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
Mundials
(BJJ)
(Tijuca Tenis Clube,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
7/20-24/06
CBJJO World Championships
(BJJ)
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
5/6-21/06
Brazilian Nationals
(BJJ)
(Brazil)
4/7-9/06
Pan American &
USA vs. Brazil Team
BJJ Championships
(BJJ)
(Los Angeles, CA)
4/7/06
Rumble On The Rock
9
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
4/1/06
Punishment In Paradise 11
(Kickboxing)
(tba)
3/26/06
3rd Maui Jiu-Jitsu Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Maui War Memorial Gym, Wailuku)
3/25/06
Garden Island Cage
Match #3
(MMA)
(Kapaa H.S. Gym, Kapaa, Kauai)
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)
(Venue TBA)
2/26/06
NAGA Hawaii State Championship
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Honolulu)
*Cancelled
until Summer*
2/25/06
Icon Sport 44
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
2/4/06
Kick it Up
(Kickboxing)
(Pagoda Hotel Ballroom, Honolulu)
UFC 57:
Liddell vs. Couture 3
Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV)
1/27/06
So You Think You Tough
(MMA, Kickboxing)
(Kona Gym, Kona)
January
Grappler's Quest Hawaii
(Submission Grappling)
(TBA)
***Cancelled***
|
|
January 2006 News
Part 3
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! |
Quote
of the Day
"When
you follow your bliss... doors will open where you would not
have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be
a door for anyone else."
Joseph Campbell, 1904-1987, American Folklorist and Mythology
Expert
|
New
Issue of Full Contact Fighter is Out!
Check out what's in the current issue of FCF ...
The
Year in Review: Eight events that shaped 2005.
International
Fight league - Is this the future of Mixed Martial Arts?
Pride
Shockwave 2005 draws a sea of fans to end the year right!
Full
Contact Fighter crowns the FCF Fighter of the Year for 2005.
MMA's
Popularity Soaring, Athletic Commissions Assess the Future.
North
Dakota to implement first-ever MMA-exclusive Athletic Commission.
Vitor
Ribeiro Interview - Shaolin's Path to Glory.
The
Great Elbow Debate: Elbow Strikes - Harbingers of premature stoppages
or inherent to the sport?
Rudimar
Fedrigo's 2006 Wish List - Chute Boxe honcho hopes for heavyweight
champion in New Year.
"Coach"
Shamrock - Ready for young talent at TUF 3.
Fields
K-1 Premium 2005 Dynamite!
Who
Will break Out in 2006? A look at feeder show champions at the
top of the list.
SportFighting
2: Night of the Underdog.
AFC
14: Middleweights outshine UFC vets.
Denis
Kang: Perserverant Canadian finds fame in South Korea.
Silent
Warrior - Deaf warrior Matt Hamill pins hopes on TUF 3 selection.
5th
Annual Cyclone - Brazilian National Submission Championship.
The
Mental Edge: Veteran fighter Tim Lajcik joins FCF as a guest
columnist for a series of articles that tackles the oft-untouched
cerebral side of fighting. This month: Sparring: Safety Vs. Realism.
Chris
Brennan BioFile.
Fight
fans pick their favorites for 2005 fighter of the year.
In
our monthly columns...
In
Matt Hume's techniques, Josh Barnett & Chris Leben demonstrate
a Reverse Power Half Nelson to Neck Lock.
Every
issue of Full Contact Fighter is jam-packed with fight news from
the U.S. to Brazil to Japan. FCF travels the globe to bring the
fights to you. Get yours today! Available at Tower Records stores
around the world or by subscription...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For
FASTEST service call in your credit card order
(516)676-0033
Or
Click
here to order securely online with your credit card
or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment
Source: FCF
|
Feb
1st Speeding Ticket Trap Day!
Not
sure if this is true or not, but it doesn't hurt to be safe.
On
February 1,
the city and county of Honolulu will launch a 30-day speeding
ticket frenzy. The city estimates that 9 million dollars will
be generated in speeding tickets. 1 million will go to pay police
overtime. There will be 50 police on duty at all times patrolling
the 9 main thoroughfares.
They
are the following:
H-3 both directions
H-2 both directions
H-1 both directions
Pali Hwy
Likelike Hwy
Nimitz Hwy
Kalanianaole Hwy
Kam Hwy
Farrington Hwy
Now
5 mph above the limit can justify a ticket and every officer
is supposed to pull a car over and write a ticket every 10 minutes.
They have issued 30 brand new unmarked cruisers and they are
bringing all their part timers on full time.
|
Kharitonov
vs. Overeem for February PRIDE
Russian heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov and Dutch 205-pound fighter
Alistair Overeem will meet in the ring Feb. 26, PRIDE announced
on its Web site Sunday.
At
13-1-0, Kharitonov's lone defeat came in August 2004 against
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, a heavyweight many consider second
only to PRIDE champion Fedor Emelianenko. In his last outing
in October, the Russian won an uninspired split decision over
Fabricio Werdum, causing some to question whether he was ready
to challenge for the title.
Meanwhile,
Overeem advanced to the semifinals of PRIDE's 2005 Middleweight
Grand Prix, losing to eventual champion Mauricio Rua. At 6' 5"
the Dutchman is an enormous fighter in his division, though few
have considered him much of a threat to move up in weight given
his streamlined frame.
This
bout joins a card already featuring "Shogun" Rua's
heavyweight debut versus Mark Coleman; Mark Hunt against boxer
Yosuke Nishijima; and, in a clash of veterans, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka
faces Mario Sperry.
Source: Sherdog
|
Rickson’s
way
Jiu-Jitsu icon accepts to be interviewed by three-time world
champion, replies to Wanderlei Silva, clears his criticism on
the level of MMA fighters and bets on his new tournament, which
creates a worldwide BJJ ranking and promises to valorize the
sport – and the athletes – in an unheard-of way
By three-time world champion Marcio Feitosa
My
first personal contact with Rickson happened when I was still
a purple-belt, back in 1994. I had the privilege of taking part
in one of those notorious training sessions where he would defeat
no less than ten people, most top black-belts of the time. I
was used as warming up: I tapped out in about one and a half
minute. Since I was a kid, hence, I’ve been A fan of Rickson’s.
In
the end of October, I was preparing to work as referee in the
brand new Budo Challenge here in California, when I got a call
and a proposition. The event was three days away and on the other
end of the line was Luca, GRACIE Magazine’s editor.
Then
he asked what he thought was a favor: “Could you please
interview Rickson, focusing on this news called Budo Challenge?”
At the time I could say no more than, “Are you kiddin’
me?” I was all excited with it. Of course I wouldn’t
let this chance slip by. As soon as I hung up, I knew I was in
possession of a rare opportunity: that of being, for a few hours,
in the presence of one of the greatest minds in Jiu-Jitsu.
To
my susprise, Rickson chose his own house as the place of the
interview, and, to my even greater surprise, showed the simplicity
that only the great masters possess. He treated me so well that
I never felt like a reporter at all, but instead like a family
member. He showed me the quiet neighbor where he’s been
living for the past ten years, told me priceless stories, we
discussed Jiu-Jitsu and had lunch together. As Luca pointed out,
my mission wound up occurring in the fashion of the big interviews
of magazines such as Playboy: in two days, we had more than six
hours of chat, many drafts and several tape rolls – except
I used a digital recorder.
The
interview took place on a big rug at the Gracies’, with
a great view of the Santa Monica sea for a witness. And there
I was, recorder on one hand, pen and paper on the other, and
zero experience, performing my very first interview with the
one and only Rickson Gracie, one of Jiu-Jitsu’s greatest
living legends. So many scenes of historical fights were running
trough my mind! I wanted to ask so much! If I went on asking,
and if Rickson didn’t have to pack for a trip to Japan,
it would be possible to give readers at least a thousand interviews.
The
result is here for the reader to evaluate it. In my opinion it
turned out really cool, and I even think there was no way it
could be otherwise, for everything Rickson says is pervaded with
content, roots and philosophy. That interview was above all a
great lesson of Jiu-Jitsu and life. And it reminded me of the
second time I met Rickson: it was in the first Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American,
where he showed up and made the championship stop. All the kids
ran to take pictures with their idol, and there I was in the
middle. To this day I keep my picture, very similar to the one
above.
What motivated you into challenging yourself and organizing something
entirely new like Budo Challenge?
First I would like to thank you for this visit. It’s a pleasure
to speak through you to all the readers of Gracie Mag about this
event that fills me with joy. This is a moment I could call historical
to all of us martial arts lovers. The challenge is to retrieve
the feeling that a martial art, whatever its form, can always
be beneficial to the human being, in a complete way. The challenge
is to create an event that can take the sport to another level
of valorization. All who love martial arts will doubtlessly enjoy
Budo Challenge.
Was
there any particular reason for the tournament to take place
in 2005?
This isn’t something that came from scrap and began today;
it’s rather a movement that’s been in my mind for a
long time. I’ve been pondering on the need to bring back
the benefits of martial arts. A martial art is something you
have to learn very young to practise, become an efficient person,
learn to use strategy, technique, the condition of being able
to breathe and maintain a certain balance. This whole philosophy
of the martial art that makes a warrior incorporate a potential
is nowadays mellowing with the current MMA standpoint. When we
began to build MMA it was simply with the idea of promoting the
clash among styles. We believed in Jiu-Jitsu and thought it could
do well against boxing, karate, capoeira, judo and any other
style. With the evolution of MMA, everybody trains a bit of everything,
which puts an end to the clash of styles; it’s rather a
clash of individuals who are each time more explosive, stronger,
with a time limit that’s each time shorter. All that ensues
the challenge between individuals, instead of technique against
technique. This makes martial arts philosophy get somewhat lost.
What
kind of results do you expect to reach with this event?
The concept of is that of bringing professionalism into the sport
with the gi on. Its goal is to valorize and dignify the lives
of the professionals who love the sport. I think we don’t
need to go elsewhere to become respected professionals, maintain
our families. Teaching class, which has evidently always been
a noble profession, isn’t every super-athlete’s choice
of how to make a living. And if many athletes attain their independence
by playing tennis, football, basketball or any other sport, how
come we can’t get there by fighting with the gi? That’s
what Budo Challenge is all about. MMA has in a way started to
professionalize athletes, but it’s become too much of a
show, too aggressive, violent, and distanced itself from the
values I deem necessary and that are out there to inform and
make our communities better.
And
what about the new rules? What did you have in mind when you
sat down to formulate them?
I wanted in the first place to create a competition where all
sorts of grapplers could face one another; gather, in one event,
Jiu-Jitsu, sambo, wrestling… Budo Challenge is a new sport!
I think in the future there will great technical exchange going
on among those athletes, because they will have to study a bit
of everything in order to perfect themselves and become Budo
champions. And that will be good for the gi-sports. The creation
of the rules was a lot easier than I had imagined. I took away
all that stalls the fights, like advantages or too many points
for attaining a certain position. Submission attempts are worth
a lot more than achieving positions. Submissions are considered
not only at the time of the fight, but also in the overall calculation,
which generates the yearly ranking. In my opinion, the beauty
of the gi-sport is in the submission, in the vast variety of
technical possibilities. With the gi on you have a lot more possibilities
of submitting, sweeping, taking down, controlling your foe…
Because you have a lot more grip options. Thus I reached my goal:
fights had much moving going on and technique came out –
you only have to see that the percentage of submissions was very
high. Most fights ended in that fashion. This technical advantage
gi has over no-gi was something that made me choose a gi-on competition
right away.
And
how will this yearly ranking be made?
There will be a great worldwide circuit like in many sports,
like surfing or volleyball. My goal is to hold rounds around
the globe, where the points are counted and rise according to
the aggressiveness of the athlete’s performance. For example:
winning a fight for disqualification or points will grant the
athlete half the points he would make if he submitted the opponent,
say 100 against 200. Which in the overall count of the circuit
might make a big difference in deciding who is to be world champion.
Submission must, thus, be valorized! When you train in the academy,
to test yourself, the preoccupation of winning by two points,
for an advantage or by achieving a position – that preoccupation
isn’t present, your training doesn’t stop there. That
is simply a transition from one position to another and so on,
until you get to your real goal – submission. The technically
better fighter is the one who forces the other one to tap out.
That is something that comes from the very roots of Jiu-Jitsu.
How
many athletes will this ranking feature?
In this first edition the divisions featured four fighters per
weight class. After the success of the first event we are expanding
our ideas, and we are raising that number as well as the amount
of weight classes. Another important point: In Budo Challenge
all competitors get a money prize. From the guy who lost in round
one to the champion. It’s the valorization of our profession,
and that’s something I’m not willing to give up. There
is also the possibility of crating a women’s category, which
is another important part of the sport and has been gaining a
lot of room. The technical level of women is constantly evolving.
You
don’t like entering the ring wearing a gi, after all you
feel MMA is not a gi-on sport. Were you ever against Royce’s
fighting with the gi at the UFC?
That’s a personal question. I really like my gi-less performance,
after all, based on what I believe in, even if I have less technical
options, the technical options that can be developed without
the gi are also good. Proof of this is that the ADCC champions,
who are really good fighters, come mostly from gi-on arts. On
the other hand, fighting with the gi you can have a little more
grip in order to act on your opponent’s mistakes. But it’s
a personal choice more than anything else.
Concerning
mixed martial arts, after an interview a few readers thought
you criticized the technical level of today’s fighters,
that in your opinion that level was sinking. How do you compare
today’s athletes with the ones of yours?
I don’t think the level of the athletes is sinking. I see
the time of the fights being diminished, that the athletic part
of athletes is more and more involved with hard training, sometimes
even steroids. So people become super-men, super-strong, super-aggressive,
super-explosive, and all that energy added to the low time limit
reduces the need of showing technique. You have to be a bull,
to get in there and win with your horns, not with your mind.
So this natural development of the sport makes technique be left
aside a little bit. This makes fighters level themselves down,
because the sport no longer demands them to pay attention to
detail. If you take off the gi and go into a five minute bout
where you can use all your strength at once, nonstop… Why
even bother about detail, technical carefulness? What you need
are muscles! Besides, all styles got mixed up, there is no more
style versus style, the athlete has a basic notion of how to
defend because, in general, defending is a lot easier than attacking,
so all you have to do is explode and resist for five minutes.
So most fight finales nowadays end up being sudden knockouts.
You don’t see as often a technique, a triangle, a back-taking.
It all becomes sort of void of technique.
In
your bouts we never saw you make a mistake, being knocked down.
And what about in trainings? Have you ever been KO’d or
something like it?
No. Because in fighting or training I endeavor not to confront
my opponent and give him the opportunities to checkmate me, that
is, the submission or the right distance for a trauma. So, even
though I train loosely, I try not to let opportunities appear
– which is but a technical notion. It’s not a question
of fighting fiercely every time you train. You must be aware
of the distance and remain in a zone comfortable for you.
So,
in your opinion, in order to become a great m.m.a. champion a
fighter doesn’t really need violent training?
I think not. At first look, I don’t see any great m.m.a
fighter who doesn’t have a good knowledge of ground game.
I think that is the main condition. But if you have good ground
game and still aren’t able to enter a striker’s guard
then you’re lost anyway, because these days those guys are
throwing punches very efficiently. Standing, you must know how
to neutralize your foe. I don’t need to beat him standing,
to punch him. You must know the rough way towards neutralizing
a striker and bringing down to the ground. So it’s about
the whole combination: knowing how to break your opponent’s
fortress, bring him into your own in a way he can’t defend,
and then settle the business.
You
say you don’t see any m.m.a. champion who doesn’t know
their ground game. Wanderlei Silva is a great champion at Pride.
Do you think he is a great ground fighter?
I think he fulfils his needs. He must know how to defend on the
ground, not to let the win slip, and then defeat everyone standing
– which he does very often. He is very strong standing,
he’s got a heavy hand, he is very brave and survives on
the ground, because there is no one slick enough to make him
give down on the canvas. And even good Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
aren’t able to take him down.
How
did you face his challenge, for the Pride belt?
I see that, for his being valiant and having attained and outstanding
position, he has the need of always being ready to fight. It
is no news to me that he is ready to challenge me, or that he
is ready to face anyone else. The things any champions says are
intended to defend them or show their intention of fighting whomever
they deem a profitable opponent. In reality I don’t think
Wanderlei is in a position to think he is the best. To me, regardless
of my adversary, I would only like to have a good promotion and
take part in a good event. I’m just hanging out and waiting
to see what comes along.
You’ve
said you deem the zenith of your life to be defending your values
in a ring. Would you be disappointed to end your career without
one last fight?
I see the possibility of me fighting still exists, though it’s
not certain, and I still believe one more bout would be the finale
I would like to give my career. Although I know I’ve got
nothing to prove, I feel there’s something amiss. But on
the other hand, if God doesn’t give me this opportunity,
I feel I should keep my life attached to martial arts with interesting
things such as Budo Challenge and other projects yet to come.
What
was your toughest bout? Was it the first one against Zulu?
Yes, it was the toughest because I was fighting not only my opponent,
but my own limits as well. I thought I had no condition of winning,
I doubted my own skills. But dad and my brother Rolls came up
to me and told me: “Go up there, because now it’s the
closing.” And it truly was! So it was the most difficult
fight in my life, for I was facing my own doubt. Ever since,
I lost that indecision, which made all the difference. Remembering
the combat, right in the beginning he came onto my legs and I
was fortunate to land a knee-strike right on his mouth. In my
naïvety at the time, I thought I had won the fight right
then. But he simply shook his head and came onto me again. I
was very impressed, he had just lost a tooth… We resumed
from there and it was a fight where I used up all my physical
and technical potential.
This
fight with Zulu happened back in 1980 and you already had the
knee-strike amongst your resources. How was your training for
becoming a complete fighter?
My training, especially concerning traumatism, has always focused
on self-defense. That is, the ability of capitalizing upon the
room the opponent gives you, by using traumatism, head-strikes,
knee-strikes and elbow-strikes in order to defend and attain
space. And that comes from everyday self-defense training. It
wasn’t something I did to practice standup striking. I would
practice self-defense where the guy would attack and I, with
a good base, would create opportunities to use my moves: a knee-strike,
an elbow-strike, a knee-strike… But always focusing on self-defense.
So,
using you as an example we might say that all that’s necessary
in m.m.a. or a self-defense situation on the street is already
in the Jiu-Jitsu program?
Definitely. In terms of efficiency BJJ is the art that focuses
the most on self-defense. So much that nowadays there isn’t
an m.m.a. fighter who doesn’t know the basics of that art,
who doesn’t at least know how to survive on the ground.
Even if they are a striking specialist.
Therefore,
you never had to go to muay thai academy, or a wrestling academy?
The fundamentals of self-defense present in Jiu-Jitsu give you
a clear notion of how to deal with your foe’s specialty.
I’m no great boxer, but I have deep knowledge of how to
clinch, how to avoid the right distance for punches. I’m
no great kicker either, but I know what a guy needs to kick me.
Strikers must have a certain gentlemen’s agreement to stay
in that distance, for otherwise the referee stops the bout. That’s
evident, so my specialty is precisely not to give a striker whatever
it is they need in order to strike me.
You
mentioned Rolls’ name, and where I was raised he is a hero.
How did he influence your career?
Rolls was a support, a foundation to my Jiu-Jitsu. He always
supported me in training, taught me all he could and motivated
me into competing. He was always an example of commitment with
Jiu-Jitsu, with the codes of honor and discipline that every
warrior must possess. He was my elder brother. And he left us
a little too soon, but for all the respect I have for him, regardless
of technique and training, he will always stand above me on the
podium.
Who
would you point out as the greatest influences in the fighter
you’ve become?
My father and my brothers Rolls and Rorion. On the level of technical
and philosophical influence these three stand out. Many more
have taken part in my growth – training mates, relatives,
friends… I thank them a lot too, but that is a much larger
package… There were trainings at home, in the garage, the
academy; cousins, uncles… It was an entire life breathing
Jiu-Jitsu. But those three were the greatest influences.
Kron
is certainly a great promise. How complicated is it to teach
a son?
Of course it is complicated, because I can’t let my expectations
alter his reality, stop him from living his own life. Kron is
a person starting to experience the fact of bearing the Jiu-Jitsu
banner, something he has to adapt to, and if it’s God’s
wish that will be something he will deal with very naturally.
I think my role in all of it is to support him in every way.
But never pressure him into thinking he must have good results
to please me: he must be glad in pleasing himself and trying
his best.
Ever
since you were very little, you’ve always demonstrated much
content of ideas and philosophy in your interviews. If you were
to point out the biggest defect of Jiu-Jitsu instructors around,
would you pick the technical traits or the need of and ideology
and a philosophy behind the lessons?
Man, I’ve always seen martial arts as a complex thing, which
doesn’t only teach you how to hit the other person. Thus,
the martial artist’s life is to serve! It is to help, to
be a person who participates in the community. The martial artist
must be a positive person – not someone who stimulates war
or confrontation. A person who, through that power, benefits
the whole society. So I see my functions as a fighter and a teacher
have always been alike, and in truth people sometimes distort
the image of Jiu-Jitsu or of martial arts by thinking that the
knockout or the win are the only goals. Once you learn how to
view the martial art as a whole, you learn how to handle defeat,
how to forgive your foe, how to be patient and balanced, how
to apologize as sincerely as you struggle. These are things you
learn in the academy and take to your life. You must also learn
that the weakest person in the academy is the one who needs the
most help, for that is the student who’ll be the most gratifying
to teach. Sometimes, in the midst of all this information, teachers
forget a lot and restrict themselves to teaching the guy to win
tournaments and being tough.
And
you did take that philosophy into the rings. I’ve seen you
state, before fights, that you didn’t want to beat the hell
out of anyone. I remember seeing positions where you could hit
a totally unprotected man but waited for the submission. Is there
still room for that kind of fighter in today’s mixed martial
arts?
There is, of course. With a superior, clean victory, you show
you are a noble man. You are violent only when you need; when
you don’t, it’s utterly unnecessary. You don’t
need to kill a mosquito with a .45 shot. So, if you have to use
violence to create a space at a certain moment of the fight,
okay. Otherwise, you can be almost gentle: submit and get to
the very same goal.
Do
you think Jiu-Jitsu still has to prove anything else?
I think we have established a position of complete superiority,
in terms of styles, when compared to any other martial art on
the planet. Jiu-Jitsu has its roots in efficiency. The other
styles are great sports, like wrestling, boxing, judo, but the
rules take away the conception of self-defense that, in Jiu-Jitsu,
exists in a very basic way.
Today,
something rather mystical has been created around you. What do
you think of fans wanting to see you back in the rings, pretty
much demanding a return from you? Do you feel annoyed or disrespected
with anything?
No. I strive always, more than anything else, to thank God for
placing me in this position, and try consonantly to give back
– to society, to my family, my friends and my students.
I try to live every day without the expectation of having to
fight, having to win, of having the obligation of doing something.
I try to lead my everyday life with a lot of respect towards
everyone, and the constant will of helping people. When I have
a day where I feel I’ve done something good to people and
myself, that’s a happy day for me. And I’m always waiting
for the next one.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
Quote
of the Day
"There
comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges
who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest
potential."
Rusty Berkus, Writer/Author
|
Dan
Severn On "Gracie vs. Hughes"
By Dan Severn
I was in Calgary Canada when a big announcement was made by the
UFC President Dana White. Royce Gracie would be coming back to
the Ultimate Fighting Championships to take on the current champion
Matt Hughes. Gracie received a huge round of applause, as well
as, Hughes. I was asked by a number of people what I thought
the outcome would be.
Seeing
Royce standing in the octagon next to Matt Hughes... I did my
own tale of the tape:
HUGHES:
Younger - stronger - quicker - has given up his back in a few
previous matches which would be a major mistake against Gracie
- better striker - good stamina - and an exceptional wrestler,
but not as a submission grappler.
GRACIE:
Taller - composed under fire - exceptional submission grappler
- limited stand up striker - good stamina - and has not been
in MMA competition in some time.
As
I see it, Gracie has to get Hughes to the ground to be effective
with his height advantage. By doing this, he will have more leverage.
That could prove to be difficult against Hughes' wrestling background.
Hughes will want to keep the match on the feet striking and kneeing
at every opportunity going to the ground in the final minute
of each round for his ground and pound routine. If this match
goes the distance, Gracie will receive a great deal of damage
from strikes.
I
hope I did not offend any Gracie fans (I am one as well), I'm
just calling it as I see these two great fighters matching up.
