-time Heavyweight champion, and would also go on to
win the Light-Heavyweight belt twice over.
Couture
never actually lost the UFC Heavyweight title the first time
he won it. He debuted with the UFC at UFC 13 in May 1997. After
a successful amateur wrestling career, Couture's first fight
was against Tony Halme. Halme, a former pro wrestler for WWF
under the gimmick of "Ludvig Borga", had a boxing background,
but proved no match for Couture, who quickly submitted him. Couture
would wind up winning his second fight of the night against Steven
Graham to win the four-man UFC 13 heavyweight tournament.
His
fight at UFC 15 against Vitor Belfort would be the fight that
carved out how his career would go. They say in the film industry
that every great director ends up making only one great film,
and then makes that same film again and again throughout their
career. I think the same can be said for Couture, as his underdog
win over the undefeated Belfort defined Couture as a guy you
should never count out, who, when the odds are against him, will
use his wrestling ability and surprising boxing skills to come
out on top.
Couture
would meet Belfort twice more, once in 2004 where Couture unsuccessfully
defended the 205-pound title, losing in the first minute of the
fight due to a fluke eye cut. A paper champion, Belfort lost
the title back in brutal fashion to Couture later in the year.
The
loss to Belfort in early 2004 wasn't the only fluke loss of Couture's
career that sullies his record. Couture's submission loss to
Mikhail Illoukhine in RINGS in 1999 barely qualifies as a loss,
as Illoukhine submitted him when the referee was repositioning
both fighters in the ring. It is a win that in another organization
would not have been allowed.
Couture
did have problems with submissions defense early in his career.
A quick loss to Enson Inoue via armbar, taking place just a few
months before Couture's match against Illoukhine, is one example.
A bad loss to Valentijn Overeem in RINGS in 2001 is another example.
The Overeem loss actually took place after Couture regained the
UFC Heavyweight title from Kevin Randleman, and would seem to
be the largest black-mark on his career inside the ring.
Couture
first won the Heavyweight title, defeating Maurice Smith at Ultimate
Japan 1997. He never lost the title, instead having left the
struggling UFC over contractual issues (re: money) with UFC's
parent company, SEG. This was long after the cable ban on UFC
had been instituted, and SEG was starting to have problems keeping
its head above water.
However,
Couture returned to the octagon nearly three years later after
his experiences with RINGS in Japan, defeating Kevin Randleman
for the Heavyweight title that he never lost. He would successfully
defend the title in the UFC against Pedro Rizzo twice (one fight
of which is remembered as a war), before dropping it to Josh
Barnett. Another loss at heavyweight to Ricco Rodriguez ended
his career in the 265-pound division.
Everyone
knows the story of the Couture comeback. He returned in 2003,
defeating a brash Chuck Liddell for the interim Light-Heavyweight
in a major surprise, and then did the same thing over again with
Tito Ortiz later in the year, unifying the two versions of UFC's
205-pound belt. The two fights with Belfort, and the first loss
to Liddell where Couture dropped a UFC title for the last time
followed.
His
win last August against Mike Van Arsdale put him back into title
contention, but Liddell's second-round knockout victory on the
4th ended whatever chances Couture had of regaining the title.
Ignoring
his loss to Belfort, Couture's record inside the UFC stands at
11-4, a large improvement from the 14-8 overall MMA record he
boasts.
He
is the most celebrated athlete in UFC history. Royce Gracie dominated
the early days, but that was against pathetic competition. Couture's
ability to continually comeback from defeat to challenge literally
the best in the business, and win, is what puts him at the top
of UFC's list of most accomplished fighters.
Source: Maxfighting
|
PRIDE
FC Adds the Main Event
Pride
has added the main event to the February 26th Saitama Super Arena
show (nothing like being timely). The card, weak from top to
bottom in terms of drawing power, will now be headlined by Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Kiyoshi Tamura.
Nogueira
has a large following in Japan, and Tamura, despite being badly
mishandled by Pride management since the closing of RINGS (remember
the Bob Sapp fight?), is a name guy in Japan. It is a weird fight
because of the size difference, and the serious edge obviously
has to go to Nogueira.
Tamura
can strike, but in past matches against heavier grapplers (ie:
his Grand Prix fight against Hidehiko Yoshida), he has been submitted.
And he will likely be submitted here after putting up a good
fight for the Japanese fanbase, giving the show a decent headline
and Nogueira a solid win.
Source: Maxfighting
|
What's
Happenning with Tito Ortiz???
Recently,
The “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz was outspoken
about the reformation of Team Punishment. In an interview with
Felicia Oh of Grappletv.com Tito was excited about the new Punishment
Athletics that was shaping up. The original Team Punishment consisted
of Ricco Rodriguez, Quentin “Rampage” Jackson, Tiki
Ghosn, Rob McCullough, Phil Baroni, and Fabiano Iha. The former
UFC Light Heavyweight champion said that the old team disintegrated
due to large egos that clashed all of the time. After talking
about reforming the ‘new’ Team Punishment, Ortiz then
said that he would attempt to recruit the two finalists from
the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter Season 3. Being one of the
coaches on the show would certainly allow him to see many of
the fighter’s true potentials but it also means they get
to experience the famous Ortiz mouth first hand. Tito is a great
fighter but he is even more dangerous as a businessman.
He
also mentioned Forrest Griffin and their coming clash in the
main event at UFC 59. At a nightclub in Vegas after January’s
Ultimate Fight Night Tito came face to face with the winner of
The Ultimate Fighter Season 1. They posed for a picture and then
Tito looked him square in the eye and said, as only he could,
“I appreciate you sacrificing yourself for the fans for
our fight”. Forrest apparently wasn’t quite sure how
to take the remark and just smiled but everyone else there knew
what he meant. UFC 59: Reality check should be a memorable one.
If
Team Punishment does reform then that is good for Tito, MMA,
and ultimately for the fans. MaXfighting will keep you up on
all of the latest information as it becomes available.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"We
are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the
responsibility for our future."
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish Playwright and Nobel Prize
Winner for Literature
|
House
Bill 3223 Passed!
House Bill
3223 which called for a separate MMA commission to sanction mixed
martial arts passed today in the initial committee of the House
of Representatives. It will now go to a higher committee for
further review.
This
is not over so please do not just consider this issue a win for
MMA. We are working with the promoters and people in the know
to see what are our best options for the sport. Once we come
up with a single voice, we will spread the word to put pressure
on our senators and representatives.
Thanks
again for all your support so far!
|
Shinya
Aoki Seminar
February 25, 2006
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Shobukan Judo Club
Howzit Hawaii fans! Shooto and ADCC's own Shinya Aoki will be
visiting Hawaii after his fight with Shooto Champion Akira Kikuchi
on the 17th and will be conducting a 3 hour seminar. Shinya is
famous for his spectacular Judo and BJJ submissions and is known
for his all out style in MMA. He was also one of Japan's ADCC
qualifiers competing against the likes of M.Avellan, Marcello
Garcia, and Roger Gracie. He was one of the fastest promoted
Black Belts under Paraestra's Yuki Nakai, and is an All Japan
college Judo champion. He has some of the sickest foot and leglocks
I've seen come out of Japan! Those of you who have seen him compete
in the Pan Ams can attest to this. Hope to see all of you there.
Aloha!
When:
25 February (Saturday) from 1 - 4pm
Where:
Shobukan Judo Club--Liliha, Honolulu HI (a very cool place to
train)
Price:
$30 ($25 Dollars w/ the FCTV discount--to receive, just email
me(Mark) at the address listed below to let me know you're coming)
Contact:
fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
|
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller Seminar
Sunday,
February 19th
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
HMC
$30.00
|
UFC
57 Finances... Wow
By Jeremy Wall
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Numbers from UFC 57 on February 4th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas,
NV have been released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The
show drew in excess of $3.3 million, making it by far the biggest
drawing UFC event in history in terms of live gate. The paid
attendance for the show was 10,301. $3.3 million is such a ridiculously
good gate. I remember when the first Liddell-Couture fight in
June 2003 drew less than $1 million. Now their rubber match drew
more than three times that amount.
Chuck
Liddell was the highest paid fighter on the show, making $250,000
($175,000 guaranteed). Couture made $225,000 for his loss. There
was a huge drop off in purses after that. The salaries broke
down in the following way for UFC 57. Notice that there is no
win bonuses for the main event and that they are now receiving
the full amount to fight plus a percentage of the PPV buys. That
is great news for the fighters and the UFC may have waken up
to the fact that more money = more fighters coming to your organization.
Liddell:
250,000 guaranteed with no winning bonus + an undisclosed PPV
%
Couture: 225,000 guaranteed with no winning bonus + an undisclosed
PPV %
If
the final buy rates are what is expected, both fighters would
make in the neighborhood of 1 million dollars.