FLASH
TO THE PAST: As I trained for my first UFC event, I only had
five days to prepare. I used my amateur wrestling skills to the
max controlling my three opponents, but having a tough time finishing
on the ground. Over the years I have had the opportunity to train
with a number of great athlete's and we shared our knowledge,
techniques, and strategies.
A
few years back I finally started to lay it all out on paper and
start shooting some VHS video tapes (dating myself), now converted
over to DVD's. And now, I am shooting a new Instructional DVD
every three months. The evolution of a champion series will eventually
cover all areas of Mixed Martial Arts. I think, let me rephrase
that, I know you will recognize some of the techniques and others
you will be wondering how did Dan ever come up with that??? It's
so easy, why didn't I think of that? The best part is - you don't
have to be a big brute to make it work! During my Law Enforcement
Training, I take one of the smaller female police officers and
have her perform the effective maneuvers on one of the larger
male officers and 100% of the time, they are amazed at how effective
it is no matter the size of you or your opponent/offender.
You
can check the current series out at www.dansevern.com. If you
do happen to order the series, let me know your thoughts and
how it benefited you for your training. Hope your training goes
well whether it is for competition, knowledge, the alternative
workout, or for the big match with life and getting the most
out of it.
All
the best from the beast,
Dan Severn
*
ALSO AVAILABLE NOW - DANGER ZONE 32: CAGED CARNAGE ON DVD!!!
SEE THE FIGHTS FROM LAFAYETTE, INDIANA ON NOVEMBER 19TH. SPECIAL
FEATURES INCLUDE: MMA TRAINING & OVER 60 PHOTO'S FROM THE
EVENT. GO TO WWW.DANSEVERN.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
New
Pride worries Vitor and Coelho
Announced by the Dream Stage Entertainment - company that produces
the Pride - the Pride Open Weight worried some personalities
of the fight world. Vítor Shaolin (Nova União)
is worried about the physical condition of the light athletes.
"I think that it will work out. It won't be good for the
athlete's healthy. The light will always be wronged", said
Shaolin, considering the Pride initiative as a retrocession in
the MMA evolution.
-
The Pride don't need that. The organization has already a good
division but I understand that they want to create something
new to change the things. But I think that will not be good for
some light fighter - said him.
For
the Boxing trainer of great fighters as Murilo Bustamante and
Royce Gracie, Cláudio Coelho, the Pride Open weight may
be a slaughter. "The light athlete will be really hurt in
the ring...will fall down quickly", said the trainer, who
believes that even the special rules will help in the weight
difference: "I think that they must do special rules, but
will be complicated for the light athlete. I think that a match
like that is something like a slaughter", finished him.
Source: Tatame
|
CAN
FORREST BEAT TITO ORTIZ?
by Jeff Cain
2005 was probably the most important year for American Mixed
Martial Arts in its short history. It was very much a breakout
year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). ‘The
Ultimate Fighter’ reality show propelled the sport of Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA) into the public spotlight and closer to mainstream
than ever before. New stars like Diego Sanchez, Chris Leben,
Josh Koscheck, Stephan Bonnar, Nate Quarry and Mike Swick were
born. Veterans like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell became superstars,
but 2005 did more for Forrest Griffin than any other fighter
in the world.
Forrest
Griffin had retired from MMA and was working as a police officer
in Augusta, Georgia when he got the call to participate on ‘The
Ultimate Fighter’(TUF). Little did he know that call would
take his fighting career out of retirement and launch him into
MMA stardom.
Griffin
went on to become ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ when he defeated
Stephan Bonnar in the light-heavyweight final of the debut season.
At one point, 10 million viewers were tuned in to watch the slugfest
that was voted by fans as the MMAWeekly 2005 Fight of the Year.
Griffin recently spoke with MMAWeekly Radio about the fight of
the year honor and his upcoming match with ‘The Huntington
Beach Bad Boy,’ Tito Ortiz.
"That’s
pretty good. There were actually a lot of good fights this year
that I saw." Forrest Griffin said about his fight being
voted Fight of the Year. Asked, "What stands out in your
mind when you watch the fight with Bonnar?" Forrest answered,
"I don’t know. It’s just lucky for me that I can’t
block a punch. You know? That fight sort of made me."
The
bout was a bloody war that ended with both exhausted fighters
going toe-to-toe as the final bell rang. Questioned if he’s
in pain when watching it, Forrest replied, "Not physical
pain. I’m in pain like wow Forrest, how long have you been
boxing again? Seven years? It looks like you’ve been boxing
two weeks there. Get your damn hands up. Put your chin down.
What are you doing? It’s like what the hell is that guy
doing? Is that me? Am I really that bad?"
Forrest
Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar beat out a lot of great fights to
be the Fight of the Year. Commenting on some of his favorite
fights of 2005, Forrest said, "I liked that Shogun/Minotoro
fight. That was one of my favorites. I was surprised maybe some
of the shows shown on Spike like when Joe Stevenson fought Luke
Cummo. I was surprised that wasn’t up there. I liked that
one a lot."
Griffin
will face his toughest test thus far, in April, against the former
five-time defending UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion, Tito Ortiz.
Forrest’s thoughts on fighting Ortiz were, "It’s
a big fight. He’s obviously got everything I want. You know?
I kind of wouldn’t mind being him. He’s got that almost
celebrity status. He was champ for four years. He’s an awesome
athlete. That’s kind of what I want to be when I grow up.
I figure the best way to do that is beat him. Right?"
What
advantages does Griffin feel he has over Tito? He commented,
"He’s a better wrestler. He’s technically probably
a better striker. Our Jits is about the same. He’s got a
lot more experience. I can’t think of any off hand. I’ve
got a much better sense of humor, so I’ve got that going
for me."
Griffin
has said in post fight interviews that he wants to fight stand-up
fighters and not guys that are going to try to take it to the
ground. Tito Ortiz is a ground and pound specialist who, if history
tells us anything, will try to take the fight to the ground.
Asked
how he will defend against a fighter who is going to constantly
shoot single and double leg takedowns, Griffin replied, "I
really can’t come up with a better way than to just fight
a boring fight than to move around. Just don’t let him back
you into any corners. Don’t leave the center of that ring
for anything. Just keep moving. Throw two or three punches, move.
Move, move, move. Don’t throw a whole lot of kicks. Just
keep moving. If you can figure out a better way, I’ll try
it."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Pequeno
challenges Kid Yamamoto
After six months away from training due to a serious knee injury,
Shooto champion (under 65kg) Alexandre Franca Nogueira 'Pequeno'
wants to return to the Japanese ring to fight current K-1 Middleweight
champion, Kid Yamamoto. 'I signed a contract for 3 fights with
K-1 and I have just fought once against Tokoro, one week after
I seriously hurt my knee. Now I want to face the champion of
the tournament, Kid Yamamoto', challenged the king of the guillotine.
After the unexpected loss to Tokoro in the first phase of K-1
Middleweight tournament last July, Nogueira stopped training
and just returned to the mats in January.
"I
was getting crazy, I never stayed so long without training. My
knee broke and it was seriously hurting, but I put off surgery
until the last minute. Now I'm training again", revealed
Nogueira who is training 3 times a day dreaming about a possible
fight against Yamamoto. "He is very tough standing up and
proved that by knocking out Royler Gracie and Genki Sudo and
winning the tournament, but with me he will have to show his
ground skills. He already declined to fight me for the Shooto
belt. I hope He accepts my invitation now", challenged Nogueira.
Asked
about when He must defend his Shooto belt, Alexandre guaranteed
that he is ready for Shooto's request. 'They gave me 3 dates
and I chose May, because Now I'm weighing 72kg and that's a good
weight to face Kid in K-1, after that I will lose 7kg to probably
face Rumina Sato for Shooto belt', revealed Nogueira.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"It's
beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures
your heart."
Source Unknown
|
Bill
would end 'ultimate fights'
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
Events such as “Rumble on the Rock” would become illegal
if a new House bill becomes law.
Extreme-combat bouts such as "Rumble on the Rock" and
other popular mixed-martial-arts events in Hawai'i are facing
potential knockout legislation from state Rep. Tommy Waters.
Waters,
D-51st (Waimanalo, Lanikai), has introduced a House bill calling
for a ban on all forms of extreme combat.
He
said he wrote the bill after attending neighborhood board meetings
in Waimanalo where parents told him their children were staging
"ultimate fights" after school and getting hurt. In
the language of the bill, Waters says extreme combat promotes
an environment that is "instilling violence in the mindset
of a youth."
"These
kids are looking up to these ultimate fighters and they're telling
each other, 'Let's go meet in the ring and fight,'" he said
Wednesday. "We should talk about (banning it), get both
sides."
His
proposal, however, may encounter opposition.
The
proposal would restore a ban that was in place before May 2005,
when Gov. Linda Lingle signed into law a Senate bill that provides
an exemption for promoters staging these fights, allowing them
if a set of standards is followed.
Some
lawmakers see the mixed-martial-arts events as pure sport and
note the revenue the state gets from facilities rentals and other
sales.
Rep.
Jerry Chang, D-2nd (Hilo), said he introduced a bill that aims
to expand the powers of the state boxing commission so it can
regulate and oversee the extreme-combat industry. He said he
recognizes the need to legitimize the sport.
"It
creates revenue and it's another sport," he said yesterday.
"It's all over the world and it's very popular, especially
in Japan. I just went to this last one ("Rumble on the Rock"
at the Blaisdell) and it was a packed house. Unbelievable."
Icon
Sport, previously known as Superbrawl, has staged events in Hawai'i
and all over the Mainland since 1996. The promoter, T. Jay Thompson,
said he has promoted hundreds of fights with none resulting in
serious injury or death. He said he would put his sport's safety
record up against that of high school football programs.
For
years, he and co-promoter Patrick Freitas have lobbied for increased
regulation and oversight for the sport, he said. Both see it
as the path to legitimacy.
"I
have worked for more than 10 years to put our sport in a positive
light and I find this bill to certainly be unneeded," he
said. "(The bill) portrays what we do inaccurately, and
I would say it doesn't portray what we do. We fit within the
current law, we are a martial-arts contest, we have been, and
continue to be. We've been regulated by the (state) since last
year and self-regulated before that."
Chris
Onzuka,
who along with his fraternal twin, Michael, runs Onzuka.com, a mixed-martial-arts
fans and news Web site, said some of the language in Waters'
bill referring to the number of deaths associated with the sport
is inaccurate. He echoed Thompson's feeling that the sports needs
regulation and knowledgeable management if it is to be considered
legitimate.
"We
want to make sure this thing is done the right way," said
Onzuka, who owns and operates a Brazilian jiu jitsu academy.
"The biggest thing we're worried about is that people who
don't understand the sport will run it."
Before
the 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.
Tickets
to fights range from $30 to $350, and some events have drawn
more than 7,000 people.
Extreme-combat
bouts are 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.
In
2005, the first year complaints office sent investigators to
every for-profit extreme-combat bout in the state, the office
opened 29 investigations stemming from 29 fights.
Some
of the investigations are pending criminal prosecution or other
legal action, said Jo Ann Uchida, complaints and enforcement
officer for RICO, the enforcement arm of the state Department
of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Statistics for the amount of
fines and facilities fees collected from extreme-combat promoters
for the past 10 years were unavailable.
"They
(extreme-combat fights) are legal (only) if they obtain an exemption
from us, they submit the request in a timely manner, and they
pay the ($500) fee," she said. "As an enforcement officer,
you're always interested in stronger and stronger laws, but whether
that happens this session remains to be seen. This particular
sport is such that the regulation is a work in progress."
Before
the law enacted last year, Uchida's office had difficulty regulating
the fights, because officers could attend only the ones they
knew about, she said. Further complicating matters was a clause
in the old law that forced complaints office investigators to
prove the bouts constituted an "unreasonably high risk of
bodily injury or death." Gathering enough evidence to prove
that precedent almost means someone has to die first, Uchida
said, so rather than waiting for tragedy, the state moved last
May to add the exemptions and remove the clause.
Uchida
says the law passed last year frees complaints office investigators
to be more thorough in their enforcement and provides for better
oversight.
Icon
Sport's Thompson said that although his fighters are profiled
on mixed-martial-arts Web sites and television shows, and in
news magazines, his fights are based on the ancient martial art
of "pankration," placing him within the parameters
of state law because pankration is a martial art.
Pankration,
according to the World Pankration Federation's Web site, is "designed
to encompass all aspects of personal combat ... and offers athletes
the opportunity to use the techniques of their disciplines in
competition with athletes of other sport combat disciplines,
and facilitates the enhancement of martial skills through exposure
to and cross training in the variety of disciplines represented."
Pankration
was introduced in 648 B.C. during the 33rd Olympiad, according
to the federation's Web site.
Reach
Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
|
UFC
ANNOUNCES CALIFORNIA DEBUT
UFC ANNOUNCES CALIFORNIA DEBUT WITH UFC 59: REALITY CHECK FEATURING
“THE HUNTINGTON BEACH BAD BOY” TITO ORTIZ vs. FORREST
GRIFFIN
LIVE
SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2006 FROM ARROWHEAD POND OF ANAHEIM
Tickets
on Sale Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006
Las
Vegas, NV – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®)
organization today announced it will hold its first-ever UFC
event in the state of California when it presents UFC 59: REALITY
CHECK live from the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim Saturday, April
15, 2006.
“We
are pleased to announce that, after years of waiting, the UFC
is finally coming to California,” said Dana White, UFC President.
“We are looking forward to making our official debut with
UFC 59 at the Arrowhead Pond, an event that brings one of our
best light heavyweight fighters, Tito Ortiz, back into the Octagon™
and against one of our most popular UFC fighters Forrest Griffin.”
The
UFC 59: REALITY CHECK all-star lineup of fights will lead with
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz in the soon-to-be-classic
battle against The Ultimate Fighter® Season 2 finalist Forrest
Griffin.
Tickets
for UFC 59: REALITY CHECK will go on sale Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006
at 11 a.m. PT priced at $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50. Tickets
will be sold at Arrowhead Pond Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets,
online at ticketmaster.com or www.ufc.com, or by phone at 714.740.2000
or 213.480.3232.
Tito
Ortiz 6’2”/205 lbs. recently made a stunning return
to the UFC when Dana White announced – during a live UFC
pay-per-view event – that Ortiz would join legendary fighter
Ken Shamrock as a coach for the hit reality series The Ultimate
Fighter Season 3. Ortiz, known for his strength and tenacity
as a submission fighter, last fought in the Octagon at UFC 51
(2/5/05) when he defeated Vitor Belfort by a three-round split
decision. Tito’s fans around the country have clamored for
his return ever since, and he promises not to disappoint them
when he takes on tough-as-nails fighter Forrest Griffin at UFC
59.
“I’ll
be in my hometown in Orange County – there will be 18,000
Tito Ortiz fans screaming their heads off, and I’ve got
to give them what they’ve paid for,” says Ortiz of
his matchup with Griffin. “But I can’t look past Forrest;
he’s tough. I’m just gonna try to buzzsaw through him
and get ready for my next match.”
Forrest
Griffin (12-2-0) 6’3”/205 lbs., fighting out of Las
Vegas, Nev., was The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale light heavyweight
winner. He fought an epic battle with Stephan Bonnar, and after
a three grueling rounds of nonstop action, was declared the winner
by unanimous decision. In his first UFC pay-per-view bout, Griffin
submitted Bill Mahood at UFC 53: HEAVY HITTERS. In his second
UFC fight, he defeated Elvis Sinosic at UFC 55 by KO in the first
round. Forrest is enjoying a strong winning streak and just as
much popularity these days, and is ready to face Ortiz and prove
he can stand, or hold his own on the ground, with the greats.
“I’m
going to learn how to become an Olympic style wrestler before
April 15, so don’t be surprised if we both get a little
banged up,” said Griffin with a laugh about his fight. “But,
in all honesty, I am very excited for the opportunity to fight
Tito – it’s an honor to fight someone of his caliber.”
The
remaining fighters and bouts for UFC 59: REALITY CHECK will be
announced in the near future.
About
The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
The
Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s
leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers
the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by
Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC®
organization produces approximately eight live pay-per-view events
annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers.
In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are
distributed throughout the world including broadcast on WOWOW,
Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and Bravo in the United Kingdom.
Zuffa, LLC licenses the distribution of its fight show DVDs through
Studioworks Entertainment, a Ventura Distribution company. For
more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com.
Ultimate
Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®,
The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®,
The Octagon™ and the eight-sided cage design are registered
trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively
by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All
other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC
or other respective owners.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
UFC
57: Liddell vs Couture 3 Preview
By Al Yu
Event Date: 02.04.06
Fight Card: (In no particular order)
Keith
Jardine vs Mike Whitehead
Jeff Monson vs Brandon Lee Hinkle
Alessio Sakara vs Elvis Sinosic
Brandon Vera vs Justin Eilers
Paul Buentello vs Gilbert Aldana
Nick Diaz vs Joe Riggs
Renato Sobral vs Mike Van Arsdale
Frank Mir vs Marcio Cruz
Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture
Keith
Jardine (8-1-1) vs Mike Whitehead (9-4)
Keith
Jardine is a King of the Cage veteran who fights out of Jackson’s
Submission Fighting, also home to Joey Villasenor and Diego Sanchez.
Mike Whitehead is coming off a win against Travis Fulton at Extreme
Challenge 61. Both fighters were contestants in the Ultimate
Fighter Season 2.
This
will be the UFC PPV debut for both fighters, who will be fighting
at light heavyweight instead of heavyweight. Mike Whitehead had
a terrible showing in TUF2, hence his departure. Since then,
he has been training with the guys from Miletich Fighting Systems.
Whitehead is a better fighter than what was depicted from the
show. Keith Jardine has the advantage in striking while Whitehead
is the better wrestler. Hopefully Mike has been working on his
stand-up game. Jardine should throw his powerful leg kicks and
avoid the takedowns. As long as this fight stays on its feet,
Jardine should come out on top.
Prediction:
Keith Jardine TKO Mike Whitehead RD2
Jeff
Monson (19-5) vs Brandon Lee Hinkle (12-6)
Jeff
Monson is a UFC veteran who has fought in many organizations.
The last time ‘The Snowman’ fought in the UFC was against
Ricco Rodriguez at UFC 35. Monson was defeated by Rodriguez via
TKO and would lose a decision in his following fight to Forrest
Griffin at World Extreme Fighting Championships 1. Since his
back to back losses, Monson has won 13 fights in a row (against
fighters of no significance, however). Brandon Lee Hinkle is
fresh off of his TKO victory over Sean Gannon at UFC 55, spoiling
Gannon’s much hyped debut. Hinkle does hold a victory over
UFC veteran Jorge Rivera.
A
lot of people don’t like Jeff Monson because of his extreme
political views. Regardless, Monson is the more experienced and
the physically stronger fighter. Hinkle is the better wrestler
of the two. Both fighters haven’t beaten any top ten ranked
opponents but I would say Monson has fought the tougher competition.
Watch for ‘The Snowman’ to take the fight to Hinkle
early, looking to keep this fight standing. Monson will wear
his opponent down on route to a rear-naked choke victory in what
will probably be an unentertaining fight.
Prediction:
Jeff Monson subs Brandon Lee Hinkle RD2
Alessio
Sakara (7-3) vs Elvis Sinosic (6-8-2)
Alessio
Sakara is a BJJ/Vale Tudo style fighter who has fought around
the world. He made his debut at UFC 55 against Ron Faircloth.
Sakara was well on his way to winning the fight until an accidental
kick to the groin ended his night. Elvis Sinosic is a UFC veteran
who has fought a lot of tough competition in his career. ‘The
King of Rock and Rumble’ does hold a win over Jeremy Horn
and faced quality opposition that includes: Frank Shamrock, Tito
Ortiz, Evan Tanner, Renato Sobral, Sanae Kikuta, and Forrest
Griffin.
Elvis
Sinosic is a very likable fighter and I guess that’s why
the UFC has brought him back. However, I think that time is not
on his side. 10 years his younger, Alessio Sakara is looking
to use the more experienced Sinosic as a stepping stone into
the light heavyweight division. Sakara, who trains in Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo, has never been KO'd. However, his ground
game has yet to be tested by a superior BJJ fighter. Sinosic
brings a solid all-around game but I just can’t see Elvis
subbing or knocking Alessio out.
Prediction:
Alessio Sakara TKO Elvis Sinosic RD2
Brandon
Vera (5-0) vs Justin Eilers (9-4-1)
Brandon
Vera is a young heavyweight who made his debut at Ultimate Fight
Night 2, defeating Fabiano Scherner with knees. Vera holds a
win over the Ultimate Fighter Season 2 contestant Mike Whitehead.
Former ISU linebacker Justin Eilers made an impressive UFC debut
by knocking out Mike Kyle. Since then, he’s dropped back
to back losses to Paul Buentello and UFC Heavyweight Champion
Andrei Arlovski.
This
is ‘do or die’ time for Eilers. One more loss and it’s
very likely that the UFC will choose to terminate his contract.
Eilers suffered a serious knee injury in his last fight against
Arlovski and that may be a factor in this fight if he hasn’t
fully recovered. Vera is an up-and-coming fighter who has been
untested, having fought only 5 MMA fights. Eilers is probably
the hardest puncher that Vera will face but I think Vera will
fight smart and surprise Eilers. Putting his debut nerves behind
him, Vera will TKO Eilers in the second round.
Prediction:
Brandon Vera TKO Justin Eilers RD2
Paul
Buentello (19-8) vs Gilbert Aldana (5-0)
A
former heavyweight King of the Cage champion, Paul Buentello
debuted at UFC 51 by knocking out Justin Eilers. Recently, ‘the
Headhunter’ made an unsuccessful attempt at the UFC heavyweight
crown when he was quickly KO'd by Andrei Arlovski at UFC 55.
Gilbert Aldana is a Rage in the Cage veteran and will be making
his UFC debut. Aldana has only been professionally fighting since
2004.
The
UFC matched these two together because they probably didn’t
want this fight to go the distance. Both fighters are known to
have heavy hands and I don’t think this fight will last
long. Buentello is more experienced and has fought better competition.
Aldana has KO’d every opponent he has faced. However, none
of the five wins were against opposition of any significance.
I’m going with Buentello in what could be the shortest fight
of the evening. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was an
upset though…
Prediction:
Paul Buentello TKO Gilbert Aldana RD1
Nick
Diaz (11-4) vs Joe Riggs (23-7)
Nick
Diaz is a Cesar Gracie fighter and a UFC veteran. Diaz surprised
many fans when he knocked out hard hitting Robbie Lawler at UFC
47. Recently, Diaz lost a decision to Diego Sanchez at the Ultimate
Fighter Season 2 finale. Joe ‘Diesel’ Riggs is a very
active fighter who has fought in many MMA organizations. At UFC
56, Riggs lost his shot at the UFC welterweight title when he
succumbed to a kimura at the hands of Matt Hughes.
Next
to the main event, this is the most anticipated fight for me.
Nick Diaz has a slick ground game with surprisingly good stand-up
skills. Joe Riggs has powerful hands and likes to ground-n-pound
his opponents. Both fighters are coming off of a loss and are
looking for redemption. In my opinion, I feel that Diaz has the
best ground game in the UFC today. Riggs has shown to be susceptible
to submissions in the past (four of his seven losses are by submission).
Matt Hughes exposed Riggs’ defensive guard and I think Diaz
will capitalize on it as well. Joe Riggs is physically stronger
than Diaz but it will be Diaz’s superior technique that
will be the deciding factor. Diaz will weather an early storm
to submit Riggs in round two. However, I wouldn’t be surprise
to if Diaz wins by TKO.
Prediction:
Nick Diaz subs Joe Riggs RD2
Renato
Sobral (26-5) vs Mike Van Arsdale (8-2)
Renato
‘Babalu’ Sobral is a BJJ fighter who has fought in
multiple organizations. He holds wins over Maurice Smith, Elvis
Sinosic, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and Jeremy Horn. ‘Babalu’
is coming off of a win over Chael Sonnen at UFC 55, in what was
considered a personal grudge match for Sobral. Mike Van Arsdale
is a former NCAA Wrestling Champion and the IVC 4 Tournament
Champion. In his last fight, he was choked out by Randy Couture
at UFC 54.
Sobral
is an experienced fighter and has fought a lot of tough competition
in his career. The five losses on his record are to top fighters
(Chuck Liddell, Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson just to name
a few). Though he only has two losses, the only significant fighters
that Van Arsdale has faced were the ones who defeated him (Randy
Couture, Wanderlei Silva). Regardless, Mike Van Arsdale will
be a tough opponent for ‘Babalu’ as he will bring a
very strong wrestling game. I don’t think Van Arsdale will
be able to hold Sobral down and keep him there. Van Arsdale has
had a problem with bad cardio in the past and has ‘gassed
out’ during the later rounds. Though he versed in submissions,
Van Arsdale has never fought a BJJ fighter as good as Sobral
and submitting him would be highly unlikely. At 40 years old,
this may be the end of the line for Van Arsdale. As the fight
progresses, look for ‘Babalu’ to secure a submission
in the third.
Prediction:
Renato Sobral subs Mike Van Arsdale RD3
Frank
Mir (8-1) vs Marcio Cruz (1-0)
Frank
Mir is the former UFC Heavyweight Champion and last fought at
UFC 48, breaking Tim Sylvia’s arm via arm bar. Since then,
he has suffered a motorcycle accident which has delayed his return
to the octagon. During his absence, Mir was stripped of his belt
for inactivity and Andrei Arlovski holds that title now. Marcio
Cruz is a six-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion and the 2000 ADCC
Champion. Cruz made his MMA debut at UFC 55 when he choked out
Keigo Kunihara.
Mir
is waiting to get back into the barren wasteland that is the
UFC heavyweight division as Mir looks to be the only credible
opponent left for Andrei Arlovski. Though Cruz has only one professional
fight under his belt, he still poses as a huge threat to Mir
who has finally met someone with a superior BJJ game. Mir has
plenty to lose as this fight seems to be more than just a tune-up
fight. A loss for Mir would mean falling to the bottom of the
contender list or even worse, being cut from the UFC. Experience
wise, there’s no comparison as Cruz has only fought once.
On the ground, Mir doesn’t come close to Cruz’s abilities
and I really doubt he could submit him. Mir needs to fight cautiously
and fight smart. He needs to keep this standing for as long as
possible and pursue a knockout. From what I’ve seen, Mir
is the better striker and we have yet to see how strong Cruz’s
chin is. I’m going to say that Frank plays it smart and
wins by decision.
Prediction:
Frank Mir decisions Marcio Cruz
Chuck
Liddell (17-3) vs Randy Couture (14-7)
Do
we really need an introduction here? I’ll keep it short
and simple.
Chuck
‘The Iceman’ Liddell is the current UFC Light Heavyweight
Champion. Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture is the former
Light Heavyweight Champion. Randy Couture defeated Chuck Liddell
at UFC 43 via TKO and Chuck Liddell knocked out Randy Couture
in their rematch at UFC 52. Both fighters are future MMA hall-of-farmers.
Chuck
Liddell showed how much he improved since their first fight by
executing a good strategy on route to being the first person
ever to knockout Couture. Not much has changed since their rematch
and I feel the rubber match will yield the same result. Couture
will look to take Liddell down from the clinch, like he did in
their first fight. However, I don’t think Randy will be
stalking him like he did in their second fight. Liddell is a
good counter puncher, Couture can attest to that. Hopefully,
Liddell has been touching up on his takedown defense and footwork;
otherwise it’s going to be a long night. The first round
will consist of Chuck and Randy cautiously feeling each other
out. Once the two are warmed up, I foresee a ref stoppage with
Liddell retaining the belt.
Prediction:
Chuck Liddell TKO Randy Couture RD2
Source:
MMA Fighting
|
World
Combat League - Full Report
By Emily Cooper - sportmartialarts.com
It's official - the World Combat League's (www.worldcombatleague.com/) 2006 season has begun
with a whirlwind event held at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
Fans, family and the curious flocked to the WCL arena on January
21, 2006 and were witness to some fantastic fights, great knockouts
and history in the making. Over 4,000 excited spectators watched
the Miami Force team take a narrow victory over the New York
Clash and the hometown crowd saw their own New England Strikers
feel the heat of the Philadelphia Fire as the Fire handed the
Strikers their first defeat.
The
fights and fighting styles of the combatants made it clear that
World Combat League fighting is in a world all its own. No one
discipline was able to dominate and all had to adjust to their
opponent. For sport martial arts fighters, strong kicks and great
lateral movement stymied their kickboxing opponents. The sport
martial arts fighters had to adjust to the powerful blows delivered
by the kickboxers. With only three minutes to stake your claim
in the ring, penalties for passivity and no ground fighting,
combatants were forced to go all-out in their fights, which meant
split second decision-making and high endurance. The audience
loved it - even those with no martial arts background.
Miami
Force vs. New York Clash
"Mohegan
Sun Arena - January 21, 2006"...
Miami
vs. New York
(Final Score: Miami Force : 136 and New York Clash: 132)
Philadelphia
vs. New England
(Final Score: Philadelphia Fire : 156 and N.E. Strikers: 89)
See
the exciting action - http://www.worldcombatleague.com/photogallery/index.html
In
the first round of fighting, Ben Brotherton was back in the ring
and representing the Miami Force. His opponent was Tim 'Bring
the Pain' Lane. And Lane brought it on and brought it fast. As
soon as the bell rang, Lane was off the line and all over Brotherton.
Brotherton battled back valiantly but Lane's blitz-krieg attack
gave him a knock out victory at 1:54 in the round. This put New
York in the lead with a 15-0 point spread.
Miami
was not going to allow one disappointing round to stop their
drive for the title. Crafton 'Blaze' Wallace was next in the
ring for Miami facing Shamos Farley of New York. The fighters
seemed evenly matched initially, then Wallace started to connect
with the perfect combos and punches to Farley's head. However,
it was a Wallace roundhouse kick to Farley's body that would
finish Farley and give Wallace the KO win. The score for the
match ended 15-2 in favor of Miami, keeping Miami in the game.
Eric
Costales stepped into the ring for Miami next, hoping to put
his team into a definitive lead. His opponent was Lawrence 'Kodaq'
Wray of the Clash. Costales was merciless as he drove forward
with his punches, forcing a standing 8 count. Wray seemed to
run out of steam as the match progressed and was penalized for
passivity. In response to Costales' blows, Wray covered and turned
his back once too often and center referee Al Wichgers stopped
the match and disqualified Wray for excessive passivity. The
final score for the match was 17-2 in favor of Miami, finally
giving Miami the lead.
New
York had its own secret weapon as Jennifer Santiago entered the
ring to face kickboxing champion Kornelija Numic. Santiago had
her work cut out for her to bring her team back into the game.
Santiago's punches and kicks were devastating to Numic but Numic
took the blows in stride as she stayed on her feet and delivered
a few spin backfists of her own to Santiago. Santiago won the
round with a 16-14 score after giving up 6 penalty points, but
the New York Clash was still in need of a point injection.
The
big guys were next on the agenda as 195 pounder Antoine McRae
of the Force faced Carlos 'Showtime' Tearney of the Clash. Tearney
started with the advantage as he had an entire cheering section
for him, complete with signs like 'It's Showtime'. This match
went all the way to the buzzer, as the fighters were evenly matched
and not able to do too much damage to each other. The final score
was a close 16-15 in favor of McRae, bringing the team score
to 62 for Miami and 48 for New York.
The
final match up for the first half pitted Kelly 'the Lion' Leo
against Derek Panza representing New York. Panza is a former
sport martial arts competitor and was on Team Paul Mitchell.
>From there, he turned to boxing and now he's in the World
Combat League. His fighting style showed his multi-skilled fighting
style, as he was able to deliver great punches but also step
back and deliver head level kicks with power. Panza was definitely
the better kicker in this match but Leo stayed right on Panza
through the round. The final score was 16-11 in favor of Panza
bringing the score at halftime to Miami 73, New York 64.
During
the halftime, New York Clash coach Keith Trimble gave his players
the pep talk they needed to get back in the game. Numic was back
facing Santiago in the first round of the second half. This time,
Santiago seemed to throw twice as many techniques as in round
one, raining down the blows like a thunderstorm. The pounding
seemed to do the trick as Numic had to be looked at by the medic
at one point due to a bloody eye. Although Santiago wanted another
knock out to her name, she wouldn't get the satisfaction with
Numic as Numic wouldn't go down to the mat despite all of Santiago's
efforts. In the end, Santiago won the round 18-11, bringing her
team within 2 points of Miami.
McRae
and Tearney seemed to be playing a waiting game in the next match
up. Both are defensive counter fighters and were waiting for
the other to attack - which didn't happen often enough. The scores
for the match (14-12 for McRae) reflected their rather lackluster
round as neither received the maximum points that could be awarded.
After the match, both fighters vowed that their next time on
stage would be far more aggressive as required by the WCL. At
the end of this round Miami was still in the lead and now by
four points.
Panza
turned his attack to Leo's body in the third round of the second
half and it seemed to work, as Leo was unable to respond to much
of what Panza was throwing. Panza's well executed round put New
York in the lead for the first time since the beginning of the
first half. The match score was 15-9 for Panza.
With
Brotherton out after the first half, alternate Scott Mukkadam
got his chance in the ring with Tim Lane. After Lane's first
round performance, the audience was expecting a quick finish
to the alternate and it looked like they would get their wish
as Lane dropped Mukkadam in the first 60 seconds. However, Mukkadam
showed that alternates deserve respect too as he returned the
favor with an even more devastating blow that put Lane down on
the mat. After that turn of events, Mukkadam started to dominate
the round, landing kicks and punches at will. Lane finally woke
up at the end of the round and started to land his own combos
but by then it was too late. Mukkadam was awarded the win for
the round with a 14-12 score and Miami and New York were TIED.
It
all came down to the final round where Eric "El Tigre"
Costales was back facing New York alternate John Madden (no,
not the football announcer). Recognizing what was at stake, tt
was blow-to-blow fighting as these 164 pounders worked to finish
off the other . In the end, Costales would earn the round with
a 15-11 score, making the final team score 136 for Miami to 132
for New York.
The
Halftime Entertainment
At
this WCL event, the halftime entertainment consisted of some
hard working kids. A junior WCL continuous sparring event was
held with New England South facing New England North in the arena.
Of course the kids wore headgear, knockouts were not allowed
and it wasn't quite as hard hitting as the adult WCL fights,
but the kids put on quite a show much to the delight of their
fans in the audience. In the end it would be New England South
winning with a team score of 97 but New England North wasn't
far behind with a team score of 92.
The
fighters for New England South were Mike Henisea (Ziwak Tae Kwon
Do), Tyrei Brown (Conroy's American Martial Arts), Wilson Stanford
(Black Dragon Karate Academy), Deonna Filar (Goldberg's Karate
Studio), Christian Papallo (Sullivan's Black Belt School), Nike
Negron (Conroy's American Martial Arts), and Tomas Rende (The
Martial Arts Institute). The coaches for New England South were
Jeff Goldberg and Mike Conroy.
For
New England North, the line up consisted of Jeff DeMango (New
England Karate Academy), Bill Ledger (Straight Up Kicking), David
Dutra (Derderian's Academy of Martial Arts), Destiny Chearino
(Don Rodrigues Karate Academy), Megan Trowbridge (Personal Best
Karate), Alessandro deBellegade (Long Island Tae Kwon Do), Ryan
Goddu (World Class Kenpo Karate). The coaches for New England
North were Don Rodrigues and Tom Festa. Check out photos from
the junior matches in the WCL photo gallery at SportMartialArts.com
Philadelphia
Fire vs. New England Strikers
The
crowd was on the edge of their seats as their hometown team of
the New England Strikers was announced for the second match up
of the evening. They faced the powerful Philadelphia Fire.
Rhode
Island native and sport martial arts competitor Joey Greenhalgh
of the Strikers was first in the WCL fighting ring and he faced
top kickboxing champion Peyton Russell, fighting for the Fire.
Greenhalgh had dropped down to 174 pounds for the event and was
ready for his debut. The match started as a kick-a-thon with
Greenhalgh's strong kicks nailing Russell in the body. Using
his legs, Greenhalgh was able to keep Russell's dangerous hands
away and the strategy worked as Greenhalgh won the round 15-11
putting the Strikers on top to start the battle.
More
kicks started the next match as Rinat Myrzabekov of the Strikers
faced Chris Algieri of the Fire. Myrzabekov loved his 360-spin
sidekick, which worked on his opening move against Algieri. However,
Algieri landed a shot to Myrzabekov's face that dropped him,
although Myrzabekov was able to get back up and continue fighting.
A knee to the gut took Myrzabekov out of action for good as the
center ended the match when Myrzabekov was unable to get back
up. Algieri did not leave the round unscathed however. An early
jump-spinning backfist forced Algieri's own fist into his face
breaking his nose and causing him to bleed through most of the
halftime. This injury would come back to haunt him in his second
round. Algieri gave his team 16 points to Myrzabekov's 1, making
the team score 27 for Philly, 16 for New England.
Dan
Erickson is a tall and lanky man with fists that may be made
of cast iron. He was fighting for Philadelphia and faced Dan
Lucas of the Strikers in the third round. Erickson caught Lucas
with a resounding right hand to the back of Lucas' head, which
put Lucas down on the mat for an 8 count. After Lucas returned
to the fight, another right hand from Erickson had Lucas down
and unable to get back up. Philadelphia enlarged its lead by
15 more points while the Strikers received none.
Christina
Rondeau was clearly the hometown favorite as she entered the
ring for the New England Strikers. Most of the spectators in
section B jumped to their feet cheering loudly for their heroine.
Rondeau's opponent was Suzie Montaro, fighting for Philadelphia.
Montaro, who had dropped a huge amount of weight just prior to
the event, used what little energy she had in a match that Rondeau
started strongly. Rondeau controlled through most of the match,
with Montaro showing some sparks of life at points but it was
Rondeau who ended the match with a flurry of blows. Rondeau's
15-10 win put a little hope into the minds of the New England
fans as the Strikers gained more points.
From
the bell, Jason Tankson-Bourelly of Philadelphia was off the
line and ready to demonstrate the modifications that he's made
in his fighting style since the Dallas event in October. Bourelly's
opponent, Shannon Hudson, was unprepared for the new Bourelly
and he fell victim to a Bourelly punch that brought a standing
8 count. Jason continued to use lightning quickness and aggressiveness
to stymie Hudson usually effective offense. In the end, Bourelly
extended the Philadelphia lead with a 15-7 win in the round.
Local
favorite John "The Bull" Marzullo didn't get a punch
in edgewise as he faced the talented Stephen 'Wonder Boy' Thompson
of the Philadelphia Fire. Marzullo was a tough opponent though,
handling everything the younger Thompson could dish out. At one
point, Marzullo went down to one knee after a Thompson knee blow
to the stomach but in the end, Marzullo stayed on his feet and
finished the round, denying Thompson his desired knock out. However,
the win for Philadelphia in this round put them so far ahead,
it was not looking good for New England. The half ended with
an 82-43 lead for Philly.
Another
alternate got a chance to make a name for himself in the World
Combat League as Manny Reyes, Jr., representing New England,
faced Chris Algieri in the first round of the second half. Algieri
was already sporting a broken nose and Reyes took advantage of
that weakness. Reyes opened the round with a hook kick to the
side of Algieri's face that started Algieri's nose bleeding again.
After the two exchanged more blows, including some well-placed
shots to Algieri's face by Reyes, the center referee stopped
the match due to Algieri's bleeding and the doctor would not
allow Algieri to continue, giving Reyes the TKO win. The 15 points
earned for this round were much needed by the New England Strikers.
Christina
Rondeau faced a new opponent in the second half as Virginia Baker
stepped into the ring for Philly. Baker was fresh and Rondeau
was tired and neither could muster up enough strength to knock
the other out. In the end, Baker's techniques were more favored
by the judges as she won 14-12.
Everyone
was hopeful that Joey Greenhalgh could help the Strikers get
back into the game as he faced Peyton Russell in the next match
up. This time, Philadelphia coach Ray Thompson kept after Russell
to keep the fight inside against Greenhalgh in order to offset
the effective kicking skills that Joey demonstrated in the first
half. Although the crowd was rooting for Greenhalgh, it would
be Russell with the top scores after this round with a 15-11
win. At this point, the team score was 111 for Philly and only
81 for New England with three rounds left.
Another
strong right hand was the weapon of choice for Dan Erickson as
he dropped his opponent Chuck Jewell. Jewell was unable to get
up which gave Erickson an unprecedented two knockouts in two
rounds for the evening. He gave Philadelphia another 15 points.
Most
improved player Jason Tankson-Bourelly was back in the ring with
Shannon Hudson in the next round. In prior match ups, Bourelly
didn't have the gas to show his best stuff in the second half
of the contest but he had learned his lesson and was more than
prepared to do damage this time around. Hudson was hoping to
redeem himself after the first round defeat. It would be all
Bourelly again in the second half as Bourelly where he scored
yet another knockdown against Hudson. Hudson finished out the
round but was unable to help his team with points as Bourelly
gained another 15 points for Philly versus only 8 points for
Hudson and the Strikers.
The
final match of the evening was between Stephen 'Wonder Boy' Thompson
and Jose Loureiro, the alternate for New England. With Philadelphia
ahead by 52 points, there was nothing Loureiro could do to bring
New England back. But Thompson had a record he wanted to maintain
- one full of knockouts. Thompson started the match out quickly,
moving and attacking with success as he knocked Loureiro down
right off the bat. After a standing 8 count, the fight resumed
and Thompson was back on the attack and knocked Loureiro down
again. At this point, the center referee had seen enough and
called the match in favor of Thompson, giving Thompson another
knock out for the WCL record books. Thompson won this match 15-0
making the final team scores Philadelphia 156, New England 89.
The
next World Combat League event will take place in Las Vegas,
Nevada on March 3, 2006 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino. Look
for fast-paced action when the Los Angeles Stars face the Las
Vegas Gators and the Dallas Dragons take on the Denver Ice.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
League
Play For Combat Sports Is In FULL SWING
The WCL is the vision of Martial Arts icon Chuck Norris. It is
a sports league like the NBA or NFL made up of professional martial
arts fighters on teams representing American cities. WCL contests
combine the excitement of martial arts combat with the thrill
of routing for your favorite team. Our goal is to provide sports
fans with an unprecedented level of "full throttle"
martial arts fighting action in every second of each round of
every team contest.
WHY
WILL THERE BE MORE ACTION?
Since
each athlete is designated to fight only two separate, three
minute matches per team contest (rather than five to twelve consecutive
rounds) they can really "let it fly" in each match-round
in an effort to earn as many points for their team as possible.
Plus, the WCL rules penalize any activities, like clinching,
stalling or passivity that slows down the action..
WHAT
IS A WCL CONTEST LIKE?
Every
team has six professional fighters (five men and one woman) in
six fixed weight classes. Each contest is scheduled for twelve
rounds, but like a football game, it is divided into two halves.
Both halves feature six rounds each; one for every team member
vs. their opponent on the opposing team. So, each athlete, barring
knockout, will get to face off against their opponent twice in
each contest.
WHO
ARE THE FIGHTERS?
The
WCL league roster is the result of a careful selection process
from a pool of hundreds of applicants from around the U.S. Each
athlete was selected and placed on a team based on their fighting
style, the potential to contribute to their team and their overall
demeanor as a martial artist. Our goal is to help our athletes
earn the same level of recognition and reward as athletes in
other professional sports leagues.
The
intention of the World Combat League is to create an avenue of
success for martial arts fighters, similar to athletes in America's
other professional leagues. As the WCL develops, teams will offer
proven fighters annual contracts, with those who distinguish
themselves as "fan favorites" being heavily market
as the emerging superstars of the sport. 2005 will see six teams
compete prior to the inauguration of the first full, World Combat
League season. In 2006 eight teams representing cities across
America will compete throughout an eight-month season in an effort
to claim the World Combat League "Crystal Glove" Championship
trophy.
In
creating a formula for achieving that kind of unprecedented success
for our athletes, we have developed this project with primary
attention to the following three points
Chuck
Norris:
Mr.
Norris has not been brought in to endorse this project. This
IS his project, and has been a dream of his for the last 30 years.
As the world's number one, international martial arts media icon
his leadership guarantees integrity, visibility and credibility.
His plan is to create a league for our athletes, that rivals
the most successful league sports in the world today.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"It
is easy to perform a good action, but not easy to acquire
a settled habit of performing such actions."
Aristotle, 384-322 B.C., Greek Philosopher
|
Arlovski
Preps Couture for Third Liddell Bout
By Loretta Hunt
Once upon a time, a rebounding Randy Couture was slated to meet
rising heavyweight Andrei Arlovski in the Octagon. The date would
be April 25, 2003 at UFC 42 in Miami, Florida -- that is until
fate stepped in when the Belarusian bomber broke his hand and
withdrew from the bout.
Things
have a way of working out though. With no replacement lined up
in time to fight Couture, the former UFC heavyweight champion
stayed home and witnessed the birth of his son Caden that very
night.
A
few weeks later, UFC brass asked Couture if he'd be interested
in fighting Chuck Liddell for the Light Heavyweight Interim title
and the rest is history…and almost three years later Couture
and Arlovski, now the UFC heavyweight champion himself, finally
squared-off this week at the Xyience Training Center in Las Vegas.
Preparing
for his third bout against Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell
and his eighth record-breaking go at a UFC title on February
4, Couture sparred with Arlovski, first in boxing gloves, and
then later in wraps to draw upon his set-ups and takedowns.
Arlovski,
who had a few tips for Couture as they tangled at a sometimes
intense pace, says he was happy to lend a helping hand.
"Randy
is my favorite fighter," a passionate Arlovski told FCF.
"I will do everything I can to help him win."
lso
in attendance at the talent-laden session: TUF 1 alumni Forrest
Griffin and Alex Schoenauer, WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Scott
Smith, WEC Welterweight Champion Mike Pyle, and KOTC Bantamweight
Champion Urijah Faber among others.
Source:
FCF
|
Renato
Babalú: Attacking in different ways
By André Araújo
Renato Babalú got all the attentions when put the kimono
and helped Gracie Barra to be the champion of the competition
of teams, in October of last year. The wrestler - that was bronze
medal in the Pan-American of Guatemala - likes to be in different
places in different ways, like Vale-Tudo and Submission events.
Few hours before going to USA, where he will fight the American
Mike Van Arsdale, at Ultimate 57, on next February 4, Babalú
enjoyed the opportunity to send a message to Rodrigo Riscado,
his opponent in the main fight of the Submission of Campos, which
takes place in less than two weeks after UFC. 'If I don't get
hurt, he is the one who must to be worried!' said the fighter.
What
are you expecting of this fight with Mike Van Arsdale?
I'm
going to win. No matter how! I will knee, beat him and kill his
ground game. I will do my part as promised last time. I'll kick
some asses!
Being
a Vale-Tudo fighter, what takes you to fight in other modalities?
I
love to compete. I'm not scared of putting my face and of nothing
in game! Competing in Submission, in Jiu-Jitsu or in Wrestling,
I complement my training. Of course when I go to a competition
is to win, but they aren't my priority. This is just a complement.
Why
did you fight in the Jiu-Jitsu Teams Championship?
I
went to the competition of Jiu-Jitsu and I fought for the team.
People from my academy teased me and I went. Was a really good
experience, but I do not have pretensions of a Jiu-Jitsu career.
The event was in the end of the year and we hadn't fight, so
I thought: 'Why not?' I already train with kimono...
You
had joined the last Pan-American...what are you expecting of
Pan 2007, in Rio de Janeiro?
I'm
expecting seriousness. Just that. Seriousness of the organization,
from the teams... From everybody.
You
will fight Mike Van Arsdale, at Utimate and will do the main
fight of the Submission of Campos, less than two weeks after
fighting Rodrigo Riscado. What are you expecting of this fight?
Are you worried about his game?
If
I don't get hurt, who must to be worried is him!
Source:
Tatame
|
Fighters
added to Shamrock vs Gracie
The organization of the Shamrock vs. Gracie, MMA event scheduled
to March 10, in California, had confirmed more two new bouts
on the card. The event will count on four matches so far, including
fighters as Eugene Jackson, Cung Lee and James Thompson, besides
the main event: Shamrock vs.Gracie.
COMPLETE
CARD (subject to change):
Shamrock
vs Gracie
Friday, March 10, 2006
HP Pavillion, San Jose - California
-
Frank Shamrock vs. César Gracie;
- James Thomson vs. adversary to be defined;
- Eugene Jackson vs. adversary to be defined;
- Cung Lee vs. adversary to be defined.