Renato
Sobral: $32,000
Frank Mir: $26,000
Paul Buentello: $22,000
Joe Riggs: $20,000
Mike Van Arsdale: $15,000
Nick Diaz: $10,000
Brandon Vera: $10,000
Alessio Sakara: $10,000
Keith Jardine: $10,000
Marcio Cruz: $8,000
Elvis Sinosic: $6,000
Jeff Monson: $6,000
Mike Whitehead: $5,000
Justin Eilers: $5,000
Brandon Lee Hinkle: $4,000
Gilbert Aldana: $2,000
Total:
$191,000 v. $3.3 Million
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you
will always find forgiveness".
Honoré de Balzac, 1799-1850, French Novelist
|
Second
Hearing For The MMA Bill At The State Capitol Today!
Tuesday, February
14
House Bill 3223: Renaming Hawaii State Boxing Commission to the
Hawaii State Athletic Commission.
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
THE TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2006
COMMITTEE ON TOURISM & CULTURE
Rep. Jerry L. Chang, Chair
Rep. Kyle T. Yamashita, Vice Chair
Rep. Felipe P. Abinsay, Jr.
Rep. Glenn Wakai
Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu
Rep. Corinne W.L. Ching
Rep. Michael Y. Magaoay
Rep. Barbara C. Marumoto
Rep. Clift Tsuji
COMMITTEE
ON PUBLIC SAFETY & MILITARY AFFAIRS
Rep. Ken Ito, Chair
Rep. Pono Chong, Vice Chair
Rep. Marilyn B. Lee
Rep. Kameo Tanaka
Rep. Bob Nakasone
Rep. Ryan I. Yamane
Rep. Maile S. L. Shimabukuro
Rep. Mark S. Moses
Rep. Joseph M. Souki
Rep. Bud Stonebraker
NOTICE
OF HEARING
DATE: Tuesday,
February 14, 2006
TIME: 11:00 a.m.
PLACE: Conference Room 325
State Capitol
415 South Beretania Street
HB 3223
RELATING TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS.
Renames
the state boxing commission as the state athletic commission;
requires state athletic commission to regulate boxing and mixed
martial arts contests; defines unarmed combat and mixed martial
arts.
TAC, CPC/JUD
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE TAC COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-6120.
|
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 37 Airs Today!
Fighters' Club TV Episode 37 is cut and submittted to Olelo Programming.
This episode will air in our normal timeslot at 9:30pm, Tuesday
nights on Oceanic Ch. 52 (Olelo - Oahu) on the following dates:
February 14, 21, and 28.
It will also be available to order on Akaku in Maui from February
21st.
Episode
37 features:
-Highlights
from Icon Sport
- Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs Mark Moreno (+ interview
with Jason)
- KJ Noons vs Bryson Kamaka (+interview with KJ)
- Falaniko Vitale vs "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler
(+ interview with both fighters and special report by Tommy Dakota)
Technique
of the Week:
- Mauricio "Shogun" and Murilo "Ninja" Rua
demonstrate a Chute Box Clinch
(Translations from Tatame Magazine's own, Eduardo Alonso)
-
Footage from Icon's press conference with Jason Miller and Niko
Vitale
And
not to forget, Hawaii's two favorite FCTV hosts, Mark "Special
K"
Kurano and Mike "the Icon" Onzuka shooting on location
from the "Kicking it Up" event.
Comments,
Questions, Suggestions?
Please email us at: fctv@onzuka.com
MAHALO!
|
BJ
Penn returns to UFC after 2 years
Hawaiian
BJ Penn is back to Ultimate Cage! BJJ black belt of Nova União
will do a super-fight at upcoming UFC 58, which takes place at
Mandalay Bay Events Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada on next March
4. He will fight Canadian George St. Pierre. In fact, the 58th
edition of the show will be s challenge between Americans and
Canadians.
BJ's
last appearance at the American cage was in January of 2004,
when submitted Matt Hughes by Rear Naked Choke. Then he fought
at Rumble on the Rock - when defeated Brazilian Rodrigo Gracie
- and three times at K-1. In his last bout, he defeated another
Gracie. BJ overcame Renzo Gracie at K-1-World Grand Prix Hawaii,
in last July.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change)
UFC
58: USA vs. Canada
Saturday,
March 4, 2006
Mandalay
Bay Events Center - Las Vegas, Nevada
-
Rich Franklin vs. David Loiseau;
-
George St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn;
-
Diego Sanchez vs. John Alessio;
-
Nate Marquardt vs. Joe Doerksen.
Source: Tatame
|
K-1
announces calendar of GP 2006
New
Zealand, USA, Holland, Japan and South Korea or China may host
the match of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006. The announcement
was made on Tuesday, in Japan, by the Fight Entertainment Group
- company, which produces the K-1. The K-1 Oceania GP opens the
season on May 3, with disputes in the Trust Stadium. On April
29 will be the K-1 USA turns, in the Mirage Hotel and Casino,
in Las Vegas. The Europe will have its GP on May 13, at Amsterdam
Arena (Holland).
Two
dates haven't got the place choose yet. Programmed for June 3
or 4, the K-1 Asia GP can be hosted in Seoul (South Korea), Shangai
(China) or Honolulu (Hawaii). And the other match, in August,
will take place or in Las Vegas, or in Hawaii or in Seoul. The
last three matches will be in Japan, with the first one on July
29 or 30, congregating the best athletes in Japan for the K-1
Japan GP.
The
biggest name of the Brazilian K-1 today, Glaube Feitosa is already
classified for the semifinal of the World GP 2006, which will
take place in September, in Osaka. The victory may guarantee
to Glaube a vacant with Semmy Schilt, Remy Bonjasky, Hong-Man
Choi, Ray Sefo, Jerome Le Banner, Peter Aerts, Musashi and Ruslan
Karaev. Participants of the final of the World GP 2005, the nine
ones will face the champions of the GPs of this year to know
the eight ones that will fight the final GP, in Tokyo Dome, on
November 25 or December 2.
-
I know that everybody will be against me and I remember that
the most dangerous athletes are the new ones, that have nothing
to lose and everything to win. I haven't got anything new to
present, it is punch and kick, and I can't do anything else!
I'm confident, I have a great team and I want to bring the heading
with me again - said the champion of 2005, Semmy Schilt, during
the press conference. In the opening night of the season, in
Auckland, Schilt will do one of the super fights against the
three times champion of the K-1 World GP Peter Aerts.
MMA Challenger back with two GPs
After
the success of the first edition, the Rio MMA Challenger comes
back on May 12, at Hebraica gymnasium, in Rio de Janeiro. The
event will have two matches of four fighters, until 75kg and
until 85kg, beyond three super-fights. Take a look at the complete
card below and stay tuned at TATAME.com to further information!
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Rio
MMA Challenger 2
Friday, May 12, 2006
Hebraica Gymnasium, Rio de Janeiro - RJ
GP
until 75kg
- Leonardo Peçanha (Nova União) vs. Luis Beição
(GBCT);
- Julian Jabá (RFT) vs. Bruno Carvalho (Champions Factory);
GP
until 85kg
- Pedro Manuel (Manimal) vs. Danilo Motosserra (GBCT);
- Marcelo Salazar (BTT) vs. Vitor Hugo (JTTEAM);
Superfights
- Fábio Abreu (Rio Fight) vs. Eraldo Paes (BTT);
- Milton Vieira (BTT) vs. Aloisio Dado (GBCT);
- Angelo Sérgio (Boxe Thai) vs. Paulo Boiko (BTT).
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Whine
less, breathe more; talk less, say more;
hate less, love more; and all good things are yours."
Proverb
|
The
Icon Sport MMA Radio Show
This Morning!
Every Monday at 9:00-10:00 AM
On 1420 AM
The Icon
Sport MMA Show, hosted by T. Jay Thompson and Patrick Freitas,
will be a lively roundtable discussion featuring athletes, industry
analysts, celebrity guests, and listeners. Listeners will also
receive updates about upcoming local, national, and global events.
The
Icon Sport MMA Show will also be available to online listeners,
via the streaming link at www.sportsradio1420.com. Hawaii listeners
can call into the show at (808) 296-1420; Mainland and global listeners can
call into the show toll-free at 1 (866) 400-1420. Fans may also
email questions and statements directly to iconsportradio@yahoo.com.
The shows will be broadcast at 11 pm Pacific Standard Time, 12
p.m. Mountain, 1 p.m. Central, and 2 p.m. Eastern.
The
Icon Sport MMA Show is sponsored by Steinlager, Fighter’s
Corner, Tactical Strength & Conditioning, Fitness & Nutrition
/ Military Nutrition, and Dreamworld Tattoo.
Source: Icon Sport
|
Second
Hearing For The MMA Bill At The State Capitol Tomorrow!
Tuesday, February
14
House Bill 3223: Renaming Hawaii State Boxing Commission to the
Hawaii State Athletic Commission.
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
THE TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION OF 2006
COMMITTEE ON TOURISM & CULTURE
Rep. Jerry L. Chang, Chair
Rep. Kyle T. Yamashita, Vice Chair
Rep. Felipe P. Abinsay, Jr.