Source:
Tatame
|
More
about the
Shannon Ritch Embezzlement Charges
Communique from Jon Davies, Assistant Director, WFC
The
Police have asked us not to reveal alot but at this point I feel
its a must because of all of the rumors and side shows. Shannon
has stolen aprox: $3,000.00 in sponsorship monies that were intened
for the WFC. The first $2000 came from House of Pane Clothing
(Skip Halls sponsor). They sent a check made to the WFC to Shannon,
whose job also inclued getting sponsorships. Kris from house
of pain has provided us with several emails from Shannon stating,
he was the owner of the WFC and was out of town could she please
wire the money directly into his personal account. She did it,
telling us that he was so smooth on the phone that it was ridiculous.
This can all be confirmed by House of Pane Clothing.
Next: Ultimate Fight Gear was supposed to bring the WFC a check
for $1500 to the event. Mark from Ultimate Fight Gear has emailed
a statement that Shannon went to him early on in the event and
stated he needed cash right then and there for the WFC sponsorship.
He also told them he could give them a discount and did. Mark
gave him $1000.00 cash. Shannon told me that he had checks from
both at his roomates house. I have the conversation recorded
and it was given to the police. After this final bold face lie
to me he was terminated.
Blood
Brothers also sent some gloves and shirts, and other merchandise
as did House Of Pane. Shannon has kept everything. The WFC is
going to prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law for being
"had" by this guy. If you have any questions please
feel free to email me at az_likwit@yahoo.com. These facts can
all be easily confirmed by the two entities mentioned above.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better
that you should leave your work."
Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931, Lebanese Poet and Novelist
|
Cesar
Gracie Team Off to Guam
The team has left for Guam where they will be competing on the
Fury 5 card. The first stop will be Honolulu, Hawaii, where the
team will meet up with Jake Shields. After a one night stay in
Hawaii the fighters will then leave for Guam the following day.
Shields, fresh from his win at the ROTR, will be joining David
Terrell in cornering the fighters. Moses Baca will be the first
of our fighters on the show. Baca will be followed by Sergio
Lourenco and Tyson Griffin, who will be fighting in the main
event.
Source:
Gracie Fighter
|
Up
to Heavyweight: "Shogun" Fights Coleman
by Josh Gross
PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix champion Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua faced the difficult task of deciding whether or not it was
time to move into Fedor Emelianenko's weight division. Apparently,
with help from family and friends, he decided it was.
The
24-year-old Chute Boxe product will make his heavyweight debut
versus former UFC champion and PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix winner
Mark Coleman in Tokyo on Feb. 26, Dream Stage Entertainment officially
announced on the PRIDE Web site Thursday.
With
Wanderlei Silva, Rua's Chute Boxe teammate, owning the middleweight
(205-lb.) crown since March 2001, there was some pressure, both
from inside his camp and DSE, promoter of the PRIDE Fighting
Championships, to move up a division.
The
220-pound Rua told Sherdog.com last Saturday that if he chose
to sign a new deal with PRIDE, which dictated a move to heavyweight,
he wanted at least another three months to solidify a heavyweight
body. That won't happen in time to fight Coleman.
In
August Rua captured the 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix with
an electric stoppage of Brazilian Top Team's Ricardo Arona.
En
route to the tournament crown, "Shogun" finished Quinton
Jackson, took a unanimous decision over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
and stopped Alistair Overeem in the semifinals.
That
performance, along with a non-tournament victory over Hiromitsu
Kanehara in February, helped earn Rua Sherdog.com's Fighter of
the Year award, which he shared with Japan's Takanori Gomi.
Source:
Sherdog
|
Pride
Grand Prix Open Weight Tournament News
Mino
and the possibility to get Gomi
Rodrigo Minotauro didn't believe yet that will face lighter athletes
in the Pride GP Open weight. For the athlete from Brazilian Top
Team, the difference of weights between Heavyweights and Lightweights
will be decisive for the heavier ones. Even having someone in
the other side, as the champion of the GP Lightweight Takanori
Gomi.
-
He is technician, but his size and his weight will make difference
for me. My ground game would make difference in a fight between
us. I think that this GP will be good for the heavies, but athletes
of the category Middleweight, as Maurício Shogun and Alistair
Overeem can also get close - said the old champion Heavyweight
of the Pride, that will be in action on February 26, at Pride
31, against adversary to be defined by the Dream Stage Entertainment.
Silva
and Fedor: Friends until Pride
Possible opponents at Pride Open Class, champions Wanderlei Silva
and Fedor Emelianenko did a unique scene at Pride Shockwave behind
the scenes. According to the Brazilian fighter, Fedor surprised
Silva with such humbleness, when asked for an autograph.
-
He came to talk to me because he wanted some Wand' shirts. We
took a picture together nad he asked me to sign it! I was a little
uncorfortable, because he is such a champion. He showed being
such a humble man and we became friends - tells Wanderlei, adding
some big news: "He comes to Brazil in February spend carnival
with us. I will show him my town," promised Wanderlei, who
does not hide the wish to fight the new friend. "In this
Pride, I wanna face the best fighters, and even being my "brother",
Fedor is the man!" he concluded.
Source: Tatame
|
SYLVIA
SETS RECORD STRAIGHT
by Jeff Cain
Tim Sylvia has fought his way back into the Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC) heavyweight title picture by stringing together
a three fight win streak. On January 16th, Tim defeated Assuerio
Silva by unanimous decision to secure a rematch against UFC Heavyweight
Champion Andrei Arlovski, who defeated Sylvia for the title by
Ankle Lock after dropping him with an overhand right at UFC 51:
‘Super Saturday.’ Sylvia recently spoke with MMAWeekly
Radio about his ‘Ultimate Fight Night 3' win over Assuerio
Silva and the impending rematch with Andrei Arlovski.
"Assuerio
was a really tough dude. A lot tougher than I thought he was
going to be. I hurt him a few times, but I was really surprised."
Tim Sylvia told MMAWeekly.
Assuerio
took Tim Sylvia to a decision at ‘Ultimate Fight Night 3,’
something that has only happened two other times in Sylvia’s
Mixed Martial Arts career.
A
well-kept secret heading into the fight was Tim Sylvia was sick.
Sylvia told MMAWeekly, "Not taking anything away from Assuerio,
he’s a tough dude, obviously. I hit him a couple of times
and couldn’t finish him. I was really sick for the fight.
I got really sick Saturday and had problems holding my innards.
When I was warming up, I had a few problems, and I actually had
a few problems in the ring when I was fighting."
Elaborating,
Tim said, "I don’t know what it was. It got really
cold when we were outside working out and stuff, going back and
forth from the room. I caught something, and I just couldn’t
hold in my number twos . . . If you look at the fight you’ll
see that when my shorts came down, you’ll see the wet mark
in my underwear."
As
disgusting or funny as you think that is, you have to admire
Tim for his honestly. The only other time I can think of a fighter
publically admitting to something like that was Kevin Randleman,
who had the same thing happen during his fight with Renato ‘Babalu’
Sobral.
Since
the fight, Tim has been criticized by fans for grabbing the fence
in the fight when it looked as if Assuerio Silva was about to
suplex him. Tim responded to the critics by saying, "People
are ripping on me on the internet, giving me shit about I’m
a cheater and this and that. I did grab the fence, my mistake,
but when you’re put in that situation it’s instinct.
It’s something that every fighter has done it. You don’t
do it on purpose. All those guys that are running mouth about
me, what do they do for a living? Do they fight in front of thousands
and millions of people? No, they don’t, and I honestly want
to thank my true fans."
Tim
will face Andrei Arlovski for the UFC heavyweight title in his
next bout. The rematch with Andrei hanging in the balance affected
the way Tim approached his fight with Assuerio. Sylvia stated,
"I did fight fairly cautious so I could fight Arlovski.
That’s what I was after. That was my main goal."
Now
that Tim has his rematch with Arlovski, he was asked what will
be different the second time around. He replied, "I’m
going to be much more prepared. I’m a better fighter now
than I was a year ago, and I think I’ve got Arlovski figured
out."
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"If
you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better
that you should leave your work."
Kahlil Gibran, 1883-1931, Lebanese Poet and Novelist
|
KWAN
Joins Family..
We
are pleased to announce SUMA & Punishment In Paradise Champion
Kaleo Kwan will be exclusive with P.I.P for the year 2006. Kwan
also a runner up at Rumble on the Rocks 8 Man Tournament who
started 2006 with a win. P.I.P and Kwan had reached a deal that
both side are happy with. We look for big things this year from
both Kaleo Kwan and P.I.P as our first event had sold out 2,000
people.
Welcome
Kaleo Kwan to Punishment In Paradise Ohana!!
Source: Brennan Kamaka |
The
UFC Affirms “ULTIMATE FIGHTING” and Octagon Trademark
By UFC.tv
Zuffa,
LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand, announced
that it secured a key legal victory in its trademark infringement
lawsuit against the Worldwide Fighting Championship and Gino
Carlucci. Zuffa filed the complaint in Phoenix on January 10,
2006 to protect its intellectual property rights. Zuffa’s
principal allegations were that Worldwide Fighting Championship
(1) was using an octagon fighting enclosure at its mixed martial
arts events without a license from Zuffa and incorporating an
octagonal design as part of its logo
(2) was impermissibly displaying the term “Ultimate Fighting”
in advertisements on its website and
(3) was using a “WFC” logo that was confusingly similar
to Zuffa’s stylized UFC logo.
The case was resolved just before a preliminary injunction hearing
scheduled for last week. The Federal District Court entered a
Final Judgment and Permanent Injunction on January 25, 2006,
in which the WFC defendants acknowledged the validity of Zuffa’s
federal trademark rights, and were ordered, among other things,
to refrain from using the term ULTIMATE FIGHTING, to modify the
WFC logo to remove the octagon component and to modify the font
style and appearance of the “WFC”. As part of the Judgment,
WFC was also ordered to obtain a license from Zuffa and pay license
fees in connection with WFC’s use of the Octagon™ fighting
enclosure at its WFC mixed martial arts events.
UFC President Dana White states that “Zuffa spends a lot
of time and money to create its intellectual property, and Zuffa
is required by law to protect the rights it acquires. As a result,
we will use all legal means to prevent others from confusing
fans into believing they are buying the UFC experience.”
White also said, “It’s an unfortunate situation when
we have to wake up every day, come into work and sue people because
they’re using our brand names and copying the look of our
product and logos. It would be like me waking up and thinking
‘you know what? McDonalds looks like they make a lot of
money. I think I’m gonna open up my own McDonalds and use
their golden arches.’ You can’t do it. It should be
common sense that you can’t use someone’s trademarks
and all their intellectual property without their permission,
but people try to get away with it and it’s unfortunate,
because when they do, we inevitably have to go out and take care
of it.”
Contrary to what some press releases issued by the offending
company would have you believe, the lawsuit had nothing to do
with wiping out competing brands or the use of the phrase “Fighting
Championship”; it’s about protecting the UFC’s
intellectual properties and keeping newer fans of the sport from
being confused by misleading advertising.
“They’re using ‘Ultimate Fighting’, and they’re
using an Octagon with fencing over it,” said White. “And
whether people like it or not, Zuffa owns the trademark to the
Octagon, Zuffa owns the trademark to ‘Ultimate Fighting,’
and if you illegally use any of them, Zuffa will sue you. End
of story.”
As for other news outlets’ erroneous reports on this matter,
White pulled no punches.
“It's unbelievable to me that certain MMA websites who want
to be taken seriously continue to deliver false news and rumors
to fight fans on a regular basis,” he said. “One site,
which claims to be ‘following this situation closely’
is still reporting on this without having read the actual complaint
– which is a publicly available document. It’s sloppy
reporting and it does a disservice to the hardcore fans that
follow this sport.”
The case was resolved last week though, just before a preliminary
injunction hearing scheduled for Wednesday, January 18th. The
Federal District Court entered a Final Judgment and Permanent
Injunction against the WFC and Gino Carlucci on January 25, 2006,
in which the WFC defendants acknowledged the validity of Zuffa’s
federal trademark rights, and were ordered to refrain from using
the term ULTIMATE FIGHTING, to modify the WFC logo to remove
the octagon component and to modify the font style and appearance
of the “WFC”. As part of the Judgment, WFC was ordered
to obtain a license from Zuffa and pay license fees in connection
with WFC's use of the Octagon fighting enclosure at its WFC mixed
martial arts events.
Source: Maxfighting |
UFC.TV
Announces - Fantasy League
To
play is simple. After you sign up for free, be sure to get a
team for each UFC event to increase your chances of winning!
Pick the winner, the finishing move, the round, and get all 4
correct for one bout and we’ll give you bonus points for
your exceptional knowledge.
Don’t
forget that you can also create a league and challenge your friends
to see who has what it takes to be the Ultimate Fighter. Or you
can join a public league and take on all comers. It’s all
up to you. Prizes are awarded for the top teams making the most
correct picks.
You
may sign up by visiting the following link : http://fantasy.ufc.tv/
After you dive in to this fantasy league, you can follow it
up with these links:
http://www.toomuchtimeonyourhands.com
or
http://www.nevergetlaid.com
Kidding,
sorry I couldn't resist it. Seriously, if you guys like the fantasy
football stuff, you will probably love this.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Shannon
Ritch Caught With His hand In The Cookie Jar
By WFC - J. Mesa
Denver CO, January 25, 2006: Officials with the Worldwide Fighting
Championship are releasing information concerning the legal circumstances
surrounding the dismissal of Shannon Ritch as match-maker.
The
WFC has obtained copies of several financial transfers from WFC
sponsors into the personal bank accounts of Shannon Ritch, of
which, no funds have been turned over to WFC management.
This
information came to light shortly after the conclusion of a WFC
event that was held January 21, 2006. This information lead directly
to the dismissal and legal action imposed on Mr. Ritch. The actions
in question surround the sponsorship funds of several businesses
and missing merchandise that was intended as gifts for fighters,
competiting on the January 21, card.
Although
no formal charges have been made, the Fort Collins (Colo.), Police
Department as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are
investigating the incident. Officials from these law enforcement
agencies were unavailable for comment due to the on-going nature
of the investigation.
The
WFC takes this action very seriously and hopes for a speedy resolution
to this matter. The WFC reiterates that these types of business
dealings will not be tolerated and will prosecute to the full
extent of the law.
The
WFC feels that dishonest practices such as this are detrimental
to the sport and fans. At a time when the MMA industry still
wears a black-eye when it comes to mainstream acceptance, actions
like these against the WFC and its fans will only hurt the overall
image of the sport.
The
WFC expects swift resolution to this matter. No replacement for
Mr. Ritch has been named, and the number one priority for the
WFC is to return to business as usual and allow law enforcement
personnel to do their job to see that circumstances such as this
will never occur again.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"I
suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means
getting along with people."
Indira Gandhi, 1917-1984, Former Prime Minister of India
|
TRIGG
TALKS ROTR WIN ON RADIO
He said he may retire if he lost his fight this weekend in Hawaii
at Rumble on the Rock. Frank Trigg, after losing back to back
fights is back in the win column. Trigg defeated Ronald Jhun a tough fight from
the Blaisdale Arena in Honolulu.
"Ronald
Jhun is a tough fighter that I have a lot of respect for."
Trigg said after the fight. "It feels great to be back (in
the win column." Trigg will now move on to face dark horse
Carlos Condit who upset Charuto Verissimo in the tournament.
Today
hosts’ Ryan Bennett and Frank Trigg are back from beautiful
Hawaii to breakdown a wild tournament that saw Anderson Silva
disqualified, Charuto Verissimo knocked out, Butterbean spitting
out his own teeth, while Cabbage breaking his arm before his
fight ever began.
The
guys break it down today on MMAWeekly Radio. Catch the show live
at 9am Pacific/12 Noon eastern at www.mmaweeklyradio.com. The show, as always,
is absolutely free when you listen live. Hear what Trigg has
to say about the tournament, his win, and the rest of the competition
today on MMAWeekly Radio.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
FRANK
MIR RETURNS TO THE OCTAGON
FORMER UFC® HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
TO BATTLE MARCIO CRUZ AT UFC 57: LIDDELL vs. COUTURE 3
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2006
Also
Announced: Mike Van Arsdale vs. Renato Sobral;
Joe
Riggs vs. Nick Diaz and Justin Eilers vs. Brandon Vera
Las
Vegas, NV – After more than a year, former UFC® Heavyweight
Champion Frank Mir will return to the Octagon™ to battle
Brazil’s Marcio “Pe De Pano” Cruz at UFC 57: LIDDELL
vs. COUTURE 3 at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas Saturday,
February 4, 2006.
UFC
57: LIDDELL vs. COUTURE 3, which sold out in less than five weeks,
is also available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw
Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested
retail price of $39.95.
The
fight will be Mir’s first since a motorcycle accident sidelined
him in September 2004. He had just captured the UFC heavyweight
crown from Tim Sylvia at UFC 48. Now, with his leg rehabilitated,
Mir has his sights set on regaining the title now held by Andrei
“The Pitbull” Arlovski. But standing in the way is
Marcio Cruz, a six-time world champion of Jiu-Jitsu and eight-time
Pan-American Champion of Jiu-Jitsu.
Cruz
(1-0) made a successful foray into mixed martial arts at UFC
55 by submitting Keigo Kunihara (rear naked choke) at 1:02 of
the second round. The 6’3”/246 lbs. Brazilian also
has his eye on Arlovski, and wants to defeat Mir to prove he
is a heavyweight contender.
Also
announced on the card is a light heavyweight matchup between
Mike Van Arsdale and Renato “Babalu” Sobral; Joe “Diesel”
Riggs vs. Nick Diaz and Justin Eilers vs. Brandon “The Truth”
Vera.
Van
Arsdale (10-2) 6’2”/205 lbs., fighting out of San Jose,
CA, is a fierce competitor. A champion freestyle wrestler, he’s
considered by many of his peers as one of the best athletes ever
to compete in the Octagon. He sharpened his mixed martial arts
skills under UFC veteran “Crazy” Bob Cook, and is looking
for a win against Sobral to remain a contender in the light heavyweight
division. Sobral (26-5-0) 6’1”/205 lbs., fighting out
of Rio de Janeiro, is one of the top light heavyweight fighters
in the world. The mega-talented Brazilian has won his last nine
fights in a row, including a one-night tournament where he defeated
Trevor Prangley, Jeremy Horn and Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua. He is focused and is ready to take another step toward a
shot at the UFC World Light Heavyweight title.
Joe
Riggs (26-7) 6’0”/170 lbs., fighting out of Phoenix,
is a heavy-handed striker who can deal out punishment standing
or on the ground. A former heavyweight, he is known for his strength
and ability to deliver a massive amount of damage in a short
time. He accepted a fight, with very short notice, at UFC 56
against UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes. Although he was
submitted by Hughes, Riggs feels he’s learned from the experience.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
APEX:
Freedom Fight FULL REVIEW and PHOTOS
Borders
were a factor indeed. The Canada/U.S. border was the first to
strike a blow, as work visa problems TKO’d main-eventer
Matt Horwich from entering into Canada. Down but not out, Freedom
Fight promoter Pete Rodley transitioned nicely into what was
not only a great main event, but also a stellar night of fights
all around. Helping the fighters give their all were Team captain
Phil "The New York Badass" Baroni (USA) and Carlos
"Ronin" Newton". PRIDE Superstar Dan "Hollywood"
Henderson was also in attendance to enjoy the show, and a whole
lot more.
The
Palais des Congres in Hull, Quebec was packed to its 2200 seat
limit, as the undercard formed by Apex Fighting’s Alex Caporicci
gave the crowd an outstanding warm-up.
Baroni
Ready to Lead his team
Undercard:
Dan
Grandmaison (5’11”, 170 pounds, Team Shredder, Ontario)
3rd
round TKO over
Nick
Castiglia (5’11”, 170 pounds, Team Renzo Gracie, Ontario)
The
first strike of the evening stuck to the theme, as it landed
south of the border. An errant kick by Castiglia found its way
to an unmentionable area, halting the match for a few minutes
while Grandmaison recovered. Recover he did, as Dan was able
to counter well for a strong first round. After a good second
round by Castiglia where he maintained top position for a good
portion, Grandmaison was able to open a cut on Nick in the third
and pound Castiglia until the ref stopped the bout at 2:55 of
the third round.
Shawn
Krysa (5’8”, 155 pounds, Team Borelands, Ontario)
1st
round submission over
Randy
Newell (5’9”, 155 pounds, Vanderpool Boxing, Ontario)
During
a scramble, Krysa rolls into a nice armbar that Newell verbally
submitted to. The crowd beyond ringside seems confused, but Newell
confirms to the ref that did in fact submit at 2:21 of the first
round giving Krysa the fight.
Jamie
Helmer (6’1”, 203 pounds, Team Ronin, Ontario)
Unanimous
decision over
Jerry
Spiegel (5’10”, 199 pounds, Team Lion Kill, New York)
A
great back-and-forth battle, with Helmer going for straight arm
locks and landing a number of good knees. Spiegel shows great
energy and almost had a choke sunk as the 2nd round ended. The
fighters were also mysteriously stood up with Spiegel in the
mount at one point. The judge’s scores reflect how close
the match was, all having Helmer winning by a single point.
Mark
Holst (160 pounds, Team Renzo Gracie, Ontario)
1st
round TKO over
Shane
Savage (155 pounds, Team Renegades, Ontario)
Savage
starts strong, raining down a number of good strikes. The gas
tank seems to run out for Savage mid-round, as a number of unanswered
shots start to come from Holst, opening up a sizable gash on
the forehead of Savage. Just before the bell ended the first
round, Holst lands a massive head kick that ends the match with
Savage still standing, but clearly out of it. Holst wins by TKO
at 4:59 of the first round.
Nabil
Khatib (5’11”, 185 pounds, Team Bushido, Ontario)
1st
round TKO over
Chester
Post (6’3”, 185 pounds, Team Pyrial, Ontario)
A
first round scramble saw Post land a good shot to the face of
Khatib, producing what appeared to be a broken nose. Khatib continued,
and secured top position on the ground. As his blood dripped
onto Post, he landed a number of punches prompting the ref to
stop the fight at 1:59 of the first round.
Main
Card – Canada vs. USA
Team
Canada was under the guidance of former UFC Champion Carlos Newton,
while UFC and Pride veteran Phil Baroni captained Team USA. Five
bouts would decide which country would be crowned champion of
Freedom Fight 2006.
Having
worked with their respective team members for about a week, Newton
said we could expect victories from Stephan Potvin and Wagnney
Fabiano. Ironically, Baroni picked the opponents of those two,
(Art Santore and Matt Fioradosa), as the guys who were sure to
have their hands raised.
Nuri
Shakir (5’9”, 170 pounds, Team Elite, New Hampshire
USA)
1st
round TKO over
Kevin
Manderson (5’10”, 170 pounds, Team Doerksen, Manitoba
Canada)
Manderson
wasn’t able to establish himself as Shakir took control
with knees from the clinch, and a number of punches. A right
hand from Shakir opened a cut on Manderson and sent him back
into the ropes. The ref had seen enough at 3:12 of the first
round, giving it to Shakir.
Wagnney
Fabiano (5’9”, 145 pounds, Nova Uniao, Ontario Canada)
Unanimous
decision over
Matt
Fioradosa (5’7”, 145 pounds, Team Curran, Illinois
USA)
Fabiano
takes Fioradosa down and controls him from the back. Fioradosa
remains calm and is able to regain his feet in time to end the
round in a nice exchange of hands to end the first round. The
second round is a lot like the first with Fabiano controlling
the ground game until the final moments of the round when Fioradosa
reverses, but runs out of time. The third round is no exception
to the story of the first two. Fabiano is able to dictate the
fight for the most part with a controlling ground game, with
Fioradosa only managing to produce offence as the end of the
round drew to a close. Judges award the fight to Fabiano 30-27,
30-27, 30-26.
Craig
Brown (6’0”, 205 pounds, Ronin MMA, Ontario Canada)
2nd
round TKO over
John
Clarke (6’1”, 205 pounds, Connecticut BJJ, Connecticut
USA)
This
fight offered a great back-and-forth mix of stand-up fighting
as well as ground and pound. A strange re-start was called as
Clarke was in the mount punching down on Brown. It was later
explained that under Quebec rules, when fighters are under the
ropes, a standing re-start is enforced. It seemed to be a turning
point in the match, as Brown was able to take advantage of Clarke’s
fatigue by hammerfisting a covering Clarke on the mat until the
referee stopped it at 2:21 of the second round.
Kevin
Engel (Finney’s Kickboxing, Missouri USA)
2nd
round KO over
Nick
Rodinelli (Team Tompkins, Ontario Canada)
A
kickboxing match added a nice mix to the evening, as Kevin Engel
had his way with Nick Rodinelli, knocking him down in the first
round and putting him away with a series of right hands in the
second round. Before the event, Team Canada captain Carlos Newton
said to keep an eye on Engel, and Kevin certainly delivered.
Stephan
Potvin (6’2”, 205 pounds, BTT Canada, Quebec Canada)
Majority
decision over
Art
Santore (6’2”, 205 pounds, Team Quest, California USA)
With
the main card tied 2-2, the main event would settle the score
in the battle of Canada vs. the U.S. Art Santore, with new Pride
champion Dan Henderson in his corner, was scheduled against another
opponent, but moved to the main event to replace Matt Horwich.
This match was greatly contested and was an absolute war. Potvin
led the charge with a punch that dropped Art to one knee. Santore
followed with a standing barrage that had Potvin covering and
trying to move out of danger. The second round was highlighted
by a solid body kick that visibly hurt Santore, but he forged
on. The third round had the crowd out of their seats, and the
two took turns mounting offence. Both had to work from their
back at different points, Potvin even took a moment, while delivering
punches from his back to gesture to the crowd for more noise.
In the end, there truly was no loser, fans included. One judge
scored the bout dead even, while two judges gave Potvin a single
point advantage.
In
conclusion, the event would have to be considered a great success.
Despite a number of hits to the original card, the promoters
were still able to deliver a quality event that pleased the crowd.
The event provided a reminder of just how great this sport is,
enabling the fans to interact with not only the fighters, but
with the captains and cornermen like Newton, Baroni and Henderson.
Source: Maxfighting
|
CHONAN
VS SAKURAI IN JAPAN
In what should be a very good technical battle, Ryo Chonan will
square off against Ryuta Sakurai in Deep. The fight will be for
the Deep Middleweight Championship at the Korakeun Hall in Tokyo
on February 5th. Here is the entire card....
Korakuen
Hall
Tokyo,
Japan
February
5, 2006
DEEP
Middleweight Title Bout
Ryuta
Sakurai vs. Ryo Chonan
Ryuichi
Murata vs. Nick Ring
Yutaro
Miyamoto vs. Jung Ho Lee
Akira
Shoji (Free) vs. Kazuo Misaki (Grabaka)
Yuya
Shirai (Team MAD) vs. Toyoshi Iwamiya (Takada Dojo)
Yutaro
Miyamoto vs. Pang Sung Hwan
Daisuke
Nakamura vs. Hirohide Fujinuma
Hidehiko
Hasegawa vs. Shigetoshi Iwase
Kohsuke
Umeda vs. Kazunori Yokota
Hiroki
Nagaoka vs. Barbaro44
Women's
Bout
MIKU
vs. Yuki Furudate
Grappling
Match
Masakazu
Imanari vs. Jeff Glover
Future
King Tournament (Rookie Matches)
Jun
Ando(Chojin Club) vs. Kintaro(R-Gym)
Yukinari
Tamura(Sogo Kakutougi) vs. Katsunori Kikuno(A-Square)
Yoshihiro
Koyama(Paraestra Matsudo) vs. Ayumu Kobayashi(Killer Bee)
Motooki
Takahashi(Takada Dojo) vs. Ejiri Shinji(AACC)
Source: MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"Give
me the ready hand rather than the ready tongue."
Giuseppe Garibaldi, 1807-1882, Italian Patriot and Soldier
|
First
MMA Promoter's License Approved in Cali
By Loretta Hunt
The
first mixed martial arts promoter's license has been approved
in California. In conjunction with a press release circulated
by the promotion itself yesterday, Silicon Valley Sports and
Entertainment ( SVSE) had become the first applicant approved
to hold a legalized MMA event in the Golden State. SVSE has already
announced its "Shamrock vs. Gracie" event will be held
at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on March 10th. Garcia anticipates
more applicants will be approved by the end of this month, and
says he is unaware of any other tentatively scheduled events
before that date at this time.
Garcia
says he has been inundated by phone calls this past week from
California venues inquiring about the status of licensing for
promoters that have approached them to hold events in March and
beyond. In response, Garcia is reiterating that promoters do
not begin marketing their events until they have been granted
licensure approval from the CSAC.
"Many
applications are incomplete and many will be held up," says
Garcia, who estimates approximately 20 applications are in the
CSAC's keep at this time. Garcia says he and his staff are doing
their best to hold to a 10-day turnover timetable for applications
that they announced in early January.
Source:
FCF
|
A
decade without Marcelo Behring
Over ten years after the death of his brother, Sylvio Behring
reopens the first Jiu-Jitsu academy in Barra da Tijuca, Rio,
where he began with Marcelo and reveals preoccupation about Werdum’s
training with Cro Cop
To
black-belt Sylvio Behring, aged 42, there’s no opponent
tougher than missing his brother. After the Jiu-Jitsu World Cup,
in July 2004, Marcelo Behring’s elder brother left Salvador
to celebrate the nine medals conquered by his pupils from Winner-Behring
gym in Bahia. Driving alone, he felt a deep anguish. “I
missed Marcelo so bad I felt like crying. I wanted to share all
that with him”, he remembers. He is one among many who still
miss the fighter who was shot to death while going up Tabajaras
hill on January 12, 1995, at age 30.
Notorious
as Rickson Gracie’s eternal best pupil, the most intense
of master Flavio Behring’s sons is subject to admiration
even by the new generations that know him for legendary (and
bloody) like in the Jiu-Jitsu vs. Martial Arts, in Maracanazinho,
against also deceased Flavio Molina. In spite of missing his
brother very much and having myriad stories, master Sylvio avoid
using Marcelo’s image altogether: “He needs peace,
I’ve got my own way.” Besides meeting the past again
in his first academy, Sylvio has been living a period of disagreements
with the former students: “Werdum turned his back on me.
The team is drifting.”
How
did you feel about this mythical aura being built around fighter
Marcelo Behring?
My
brother was my reason to train, a brother that was intense in
many aspects. If it wasn’t for Marcelo I wouldn’t be
a fighter. I’d be a doctor, a musician. I became a fighter
because I had to fight him every day my entire life. I had no
choice, thank God, and Jiu-Jitsu was my survival since I was
very young: I saved me from Marcelo for years until we stopped
fighting with one another… He was part warrior, part madman,
part generous and part tender. When we began respecting each
other as we got older, being around him would lift my spirits
up. He had a unique character, a smile and sincerity that were
marvelous, a big heart. He was capable of reading people’s
souls’ like few, a poet able to express on paper what he
felt in a cleat, honest way. And he had tremendous power over
women, he loved truly and understood people: he could be either
your friend or your greatest nightmare. Indeed he was, along
with Caíque, one of Rickson Gracie’s toughest training
partners at a certain time, and thanks to his competitive ideal
he and Gracie identified very well. In his way of life, he seemed
more like Rickson’s brother than mine. As to the myth, I
think many people took advantage from Marcelo’s image of
excellence as an athlete. Many of those who say they were brought
up by Marcelo Behring I have never seen with him at all. And
among those are people who turned their back on him precisely
when he needed support and affection…
Your
father, Flavio Behring, describes Marcelo’s involvement
with drugs as an “orbit of horror.” In these ten years
of missing him, has there been any recent conclusion about his
death?
I
like to remember the good things Marcelo left us, not the negative
moments that led him to his fate. That is a sad, very small part
compared to all the people he helped. How many people did Marcelo
take out from that very path he wound up falling prey to? The
fatality itself made many people learn a lesson; sometimes becoming
a martyr gives other people a greater understanding about life
– or even death. That’s why many idolize Marcelo without
having ever known him. But at the time it was hard enough for
us, and we’re not running after anything else. Where could
we possibly get? We found his body after three months, it was
awful. How many times did I dream he came back from Australia
and knocked on my door? We have already buried Marcelo; we don’t
want to bury anyone else.
Marcelo
fought his greatest fight with the brown belt, in 1984 in Maracanazinho
stadium. What do you remember about it?
With
the recode Flavio Molina had, as the introducer of muay thai
in Rio de Janeiro, he was a guy Rickson could take on. Except
everyone knew Molina had no ground skills. Marcelo was very competent
standing, he’d kick, and he punched with amazing strength.
At the time of the challenge he went there and said: “Let
me go.” There was, on the other hand, a self-confidence
that got to my nerves at times. For instance, choosing Renan
Pitanguy for the first fight that night [February 30, 1984] was
excessive. He was a tough surfer with great potential, but no
one had studied his opponent, Eugenio Tadeu. In the decisive
match, Marcelo could have submitted, showing Jiu-Jitsu’s
efficiency, but he was angry. Molida had said he would kick Marcelo’s
ass, and after Renan’s loss my brother was even readier
to fight for Jiu-Jitsu’s honor. After all, as many heat
and few know whether it’s true, getting involved with the
Gracies changes one’s life; it happened with the Barretos,
the Behrings, the Machados…
Flavio
Molina began with two shy kicks, but he was so strong he hurt
Marcelo’s leg, and he got nervous. He would surround in
perfect fashion, and when Molina hesitated on the corner he thrust
in grabbed his waist, took two seconds to take down, stayed on
the back a while, rushed to the side and mounted. Then he looked
like a pile driver, I remember referee Helio Vigio grabbed the
towel they had thrown in the ring, wiped his own sweat off and
let the bout go on a bit. Well, what I know is I never liked
that m.m.a. thing; when the fight ended I had a lot of Molina’s
blood on my shirt, as I was carrying my brother out.
You
and Marcelo were a great influence in the judo training performed
by Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, right?
Right.
Once my brother gave Cássio Cardoso a trip-up that was
just anthological, and won by 2-nil. We started off in judo when
I was 17, at Hélcio Gama and then with master Mehdi, when
we were brown-belts. Standing Marcelo was too tough, he would
take Rickson down and just about everyone. Once, in 1983, he
was pissed off at me, he wanted me took sign him up for a tournament
in Madureira and I told him, “You go!” Then he called
me up for a standup session. The academy in the Nova Ipanema
condo was in a conference room with a curtain separating judo
from the condo’s movie theatre. He grabbed me, took two
steps with me and threw me, with a seoi-otoshi, over the curtain.
I knocked down about 30 chairs, something a stunt would do. I
went back and we started fighting. It was around then that we
quit fighting each other, for I saw it was no longer worth it
[laughs]. Now, the guy who definitely brought judo into Jiu-Jitsu
was Edgar Freitas, hired by the guys from Gracie academy to give
lessons to Carlos Jr., Renzo, Ralph, Rilion, Crolin, the Machados…
In
your opinion, what was the main change between old time m.m.a.
and today’s?
In
those days m.m.a. was a personal thing, a tremendous wear. It
was unfair for the guy to fight bearing an institution like Jiu-Jitsu
on his back. Today you no longer challenge your for, but the
best in the world in a certain category. To me m.m.a. is born
there with Royce Gracie in the UFC, when the Gracies take m.m.a.
to TV, just what my brother was trying in his trips to Hawaii,
Thailand, Indonesia… He would come and ask who the toughest
guy in the country was and would challenge him. His intention
wasn’t even defending the honor of Jiu-Jitsu, it was rather
making some money. Stakes were as high as 100 thousand Australian
dollars at the time…
And
how do you view the technical interchange between your student
Fabricio Werdum and Mirko Cro Cop?
My
wish was to spend at least one month with him in Croatia, during
the beginning of the training, in order to establish this exchange
between Fabricio’s Jiu-Jitsu and Mirko’s standup techniques.
I wanted Fabricio to have personalized work in order to accelerate
his technical evolution, because standup practice is a lot harder
than Jiu-Jitsu for adults. I fear their exchange might become
a little uneven – you only have to see that on December
31, 2004, Cro Cop submitted for the first time in his life [against
Randleman]. He gave a technical guillotine, adjusted his wrist
very naturally. Jiu-Jitsu is very simple. Otherwise it wouldn’t
be deemed the best self-defense technique in the world. And Fabricio
learned traditional Jiu-Jitsu according to the most essential
basics of the Gracies’ self-defense. If Cro Cop goes through
the ABCs diligently, his reactions in Jiu-Jitsu are going to
get a lot more efficient in the ring – even as an aggressor!
I find it an honor for him to look in Jiu-Jitsu for a complement
to what he knows in the rings. But there must be retribution:
for example, the problem is not that Wanderlei Silva is a Jiu-Jitsu
black-belt, but the way in which he handles it. If he pays back
for that which the sport gives him in his everyday work, he is
in condition to preserve the culture and what the institution
of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu represents.
You
now teach again at your first academy in Barra da Tijuca, Rio,
the first in the neighborhood. What happened to Winnner-Behring?
Winner-Behring
drifted apart. It is a shame, but people have got their paths
to follow. It was an incredible experience, I was able to apply
a new methodology that worked – out of the four champions
I have trained, three came from the same academy: Werdum, Mario
Reis and Marcio Corleta.
And
what about the old academy’s stories? Who has gone through
it?
My
father assembled the academy in 1981 and we went on till ’85.
I remember we did a demonstration in the condo and opened the
dojo with 100 kids. Nino 'Elvis' Schembri started very young
there, Jorge Pereira, Guigo, Leo Dalla… I was master Alvaro
Barreto’s purple belt, at 17, and Marcelo was a 15-year-old
blue-belt taught by Rickson. We began running around the condo,
working out, training two-on-one… From that group grew the
academy, which was outdoor, my father running the trainings and
Julio Gama as a professor. Marcelo and I were instructors.
Source: Gracie Magazine
|
SHOOTO
Champion Suda Retires / Denes v. Yamashita For the Belt
SHOOTO 183 lbs World Champion, Masanori Suda, retires after a
4 year reign. Suda's personal life is beckoning him to pursue
other paths, and the champ will vacate the title leaving it open
for contention. Looking to step in and capture the coveted title
is Dustin "Clean" Denes... the Brazilian Jiu jitsu
expert with the American Top Team.
Dustin
Denes and Suda locked horns in July of 2004 in Hawaii where Suda
became an overnight fan favorite despite being form Japan, due
to his stunning KO of the local hero Egan Inoue. Denes went on
a 4 fight win streak to earn the title shot, and the SHOOTO belt
had and has been something for which the ATT fighter had been
chasing with laser beam focus. He got his Chance at the SHOOTO
event Soljah Fight Night in Honolulu on that day in July. The
time was not his, as the result was split draw leaving the American
frustrated in his pursuit.
Now
that the title is up for grabs, "Clean" is ready to
hav another go. He will be facing top Japanese fighter Shiko
Yamashita, who himself has been on the edge of the title picture
for years. This Championship match-up for the vacant title will
also be a rematch, and appropriately so as he two men have what
Yamashita considers unfinished business. Denes won their first
battle via doctor stoppage due to a severe cut to the Japanese
fighter's forehead. He protested insisting it was the result
of head contact, and even filed a formal appeal with the International
SHOOTO Commission (ISC) - The only independent world-wide sanctioning
body in the MMA world. His appeal was turned down and the call
in hand stood.
So,
this bout has some steam behind it as it comes our way, scheduled
for April in Florida. The Absolute Fighting Championship (a typically
non-SHOOTO venue) will host the bout in an event that will feature
fights mostly using the Unified rules of MMA. The special SHOOTO
rules 183 lbs World Championship bout will take place on that
card because the AFC is Dustin Denes' home promotion and the
event producers wanted to promote this tremendous fight in front
of a crowd that will really be riled up to see there local fighter
get this great opportunity The AFC petitioned the ISC to allow
them to hold the bout, and permission was indeed granted from
the authority of the ISC Secretary General, Toshiharu Suzuki
and approved by the SHOOTO Americas Commissioner. Look for more
updates regarding the April AFC line-up with the special SHOOTO
rules World Title bout on the card.
Source:
Maxfighting |
Quote
of the Day
"I've
learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness
or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances."
Martha Washington, 1731-1802, Former First Lady of the United
States
|
Leozinho
Vieira Seminar Tonight!
Monday Jan 23, 2006
6-9pm
3 hrs
cost:$50.00
Wahiawa BJJ (right next to Jack-in the box)
World champion and ADCC champion Leozinho Vieira will presnt
a three hour seminar one night only. This is your chance to learn
from one of todays best grapplers, All are welcome!!!!!
For info call: Tammy (808) 228-1711 or email
centraloahujiujitsu@yahoo.com
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE 12
EAST VS. WEST 2
FIGHT
OF THE NIGHT!!
David
Padilla (Jesus Is Lord) Vs. Makoa Haineke (Team MMAD)
I
wanted to wait till ROTR show was over to announce the FIGHT
OF THE NIGHT… After futher review of the whole fight card
I’m proud to announce that Padilla Vs. Haineke was hands
down the BEST fight that night.. Three rounds of BACK & FORT
non stop action. On behalf of P.I.P I would like to thank all
fighters for making a successful event.
Source: Event Promoter
|
Ultimate
Fight Night 3 Medical Suspensions
Seven UFC fighters were medically suspended by the Nevada State
Athletic Commission.
Tim
Sylvia def. Assuerio Silva via unanimous decision.
- Assuerio Silva is suspended until February 16, 2006 due to
multiple face contusions.
- Tim Sylvia is suspended until March 3, 2006 due to a left eye
laceration.
Stephan
Bonnar defeated James Irvin via kimura.
- No suspension.
Josh
Burkman defeated Drew Fickett via guillotine choke.
- No suspension.
Duane
"Bang" Ludwig defeated Jonathan Goulet via TKO.
- Jonathan Goulet is suspended until March 18, 2006.
Jason
von Flue defeated Alex Karalexis via TKO.
- Alex Karalexis is suspended until February 6, 2006.
Josh
Neer defeated Melvin Guillard via triangle choke.
- Josh Neer is suspended until February 6, 2006 due to a laceration
over his right eyebrow.
Chris
Leben defeated Jorge Rivera via TKO.
- Jorge Rivera is suspended until March 3, 2006.
Spencer
Fisher defeated Aaron Riley via TKO.
Aaron Riley needs his broken right mandible (jaw) cleared by
a doctor or he cannot fight until July 7, 2006.
Source: MMA Fighting
|
SHOOTO
Champion Suda Retires
Denes v. Yamashita For the Belt
SHOOTO 183 lbs World Champion, Masanori Suda, retires after a
4 year reign. Suda's personal life is beckoning him to pursue
other paths, and the champ will vacate the title leaving it open
for contention. Looking to step in and capture the coveted title
is Dustin "Clean" Denes... the Brazilian Jiu jitsu
expert with the American Top Team.
Dustin
Denes and Suda locked horns in July of 2004 in Hawaii where Suda
became an overnight fan favorite despite being form Japan, due
to his stunning KO of the local hero Egan Inoue. Denes went on
a 4 fight win streak to earn the title shot, and the SHOOTO belt
had and has been something for which the ATT fighter had been
chasing with laser beam focus. He got his Chance at the SHOOTO
event Soljah Fight Night in Honolulu on that day in July. The
time was not his, as the result was split draw leaving the American
frustrated in his pursuit.
Now
that the title is up for grabs, "Clean" is ready to
hav another go. He will be facing top Japanese fighter Shiko
Yamashita, who himself has been on the edge of the title picture
for years. This Championship match-up for the vacant title will
also be a rematch, and appropriately so as he two men have what
Yamashita considers unfinished business. Denes won their first
battle via doctor stoppage due to a severe cut to the Japanese
fighter's forehead. He protested insisting it was the result
of head contact, and even filed a formal appeal with the International
SHOOTO Commission (ISC) - The only independent world-wide sanctioning
body in the MMA world. His appeal was turned down and the call
in hand stood.
So,
this bout has some steam behind it as it comes our way, scheduled
for April in Florida. The Absolute Fighting Championship (a typically
non-SHOOTO venue) will host the bout in an event that will feature
fights mostly using the Unified rules of MMA. The special SHOOTO
rules 183 lbs World Championship bout will take place on that
card because the AFC is Dustin Denes' home promotion and the
event producers wanted to promote this tremendous fight in front
of a crowd that will really be riled up to see there local fighter
get this great opportunity The AFC petitioned the ISC to allow
them to hold the bout, and permission was indeed granted from
the authority of the ISC Secretary General, Toshiharu Suzuki
and approved by the SHOOTO Americas Commissioner. Look for more
updates regarding the April AFC line-up with the special SHOOTO
rules World Title bout on the card.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Dedé
Pederneiras will be dad soon
Leader of Nova União and considered a real dad by his
teammates and pupils, André Pederneiras is really anxious
because of his first legitimate son arrival. His name is already
chosen: André, like the father. 'I'm trying to remain
calm. But I'm anxious. He will probably born in the end of January
or in the beginning of February', said Dedé, who wishes
the son becomes a fighter. 'We always want it, but I cannot compel
him, yeap? (laughs),' stated the future dad.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"False
friendship, like the ivy, decays and ruins the walls it embraces;
but true friendship gives new life and animation to the object
it supports."
Richard Burton, 1925-1984, Welsh Actor
|
Ninja
and Shogun Rua Seminar
Day 2 Today!
The Rua brothers who have been ripping it up on the Pride Fighting
Championship circuit are scheduled to do a seminar here in Hawaii.
Day 1 was great!
The Rua brothers taught a ton of different partner sparring drills
and Chutebox combinations that were used by one of the brothers
in their fights. Don't miss today's seminar! There are still
a couple of open slots so contact Wyman or Kevin at the numbers
below!
The
seminar will be on:
Saturday,
January 21 at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 22
at 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The cost of the seminar
will be $120 for both days. The seminar will take place at Seminar
Central, HMC.
Contact
Kevin at HMC
or Wyman (216-4852) to sign
up and save your spot. The seminar will be limited to only 30
people for the Rua brothers seminar so don't wait and sign up
today.
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
SOLD
OUT!!
On
behalf of Punishment In Paradise I would like to give a special
THANK YOU to all who came out and support the event. All fighters
fought hard in which left everyone off their seats yelling and
screaming. We sold out at 2000 but they was nice enough to let
another hundred in. To all the fighters who matches didn’t
show or pulled out last minute thank you for understanding sorry
they are still teams and managers that do that..
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
APRIL
1, 2006
“POUND
4 POUND”
Card
is already getting full, Tournament has only 2 spots left. So
if you wanna participate please email bdkamaka@comcast.net or
408-916-8082(Brennan Kamaka) or John Kalaheo @ 808-351-4898.
Source: Event Promoter
|
Its
Official! Vitale-Lawler 2 Replaces the Miller-Lawler Fight
Media Friends:
Thank you to all of those who were either able to come out or
remotely cover the Jason Mayhem Miller Press conference today.
Thanks,
Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport Director of Promotions
808 375-1645
For those who were unable to attend, here's a recap:
Icon Sport President T.Jay Thompson, in a serious tone, opened
the press conference with a discussion about the reputation of
Icon Sport and mixed martial arts (MMA). He stressed that Icon
Sport is keenly aware of its image in the community, especially
with the degree to which MMA has become such a popular, mainstream
sport.
He reinforced that the brand evolution/change from Super Brawl
to Icon Sport was made specifically because of the widening demographics
of MMA fans. He stated that a decade ago "Super Brawl"
was targeted at young, male fans. As the sport has grown over
the last 10 years, T.Jay said that he has seen the audience become
more broad-based, now with young, old, male, and female fans.
"We want to put on shows where a dad can feel comfortable
bringing his wife and their 14-year old son." The "Icon
Sport" image was developed so that the organization's events
would appeal to the sport's growing fan base.
T.Jay concluded that Icon Sport was essentially put in the unfortunate
position of having to suspend Jason Miller because of the organization's
duty to be a responsible member of the community. He stated that
the nature of Miller's current legal situation "left no
other alternative" and that, "it was the right thing
to do." He further stated, "we need to send the right
message to the fans that members of the 'Icon Sport Family' will
be held responsible for their actions." T.Jay then gave
details of the suspension, stating that it was "indefinite"
and that Miller's standing in Icon Sport would be evaluated over
time. "With that," T.Jay stated, "we still consider
Jason part of 'Icon Sport Family'. And although the suspension
is harsh, we will continue support him, especially as he goes
through such a difficult time in his life."