Rep. Glenn Wakai
Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu
Rep. Corinne W.L. Ching
Rep. Michael Y. Magaoay
Rep. Barbara C. Marumoto
Rep. Clift Tsuji
COMMITTEE
ON PUBLIC SAFETY & MILITARY AFFAIRS
Rep. Ken Ito, Chair
Rep. Pono Chong, Vice Chair
Rep. Marilyn B. Lee
Rep. Kameo Tanaka
Rep. Bob Nakasone
Rep. Ryan I. Yamane
Rep. Maile S. L. Shimabukuro
Rep. Mark S. Moses
Rep. Joseph M. Souki
Rep. Bud Stonebraker
NOTICE
OF HEARING
DATE: Tuesday,
February 14, 2006
TIME: 11:00 a.m.
PLACE: Conference Room 325
State Capitol
415 South Beretania Street
HB 3223
RELATING TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS.
Renames
the state boxing commission as the state athletic commission;
requires state athletic commission to regulate boxing and mixed
martial arts contests; defines unarmed combat and mixed martial
arts.
TAC, CPC/JUD
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE TAC COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-6120.
|
Team
Gurgel Dominates "Brawl at the Buckeye"
by Mike Fridley
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 10 — Gracie Fighting League, co-promoted
by Relson Gracie and John Cooper Sr., went down on this cold
winter night in the capital city’s “Buckeye Hall of
Fame Cafe,” with eight solid professional bouts.
In
the main event, undefeated Patrick Horner squared off against
KOTC and WFF veteran Todd Seyler, in a fight that would be the
only bout on the card to make it into the second round.
World
Extreme Fighting Fight Team’s Seyler was the early aggressor,
gaining advantage in the clinch that lead to a trip takedown
in the opening minute. He worked several elbows and short right
hands to Horner’s face from half-guard before being swept
by his opponent and eating some crisp shots of his own.
Horner,
clearly not satisfied with his effort in the first stanza, immediately
circled to cut off the ring and delivered a beautiful head-over-heals
slam from the clinch that would have made Quinton Jackson proud.
Finding
himself in side-control shortly after the takedown, Horner spun
into a textbook armbar — only to pose in true superstar
fashion, pumping his fist ala Rumina Sato — and finished
Seyler off 2:09 of round two.
Patrick
Barrantine of Team Jorge Gurgel faced a much heavier Eric Knox
in the super heavyweight co-main event. Barrantine rushed “Fort”
Knox at the opening bell, scoring a double-leg takedown and working
a Kimura from half-guard before being interrupted by the referee,
who chose to restart action in the center of the ring.
In
a questionable move by the official, Barrantine was given half-guard
on the restart but not control of the arm, for which his corner
loudly campaigned.
Undeterred
by this unfortunate mistake, Barrantine went right back to work,
pummeling Knox with brutal elbows and forearms before securing
another Kimura that forced a tapout at 1:19 of the first round.
Also
from Team Jorge Gurgel, Matt Brown made quick work of Reynoldsburg,
Ohio’s Joey Whitt, landing a devastating flying knee that
drew “oohs” and “ahhs” from those in attendance.
At
the opening bell it looked as if Whitt’s fierce punching
and strong build would force the tempo, but Brown suddenly exploded
into an incredible flying knee that sent Whitt, seemingly out,
face first to the canvas. Admiring his work, Brown allowed Whitt
to recover enough to reach for a single-leg, before finishing
off his downed opponent with hammer strikes.
Flyweight
Matt McCabe found himself in trouble in the opening minute against
Chris Lutz. Bleeding heavily over his right eye and stuck in
what looked like a deep guillotine choke, Macabe stayed calm,
patiently working to pass guard and escape the submission. Weathering
the storm, Macabe passed into half-guard then mount, before locking
up his opponent’s arm and getting the ippon 2:02 of round
one.
In
another exciting featherweight bout, high-flying Tim Norman landed
several crisp kicks to the midsection and head of Jesse Hughes.
Norman found himself on his back after a gutsy single-leg from
Hughes, but Hughes failed to unload any punishment as he was
quickly tied up in a guillotine that forced him to tap just 1:44
into the contest.
Jabari
Hawthorne scored a TKO in his first professional fight, taking
out the now 0-5 Jason DeAngelo in the first round. Hawthorne
dropped his opponent with a powerful right hand then added a
savage hammerfist to the already stunned DeAngelo, forcing the
referee to intervene just past the two-minute mark. DeAngelo
complained of an injured shoulder after the bout, possibly caused
in the opening seconds as the fighters traded punches.
In
the evening’s fastest knockout, Prince McLean needed only
15 seconds to dispatch of Kevin Drain, catching him with a clean
right hand and some pounding for good measure.
The
opening bout saw Andrew Varney eat leather from Josh Whitt early
in the first round, before he put the smaller fighter on his
back and seemingly into his element. Varney scored with big shots
from mount then jumped to side-control to secure an armlock 4:30
into the fight.
Team
Jorge Gurgel, lead by Grove City’s Dustin Ware, went an
impressive 4-0 on the evening.
In
other news, after a topless wrestling exhibition from the ring
girls, Relson Gracie and Wes Sims entertained the crowd during
intermission and announced several match-ups for the upcoming
“Gracies vs. Hammer House” card.
Veteran
Daniel Bobish (Pictures) will fight K-1’s Alexandr Ustinov
while Matt Lindland (Pictures) is scheduled to face a yet-to-be-named
opponent on the March 3 Pay-Per-View card.
Source: Sherdog
|
The
Return of the 155lbs Division and Nathan Marquardt To The UFC!
Nathan Marquardt, cleared from previous allegations that he used
steroids will return to the UFC and take on Canadian, Joe Doerksen.
Marquardt won a boring fight against Ivan Salavery
UFC 58: USA vs. Canada
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
March 4, 2006
live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas are currently
on sale.
Tentative
Fight Card:
TEAM
USA vs. TEAM CANADA
Middleweight: Rich Franklin vs. David Loiseau
Welterweight: B.J.
Penn vs.
Georges St. Pierre
Middleweight: Nathan Marquardt vs. Joe Doerksen
Lightweight: Yves Edwards vs. Mark Hominick
Lightweight: Sam Stout vs. Kenny Florian
Welterweight Diego Sanchez vs. John Alessio
Heavyweight: Kristof Midoux vs. Tom Murphy
Lightheavyweight: Rob MacDonald vs. Jason Lambert
Middleweight: Steve Vigneault vs. Mike Swick
|
Pride
FC 31: Dreamers/Unbreakable
The PRIDE FC 31 "Unbreakable" fight card was completed
today when PRIDE announced that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will
fight Kiyoshi Tamura.
FIGHT
CARD
-
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Kiyoshi Tamura
- Josh Barnett vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Yoon Dong Sik
- Jon Olav Einemo vs. Fabricio Werdum
- Pedro Rizzo vs. Roman Zentsov
- Sergei Kharitonov vs. Alistair Overeem
- Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (2005 PRIDE GP champion) vs.
Mark Coleman (2000 PRIDE GP champion)
- Mark Hunt vs. Nishujima Yousuke (World Boxing Foundation champion
in 1997)
- Tsuyoshi Kosaka vs. Mario "Zen Machine" Sperry
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
is more to life than increasing its speed."
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948, Indian Political and Spiritual Leader
|
X-1
Extreme Wars Preview
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
March 18, 2006
Marcelo Tigre vs. John "The Machine" Lober
Tigre makes his return to the islands and takes on the man who
beat the crap out of Frank Shamrock in Hawaii, who is also making
his return to MMA. Word on the street is that Lober has been
in full training mode for some time because he wants to make
a strong comeback. Tigre on the other hand has been relatively
inactive, especially for what he is used to, but has been sharpening
his skills during this time.
Mark "El Toro" Moreno (Bulls Pen) vs. Ross "Da
Boss" Ebanez (BJ Penn's MMA)
This is a grudge match of sorts that started out as a friendly
challenge and grew into a feud. Now the Bulls Pen's top heavy
hitter, takes on that man they call Da Boss. One of BJ Penn's
toughest students. Both guys can throw heavy leather, with the
edge going to Moreno, and it will faovr Ebanez if it goes to
the ground. Although recently Moreno has been showing that his
grappling is much better than many people think. Time will tell
who will come out the victor.
|
Jeff
Monson, a snow storm is coming
by Michael Iurato
In a division which has been non-existent in boxing for years,
The UFC’s heavyweight division is having problems of its
own. On a steady decline, the UFC has been thirsting for new
heavyweight blood for awhile now. With the Champion Andrei Arlovski
reigning as king for the time being, it seems as if there is
no one that can really touch him at this point in time. Before
UFC 57 I was a firm believer that the heavyweights were truly
just a dying breed, but something or I should say someone changed
my mind that night. I know you need more than 1 or 2 good fighters
to have a strong division, but one man has hoisted the opportunity
to make some waves.
Jeff
“The Snowman” Monson is no stranger to the fighting
arts, and has slowly trickled his way back into the eye of the
UFC. This big dog is 5’9 240 pounds with a record of 21-5.