T.Jay confirmed that the next event's date would be moved one
week from the 18th to the 25th of February. He later announced
that Niko Vitale, former Icon Middleweight Champion, has accepted
to fill Miller's place in a non-title bout against current champion
Robbie Lawler. T.Jay then asked Jason Miller to step up to make
his comments.
Miller, visibly upset, then stepped in front of the row of reporters
and cameras. Miller stated that he was "sorry for the entire
situation and everyone who is involved." He said, "...I
understand the suspension fully and I probably deserve worse."
"It upsets me that I sent the wrong message to all the young
'monkeys' (Miller fans) who look up to me. I'd hate to think
some young fans may see that the way I acted is acceptable behavior.
Its not." Miller went on to say, "I worked hard to
earn the respect of the Hawaii fans over the last couple years.
I hope after all of this passes they give me the chance to earn
it back."
Vitale was then invited by T.Jay to step forward and say a few
brief words. Regarding Miller, Vitale was gracious in saying,
"I forgive Jason. I hope the fans will forgive him, too."
He also stated, "I'd like to challenge Jason at this time
to use this situation in a positive way and become a better person...and
to learn from his mistakes." Vitale then spoke about how
excited he is to be facing Robbie Lawler once again. "The
last time it was a war. I know its going to be another war, but
I'm a different fighter now. I learned a lot from my last two
fights. I'm still in good shape and I'm still training."
"I will be ready."
Lawler stated earlier in the day by phone that his win over Vitale
was, "the toughest win I ever had. No one ever hit me or
slammed me as hard as Niko."
Icon Sport's February 18th tickets will be honored at the new
February 25th date. Fans who have previously purchased tickets
may simply show up with those same tickets.
Source: Event Promoter
|
Mayhem
meets morality
By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist
As a rule, fight promoters are all about making bucks, not social
statements.
They
peddle entertainment and violence, not redeeming values.
Which
is why it is interesting to note the real possibility mixed-martial
arts promoter T. Jay Thompson said he may withhold headliner
Jason "Mayhem" Miller from a scheduled Feb. 18 card
at Blaisdell Arena.
Miller,
who is on probation for an aggravated assault conviction in Atlanta,
has been charged with first-degree burglary here amid an allegation
he kicked down the door of an ex-girlfriend's Nu'uanu apartment
last month. A preliminary hearing is scheduled today.
If
sufficient cause is found to order Miller to stand trial, the
best and, indeed, the prudent course of action would be to withhold
him from the announced bout with Robby Lawler until the charges
have been addressed. As a statement-making move on the promoter's
part, it would be as refreshing as it would be rare.
It
would be more of a stunner than anything you're likely to see
in the ring Feb. 18. History suggests as long as a fighter can
step into the ring, it is a rare promoter who lets anything get
in the way. And promoters who, as Thompson maintains, "are
looking out for the kid (Miller)" and the sport, are beyond
rare.
As
Bobby Lee, who has spent a half-century with the Hawai'i State
BoxingCommission, puts it, "if all the guys who have been
in trouble got kicked out, you'd never have a fight."
Promoters
do not KO their meal tickets. If anything, Miller's presence
on the card has the likelihood of building up the box office.
Sad to say, but the allegation of having knocked down a door
is probably worth an additional 1,000 in ticket sales.
Witness
Mike Tyson and a long line of fighters who have been in trouble
with the law. Their notoriety only made them bigger curiosities
and more marketable.
Without
a regulatory group looking over his shoulder, Thompson has nobody
to answer to except his own conscience and business interests.
And in hisline of work the two rarely collide. As Thompson put
it, "(for) promoters in general - and I'm one of them -
our job is to be almost slimy. It is like it is part of the job
(description)."
In
Thompson's case, you figure enlightened self-interest figures
into the package, too. "I'm in it for the long money; not
the short money," he says. "There are parents and kids,
people we want on board in this sport for the long-run success."
Still,
for all its merit, consider it a remarkable upset if Miller isn't
in the ring Feb. 18.
Reach
Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044
Source:
Honolulu Advertiser
|
Martial-arts
competitor to be tried for burglary
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
A popular 25-year-old professional mixed-martial arts competitor,
on probation in Atlanta for breaking a man's nose, was ordered
yesterday to stand trial in Honolulu on a charge of first-degree
burglary following a December arrest.
Jason
"Mayhem" Miller was arrested Dec. 17 after he allegedly
kicked down the door of his ex-girlfriend's Nu'uanu apartment
and attacked her new boyfriend. He was charged with first-degree
burglary, a class "B" felony. He is slated to stand
trial Feb. 2 at 8:30 a.m. in O'ahu Circuit Court.
Miller
faces a maximum of 10 years in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
He declined comment after his appearance yesterday. He is free
on $50,000 bail.
O'ahu
District Court Judge Edwin C. Nacino also denied a motion by
Miller's attorney, David Hayakawa, that would have allowed Miller
to fly to Atlanta tomorrow to meet his probation officer. Miller,
an Atlanta-area native, is serving five years probation in Fulton
County after pleading guilty in November 2004 to felony aggravated
battery stemming from a October 2003 fight.
In
that case, Miller punched a man three times in the face, breaking
his nose, after the man shoved a woman Miller was with.
In
court, Hayakawa said there is a "very solid chance a warrant
will be issued for his (Miller's) arrest (in Atlanta),"
as part of the probation revocation process.
"The
only way he doesn't show up here is if he's in jail there,"
said Hayakawa. "There is a huge difference between surrendering
and having a warrant out for your arrest. He has to appear in
Atlanta or everything gets a lot worse."
Hayakawa
said Miller has informed the Fulton County probation office about
the arrest and is working with the Fulton County prosecutor's
office.
Nacino
denied Hayakawa's motion, saying, "we have him now"
and pointing out that Miller knew he was on probation when the
alleged incident in Honolulu occurred.
"I
cannot believe this," Nacino said.
Miller
also faces a possible third-degree assault charge filed by the
woman's ex-boyfriend. A circuit court judge will decide whether
to add the charge to the burglary offense, Hayakawa said.
"Jason
sincerely regrets his actions and also the embarrassment he's
caused to his sport," said Hayakawa, speaking outside of
court. "We intend to file the appropriate motions and work
with counsel in Atlanta to resolve all matters."
Miller
was scheduled to fight in the Icon Sport bout against Robby Lawler
at Blaisdell Arena on Feb. 18.
Patrick
Freitas, who is promoting the event, said Icon Sport is leaning
toward suspending Miller and replacing him with another fighter.
He declined to speculate on who might replace Miller.
Freitas
said a news conference will be held at 2 p.m. today at Eastside
Grill.
He
described Miller as "basically a good kid" with a "good
heart."
"He
could be suspended for the fight," said Freitas, speaking
after the hearing. "(The felony charge and felony conviction)
is a major hang-up for us; we don't want that image for the sport.
We changed the name from Superbrawl to Icon Sport so we could
get to the point where we are attracting the 'father and 14-year-old
son' crowd. It's tough, obviously, he was involved with some
stupid stuff."
Icon
Sport has said there is no criminal clause in the five-fight,
$200,000 contract Miller signed last year. The February fight
would be his first under the new deal. He carries a 14-4 record
as a professional fighter. Tickets for the Feb. 18 event at the
Blaisdell range from $35 to $150.
If
Miller takes responsibility for his crimes and accepts the consequences,
Icon Sport would welcome him back "with open arms,"
Freitas said.
In
court yesterday, Miller's 26-year-old ex-girlfriend testified
that she had dated Miller for about a year.
On
the morning of the incident, she said she and a male companion
were awakened by 15 to 20 minutes of incessant knocking. The
woman said Miller left her a voicemail that said, "I'm not
leaving until the cops come and take me away."
Shortly
after that, Miller allegedly kicked the door down and a fight
broke out between the woman's new boyfriend and Miller. In addition
to her apartment's shattered door frame, a futon was broken and
a hole opened in the living room wall during the melee, the woman
testified.
The
male companion testified yesterday that he "wrapped his
arms around" Miller after Miller kicked in the apartment
door and poised to punch him. The pair wrestled for roughly two
minutes before Miller fled the apartment.
Reach
Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Source: Honolulu Advertiser
|
Murilo
Bustamante: On the way to Hawaii
By André Araújo
Murilo
Bustamante is in Hawaii for a month on a long deserved vacation.
Finalist of the Pride Bushido GP, the leader of the Brazilian
Top Team Murilo Bustamant isn't happy with the judge's decision,
which pointed American Dan Henderson as champion, on last December
31. "I wasn't defeated. I deserved the belt, but I didn't
get it", said the champion in exclusive interview to the
website TATAME. Ready to go to Hawaii, where he will spend one
month of holiday, Murilo talked about last year for his team
and about the plans to the future. Read the whole interview now:
Can
you talk about BTT last year?
Was
a really good year plenty of good fights. That's a pity that
the end of the year didn't have what we deserved. We had to get
the two belts, mine and Arona's one. But I believe we had a good
year.
The
BTT had the opportunity to finish the year with two belts and
didn't get them. How do you see that?
For
me, the important thing is the presentation. It is better to
lose the fight well than fight badly and win. The performance
in the ring is the important thing. But I don't agree with the
result of my fight and Arona's fight.
Which
are your plans after this defeat?
I
will still training and fighting. I already have proposals, but
I can't say anything yet. I wasn't defeat. I deserved the belt,
but didn't get it.
The
Chute Boxe finished the year with two belts in the middleweight
category. What do you thin about this dominium?
I
don't think there is such thing as dominium. They have good fighters,
like Wanderlei and Shogun. But the four best athletes of the
weight still have Arona and Rogério. For me, the Chute
Boxe had luck. Shogun was one of the great names of the year,
he won the medium competition, but I don't think that Chute Boxe
has supremacy into the category.
What
are you expecting from Minotauro for the next GP?
I
hope that he will show what he always shows in the ring. A fighter
with lot of technique and race. He will show his game in 2006.
What
is needed to win Fedor?
Has
to be someone with Rodrigo's level. The athlete must train everything,
not just in one modality and must know his game. Must to know
how to use well Boxing and the knock-downs. Only based in one
modality, will be difficult stop the Russian.
Which
are the surprises for BTT to 2006?
The
surprises are the same. I hope a wonderful 2006 to Alexandre
Cacareco, that will fight in England, Danilo Índio, Roan
Jucão, Heraldo Paes, Miltinho Vieira and to Júnior
Buscapé. Because of that, our objective is getting the
heavy belt with Minotauro and put someone of the academy to always
look after the belt.
Source: Tatame
|
Babalú
& Pé-de-Pano arriving in US
Gracie Barra Combate Team Renato Babalú and Márcio
Pé-de-Pano are arriving in Unites States in few hours.
The athletes departed last night from Rio de Janeiro on the way
to Los Angeles, where on next February 4, will fight at 57th
edition of Ultimate Fighting Championship. During an exclusive
to team TATAME, Babalú told his expectations about the
fight with Mike Van Arsdale. "I will keep my promise on.
I kick some asses!" he said. On the way back, Brazilian
will do the main fight of V Submission Wrestling of Campos. He
will fight Rodrigo Riscado under submission rules. The champion
takes home R$2 thousand in cash and Babalú sent a message
to Riscado: "If I don't get hurt, you must miss your sleep
with me!" he teased. The V Submission Wrestling of Campos
takes place on February 17 and 18, at Farol de São Tomé
beach, in Campos dos Goytacazes (RJ).
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"Of
all nature's gifts to the human race, what is sweeter to a man
than his children?"
Marcus T. Cicero, 106-43 B.C., Great Roman Orator and Politician
|
URGENT
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Patrick Freitas
Icon Sport
Director of Promotions
(808) 375-1645
superbrawl21@yahoo.com
Jason “Mayhem”
Miller & Icon Sport to Make Announcement Today
January 20, 2006 Honolulu, HI. Jason “Mayhem” Miller,
who turned himself into the Honolulu Police Department on charges
of alleged Burglary and Assault in December of 2005, will make
his first public statement Satruday (tomorrow), January 21 at
2 p.m., inside the Eastside Grill (University Ave/Pucks Alley).
Icon Sport (formerly Super Brawl) promoters T. Jay Thompson and
Patrick Freitas will also be making an announcement about the
future of their highly anticipated February 18, 2006 event, in
which Miller is scheduled to challenge Robbie Lawler for the
organization’s Middleweight Championship. Miller’s
recent legal woes have created widespread confusion about the
event, leaving fans to wonder “will he” or “won’t
he” be available to compete. Thompson, Freitas, Miller,
and his attorneys will reach a conclusion on the athlete’s
immediate future later today. Again, the results of this meeting
will be announced at the press conference tomorrow.
Atlanta-born Jason “Mayhem” Miller is one of Icon Sport’s
marquee athletes. He began his Icon Sport career in 2003, and
has since gone undefeated in Hawaii. In 2004 Miller won the Icon
Sport World Welterweight Title, with his win over Hawaii’s
Ronald Jhun. In 2005 Miller surrendered his Welterweight Title
so that he could move up a weight class to pursue the Icon Middleweight
Title. Miller is known as being one of mixed martial art’s
most outspoken, colorful, and popular athletes. In 2005, Miller
signed a five-fight contract with Icon Sport valued at $200,000.
WHO: Jason “Mayhem” Miller
WHAT: First public statement since December arrest
WHEN: 2 P.M., Saturday (tomorrow), January 21, 2006
WHERE: Eastside Grill (University Ave./Puck’s Alley
Source: Event Promoter
|
Ninja
and Shogun Rua Seminar
Day 1 Today!
The Rua brothers who have been ripping it up on the Pride Fighting
Championship circuit are scheduled to do a seminar here in Hawaii.
There are still a
couple of open slots so contact Wyman or Kevin at the numbers
below!
The
seminar will be on:
Saturday,
January 21 at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 22 at 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The cost of the seminar will be $120 for both days. The seminar
will take place at Seminar Central, HMC.
Contact
Kevin at HMC
or Wyman (216-4852) to sign
up and save your spot. The seminar will be limited to only 30
people for the Rua brothers seminar so don't wait and sign up
today.
|
Rumble
On The Rock Results!
Rumble on the Rock Grand Prix
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
January 20, 2006
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
The beautiful 24 Hour Fitness Girls!
Thanks to Connie for the picture
ROTR returns with the biggest and baddest welterweight tournament,
possibly ever put together. How can you ask for more when you
throw in two former Shooto champions, one former UFC champion,
a former KOTC champion, and a WFA champion? The original idea
of the tournament was to have the winner of the tournament fight
BJ Penn, but Penn's return to the UFC does not seem to diminish
the prestige of winning this tourney for any of these fighters.
This event features the Quarter finals of the tournament and
the first round winners are brought back to fight in the next
event to crown the first ROTR Welterweight World Champion. The
under card featured up and comer and BJ protégé,
Ross Ebanez making quick work of a last minute replacement, Josh
Donahue. Hawaii's next great heavyweight, Scott Junk came back
after getting taken down and mounted and returned the favor to
local KO artist Vonokalafi. Tattoo covered Mike Malone returned
to action after an impressive debut in the K-1 Hawaii event,
taking on R1 Training Center's Kengo Ura. Ura utilized his wrestling
to control the match and sat back with a foot lock for the submission.
The
tournament's first round held a couple of huge surprises. Anderson
Silva dominated the fight with Yushin Okami, but when Okami finally
took Silva down the fight was turned upside down. After some
great guard work, Silva kicked up to Okami while he was standing
looking to pass. One of Silva's kicks came up and over and hit
Okami right in the face knocking him backwards. The referee immediately
stepped in to put a halt to the bout due to this rule infraction.
If one fighter is grounded, both fighters are not allowed to
kick the other fighter in the head. Okami was rocked and even
after some recovery time, he was not able to continue, so Silva
was disqualified. Another shocking upset was the 17 second TKO
of Charuto Verissimo by Carlos Condit. Charuto came in for a
take down and Condit landed a well timed and well placed knee
to Charuto's head on the way in, knocking him backward. Condit
kept the pressure and unloaded with strikes until the referee
stopped the match. Frank Trigg and Ron Jhun had a three round
war, which saw some very good grappling by Trigg and the heart
of a lion that we have come to expect from Jhun. In the end,
Trigg controlled the match and won the unanimous decision. The
Jake Shields-Dave Menne fight was very similar to the Trigg-Jhun
fight, featuring Shields using his grappling to control most
of the match and the man they call The Warrior kept in the fight
until the end, but lost the decision. The next ROTR scheduled
for March will pit the following four fighters; Yushin Okami,
Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, and Frank Trigg in the semi-finals
of the welterweight tournament and crown a world champion. The
tournament fighters that advanced to the next round threw a monkey
wrench into the expected future match ups, but isn't that what
makes the sport of MMA so exciting?
The
main event pitted the King of the Four Rounders, Butterbean taking
on Hawaiian slugger, Cabbage. Special rules for this match stated
that only 15 seconds could be spent on the ground, after which
the fight would be restarted. Cabbage is notorious for being
able to take a punch, but Butterbean is in another class when
it comes to punching power. This interesting match up started
off with Cabbage taking control of the bout. He showed off his
hand speed and worked well in the clinch. The fight only hit
the ground once, when Cabbage took Butterbean down and unloaded
on him. Cabbage pounded on a bloody Butterbean with Bean firing
back big punches to the body and looking to land his overhand
right. In the second round, Cabbage's leg kicks were taking effect,
Cabbage complained about an injury. However, after the end of
the second round, Cabbage told the referee that he could not
continue. It was later found out that Cabbage went into the fight
with a badly injured elbow, giving Butterbean the victory.
Superfight:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Kengo Ura (R1 Training Center) def. Mike Malone (Eastsidaz)
Submission via foot lock at 3:24 minutes in Round 1.
Superfight:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez (BJ Penn's MMA) def. Josh Donahue
(BRAUSA Academy)
TKO via referee stoppage at 1:38 minutes in Round 1.
Superfight:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Scott Junk (BJ Penn's MMA) def. Vilafonu Vonokalafi
TKO via referee stoppage at 3:32 minutes in Round 1.
Rumble
World Welterweight Grand Prix Tournament Quarter Finals: 3 Rounds
- 5 Minutes
Yushin Okami (Wajyutsu Tokyo Hombu) def. Anderson Silva (Muay
Thai Dream Team)
Disqualification due to Anderson, the grounded fighter, kicking
the head of the standing fighter at 2:33 minutes in Round 1.
Rumble
World Welterweight Grand Prix Tournament Quarter Finals: 3 Rounds
- 5 Minutes
Jake Shields (Cesar Gracie) def. Dave Menne (Dave Menne's Combat
Academy)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 Rounds.
Rumble
World Welterweight Grand Prix Tournament Quarter Finals: 3 Rounds
- 5 Minutes
Carlos Condit (FIT NHB Team) def. Renato "Charuto"
Verissimo (Nova Uniao)
TKO via referee stoppage at 17 seconds in Round 1.
Rumble
World Welterweight Grand Prix Tournament Quarter Finals: 3 Rounds
- 5 Minutes
Frank Trigg (R-1 Training Center) def. Ronald Jhun (808 Fight
Factory)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
Main
Event:
Superfight: 3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Eric "Butterbean" Esch def. Wesley "Cabbage"
Correira (BJ Penn's MMA)
TKO via verbal submission after the end of Round 2.
|
INTRODUCING
THE
International Fight League
Salaried fighters in a mixed martial arts league.
Will it work?
By Loretta Hunt
Imagine
a day when professional mixed martial artists will be able to
bank on the same stability and longevity enjoyed by professional
baseball or football players, a day where a fighter will be free
to simply train without having to scrounge from fight to fight
and from promotion to promotion.
This
is the vision of Kurt Otto and Gareb Shamus, co-promoters of
the International Fight League, the newest mixed martial arts
promotion to enter the fray with its own intriguing twist. Like
baseball and football before it, this promotion will be comprised
of an association of fight teams spanning from coast to coast.
Otto,
a successful figure in architecture and real estate development,
and Shamus, founder and Chairman of Wizard Entertainment Group,
a multi-million dollar, multi-media corporation servicing the
comic book and popular culture industry, have quietly surveyed
the mixed martial arts landscape this past year and feel they
have something new to bring to the table. With key figures from
all avenues of the sport from production to performance already
recruited to join its efforts, the inspiration behind the IFL
concept is fighter-friendly for sure.
"The
NFL. The NBA. Those guys can go and they can play for ten to
fifteen years in a sports league," explains Otto. "There's
nothing like that out there [in MMA} and I thought if I could
just come with a way so that these guys could get a full-time
base income and a bonus system that would provide them an opportunity
to be a professional athlete in the fighting world and not be
a police officer or a garbage man during the day, then I thought
that would be exciting."
In
early April, four teams from the International Fight League will
be unveiled at the organization's inaugural event. The four teams
of five – consisting of a lightweight, welterweight, middleweight,
light heavyweight, and heavyweight – will be led by four
distinctly different coaches, but leaders all in the industry.
At this time, Shamus and Otto will only describe this fantastic
four as "the premiere or top names in the MMA world,"
but hope to take these "legends and belt wearers on their
way to retired or retiring," and give them a chance to create
a legacy with their respective fighting systems.
According
to Shamus and Otto, contacted coaches have already assembled
their teams, who will all be guaranteed a base salary and health
insurance no matter how many times they fight during their contracted
periods, along with a bonus system that will offer individual
and team incentives for performances.
On
the first night of action, one team will vie against another,
with ten fights taking place between two separate brackets. The
two winning teams - those that grasp at least 3 of their 5 bouts
- are anticipated to return six weeks later to meet the other
victors of their divisions. Individual winners whose teams did
not advance on could also be brought back as well for individual
fights.
Says
Shamus, the two events, along with a pre-fight show profiling
the respective teams, is expected to air on cable television
sometime around May in three installments. Otto adds that one
of the best fight producers in the business is onboard to helm
the three-show package.
"We
are working with a professional sports network," says Otto,
who prefers to keep the name of the channel under wraps for just
a bit longer.
Out
of those three episodes designed to introduce the IFL to America,
the promoters are planning to delve right into their first full
season of the sport's first professional league with a roster
of 10 to 12 coaches. Teams will represent numerous regions of
the country, says Otto, as well as the various disciplines currently
highlighted in the hybrid sport. While all athletes will have
mixed abilities, Otto anticipates strong suits will start to
emerge from the various teams. For instance, a team coach with
a strong wrestling background will naturally impart his forte
onto to his students, a striker his assets on his feet.
Teams
will have uniforms, logos, team colors and names based on fierce,
fast, and extreme animals, such as pit bulls, anacondas, tiger
sharks, and silverbacks. Bouts will be held in the ring, believed
to be more conducive to live fans and production efforts ("When
you are going in a direction of a sport, the professional sport
league direction, most people attach fighting to a ring,"
comments Otto), while matches will be scheduled for three 3-minute
rounds. Following the current international trend, IFL rules
will omit the use of elbow strikes both standing and on the ground
to both keep their fighters healthy and in a regular rotation.
Possibly
the most promising of the assets the IFL already possesses is
co-promoter Shamus' Wizard empire, comprised of five world-circulated
magazines (Wizard magazine boasts a circulation of over 200,000
copies a month, published in five countries in up to 10 different
languages sold in 40 different countries); the most successful
"popular culture " convention circuit in the country
(with 125,000 attendees at its top five events in 2005); and
a film and television development unit.
With
Wizard the "center of pop culture universe" professes
the self-made mogul, Shamus estimates his properties reach nearly
3 million fans a month without the benefit of television –
and he wants to introduce them all to MMA.
"I
saw that there was a lot of crossover between the guys I currently
reach and the new sport," Shamus continues. "My job
in my company is to really find the next opportunities for us.
We always have to know what's hot and what's going to be popular,
so just through my working with Kurt, my eyes really opened up
to the mixed martial arts world. It's got a lot of potential.
It's got a lot of great people in it. It's a very, very exciting
sport."
"I
work with a lot of the biggest media companies in the world,"
Shamus continues. "We work with every single movie studio,
TV network, video game and toy company. We already have incredible
access from a sponsorship side to allow the companies that want
to get behind this thing. Because we already deal with a lot
of the brand names of this world, it's really a great opportunity
for us to expose the sport to some of those greater sponsorship
opportunities."
Check
out the FULL STORY in the current issue of Full Contact
Fighter.
Source: FCF
|
UFC
Confirms California Debut
by Sherdog.com Staff
As first reported last week in the Sherdog.com newsletter, the
UFC will make its California debut April 15 at the Arrowhead
Pond, UFC president Dana White told the Los Angeles Times.
Mixed
martial arts became legal in Calif. on Dec. 28 and the first
sanctioned event is expected to take place by early March.
According
to a published report in Tuesday's Times, the UFC plans to promote
often in the Golden State. "This is very important for us,"
White told the Times. "The hotbed of MMA has always been
California."
White
indicated the April 15 card will feature a light heavyweight
bout between Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, as well as UFC heavyweight
champion Andrei Arlovski.
Source: Sherdog
|
Hunt
Faces Boxer, TK Battles Sperry in PRIDE 31
by Sherdog.com Staff
PRIDE announced on Thursday two bouts and a score of participants
for its upcoming "Dreamers" card, set to take place
Feb. 26 in Tokyo's Saitama Super Arena.
Fresh
off a victory over Mirko Filipovic, one of mixed martial art's
most feared strikers, at PRIDE"Shockwave 2005," Mark
Hunt returns to face popular Japanese boxer Yosuke Nishijima.
Nishijima,
widely known by his handle "Yosukezan," is a former
WBF and WBO cruiserweight champion, who last competed in July
2003, dropping a TKO to San Jose, Calif.'s Cecil McKenzie.
"Yosukezan,"
listed at only 5' 11" and 190-pounds, presumably will face
a large weight disadvantage when he faces the hard hitting 270-lb.
New Zealand native.
Also
announced to take place at PRIDE 31, veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka
will make his second appearance in PRIDE when he faces Brazilian
Top Team co-founder Mario Sperry.
"TK"
dropped his PRIDE debut last April in a rematch with heavyweight
champion Fedor Emelianenko, and just three months ago was stopped
by Mike Kyle in a Pancrase bout.
Sperry
has not fought since February '05, when he defeated Japan's Hirotaka
Yokoi in a match that saw the local fighter severely injure his
shoulder in the opening minutes of action.
PRIDE
also released a list of confirmed participants for "Dreamers":
Jon Olav Einemo; Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira; Mauricio Rua; Sergei
Kharitonov; Quinton Jackson; Mark Coleman; Kevin Randleman; James
Thompson; and Pedro Rizzo
Mark
Hunt vs Yosuke Nishijima
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka vs Mario Sperry
Jon Olav Einemo vs TBA
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs TBA
Mauricio Rua vs TBA
Sergei Kharitonov vs TBA
Quinton Jackson vs TBA
Mark Coleman vs TBA
Kevin Randleman vs TBA
James Thompson vs TBA
Pedro Rizzo vs TBA
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"The
final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other
men the conviction and the will to carry on."
Walter Lippmann, 1889-1974, American Writer/Journalist/PoliticalCommentator
|
Rumble
On The Rock Tonight!
Rumble on the Rock 10: Grand Prix
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
January 20, 2006
Rumble
World Welterweight Grand Prix
Anderson Silva (Muay Thai Dream Team) vs. Yushin Okami
Ronald
Jhun (808
Fight Factory) vs. Frank Trigg (R-1 Training Center)
Jake Shields (Cesar Gracie) vs. Dave Menne
Renato"Charuto"
Verissimo
(Nova Uniao) vs. Carlos Condit
Superfights
Eric "Butterbean" Esch vs.Wesley" Cabbage" Correira (BJ Penn's MMA)
Ross "Da
Boss" Ebanez
(BJ Penn's MMA) vs. Josh Donahue
Scott Junk (BJ Penn's MMA) vs.
Vilafonu
Vonakalafi
Mike Malone (Eastsidaz) vs. Kengo
Ura
Source: Event Promoter
|
Ninja
and Shogun Rua Seminar
This Saturday
& Sunday!
The Rua brothers who have been ripping it up on the Pride Fighting
Championship circuit are scheduled to do a seminar here in Hawaii.
There are still a
couple of open slots so contact Wyman or Kevin at the numbers
below!
The
seminar will be on:
Saturday,
January 21 at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, January 22 at 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
The cost of the seminar will be $120 for both days. The seminar
will take place at Seminar Central, HMC.
Contact
Kevin at HMC
or Wyman (216-4852) to sign
up and save your spot. The seminar will be limited to only 30
people for the Rua brothers seminar so don't wait and sign up
today.
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE POUND 4 POUND
April 1, 2006
After
a successful EAST vs. WEST , Punishment In Paradise will do it
K-1 STYLE RULES a 170lbs tournament with winner of tournament
receiving $1,500.00 and Runner up getting $500.00. Along with
the tournament we will still be doing american kickboxing rules
with all experiences welcome.
So
far commitments from Punishment In Paradise Champions such as
Wayne Perrin, Kaleo Kwan, Domi Lopez, Kevin Smith, Val Ulafale,
Cisco Bringas and Keoni Bryant. Look to see an exciting card
with 3 Big main events.
Interested
teams contact promoter Brennan Kamaka bdkamaka@comcast.net or 408-916-8082 or
contact Assistant matchmaker John Kukahiko 808-351-4898
Source: Event Promoter
|
ROTR
PROFILE: CHARUTO VERISSIMO
By Ken Pishna
Charuto center
When you’re the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor of a fighter
aptly title “The Prodigy” and you decide to step into
the ring, you better be good. And if you’re invited to participate
in the Rumble on the Rock 175-pound Grand Prix along with the
likes of Dave Menne, Frank Trigg, Jake Shields, Anderson Silva,
and more, you better be damn good.
While
he may not yet have garnered the attention of his prize pupil,
BJ Penn, Renato “Charuto” Verissimo hasn’t exactly
kept himself on the down low either. Known as a BJJ maestro,
Charuto has yet to submit an opponent in MMA competition despite
his impressive 6-2 record. All but one of his victories have
come via TKO, typically from strikes or a cut.
He
hasn’t skated through with easy opponents either. In just
the fourth fight of his career, Charuto stopped UFC veteran Gil
Castillo. Following that fight, he got the call to the Octagon
and was impressive, dominating Carlos Newton en route to the
only decision victory on his resume.
Seemingly
put on the fast track, Charuto then had to face Matt Hughes,
who was coming in fresh off a loss to Penn. It was a tremendous
battle, which Charuto nearly finished early on with a triangle
choke, but ended up losing when the judges awarded Hughes a very
controversial decision.
With
such a great showing against Hughes, Charuto was given another
shot in the UFC, this time against then number-one contender
Frank Trigg. Again Charuto nearly secured victory in the first
round with a tight triangle choke, but like Hughes, Trigg fought
his way out and then turned the tables on Charuto in the second
round. Charuto suffered the first decisive loss of his career
when Trigg finished the fight by TKO from strikes.
It
would be more than six months before Charuto would enter the
ring again, but return he did, this time on his home turf at
Rumble on the Rock 7 where he stopped Yuichi Nakanishi due to
a cut. By the time he enters the cage against Carlos Condit at
the Grand Prix it will have been more than eight months since
that win over Nakanishi.
That
said, will ring rust be a problem? Probably not, Charuto is the
type of guy that is continually training, whether he has a fight
coming up or not. Not to mention that he is very active anyway.
With a love for the outdoors, Charuto has a passion for activities
that help keep him in shape. He can often be found surfing the
waves of Hawaii or even hiking or cycling around the islands.
Even
though it may sound as if Charuto has it easy in the first round,
just because most people haven’t heard of Condit, don’t
be fooled, he’s a solid fighter with a 13-2 professional
record. His only losses were to a very tough Carlo Prater and
number-one ranked Pancrase welterweight Satoru Kitaoka. A well-rounded
fighter with a very aggressive style, Condit could be the dark
horse in this tournament and should not be overlooked.
If
this fight hits the mat, things definitely swing into Charuto’s
favor. He isn’t BJ Penn’s jiujitsu coach for nothing.
Condit is good on the ground, but not in the league that Charuto
is. But with a solid wrestling base, it’s possible that
Condit will be able to keep this fight on the fight, at least
for a time, and this is where he wants to be against Charuto.
With a very aggressive and confident style, Condit is not afraid
to strike with anyone. He handily decisioned UFC veteran Pete
Spratt in a recent kickboxing bout, only the third of his career.
If
a dark horse emerges from this tournament, it is likely to be
Condit. He is a young fighter that is good enough that he doesn’t
realize that he shouldn’t be defeating fighters with the
worldly experience that the fighters in this tournament bring.
But Charuto has only lost to Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg, so
he’s used to difficult challenges. This is a tough fight
to call. If it goes to the ground, expect a win for Charuto unless
Condit can gain a ground and pound position. If the fight is
on the feet, don’t be too surprised at an upset.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
SHOOTO
Champion Suda Retires
by Stephen Martinez
TOKYO, Jan. 17 — Current SHOOTO light heavyweight (183 pounds)
champion Masanori Suda announced today, through the official
SHOOTO Web site in Japan, his retirement from professional SHOOTO
and mixed martial arts competition.
While
details are still unclear at this moment, Suda has expressed
interest to counsel teenagers in his local hometown in Japan
after his fighting career was over.
The
official ceremony when Suda is going to return his SHOOTO professional
license along with the light heavyweight belt will be held at
Yoyogi No.2 Gymnasium as part of the regular show held by the
International SHOOTO Commission on Febraury 17.
With
his retirement and official return of the SHOOTO light heavyweight
crown, Suda joins the latest trend of SHOOTO Japanese champions
like Ryota Matsune (featherweight 132 pound champion - injury),
Rumina Sato (lightweight Pacific Rim champion - unavailable to
defend title) and Koutetsu Boku welterweight Pacific Rim champion
- injury) who returned their respective belts in the last couple
of months.
This
basically leaves the oldest MMA organization in the world with
the difficult task of crowning four new champions in four different
weight division in 2006.
SHOOTO:
"The Victory of The Truth
The
International SHOOTO commission made official three new matches
for the upcoming February 17 Yoyogi No.2 Gymnasium show.
SHOOTO
Lightweight Rookie of the Year tournament winner Tenkei Fujimiya
is getting his first shot at a SHOOTO Class A fighter as he takes
on Hiroyuki Abe, while female sensation and Abe's teammate Megumi
Fujii fights Misaki Takimoto.
The
latest announced match features SHOOTO Welterweight Rookie of
the Year tournament champion Mizuto Hirota taking on Brazilian
Danilo Cherman.
Finally,
there are strong rumors in Japan that the International SHOOTO
commission is looking to place either Jeff Curran or Joao Roque
as Rumina Sato's opponent, with the winner securing a title match
against either Alexandre Franca Nogueira or Gilbert Melendez
later this year. Also, Japan's grappling prodigy Shinya Aoki
is schedule to take on current SHOOTO middleweight champion Akira
Kikuchi in a non-title match.
Official
card: Main Event SHOOTO World Welterweight Title Bout 5 min./3R
Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan / T-BLOOD) vs. Joachim Hansen (Norway
/ Team Scandinavia)
Lightweight
Bout 5 min./3R
Rumina Sato (Japan / roots) vs. TBA
Lightweight
Bout 5 min./3R
Makoto Ishikawa (Japan / PUREBRED Omiya) vs. Lion Takeshi (Japan
/ Shooting Gym Yokohama)
Lightweight
Bout 5 min./3R
Hiroyuki Abe (Japan / AACC) vs. Tenkei Fujimiya (Japan / Shooting
Gym Yokohama)
Featherweight
Bout 5 min./3R
Kenji Osawa (Japan / Wajiu-tsu Keishu-kai) vs. Naoya Uematsu
(Japan / Cross Point)
Welterweight
Bout 5 min./3R
Mizuto Hirota (Japan / GUTSMAN Shooto Dojo) vs. Danilo Cherman
(Brazil / Nova Uniao)
Women's
Bout 5 min./3R
Megumi Fujii (Japan / AACC) vs. Misaki Takimoto (Japan / Zendo-kai)
Source: Sherdog
|
Quote
of the Day
"When
someone is impatient and says, "I haven't got all day,"
I always wonder: How can that be? How can you not have all day?"
George Carlin, American Stand-Up Comedian and Actor
|
Leozinho
Vieira seminar
There are a couple
of open spots left!
Monday Jan 23
6-9pm
3 hrs
cost:$50.00
Wahiawa BJJ (right next to Jack-in the box)
World champion and ADCC champion Leozinho Vieira will presnt
a three hour seminar one night only. This is your chance to learn
from one of todays best grapplers, All are welcome!!!!!
For info call: Tammy (808) 228-1711 or email
centraloahujiujitsu@yahoo.com
|
Miller
Likely to Fight Lawler, Says Icon Promoter
By Derek Callahan
Jason Miller
Nearly a month after popular fighter Jason Miller turned himself
into the Kalihi police station following an incident where he
allegedly broke into an ex-girlfriend's Hawaii home and fought
with a man who was spending the night in the house, Icon promoter
T. Jay
Thompson
remains optimistic his star competitor will be able to fight
in February.
Miller
voluntarily reported to local authorities on December 16 following
the altercation and was later charged with first-degree burglary;
a court date awaits him on January 20, according to Thompson,
who has vested interest in Miller's future.
The
date is set for, "a preliminary hearing where the judge
will decide if there's enough evidence to go on with the charges,"
says Icon's Thompson, with whom Miller recently signed a lucrative
multi-fight contract. Despite the incident, Thompson is confident
that Miller will still be able to challenge champion Robbie Lawler
February 18th for the Icon Middleweight title.
"The
announcement is very, very likely that Jason is fighting, but
we won't know for sure until the 20th," says Thompson. Part
of what makes Thompson confident, is that even if the charges
are pursued, "it's a long process," he says, and may
leave room for a fight. "I still publicly support whatever
action is taken. You've got to be responsible for your own actions."
According
to Thompson, fences have been mended between the three parties
involved in the December incident. "As far as the people
involved in the incident, it's done," says Thompson. That
being said, Thompson maintains that pending the extent of Miller's
punishment, he is welcome to fight out the duration of his contract.
"The
only way it would be affected is on his side, if he couldn't
fight anymore," he says.
Repeated
attempts to contact Miller were not answered.
Source: FCF
|
Charuto: Home Field Advantage?
by Mike Sloan
Renato
Verissimo, more commonly known as “Charuto,” is preparing
to defend his home turf of Hawaii this Friday night. No, he’s
not involved in some sort of street skirmish with dozens of other
tough guys like in The Warriors.
Charuto
is about to go head-to-head with a solid competitor — and
in his mind, that’s exactly how he likes it.
Participating
in one of the featured bouts on the stellar Rumble on the Rock
card this Friday night in Honolulu, Hawaii, Charuto will fight
in front of teammates, friends and plenty of family with hopes
of electrifying those in attendance by scoring a victory over
the rugged Carlos Condit.
While
not exactly the second coming of, say, vintage Frank Shamrock,
Condit will provide a sturdy enough test for Charuto, a fight
he could very well lose.
Charuto
scoffed at the notion of losing because, he said in a recent
interview with Sherdog.com, he is fully prepared for everything
imaginable and he trains with the best team on the planet.
“Training
has gone very good,” he said. “I feel real good and
I am very prepared for my fight. My team, B.J. Penn’s MMA,
has really gotten me prepared. I think I have the best teammates
in the sport. We really know how to work with each other and
they really have me focused.”
Charuto
has never seemed this relaxed before and never has he sounded
more confident. There are several factors that could explain
how composed he is, but it could also be because he knows very
little about his opponent. It also could be because he lives
in glorious Hawaii. But either way, a relaxed Charuto doesn’t
stress over the fact that Condit isn’t well known.
“I
don’t know too much about him, to be honest, aside that
he is a good fighter,” Verissimo claimed. “I haven’t
seen hardly any of his fights. But it’s OK, I know he is
a tough guy and I am sure that he’ll be just as ready as
me and I expect a good, tough fight. I expect to win, of course,
but I think it’ll be tough. He has good submission skills
and his striking seems to be good. It should be a good fight.”
Many
fighters spend countless sleepless nights studying and reviewing
stacks of film on their opponents, but Charuto has no such luxury
for this battle. Not knowing what to expect once the bell rings
could work against some fighters, while at the same time knowing
every single twitch in one’s opponent could also spell doom
for the “thinking” fighter. But to Charuto, it doesn’t
really matter either way because, he says, he has never felt
more focused in his life.
“It’s
not really hard to train for a fighter that I know very little
about,” he explained. “I just stick with my team and
my team never changes. It is always the same corps of guys with
B.J.’s MMA. I don’t know if it would be easier to train
for an opponent if I knew everything about him, but I am confident
that I have done enough training and preparations. I would like
to know ahead of time what he is capable of, though, but it’s
OK. I am confident in myself and my team.”
Charuto
also doesn’t appear to be the type of guy who seeks vast
fortune and fame from his fighting career. Naturally, he’d
like to get paid handsomely, but Charuto’s main goal is,
in reality, to enjoy what he does. Training and fighting are
what makes him content and as long as he is able to continue
to do that, life will be grand.
“Well,
I just want to stay active and keep fighting the best guys I
can,” he said. “I like to train and I like to compete
and I want to keep doing what I am doing. This is something I
truly enjoy doing and I look forward to doing it more and more.
I hope that I can keep fighting for Rumble on the Rock because
it is a very good organization. I’ll fight anybody, anytime,
but the most important part is that I am enjoying myself.”
The
happy-go-lucky Hawaiian is also undeterred by the sometimes-negative
press or fan reaction to his career. Charuto hasn’t scored
a string of enormous wins over the cream of the crop and some
“insiders” gripe about how the welterweight is overrated
and simply riding Penn’s coattails. Charuto, of course,
isn’t fazed by such gibberish and simply lets anything negative
towards him roll off his back.
“Oh,
it doesn’t matter to me,” he said about some of the
criticism he’s received. “People can say whatever they
want. I am not fighting for them or to please them. I fight because
I like to and because it makes me happy. Because I lost to Matt
Hughes (Pictures) and (Frank) Trigg doesn’t really matter
to me. I actually hear more positive things about me than negative,
but you know you can’t please everybody. There will always
be somebody who has something negative to say no matter how good
you are. It doesn’t bother me. I just enjoy what I am doing.”
And
provided the Hilo native wins Friday night, he’ll have plenty
to be happy about.
Source: Sherdog
|
MMAWEEKLY
RADIO LIVE FROM HAWAII
Aloha from Hawaii as MMAWeekly Radio gets ready to go live the
rest of the week from the islands as we get set for the Rumble
on the Rock Grand Prix Tournament. The forecast? A high of 82
and a low of 70 and plenty of beatings ahead.
MMAWeekly
Radio goes live at our regular time today, however Thursday and
Friday we go at a different time. Hosts Ryan Bennett and Frank
Trigg will be LIVE at 9am Pacific/12 Noon eastern and 7am local
Hawaii time. As always, the show is absolutely free by logging
on www.mmaweeklyradio.com.
For
those of you in Hawaii that want to see the show live, go to
the Waikiki Sand Villa Hotel and the guys will be doing the show
on the 2nd floor pool side this week. Wednesday we will have
Charuto Verissimo, JD Penn, BJ Penn and more.
Thursday
and Friday we will be going live at 9am Hawaii time, 11am Pacific,
2pm Eastern so please adjust accordingly later in the week.
We
will also have a big announcement on Friday that WON'T change
the MMA world forever, but it will make you very, very happy.
See you at our regular time today at 9am Pacific/12 Noon Eastern
and 7am Hawaii time and if you want to see the show live stop
on by.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
***For
Immediate Release***
For more information, contact Mike Afromowitz, (917) 566-8754
or muaythaimes@aol.com.
Shamrock-Gracie
Finally A Go
Cung Le To Debut In California’s
Historic First MMA Event
January
10, 2006; New York, NY….Mixed martial arts’s oldest
family rivalry will be re-ignited when former Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC) middleweight king Frank Shamrock (20-7-1)
collides with undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Cesar
Gracie (14-0) in a showdown at San Jose, California’s HP
Pavilion on Friday, March 10th. Undefeated world San Shou kickboxing
champion, Cung Le (16-0 (10 KO’s), will make his highly
anticipated mixed martial arts debut while rising star Josh “The
Punk” Thomson (10-1 (1 no contest) and seasoned veteran
Eugene Jackson (12-7-1) will return to action during what will
be the first mixed martial arts fight card sanctioned in California
since the sport was officially legalized there last month.
“This
guy came out and challenged me, hid behind his name, hid behind
his students and, now, I’m finally gonna get a crack at
him,” said Shamrock of his opponent and the feud that has
been brewing between the two for the last two years. “I’ve
always wanted to fight a Gracie and they’ve always ran from
me but, suddenly, this one’s gone nuts so I’m gonna
take care of him.”
At
33 years of age, Shamrock, a San Jose resident, is recognized
as one of the greatest forces in mixed martial arts’s 12-year
history. During his career, he has defeated the likes of former
UFC light heavyweight king Tito Ortiz; Bas Rutten; and 1992 Olympic
Gold Medalist, Kevin Jackson, whom he stopped in a world record
14 seconds by way of armbar submission. His victory over Japan’s
Minoru Suzuki in January of 1996 earned Shamrock the prestigious
King Of Pancrase championship.
The
matchup with Gracie will be Shamrock’s first since March
27, 2003 when he easily submitted Bryan Pardoe by way of armbar
in less than two minutes. In 1999, Shamrock temporarily retired
to pursue a career in Hollywood. To date, he has appeared in
the former HBO hit prison drama series, OZ, and Chuck Norris’s
former CBS television blockbuster series, Walker Texas Ranger,
as well as a nationally televised spot for fast food conglomerate,
Burger King. Later this year, Shamrock will make his silver screen
debut in the cage fighting drama No Rules that stars Gary Busey,
Pamela Anderson, and Tom Sizemore. The film also features appearances
by mixed martial arts legends Randy Couture and Don Frye.
A
veteran of over 200 Jiu-Jitsu contests, Gracie has become a fixture
in Pleasant Hill, California where, as a trainer, he has produced
a host of world-class mixed martial arts talent by imparting
on his students the teachings of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, the progressive
style of combat conceived in the early part of the 20th century
by his grandfather, Carlos. “This is a great opportunity
for me to showcase my skills,” said Gracie. “Of course
there’s a lot of pressure in terms of upholding the family
legacy but, ultimately, the only person I can represent is me
and I’m going to do that and show the world what I’m
made of when I come face to face with Frank.”
The
Shamrock-Gracie saga began twelve years ago when Gracie’s
cousin, Royce, defeated Shamrock’s brother, Ken, en route
to becoming champion of the first-ever UFC. The two fought to
a draw during a rematch a year and a half later.
Le’s
transition from the world of stand-up combat serves as a response
to fight fans who have long beckoned the 185-pound limit, Vietnamese-born
fighter to test his superior technique in the fiercely competitive
waters of mixed martial arts.
Le’s
last start came on June 4th at the HP Pavilion where he earned
a unanimous decision over Shamrock protégé, Brian
Ebersole, in a bout contested under San Shou rules. Le is also
a four-time victor of K-1 “Superfights” staged in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
Thomson
is a veteran of both the UFC and Japan’s Pride Fighting
Championship. His last start, a Muay Thai rules on the Le-headlined
June 4th card, saw him quickly stop Toshiyuki Nakagawa only 54
seconds after the opening bell rang.
The
matchup between Shamrock and Gracie was originally scheduled
to take place on October 1st of last year. A delay in the proceedings
necessary to ratify the bill sanctioning mixed martial arts in
the state of California, however, caused a postponement of the
bout.
Tickets
for “Shamrock vs. Gracie” will officially go on sale
on Saturday, January 28th at the HP Pavilion box office and at
all Ticketmaster (408-998-TIXS) outlets nationwide. Tickets can
also be purchased by calling the Ticketmaster hotline at 408-998-TIXS
or by visiting Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket
prices will start at $30.
Doors
to the event will open at 5 PM Pacific Standard Time on March
10th. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6 PM.
The
“Shamrock vs. Gracie” bill is being promoted and produced
by Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment (SVSE, www.svse.net),
a leading producer of major sporting and entertainment events
and the exclusive producer of such events for San Jose, California’s
largest entertainment arena, the HP Pavilion. SVSE’s many
properties include “Miller Lite Fight Night,” world
championship boxing; the National Hockey League’s San Jose
Sharks; and the annual ATP men’s professional tennis “SAP
Open” event.