Voted "Submission Grappler of the Year" by Onthemat
in 2004, Jeff is a 2x Abu Dhabi Submission World Champion, multiple
times NAGA Super fight winner, multiple time Grapplers Quest
Winner, and does not seem to be stopping anytime soon. Jeff is
a 3-time UFC veteran and has also fought in the WEFC, AFC, EC,
Euphoria show, and currently holds the Cage Warriors Heavyweight
title. Jeff is also 2-0 as a pro boxer.
With
his only defeats by the hands of Chuck Liddell, Forest Griffin,
David Dodd, Ricco Rodriguez, and Tommy Sauer, Jeff has been on
a tear collecting 14 straight wins and 9 by the way of choke.
While Striking is the more obvious way of winning in a heavyweight
fight, Jeff relies on his agility, mobility, and unmatched ground
game to end his wars. A member of the “American Top Team,”
Jeff plans on bringing them into heavy UFC recognition.
Monson’s
last fight was with the very talented wrestler Brandon Lee Hinkle.
Monson stopped Hinkle by way of North/South Choke and sent the
message that a new storm is coming. Now that he has stapled the
UFC with a statement, Monson is bound to have a title shot sooner
than later. Taking nothing away from the bold credentials of
Andrei Arlovski, I think that he is still untested. I must express
that no fault of Arlovski is given. It is not his fault that
there is no one in the division but I think Monson will be a
huge test. When and if they fight it will be a night that a new
champion I feel will be crowned…
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Marcelo
Tetel: Conquering Pantanal
By Alexandre Lobo
Responsible
for the Brazilian trial of ADCC 2003, Marcelo Tetel is back with
his own Vale-Tudo event. With Rogério Minotouro, the black-belt
of the Brazilian Top Team announces the Pantanal Combat. The
idea is to enter now in the region Center-West of the country.
In interview to website TATAME, Tetel talks about how he had
the idea to make an event in Pantanal, tell us the details of
the competition and analyses the sport for this year.
What
have you been doing? You disappeared.
Yes.
I had some experiences that wasn't so productive so I decided
to take a break, to wait for something right. I also work with
music, but in this time, I've been also watching fights, around
that. I confess that I was a little bit upset, I though about
take it away, but I can't do it. I have been evolved with the
fight world for all my life so I decided to work with fights
again. I'm back really excited.
How
did you have the idea to make the first Pantanal Combat?
Rodrigo
Minotauro and Rogério Minotouro came from Curitiba (MT)
for a Boxing event. They made some contacts and had the idea
to make an event in the city. They talk to me, I came and I saw
that we had the conditions to make a well done work.
The
main idea is to divulgate the Pantanal Mato-Grossense around
the world?
We
have also this idea, but, in the first moment, I need to invest
to produce and to reveal values. We have in Brazil a bigger number
of athletes than space to host events. Normally, the bigger events
are in the South and Southeast of the country and it is difficult
to take an athlete of Cuiabá to fight in this championships
unless the fighter had already fought in the national scene.
For that, we need to stimulate the local entrepreneurs to stimulate
the athletes from these centers.
And
how did you make the Pantanal Combat happen?
We
wanted to involve what the State has better. Today, we have the
support of the Secretaries of Sport, of Culture, of Industry,
of Commerce and of Tourism. With regular events, we increase
the tourism. The sport is one of the biggest divulgators of culture.
We are also involving the Ambient Secretary, working also in
the Pantanal preservation. Inside of the State, we will be in
TVs and I have been divulgating the event.
And
how is the repercussion in Cuiabá?
People
are really excited here. We were thinking about make the event
in the Mato Grosso University but we will do that in a soccer
stadium. Do you know what's that? Pantanal Combat will be the
second event in the world to be host in a stadium! Because of
this support and this idea, the expectation is of a public of
more than three thousand of people.
Talk
about the structure for all of this.
We
are taking the Titan ring - the best ring of Brazil, with 7,15m
x 7,15m -, that will be closer of the tribunes. The public will
be in covered area and the ring will be also covered, so we won't
have problems because of rains. The event will have light show
and VT production. We are also organizing a tribute to Master
Carlson Gracie. If wasn't Carlson, 90% of the Vale-Tudo scene
wouldn't be happening. We will do a beautiful tribute for him.
What
did you think about the Dream Stage Entertainment, company that
produces the Pride, brings back the idea of Davi x Golias with
the Openweight match?
Maybe
for the Japanese public and for entertainment, this will be important.
Being producer, I understand his reasons. But for the sport development,
I don't see that s a good thing. Doesn't exist the possibility
of the lighter one hurts the heavy one, especially because of
the level of the Vale-Tudo today. I understand that, but I disagree
with the match.
Being
producer, how do you see the scene of the Vale-Tudo events in
Brazil in 2006?
This
is promising. Thanks God the preconception is almost over. After
a hard work, we are showing that Vale-Tudo is a healthy and nice
sport. Now, we are ready to see the results and the number of
events will increase. And there are no room for amateurs in our
business anymore.
Source:
Tatame
|
The
International Fight League
...for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts
by Cindy Ortiz
Two
weeks ago, an announcement was made within the mixed martial
arts community that captured the attention of industry fans,
fighters, vendors, sponsors and leaders of MMA organizations
around the globe!
On
January 17, 2006 the world’s first and only mixed martial
arts sports league was introduced, appropriately named The IFL-
International Fight League. A statement issued by IFL co-founders
Kurt Otto and Gareb Shamus, revealed the purpose behind the formation
of the league:
“We
are convinced there is a great opportunity before us to push
the world of Mixed Martial Arts to an entirely new level. While
this sport has more excitement than pro football and basketball
and more athleticism than boxing, it has yet to meet its full
potential. What stands in our way is the absence of a centralized,
structured organization that brings all the power and influence
of our worlds’ top talents together to coordinate the development
and marketing of our sport and our brands.
Such
a league of champions will be able to bring the awareness of
this sport to a new level, while also creating the combined power
necessary to negotiate best of breed promotional and media alliances.
The select few participating in these early days have built long
and respected careers. Investing their experience, wisdom and
personal resources toward the goals of building this league,
recruiting other leaders and developing their own fighters can
ultimately provide the kind of long term rewards never available
before. Only as teams will we all benefit from an ongoing living
legacy and lead the IFL along the footsteps of other successful
leagues, such as the NBA, MLB and the NFL.
Thank
you for your support!
Your
MMA friends,
Kurt
Otto & Gareb Shamus”
According
to the initial 01/17/06 announcement, Kurt Otto is a successful
figure in architecture and real estate development and Gareb
Shamus is the founder and Chairman of Wizard Entertainment Group,
a multi-million dollar, multi-media corporation servicing the
comic book and pop-culture industry.
The
announcement and introduction of the IFL as well as the statement
issued by Otto and Shamus left me with more questions than answers.
My preference for first-hand information took me straight to
the top as usual, and I arranged a telephone interview with the
IFL co-founders for one evening last week.
I
must say I was quite impressed with both Kurt and Gareb, and
by what they shared. You might want to grab a cup of coffee because
the interview is a bit lengthy… and it’s just the tip
of the iceberg! I am convinced the IFL will be the NFL of MMA
and you can look forward to additional segments as new information
is made available! Enjoy!
Cindy:
Good evening, gentlemen! Thanks for coordinating your hectic
schedules so we could do this interview together. The first question
I have for you is how did the idea of creating an MMA fight league
come about, or is it the expansion of an existing International
Fight League unfamiliar to North American fans?
Kurt:
There’s no current MMA professional sport league that we
are aware of. I have been a big fan of this sport for years,
ordered the PPV’s for about the past ten and I have never
heard of one. When I came up with a league concept for MMA fighters
it made perfect sense so I started exploring the possibilities
then consulted Gareb. He researched the market, pinpointed what
he thought were some amazing opportunities, agreed the concept
was very promising and the rest is history.
Cindy:
Do either of you have a background in MMA or are you basically
fans?
Kurt:
I started training in Tae Kwon Do when I was seven years old
and I’ll be thirty-six this month. My brother, Keith, also
trained in Tae Kwon Do and started the same year I did but he
went on to compete and won a gold medal in the Goodwill games
in Seoul, Korea in ’86 or ’87.
Cindy:
Impressive! Have you ever fought professionally or have you had
any amateur fights?
Kurt:
I competed in tournaments in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, and
CT) as well as in Pennsylvania and Canada. I also started wrestling
in middle school and stayed with it until my senior year in high
school and now I’m training with Renzo Gracie.
Cindy:
Now, tell me how you developed the team concept for the league
when MMA is traditionally a one-on-one sport.
Kurt:
The majority of sports have the opportunity to become team sports
if thought through. I like to use collegiate wrestling as an
example. Obviously you’re an individual wrestler going out
there on the mat and you’re trying to get a personal win
but ultimately that win is going to help the team overall. An
individual superstar, like Michael Jordan, shooting hoops by
himself or playing a game of one-on-one is going to be pretty
exciting to watch, but Michael Jordan shined brighter as part
of the Chicago Bulls team and his game reached a higher level
than it ever could have as a solo player.
Cindy:
Great analogy!
Kurt:
I think this is an opportunity for individual professional fighters
who really haven’t had much ring time to get in there and
shine and compete on a different level and hopefully some of
these athletes will develop into brand new heroes or superstars
for the sport of MMA.
Sometime
in April 2006, the first four IFL fight teams will be unveiled
at the organization’s inaugural event. Each team will consist
of five fighters, one from each weight division represented in
the league (lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight
and heavyweight) and one coach.
On
the first night of action, one team will vie against another,
with ten fights taking place between two separate brackets. Each
fight consists of 3/3 minute rounds and takes place back-to-back
for non-stop action. The two winning teams (those that grasp
at least 3 of their 5 fights) will square off six-eight weeks
later and the first IFL championship team will be decided. Individual
winners whose teams did not advance may also be invited back
to compete in individual fights.
Cindy:
Do you foresee any problems with getting the fans to accept the
team concept when they’re used to the idea of MMA being
a one-on-one sport?
Kurt:
Obviously, we respect what the fans think and all we’re
asking is to be given the opportunity to show that the league
format will work. I’m a huge MMA fan so let me tell you
how I came up with the idea and hopefully you’ll understand
where I’m coming from.
Cindy:
O.K.
Kurt:
My brother and I were watching The Smashing Machine…
Cindy:
Mark Kerr… that was awesome!
Kurt:
It was unbelievable and that actual story is what sparked the
idea of a league for the fighters. There’s no support system,
no organization in place to take care of the fighter’s similar
to what you see in other professional sports. Collegiate wrestlers,
like Kerr for example, really have nowhere to go afterwards because
the sport pretty much ends there. Some will be Olympic hopefuls
and might be able to continue in the sport for a few more years
and others may transition into coaching positions, but an overwhelming
majority of these guys hit a dead end because there are no stepping
stones in place to advance their careers.
The
IFL will serve as a stepping stone for athletes like these who
are involved in different forms of martial arts or combative
sports with the talent and skills to compete on a professional
level, and there are plenty of them out there. It really comes
down to giving these guys an opportunity to become full-time
professional athletes in the MMA world.
Gareb:
The team concept doesn’t take away from or change the fact
that the fights are still one-on-one. If anything, it adds a
whole new dimension to the sport.
Kurt:
The fighters only have 3/3 minute rounds to impose their will,
take control of the fight and end it. I think once MMA fans see
the amount of action taking place between the two combatants,
they will get very excited about it! If the game goes to the
ground, fans can expect to see immediate submission attempts
or some ground-n-pound. There are no stall tactics allowed and
the “lay-n-pray” technique has no place in the league
because the ref will stand the fighters right back up.
Cindy:
So there is no “watered down” action… unless you
are referring to “a rain of pain” follow by some old
school ground-n-pound! This concept eliminates the need for fighters
to pace themselves or try to ride the clock out since the rounds
are only 3 minutes in duration. They have a maximum of 9 minutes
to either win or lose so they’ll be trying to end the fight
as soon as they enter the ring because they can’t afford
to waste any time.
Kurt:
Exactly! We want to deliver exciting, non-stop, action packed
fights and we can’t accomplish that by allowing matches
to stall or for time to be wasted on the ground if a solid submission
attempt isn’t being worked. The fans aren’t buying
tickets and tuning in to be bored and it is our goal to launch
MMA to an entirely different level as a mainstream sport, and
eventually see it become just as well known as football, baseball
and basketball.
Cindy:
How will a fight league benefit fighters?
Kurt:
Well first of all, knowing someone believed in MMA enough to
create a league a league for it shows fighters they aren’t
alone in their hopes and dreams for this sport. We feel a league
will provide a better deal for the fighters than most have right
now because these athletes will be able to train and compete
as their full-time occupations. They will earn a decent salary,
receive medical and other benefits, be eligible for a variety
of bonuses, be part of a team and have a much more stable and
secure future than they may have right now. Many, as I’m
sure you know, have to work 40 hours a week doing something they
would rather not have to do in order to pay the bills, and training
to compete becomes a part-time “activity” that may
even be viewed as a “hobby.”
Cindy:
The dream to compete professionally still consumes a fighter
full-time, but the ability to actually get to train for it is
reduced to a part-time effort at best for many. Can you be the
best at something if you only have a minimal amount of time to
put into it? Fighters I talk to say it’s nearly impossible,
but they keep trying because it’s who they are.
Kurt:
Having the potential, desire and heart to be the best or one
of the best, but not having the opportunity to prove it is the
unfortunate reality countless amateur and professional fighters
have had to live with for years. The IFL was created to change
that. A league is necessary for the sport of MMA just as it is
for football, baseball, hockey, basketball and most other organized
professional sports; to support the gifted athletes participating
and to create more opportunities for future athletes.
Cindy:
What kind of success do you think the IFL will have generating
new sponsors?
Kurt:
This league will do more to advance the sport of MMA than any
other effort you can think of because it will attract mainstream
sponsors willing to invest their money and resources into a variety
of efforts to support it. Billions of dollars every year are
spent on sponsorship opportunities and companies are much more
eager to jump on the bandwagon of a legitimate mainstream sport
that is recognized as part of an organized league than risking
the uncertainty of investing in something that is not.
The
IFL will generate awareness and respect for the sport of MMA
as well as the athletes participating in it because our fighters
are professionals. They will train and compete as part of a professional
fight team, squaring off against other pro teams in the league
and the events will be televised on national TV. The IFL will
have a very positive impact on the industry and every organization
and promotion associated with MMA venues will benefit as a direct
result of the IFL’s efforts. We think this league creates
a “win-win” situation for everyone.
Cindy:
Sounds like you really did your homework and a lot of thought
went into this venture!
Kurt:
Well, Cindy, we truly believe the sport of MMA is the most exciting
sport on the planet and not having the benefits of a league like
other major sports is hindering its growth and mainstream awareness.
Now MMA has a league, the IFL, and anyone who hasn’t heard
of this sport yet more than likely won’t be able to make
that same claim a year from now!
Cindy:
Do you foresee any backlash from negative attention that sometimes
befalls this sport?
Kurt:
This is a very extreme and intense sport involving blood, broken
bones, torn ligaments etc. but there are also many positive aspects
to it. The IFL is committed to presenting MMA as the complete
sport it has evolved into as well as clear up any remaining misconceptions
that may linger because of the spectacle it used to be over a
decade ago.
In
the early days of the UFC, prior to the Fertitta’s owning
it, the fights were bare knuckle and had very few rules. I’m
a huge fight fan and there were times when even I winced because
it could be pretty brutal. On top of that, the fights took place
in a cage and the stigma attached to that element caused the
events to be referred to as “human cockfighting.” Now,
I’m not saying I agreed with it or shared that point of
view because I’m a huge fight fan and I understand the sport,
but I could see how others who were less familiar could have
that perception when first introduced to it.
Again,
it was a spectacle back then. It’s not like that now but
occasionally, people will need to be reminded that we’re
not talking about the same kind of show and the IFL has no problem
being proactive in an effort to educate the public about this
great sport.
Now,
were obviously doing this for the true MMA fans but were hoping
to capture a whole new fan base. Again, we are not trying to
“water” the sport down by any means; we’re just
trying to make it more acceptable to the masses. We don’t
feel it is necessary to try and make the fights as bloody as
possible which is one of the reasons the athletes will not be
allowed to use elbow strikes to the head or face of an opponent.
League fighters will compete approximately every six weeks and
the recovery time for injuries resulting from elbow strikes to
the head and face are not conducive to maintaining that type
of schedule.
MMA
fighters representing the IFL have countless skills and techniques
in their arsenal to end a fight where the win is a direct result
of beating their opponent, not via doctor stoppage due to splitting
someone’s face or skull open with an elbow strike. We think
this rule will create more exciting fights because the athletes
won’t be apprehensive about getting cut by one and when
the bell rings, these guys will be absolutely relentless with
the action for the entire three minutes.
Cindy:
Gareb, how hard of a sell was this when Kurt first approached
you with the idea?
Gareb:
Clearly, I was interested because I immediately knew the concept
and subject matter would appeal to the audience I had spent a
large chunk of my life working with (males in the 18+ demographic).
I constantly scour every international market to determine what
is going to be “hot” and what is going to be the “next
big thing” to hit the U.S. When Kurt approached me with
the concept of a league for the sport of MMA, I started doing
research to learn everything about it that I could, watched just
about every taped and PPV event I ran across and evaluated what
business opportunities I thought might be available right now
as well as in the future. Not only did I become aware of the
market and the great potential a league would have for the sport
of MMA, I genuinely got excited about the industry and liked
it a lot.
Cindy:
Even though your background isn’t sports related, the core
demographic of your ventures is right on target with the strongest
demographic audience found in MMA (males, 18-34). Do you think
the millions of people you reach each year might really like
this sport, and do you see or intend to explore any cross-over
opportunities?
Gareb:
I’m in the media business, I publish a lot of magazines,
and I put on conventions all over the country that attract over
125,000 people every year. Bottom line, my properties reach about
3 million people every month around the world. The IFL idea appealed
to me not only from the audience standpoint, but from just about
everything I have worked on for the past 15 years in terms of
what my company already does.
Basically,
it’s getting a lot of people to one place at the same time
to get excited about something they are already interested in,
and that appeals to me… that is my world and now I’ll
be doing the same thing in a sports environment. I think the
possibilities are endless and the potential is huge and I can
promise you, even though I cannot go into any details right now,
that the live IFL events will exceed the expectations of what
a live show can be like for this sport. They will be amazing.
Cindy:
Now you have really gotten me curious! Tell me why you think
your existing customers/fans may be potential new fans for the
sport of MMA.
Gareb:
Well, my whole life, I’ve been dealing with superheroes;
characters with exceptional abilities above and beyond the usual.
When Kurt introduced me to the world of MMA, I immediately recognized
these guys have extraordinary skills and abilities they can perform
that go beyond those of a typical human. As we went along, I
understood exactly who these guys are and why fans admire what
they are capable of, which is the ability to do what most people
can’t. These fighters are essentially real life superheroes
and I “get” why they appeal to others…
A
lot of kids grow up playing Little League ball in hopes of maybe
one day making it to the majors; a lot of MMA fans aspire to
train or maybe even compete themselves one day. The element of
appeal is the same for both. Professional athletes recognized
as being the best are regarded as heroes and their fans live
vicariously through them. Working with Kurt, I had a lot of business
experience with putting on events and getting people really excited
about them and with this venture, there’s a somewhat greater
element involved; the heroes/super heroes are real.
In
the comic book world, you have a lot of people growing up who
want to be writers or artists and for people in the video game
world, they can now be professional video game players. All of
the sudden, throughout all of these markets places that appeal
to guys, passions and being turned into professions. That is
exactly what I see the athletes involved in MMA are doing, taking
their passions and turning them into their professions.
Cindy:
That sounds like the “find what you love to do and then
figure out how to get paid for it” scenario! From what I
understand, you’re pretty well connected with some of the
biggest media outlets because you already do business with them.
Gareb:
I do work with a lot of the biggest media companies out there;
media companies that produce products… just about everybody
that’s trying to appeal to this audience (males 18+) and
I think there are a lot of opportunities here to really expand
the base of the sport. I think that we can add a lot of value
to the sport by bringing in a lot more people, not only interested
on the fan side, but on the business side as well and by doing
that, you create a better environment for everybody.
When
the sport is reaching a lot more people it brings in a lot more
money and you’re going to be able to pay the fighters more,
do more to promote it and reach a broader audience outside the
core demographic you start with. There are a lot of opportunities
to expand the business and the sport at the same time and that’s
why there was such a tremendous appeal on my part. Plus, a lot
of the fighters I have met are just really great people and they
all have really great hearts. They all have the same interest
in making MMA a bigger and better sport for everybody, and that’s
really where Kurt and I are coming from.
Cindy:
How on earth were you able to keep the formation of an International
Fight League under wraps for an entire year while the efforts
to secure a production staff, coaches, fight teams, sponsors,
and a network to televise the events???
Gareb:
(laughter) It did take a considerable amount of time for research
and other things and it was a lot of hard work, and the initial
idea or spark to look into creating a league for the sport of
MMA started well before a year ago.
Kurt:
There’s a few things I have to say about how we kept this
project under the radar! First, through my Tae Kwon Do instructor,
I was introduced to Antonio Nokai the beginning of last year.
I started sharing my ideas with him and he was really excited
about it! Antonio told me he thought the formation of a league
was a great idea, he had never heard of one all the years he
had been competing and vowed to support the effort 100%. Because
of bouncing an idea like this off of a true martial artist with
the respect and credibility from the MMA community like Antonio
Nokai, and to have him embrace it like he did, I knew I was on
to something.
Also,
because it was a new concept, there have been some great people
involved along the way that believed in it enough to keep it
under wraps so as not to risk compromising the progress we were
making. Sometimes launching an idea created to benefit the masses
isn’t always good news to everyone in the industry. Everyone
we have dealt with so far has been excited and very supportive
of the IFL because of the opportunities it will create, especially
for the fighters. We couldn’t be more pleased!
At
that point, Gareb came on board and started fine tuning the carburetor
and it just kept getting better and better! We are so anxious
to announce how our system operates and I think people are going
to be so excited about how an actual event works! What is going
to happen in our arena is going to be very exciting and tonight,
I’ll give you just one hint, Cindy!
Cindy:
Only one?
Kurt:
OK, two; it will be very “fan friendly” and “fan
interactive” for the audience attending the live events!
Having said that, I’m still chomping at the bit and Gareb
is still chomping at the bit to reveal the rest of our plans,
but it won’t be tonight!
Cindy:
Gentlemen! Don’t mind little me! Spill the beans (laughter)!
Kurt:
Ha! You won’t get it out of us tonight! We can’t wait
to announce who the first four coaches are! We can’t wait
to announce who the rest of the coaches will be as well as the
fighters, the network who will air the events, the dates and
locations of the events… and everything else involved with
this venture!
Cindy:
No more hints tonight?
Kurt:
Not tonight! I do want you to know the IFL intends to be very
“media-friendly” and we really respect all of you guys
who write and support this sport. We really want to embrace you
guys and have you as a part of this league because I promise
you there will be plenty to write about and there will be plenty
of events where we can stir up the pot and take this sport to
the next level together!
Cindy:
And I can promise you countless fighters and fans will be chomping
at the bit to learn more about the IFL and all it has to offer
on every front of the sport of MMA.
Kurt:
That’s great to hear because the premise of this league
is to support the fighters and provide them with opportunities
to get in there and compete. There are so many stables of fighters
out there right now who have no where to compete and they’re
getting stagnant waiting for their chance to shine, and we can’t
wait to be able to accommodate their dreams, Cindy.
Cindy:
I think the two of you really do “get” what it’s
all about. Our athletes are just like those representing every
other sport out there, in that they need to compete and challenge
themselves against others to see who is the best, or simply find
out how their skills measure up in the grand scheme of things.
Sparring and training is great, but it doesn’t hold a candle
to the adrenaline rush the fighters experience when they hear
a live crowd chanting their names or the excitement they feel
after the bell rings and the man standing across from them wants
the same exact thing they do… to win, both competitors knowing
there can only be one. That’s when they dig deep into their
arsenals of skills and techniques and prove to themselves and
everyone else who they are, and what they are made of… as
men.
The
victor gets to relish the accolades from the fans and the defeated
athlete hopefully uses the loss to fuel himself with the determination
to get better so he can return to fight again another day.
The
unfortunate part is when “another day” is no where
in site, or simply never comes. What is a fighter to do then?
He’s still a fighter. He still has potential as well as
the desire to compete and is willing to work hard and do whatever
it takes to get to live his dream. And we are talking about dreams,
gentlemen, and that’s what I think you truly “get.”
Kurt:
We absolutely do! There was considerable time and effort that
went into forming this league and everyone involved, including
the coaches selected to lead the teams, shared the same thoughts
and ideas when it came to ensuring the best interests of the
fighters are the number one priority.
International
Fight League coaches are some of the most well respected pioneers
in the industry and their fighting systems are legendary. Each
of these world class athletes and former title holders has a
proven track record of success, and they are very excited to
have the opportunity to pass their knowledge and tools along
to new fighters and create a legacy in the styles they perfected.
Gareb:
The IFL will be a very inclusive organization in the sense that
we’re going to make sure that anybody who wants to become
a part of this sport can be a part of this sport and work with
us. Our intent is to expand the market, not try to “steal”
from existing organizations. By attracting new fans and interest
from companies not currently doing business within the MMA community
and who may not even realize this sport exists right now, the
IFL will be contributing to this industry in a manner that will
take it to a level exceeding what some may have thought possible.
Cindy:
Very impressive, gentlemen, and thank you for making the time
to do this interview. I appreciate you answering so many questions
and I am looking forward to the updates!
Well
folks, it looks like Kurt and Gareb have definitely done their
homework and their business acumen speaks for itself. The level
of support from within the MMA community thus far for the formation
of this league is testament to the belief this sport is worthy
of the same recognition as other major team sports. Our athletes
are no less talented and their dreams are no less meaningful
than any of the seven-figure superstars gracing the covers of
newsstand magazines every single day.
It
sounds like 2006 will be another ground breaking, history making
year for the sport of MMA and I know I’m proud to be a part
of it! I should have another update regarding the International
Fight League in a few days so make sure you check back!
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Lying
is done with words and also with silence."
Adrienne Rich, American Poet
|
Rodrigo
"Cumprido" Medeiros Seminar
at Central Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
Today!
Rodrigo "Cumprido" Medeiros Seminar
Don't
miss the opportunity to learn from Rodrigo:
6 time World BJJ Champion
2 time World BJJ Open Champion
Saturday,
February 11, 2006
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Rodrigo will be teaching both gi and no gi techinques!
Central
Oahu Jiu-Jitsu
(Right next to Jack In The Box in Wahiawa town)
23 S. Kamehameha Hwy #204
Wahiawa
Please
call Tammy (228-1711) or e-mail centraloahujiujitsu@yahoo.com
to reserve your spot or for more information.
|
Icon
Sport Preview Show
"Lawler vs. Niko 2"
Don't miss the Icon Sport Preview Show for the upcoming "Lawler
vs. Niko 2" February 25 event. The program airs exclusively
on K5 The Home Team. This episode examines Lawler and Vitale's
first battle, reviews the undercard, goes "upclose and personal"
with Lawler, and looks at the rise of Niko Vitale with exclusive
bout videos and interviews. We are very excited to present the
program on the following dates:
Sun, Feb 12 @ 11pm
Mon, Feb 13 @ 11pm
Tue, Feb 14 @ 11pm
Wed, Feb 15 @ 11pm
Thur, Feb 16 @ 10pm (special broadcast)
Fri, Feb 17 @ 10pm (special broadcast)
Sat, Feb 18 - no program (UH sports)
Sun, Feb 19 - no program (UH sports)
Mon, Feb 20 @ 11pm
Tue, Feb 21 @ 11pm
Wed, Feb 22 @ 11pm
Thur, Feb 23 @ 11pm
Fri, Feb 24 @ 11pm
Mahalo to Steinlager for making this program possible!!!
Here is the complete card for the Feb 25 event:
ICON SPORT - FEB 25 BLAISDELL ARENA, HONOLULU
WEIGHT NAME1 vs NAME2 NOTES
1 185 Robbie Lawler vs Falaniko Vitale non-Title
Miletich Fighting System, Iowa 808 Fight Factory, Waipahu
2 145 Jim Kikuchi vs David Yeung State Title Belt
808 Fight Factory, Waipahu HMC, Honolulu
3 160 Michihiro Omigawa vs Jason Chambers
Yoshida Dojo, Japan 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, Hollywood
4 175 Chad Gusman vs Kimo Woefel
Team Papakolea, Honolulu Eastsidaz, Waimanalo
5 170 Wayne Perrin vs Ku Lee
Team Big Dogs, Waianae Koko Federation, Honolulu
6 155 Bronson Delima vs Tim Magic Moon
Bulls Pen, Honolulu Freelance, Waianae
7 155/160 Adam Bass vs David Padilla
Jesus Is Lord, Waipahu
8 135 Ausitn Hernandez vs Ikaika Silva
Bulls Pen, Honolulu Animal House
9 165 Mike Taniguxhi vs Ikaika Choy-Fu
Animal House, Ewa Beach Jesus Is Lord, Waipahu
10 135 Ryan Lee vs Tyson Nam
Bulls Pen, Honolulu Grappling Unlimited, Honolulu
11 135 Mark Oshiro vs Isaac Kuikahi
Bulls Pen, Honolulu Mixed Breed, Waipahu
12 155 Marshall Harvest vs Rickey Wallace
Animal House, Ewa Beach Grappling Unlimited, Honolulu
Kickboxing
1 135 Bronson Mohika vs David Balicao
808 Fight Factory, Waipahu Hawaii Self Defense, Ewa Beach
Source: Event Promoter
|
Union
marks Carlson's mass in Rio
O peace mood took place of Santíssimo Chapel, in Copacabana,
Rio de Janeiro, last night (8). The mass made in tribute of BJJ
red belt Carlson Gracie gathered together many important fighters,
old friends, family and fans of Carlson. In total were 500 people,
which packed the chapel. Besides the members of the family as
Rickson, Royler and Robson Gracie were present at the mass many
Carlson Gracie's black belt from all generation and old rivals,
as Luta-Livre's Hugo Duarte.
The
union during the mass was so big that scenes never expected happened
during the ceremony. Hugo Duarte hugged old opponents as Wallid
Ismail and Fernando Pinduka. Old discord was forgotten and Wallid
tenderly hugged Robson Gracie. The emotion took over the presents
and the most emotional were Osvaldo Paquetá, Fernando
Pinduka and Carlos Manimal. At the final, all BJJ black belts
under Carlson Gracie got together for a picture and clapped hands
for about a minute, in tribute to the master, who passed away
on last February 1st.
Source:
Tatame
|
Márcio
Pé-de-Pano: After beating Mir...
By Eduardo Ferreira
Márcio Pé-de-Pano has been showing in the octagon
of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) the same talent that
had consecrated him in the mats of the hole world. In the Jiu-Jitsu,
the athlete from Gracie Barra Combat Team (GBCT) has won twice
the title of Absolute champion in the black-belt, and in Vale-Tudo,
he has been doing great performances. The most recent one was
against former UFC champion Frank Mir, who got KO'd in the first
round. Check out now the full interview with Pé-de-Pano.
Tell
us how was the fight?
Was
fast and to be honest, I don't remember it very well, but I know
I fell on the bottom in the beginning. I remember that I defended
myself and I attacked his leg and put him down. I beat him from
half guard and the judge stopped and called the doctor. After
taking care of him, the doctor said to continue the fight. So
I beat more and he haven't gotten a reaction and the judge interrupted
the fight.
Beyond
being considered a good fighters by the Americans, a lot of people
didn't believe that you could win Frank Mir...
Fight
we can win or lose. But at the end, I heard a lot of compliments
from everybody.
Did
you get surprised with this victory? Or were you waiting of some
other way?
My
team and I knew that I would win, but we didn't know how. My
training was perfect and the result is there. Mir talked too
much before the fight, but who have mouth, says what wants to.
Tell
me about Renato Babalú's fight.
That
was really fast, he got fast. His ground game is really good.
What
about the fight of Chuck Liddell with Randy Couture?
That
was just like the other one. Randy put Liddell down one time,
but Chuck got up quickly. After that was the same thing as the
last fight until I got the KO.
This
year will you be just focused in Vale-Tudo or do you think about
fighting Jiu-Jitsu and Submission?
I
have to dedicate myself a lot to Vale-Tudo. This is not so complicated,
but it is impossible to conciliate both of modalities.
Send
a message for who believed in you and for who didn't as well.
Thank
you for the little part that believed in me and I also say thank
you for who didn't believe, because it had excited me a lot to
try to do my best.
How
did you receive the new of the Carlson Gracie's death?
For
me, that was a really sad new, because I really liked him and
I know he liked me a lot. He was a sensational person and he
was one of the best trainers of the world.
Do
you remember of some situation you lived by his side?
One
time in the Pan-American of Jiu-Jitsu in Orlando, in USA, he
was teasing his former-champions and saying that he wanted to
put the kimono and fight with me to see something (laughs). I
really liked him.
The
UFC made some tribute to him?
They
did and I did as well. After the fight, I said that I would like
to make a tribute for a very special person and I said that obviously
where he is now he is looking at me. The Ultimate made it in
the break and they put his picture and said few things about
him.
Source: Tatame
|
Wanderlai
Silva Talks About Arona and What's to Come in 2006
By Takimoto
Takimoto- Unlike 2004, where you ended being beat by Mark Hunt,
in 2005 you ended with a win. You seem to have entered 2006 with
the right foot. How do you feel going forward???
Wanderlei
Silva- Thank God I started with the right foot. It was an important
victory in my career, it was an important match, because of that
I prepared myself a lot. Now I am looking forward to this year's
action.
Takimoto- What were the impressions of your fight against Ricardo
Arona?
Wanderlei
Silva- It was a hard fight; I think the stamina was the decisive
factor. A fight is a fight, I knew that I could KO him and I
knew it could last 20 minutes. Because of that I sharpened my
stamina for this bout. I trained 3 months for this fight with
the last 50 days being very intense. I did a lot of sprints.
This was really a technical fight, where I managed to defend
some of his takedowns and this was important for my win. My only
concern, is I did not achieve to hit him well in the chin. My
punches came real close, but in the chin I did not hit. I will
leave this for the next one.
Takimoto- During the fight, the audience was apparently in your
side. Did it feel like a home advantage even in Japan???
Wanderlei
Silva- Thank God the audience roots a lot for me. They like my
fight style because I go straight forward my opponent and try
to fight beautiful for them. They recognize it and cheer for
me. I stayed happier because it was the fight they root more
for me in the last years.
Takimoto- The first fight between you Arona won. What lessons
you take from that fight and applied in this one?
Wanderlei
Silva- That in reality we have to stay focused in our opponent
and do not respect more than he deserves. He is an awesome athlete,
a real tough guy with a good physical preparation... but deep
inside myself I knew I could win. For this fight I managed to
work my physical and psychological sides together and I managed
to do what I had to do for the win.
Takimoto- After there two fights, is the rivalry is still the
same?
Wanderlei
Silva- The situation is as it was. I can not become friend of
all my enemies. If I did, I will lose my job. He is my adversary,
I know I will do this with him again and the next time I promise
an even better fight.
Takiomoto- You were the only Brazilian that won in that December
31 night. What do you think of that???
Wanderlei
Silva- It is true. My fans there went crazy. I am with something
like 300 to thousand supporters there. I even came back with
a guy that is from Sao Paulo and he came to me and said "Man,
I stayed alone in Japan, and did not know anyone. But when I
said I was from Brazil, right at the time the Japanese start
to talk about you. Wanderlei Silva, Wanderlei Silva. Now I am
here talking to you". The guy was really nice.
Takimoto- What are the plans for 2006?
Wanderlei
Silva- The year is still open. I am negotiating my contract and
looking what will be proposed to me. Maybe I will participate
in this open-weight GP.
Takimoto- What do you think about the idea of this GP?
Wanderlei
Silva - It is a show you know, whatever brings the public, the
promoters will do it. I think it is interesting guys from different
categories fighting against each other.
Takimoto- Takanori Gomi already showed the will to face you.
It can happen in the GP, do not you think?
Wanderlei
Silva- Yeah, I will fulfill his desire. I also want to face him.
They only throw heavier guys against me. Maybe they will put
me against a lighter guy one time.
Takimoto- There are some rumors that your next title defense
could be against Rogerio "Minotouro" Nogueira. What
do you think about this?
Wanderlei
Silva- I think it is great. I do not know how is going to be
his year, if the guy achieve some victories, I think it is very
interesting. He is a tough guy, with a good record. He has a
fight style that fits with mine, because he has been sharpening
his boxing skills. I think that, against him I can do a better
performance than against Arona, because he is a guy that accepts
the stand up fight and does a better spectacle. I think it would
be a very good fight.
Takimoto- Look back and give us your feeling of 2005 in your
career?
Wanderlei Silva- 2005 everything happened. In reality, in the
fight against Hidehiko Yoshida I had an injure in my knee, so
I did not prepare well. In the fight against Kazuhiro Nakamura
I was also a little bit hurt. The fight that I lost was the only
one that I had no injuries, I was really good. In the last fight,
I was with a soft injury.
Takimoto- Inspite of the injuries, you ended up well for the
year.
Wanderlei
Silva- I ended up great. I think this victory against Arona has
a special taste, because the guy is a real good athlete and deserved
to fight for the title, which he won against me in an earlier
opportunity. It was an overcoming year; I did tough fights, hurt
myself a lot, but managed to fulfill my contract, which were
4 or 5 fights. So it was a very productive year. I won against
Yoshida, who is an idol there, I won against Nakamura, who is
a dangerous Japanese and everybody thought he could win against
me. After that I ended up losing, but I managed to come back,
train, change my psychological state and face a very tough opponent.
I managed to surpass this and won against him. I saw the fight
many times and I think really think I won. It was a challenging
year, where I took a lot of lessons and I expect to come even
more sharpened this year.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Short,
yet dangerous
A profile of Alexandre Pequeno Nogueira, the greatest name in
the history of Shooto
When this reduced version of Hercules arrives once again in Medina,
a 20 thousand inhabitants town in Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil,
in order to rest after a new feat in the rings, he won’t
be welcomed exclusively by a party. There are some who bet that,
in the corral of the Franca Nogueiras’ farm, the oxen will
never cease to blink and moo as they feel the local star spproach.
“Uncle,
I’ll go over there with the bullocks and will be right back,”
young Alexandre would say on his vacation, smiling back at the
immediate grunts uttered by the elder relatives. “Crazy
kid!” they’d say. Once in the corral, Pequeno’s
challenge was to give takedowns to as many bullocks as possible
by unbalancing them, performing levers with his 5’6’’,
148lb body, and dodging the kicks by the confused training partners.
“Pequeno
is not an ordinary guy,” Rodrigo Minotauro usually states.
“He’s got amazing strength for his size,” says
the 232lb fighter. Anyway, except for the bullocks, the party
is undisputed when Shooto’s super-champion arrives in the
town next to Rio-Bahia highway trying to forget everything. “Every
time, I take 60 shirts there. Some days I go to the public square
and everyone is wearing the same outfit – it’s like
the uniform of a football team,” says the 27 year-old champion.
Next
time it won’t be different. Besides having tamed another
tough bull, Pequeno will arrive having beaten, on March 11th,
2005, Nova Uniao professor Joao Roque, one of his most respected
opponents in the category. And in his luggage there will be a
respectable record: the belt has been his for the past six years.
They
are wrong who associate his success exclusively with the preparedness
given by the country life and the rustic training methods he
creates – like taking on several karate fighters at a time
at the only academy in Medina.
Alexandre
Franca Nogueira was actually born in Madureira, in Rio de Janeiro
city. At 12, as he moved to Urca, his favorite pastimes were
underwater fishing and running after kites. “I’d run
like mad, jump off windows, run on rooftops, go up Urca hill…
and then would come down with many kites and balloons on my sholder,”
he recalls, referring to the hill where he still performs his
physical preparation for bouts. After the kid fell twice from
the neighboring roofs, his father got worried with the excessive
energy and demanded: it was time for Alexandre to choose a sport.
“I
visited all sorts of academies, but Eugenio Tadeu’s, behind
Urca Casino and close to my home, was the one I liked most,”
says Nogueira, who recalls being frightened, at age 14, as he
saw women perform locks and chokes. The fighter recollects he
spent two weeks only watching the luta livre sessions, until
he decided to take part in them. “There were only 200lb
guys training at the time, I’d vanish as I went into the
opponents,” he says, explaining the nickname (which means
“short, small”) coined by friend Sérgio “Formiga.”
Keen
observer since the first couple of trainings, Pequeno says this
trait favors him to this day. He likes watching all of his opponents’
combats, as well as his own – and that’s not all: “Toniko
and Sergio Cunha want to organize a Shooto Brazil edition whenever
I’m two weeks away from fighting in Japan. It’s because
every time I watch striking fights I learn a bit more, and get
some of that energy going,” he assures.
On
Wednesdays, Pequeno arrives precisely at 6p.m. in Shooto Brazil
academy, in Niterói, where he shifts from his ground lessons
to Ricardo Arona’s Jiu-Jitsu ones. For the training, he
wears blue gi shorts and a black belt – loose, despite the
two turns around his waist. Among his oldest pupils is Antonio,
age 57, who in Itacoatiara beach has even shown Arona, age 26,
a hard time: he took the Pride star out to sail with long boards
for about three hours. The following day, the black-belt was
in great pain, whereas old Toni was okay. “Some people are
great fighters; others, great teachers. But Pequeno gathers all
three characteristics: he is a great person as well,” says
Royler Gracie’s former student. Pequeno has about 30 pupils,
amongst which Japanese Kumi Iriya, a woman who’s worked
in Pride and got to Brazil in November, 2004, to learn Portuguese.
“Pequeno is not as popular in Japan as Minotauro or Wanderlei,
because Pride is above other events. Under it is Deep and only
then comes Shooto,” explains Kumi. “But everybody recognizes
him as the strongest lightweight there is,” says the young
fan. As he walked out of his 6th belt-maintenance match victorious,
Pequeno broke Noboru Asahi’s record, formerly the greatest
legend of the organization founded in 1986.
In
search of more fame (and consequently higher money prizes) Pequeno
intends to go on to fight and beat 20lb heavier opponents, but
for now he enjoys his victory over Joao Roque. “Unlike many
fans, I didn’t deem this fight a luta livre vs. Jiu-Jitsu
fight, but instead a struggle of two guys prepared to grab the
belt,” he claims. Indeed, Pequeno has never cared about
rivalries, and always strived to improve his game in many of
Rio’s academies – an attitude applauded by master Eugenio
Tadeu. “I’d visit the Jiu-Jitsu academies and ask to
train with the gi on. I trained with Royler, Pederneiras, Bitetti…”
he lists. “Training with Carlson was the hardest. He found
out I was from luta livre and told the guys to fight for real,”
he laughs. However, when he became interested in practising muay
thai elsewhere, Eugenio didn’t like it and left the team,
in 1999.
His
taste for Jiu-Jitsu made Pequeno enter the 1994 State Championships,
where he submitted four adversaries and beat ”a tough judo
fighter” whose name he doesn’t recall in the final.
He still keeps the medal.
Strong,
technical, open-minded and with great experience from training
with standouts from many styles (he stills trains with Arona
and, in Curitiba, with Anderson Silva and José Pelé),
does the king of guillotines hold any secret? “The bridge,”
he answers. But, how’s that again? “The Rio–Niterói
bridge. As I ride my motorcycle daily, nothing better to enhance
my reflexes than dodging the fast-moving cars! Once a car appeared
in front of me, the motorcycle hit it, and I – in mid-air
– grabbed the car’s rack to save myself from the asphalt.
All the people were staring at me,” says the mini Indiana
Jones.
With
so many friends in m.m.a., like Arona, Wanderlei and Minotouro,
does Pequeno have a favorite for Pride’s middleweight Grand
Prix [won by Maurício Shogun last December]? “I can’t
bet on anyone. The level is just too high,” he smiles. Good
reflexes, Pequeno…
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
|