Source: Mike Afromowitz
|
GCM
MARS PROJECT
"GCM
Mars Project" takes place on Saturday, February 4th 2006
at the Ariake Colosseum in Japan. The event is being produced
in association with FEG, the same group behind K-1 Hero's. Here
is the latest lineup:
FIGHT
CARD
-
Eiji Mitsuoka (Bushido 1 and 4) vs. Vitor "Shaolin"
Ribeiro (Shooto, Cage Rage 12 and 13)
- Hidetaka Monma vs. Rodrigo Gracie (Pride 19 and 24, Bushido
1 and 2)
- Hiroki Ozaki vs. Kazuhiro Hamanaka (Pride 26, Bushido 1)
- Takumi Yano vs. Rani Yahya
- Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Ryan Schultz (Team Quest)
- Osami Shibuya vs. Thales Leites
- Ian "The Barn Owl" Loveland (Team Quest) vs. Akitoshi
Tamura
- Anthony Rea vs. Mikko Rupponent
Source: MMA Fighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Standing
in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked
down by the traffic from both sides."
Margaret Thatcher, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain |
PELE:
'MY STRATEGY WILL BE TO GO FOR THE KO'
Jose
'Pele' Landi-Jons recently spoke with Brazilian magazine 'Tatame'
regarding his upcoming match against Travis Lutter on the Cage
Rage 15 card on February 4th. Here's what Pele had to say:
"The
preparation has been good, but right now I'm only concentrating
on physical conditioning, and in two weeks I'll study my opponent's
game. For sure my strategy in the octagon will be to go for the
knockout." Jose 'Pele' Landi-Jons
Source: Fight Sport |
IT'S
SHOWTIME CARD
It's
Showtime
May 13th, 2006
Amsterdam Arena,
Amsterdam, Holland
K-1
will team up with the Dutch promotion called It's Showtime, for
the It's Showtime card on May 13th:
Ernesto
Hoost vs. Bob Sapp
Remy Bonjasky vs. Jerome Le Banner
Semmy Schilt vs. Lloyd Van Dams
Ramon Dekkers vs. Joerie Mes
Dave Dalgliesh vs. Fatih Kocamis
Fikri Tijarti vs. Drago
Murat Drekci vs. Ray Staring
Source: Fight Sport
|
ROYLER
POSSIBLY ON NEXT HERO'S CARD
Royler
Gracie told Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' that he may be participating
on the K-1/HERO's card in March, but that nothing is signed yet.
Here's what Royler had to say:
"There
is a big possibility that I will fight on the HERO's card in
March, in Japan, but nothing is certain as of yet. The event
will only consist of single fights, but I don't know who my adversary
will be. I only know that I'm old, but the people still want
to see this old man fight. (laughs)
I'm
40 years old and I think I can still fight until I'm 45. Royce
is 39 years old and still thinks he can fight a few more years.
Rickson, who is 46 years old, is still thinking of doing one
more fight. Still, you have a lot of guys who think they're at
the end of their career when they reach 27 years of age. If you
take care of yourself, you can really extend your vale tudo career."
-Royler Gracie
Source: Fight Sport |
Quote
of the Day
"Standing
in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked
down by the traffic from both sides."
Margaret Thatcher, Former Prime Minister of Great Britain |
Cesar
Gracie vs. Frank Shamrock on!
During
an exclusive to our friends from MMAWeekly.com, UFC veteran Frank
Shamrock confirmed his MMA fight with Cesar Gracie. After two
years of standby, American fighter confirmed the date of the
challenge: March 10th, San Jose California, at the HP Pavilion,
The Shark Tank. He also enjoyed the interview to tease Brazilian
fighter calling him a pussy.
-
I think he's a pussy, and I don't think he's got any skills.
But I've always wanted to fight a Gracie. I've been waiting my
whole life and my whole career every since Ken got choked out
by a skinny guy, Royce. I've been waiting my whole career to
stomp a Gracie, and now finally one of them has the nuts to accept
the challenge, so I'll take care of it - teased Shamrock.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Carter
taps out at Unfinished Business
Mr
International Shonie Carter did not stand after tapping out due
a triangle choke applied by his opponent Mike Pyle, at World
Extreme Cagefighting, in Leemore, California. The submission
was applied in early round one, surprising the whole audience
at 2min06s. Called 'Unfinished Business' the show was held last
Friday (13) featuring ten bouts in the card. Check out below
the full results of the show.
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
World
Extreme Cagefighting: 'Unfinished Business'
Friday,
January 13, 2006
The
Palace Indian Gaming Center - Lemoore, CA
-
Josh Green defeated Rafael Real by No Contest (Unintentional
Knee) at 3:26 in R1;
-
Devin Cole defeated Mike Kyle by TKO (Strikes) at 2:56 in R2;
-
Richard Crunkilton defeated Nick Ertl by TKO (Strikes) at 3:55
in R2;
-
Chris Lytle submitted Savant Young by Strikes at 3:50 in R1;
-
Scott Smith defeated Justin Levens by KO at 1:58 in R1;
-
Mike Pyle submitted Shonie Carter by Triangle Choke at 2:06 in
R1;
-
Casey Olsen defeated Joe Martin by Unanimous Decision;
-
Billy Evangelista defeated Ryan Healy by TKO (Strikes) at 2:06
in R2;
-
Vernon White defeated Jason Guida by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at
5:00 in R1;
-
Brian Olsen submitted Lavar Johnson by Knee Injury at 0:14 in
R2.
Source: Tatame |
Wagnney
wins at Apex Freedom Fight
BJJ
black belt of Nova União Canada, Wagnney Fabiano did a
great home work at Apex Freedom Fight, MMA event which took place
last Saturday, January 14 at Palais des Congres, in Quebec. Leonardo
Santos' brother fought Matt Fiordirosa and defeated him by unanimous
decision. Check out the complete results below and also the pictures,
hosted at www.mmaxtreme.com.
COMPLETE
RESULTS
Apex:
Freedom Fight 2006
Saturday,
January 14, 2006
Palais
des Congres, Quebec - Canada
-
Daniel Grandmaison defeated Nick Castiglia by TKO at 2:55 in
R3;
-
Shaun Krysa submitted Randy Newell at 2:24 in R1;
-
Jamie Helmer defeated Jerry Spiegel by unanimous decision;
-
Mark Holst defeated Shane Savage by TKO in R1;
-
Nabil Khatib defeated Chester Post by TKO at 1:59 in R1;
-
Nuri Shakir defeated Kevin Manderson by TKO at 3:21 in R1;
-
Wagnney Fabiano defeated Matt Fiordirosa by unanimous decision;
-
Craig Brown defeated John Clarke by TKO at 2:21 in R1;
-
Stephan Potvin defeated Art Santore by split decision.
Source: Tatame |
Quote
of the Day
"The
desire of knowledge, like the thirst for riches, increases ever
with the acquisition of it."
Laurence Sterne, 1713-1768, British Author |
Fighters'
Club TV Episode 36 Tonight!
Episode 36
- Rumble On The Rock Highlights
- David "Tank" Abbott vs Wes "Cabbage" Correira
(with interview with Tank)
- Highlights from X-1 Battlegrounds at the O-Lounge
- Interview with event promoter, Curt Tsuneyoshi
Technique of the week:
- Bruce Kawano teaches the Cuban slip and punch
questions,
comments, suggestions?
email us at: fightersclubtv808@hotmail.com
If you have
not checked out the Fighters' Club TV website, check
it out.
The show is still on every Tuesday night at 9:30PM on Channel
52 and on Akaku in Maui.
|
Leozinho
Vieira seminar
Monday Jan 23
6-9pm
3 hrs
cost:$50.00
Wahiawa BJJ (right next to Jack-in the box)
World champion and ADCC champion Leozinho Vieira will presnt
a three hour seminar one night only. This is your chance to learn
from one of todays best grapplers, All are welcome!!!!!
For info call: Tammy (808) 228-1711 or email
centraloahujiujitsu@yahoo.com
|
ULTIMATE
FIGHT NIGHT RESULTS!
JANUARY
16th
The Joint - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
PRELIM
RESULTS:
- Jason Von Flue defeated Alex Karalexis by side choke 1:17 into
Rd. 3
- Spencer Fisher defeats Aaron Riley, ref/Dr stoppage due to
broken jaw 5:00 of Rd. 1
- Duane Ludwig defeats Jonathan Goulet 0:11 of Rd. 1 by KO (punch)
- Josh Neer defeats Melvin Guillard by Triangle Choke at 4:20
of Rd. 1
MAIN
CARD RESULTS:
-
Chris Leben defeats Jorge Rivera by TKO (strikes) at 1:44 Rd.
1
- Josh Burkman defeats Drew Fickett by Guillotine Choke at 1:07
in Rd. 1
- Stephan Bonnar defeats James Irvin at the 4:30 mark of Rd.
1 by Kimura
- Tim Sylvia defeats Assuerio Silva by unanimous decision (30-27,
30-27, and 29-28)
Also announced
was Royce Gracie vs Matt Hughes in a future UFC!
Source: MMA Weekly |
ROTR
Press Conference on Thursday!
The ROTR
press conference will be held on Thursday at 5:00 pm at Ala Moana
Center Center Stage. Come check out the fighters as they prepare
for battle on Friday night at the Blaisdell.
Don't
wait to buy your tickets and expect that you can get them on
fight night. There were some upset people when ROTR sold out
in one of their previous shows. Don't be left out on this killer
175 lb tournament and the showdown between Cabbage and Butterbean! |
ROTR
PREVIEW: YUSHIN OKANI
At the upcoming Rumble on the Rock January 20th show there will
be a gathering of eight of the best fighters around to compete
for the company’s first ever 175lb tournament title. Among
the eight fighters is one that not many American fans may be
familiar with, but he could just end up being the dark horse
that wins the whole thing. That fighter is Yushin Okami, the
tournament’s Japanese seed and x-factor.
Okami
is a veteran of nearly every promotion in Japan, including Greatest
Common Multiple, Pancrase, Pride and K-1. He’s faced off
against some of the toughest competition in each promotion and
has so far amassed an impressive overall record of 17-2.
Originally
debuting as an amateur on Pride’s Pre-Pride and The Best
series in 2002, Okami quickly proved that he was an all-around
style fighter that could take the fight anywhere. During his
first 10 fights, all of which he won, Yushin showed a penchant
for standing and trading, while also being able to take advantage
of the ground game and if necessary, outlast opponents to decisions.
It
was only until he fought Amar Suloev at an M-1 show in Russia
that Okami could be stopped. Perhaps going too far above his
natural weight, Okami had difficulty against the larger, hard-hitting
Russian fighter. In the end the size difference was just too
much to overcome as Suloev ended Yushin’s winning streak
at 10 via KO in the first round of their bout.
Determined
to not let the loss set him back, Okami returned and knocked
out fellow Japanese fighter Kousei Kubota and was impressive
enough that he would be welcomed back to Pride, this time on
their Bushido imprint. At Bushido 2, Okami stifled Ryuta Sakurai
for 15 minutes and won the fight by unanimous decision.
While
not as impressive as his previous fight, his performance was
strong enough to earn him a trip to Hawaii to take on fan favorite
Niko Vitale at in Superbrawl. During one of the closest fights
of the year in the company, Yushin lost a tight split decision
to Vitale.
Since
the loss Yushin has been on a tear, winning five straight, including
a win over future UFC veteran Nick Thompson in GCM. Most recently
Okami steamrolled Myun Joo Lee at K-1 Hero’s Korean event
this past November and continues to look impressive both on the
ground and standing. With his successes in Japan Okami would
be invited to be the Japanese representative in ROTR’s 175lb
tournament.
In
the first round of the tournament Okami is set to face off against
UFC alum Renato “Charuto” Verissimo. And while Yushin
has faced off against some tough talent in the past, this fight
could easily represent the toughest of his career, as when Verissimo
is on his game, he’s one of the toughest fighters to beat
in the middleweight division.
Patience
should be the key for Okami against Charuto. If he rushes and
decides to slug it out right away with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
blackbelt, he could find himself being taken down, as Verissimo
has used such a tactic against past opponents. If Okami takes
his time and picks his shots carefully he can neutralize Charuto’s
attempts to get Yushin to rush in and eventually work his way
to guard where Verissimo is dangerous.
Charuto
in the past has been prone to set himself in a submission and
not continue to work to stop position changes. Such is the case
when Verissimo fought Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg, in those fights
he had both in a lot of trouble but was too content to sit in
one submission and got caught with position changes. So if Okami
gets caught in a submission he must continue to work and use
the overconfidence of Charuto against himself.
Some
feel that Okami is being used as a set-up opponent for Verissimo’s
advancement in the tournament, but he has shown in previous bouts,
he’s not someone to be overlooked or underestimated. If
the field does that, you could very well see Yushin make a long
run in the tournament, possibly to the finals and ultimate victory.
Not
many fans are expecting much out of Okami, with possibly less
to lose than the other fighters, and that makes him a most dangerous
opponent in the tournament. With the Japanese market always on
the lookout for the next great hero to get behind, Okami could
quickly fill that role and become a star overnight if he does
well. And that’s incentive enough to play the role of the
tournament’s wild card fighter, win the whole thing, and
be overlooked no more.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
RICCO
UPSET IN RITC IN ARIZONA
UFC fighters Matt Hughes, Joe Riggs, Edwin Dewees and Gilbert
Aldana made special guest appearances at RITC 78 welcoming fans
to a new year of Rage in the Cage action.
In
a stunning upset, Robert Beraun decisively beat UFC and Pride
veteran Ricco Rodriguez by unanimous decision. Beraun landed
many hard punches to the head and was able to withstand Ricco's
submission skills on the ground for the well deserved win. This
impressive victory earned Fighter of the Night ( FOTN ) for Beraun.
Beraun was coming off a KO victory over Aaron Brink two months
ago where he earned FOTN honors for that showing.
Other
notable fights included Jamie Varner winning the vacant Welterweight
championship and Rich Beecroft upsetting Andy Montana with a
perfectly executed kimura.
Other
candidates for FOTN were David Smith, Sean Ballantine, Joe Lira,
Jeremiah Navarro, Rich Beecroft, Gerald Perkins, Steve Cantwell
and Jamie Varner.
Three
schools went undefeated for the evening: ACMMA ( 4-0 ), Team
Sacrifice ( 3-0 ) and One Kicks Gym ( 2-0 ).
Results:
Fight
#1
Jesse
Barrett ( 183 ), ACMMA
won by ref stoppage ( strikes ), 1:03 Rd 1
Justin Fisher ( 185 ), Team Brausa
Fight
#2
Daniel
Betzold ( 161 ), ACMMA
won by decision ( 3-0 )
Josh Donahoo ( 153 ), Team Brausa
Fight
#3
David
Smith ( 148 ), One Kicks Gym
won by submission ( arm bar ), 2:47 Rd 1
Rosco McClellan ( 150 )
Fight
#4
Sean
Ballantine ( 197 ), US Army
won by submission ( ankle lock ), 1:47 Rd 1
Chris Devno ( 207 ), AJJA
Fight
#5
Andrew
Brittin ( 173 ), ACMMA
won by submission ( key lock ), 1:04 Rd 2
John Ivicevic ( 171 ), AMAC
Fight
#6
Jamie
Schmidt ( 177 ), ACMMA
won by ref stoppage ( strikes ), 1:14 Rd 1
Jason Cassel ( 184 ), Freestyle
Fight
#7
Joe
Lira ( 150 ), Team Sacrifice
won by ref stoppage ( strikes ), 2:04 Rd 2
Robert Davis ( 140 ), AMAC
Fight
#8
Jeremiah
Navarro ( 161 ), Team Sacrifice
won by submission ( choke ), 1:41 Rd 2
Richie Reyes ( 168 ), Devil's Den
Fight
#9
Rich
Beecroft ( 236 ), No Regrets
won by submission ( kimura ), :38 Rd 1
Andy Montana ( 261 ), Genesis JJ
Fight
#10
Gerald
Perkins ( 174 ), Team Hardcore
won by submission ( choke ), 2:16 Rd 1
Anthony Triliegi ( 179 ), Freestyle
Fight
#11
Steve
Cantwell ( 205 ), One Kicks Gym
won by submission ( arm bar ), 2:01 Rd 1
Mike Ashford ( 204 ), Devil's Den
Fight
#12 ( Welterweight Championship )
Jamie
Varner ( 169 ), ACS
won by submission ( choke ), 1:07 Rd 2
Leonard Wilson ( 164 ), C.C.K.K.
Fight
#13 ( Main Event )
Robert
Beraun ( 256 ), No Regrets
won by decision ( 3-0 )
Ricco Rodriguez ( 330 ), Team Punishment
Visit
www.rageinthecage.com for more information.
Source:
John Petrilli ( RITC )
|
Quote
of the Day
"My
religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."
Dalai Lama, Spiritual and Temporal Leader of the Tibetan People
|
ULTIMATE
FIGHT NIGHT TONIGHT!
SPIKE CHANNEL
559 OCEANIC DIGITAL
STARTS 8:00 PM HAWAII TIME
JANUARY 16th
The Joint - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
MAIN
CARD ON SPIKE TV
- Assuerio Silva VS Tim Sylvia
- Stephan Bonnar vs. James Irvin
- Chris Leben vs. Jorge Rivera
- Josh Burkman vs. Drew Fickett
PRELIM
CARD
- Jason Von Flue vs. Alex Karalexis
- Aaron Riley vs. Spencer Fisher
- Duane Ludwig vs. Jonathan Goulet
- Melvin Guillard vs. Josh Neer
Source: MMA Weekly
|
BENNETT
BREAKDOWN:
QUINTON, FRANK, KEN & MORE
MMAWeekly.com's Ryan Bennett has his latest installment of his
Bennett Breakdown which talks about Quinton Jackson, Frank and
Ken Shamrock, Josh Thomson and more.....
"What
an amazing live show from the WEC this weekend. I will tell you
right now remember the names Mike Pyle, Scott Smith and Justin
Levens. Those three are ready for the UFC right now. Levens I
think needs to cut to 185 but he has so many skills, even in
the loss he impressed me. Smith is a bulldozer and he may be
another guy that should cut to 185, but I don't know if he can.
He has power in both hands and can KO anybody if he hits you.
Pyle
is a special talent at 170 and needs to face top flight competition.
He is that good. He trains in Las Vegas with Randy Couture, Heath
Herring, Forrest Griffin and company.
One
other WEC note. Vernon Tiger White looked impressive in a win.
He then went on to call out "Chuck the EYES-man Liddell"
was his specific quote in his post fight interview. Vernon still
believes the reason he lost was a finger in the eye, not the
punches.
Onto
other MMA News....
I
had it confirmed that Quinton Jackson and Frank Shamrock both
have fights coming up in February and March respectively. Jackson
confirmed it to to me this weekend that he will be fighting in
the upcoming Pride show at the end of February against an opponent
to be named soon. The show is scheduled for February 26th at
the Saitama Arena. I've also heard that Nogueira, Mauricio Shogun
Rua, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, Sergei Kharitonov, Mario
Sperry, and possibly Josh Barnett are expected to compete.
Frank
Shamrock vs Ceasar Gracie finally will happen in mid March. The
fight is scheduled to take place in San Jose, California for
the Strike Force promotion. Shamrock apparently is expected to
fight in Japan after this fight, as I hear Sakuraba wants to
face Frank, but in order to fight in Japan, he has to fulfil
the signed contract to face Gracie first. That's why this fight
is on the fast track to finally happen and it looks as though
Strike Force event will take place in San Jose in mid March.
Josh
Thompson will also be a part of the Strike Force card in March
as Thompson told me he is set to square off against either Hermes
Franca or Charles "Crazy Horse" Bennett for the event.
Speaking of Thompson he told me this weekend that after his next
fight in Strike Force, he will then head to Japan to compete
in Pride for their April show.
I
talked to Ken Shamrock over the weekend. I asked him if he will
attempt a Lion's Den type of crazy training that you saw on MMAWeekly
TV for the upcoming Ultimate Fighter show... Ken said "No,
these guys know what to expect. They should already be in shape
by the time they get into the house. I will test them more mentally,
than physically." Taping for the Ultimate Fighter Show begins
this upcoming week from Las Vegas featuring the 185 pound weight
class and the 205 Light Heavyweight Division.
This
is an amazing month for MMA and it will become the norm now.
The UFC is expected to put on a live show per month. For January
we saw the WEC put on a spectacular card Friday, Monday is Ultimate
Fighter on Spike
and Friday
is the Rumble on the Rock card from beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii. Three stacked shows
in 9 days. Great for the MMA fans.
What
to watch for....
-
Ultimate Fighter - Stephan Bonnar vs James Irvin - Bonnar went
from unknown to Ultimate Fighter Superstar overnight. This is
a great spot for Irvin who I think has been disrespected to an
extent by the hardcore MMA fans. This could be a coming out party
for Irvin if he can overcome the "moment" of the UFC
that froze him for the Mike Kyle fight. I don't think Irvin has
shown what kind of fighter he is in the UFC yet and he has chance
to showcase his skills against Bonnar. For Bonnar it's simple.
With a win Stephan puts himself on the fast track to face a Top
10 fighter to show he is legit at the weight. So far we've seen
his friend in Season 1 like Diego Sanchez, Mike Swick and Chris
Leben show they are legit. Speaking of Leben...
-
Jorge Rivera vs Chris Leben - I have no idea who will win this
fight. Rivera is nasty in the clinch and is a very hard puncher,
but will he get frustrated when he can't knockout Leben? Leben
has a concrete head as Patrick Cote found out. Cote he hit him
flush and Leben smiled back at him. If Rivera can be patient
like he was in his win over David Loiseau, he will do well in
the fight. Leben may not be the most talented striker, but he
has heart and will not back down from anyone, not to mention
an iron chin which will be tested once again. Great fight all
the way around and the fans no doubt win.
RUMBLE
ON THE ROCK
I
haven't been this excited about a tournament in a very long time.
I truly believe every single underdog on this card can win. The
favorites should be the favorites, however let me give you some
info about the underdogs.
Carlos
Condit is from the same gym in New Mexico as Diego Sanchez and
Nathan Marquardt. This guy has very good skills and I hear their
gym is extremely confident that he will not only beat Charuto Verissimo, but be the dark horse
in the tournament. Very well rounded and ready to go. Should
be a great battle.
Ronald
"Machine Gun" Jhun is still dangerous at this point of his career.
If any of you have seen his fight with Team Quests' Ryan Schultz
you can see how dangerous he truly is. Jhun is very much like
the University of Hawaii football team. Very good at home, not
very good on the road. Jhun has fought well in Hawaii and has
trained very hard and will be tough to beat in Oahu. Trigg still
has to answer the questions about his losses to Hughes and St.Pierre
mentally. After two difficult losses, you wonder how he will
react if he gets rocked in the fight. Will Trigg come out tentative
in this fight or aggressive. This could be a great scrap in Hawaii.
Yushin
Okami is a huge underdog against Anderson Silva. Word in Japan
is that Okami has good ground skills and he doesn't expect this
fight to be on it's feet much. Silva's last few fights have been
against strikers. For Anderson to win this tourney he will have
to go through Okami, Menne or Shields and possibly Trigg or Charuto.
Silva won't have a chance to show off his stand up skills for
very long in this tournament in my opinion. We will have a great
idea where Anderson Silva is after the tourney. Okami hopes to
be the first to pull off the upset.
Not
sure if Shields is an underdog to Menne or not. I guess when
the odds come out next week we will all know who the underdog
truly is in the oddsmakers point of view. Shields has great submissions
and is a bit disrespected in the fight game, especially being
a former Shooto champion.
This
is Shields chance to prove he is a legit Top 10 fighter. For
Menne this could be a coming out party or the end of era for
the former UFC Champion. We've seen a downslide for guys that
have had almost too many fights. Shonie Carter found that out
this weekend and is defintely on the decline. Is Menne at the
same point of his career? We should have a better idea if Menne
is on his way down or if he's still a top contender. Menne believes
this can be his coming out party showing the world he's ready
to return to the Top 10.
One
other thing regarding the Tournament it's not all in one night.
The first round is Friday night, then in April will be the completition
of the tournament with the semi-finals and finals. Cabbage vs
Butterbean should be interesting to say the least.
This
week the radio show goes live from Hawaii starting Wednesday
as we will have more information upcoming throughout the week.
Enjoy one of the best MMA months in recent memory and see you
live from Hawaii starting Wednesday. Aloha.
Source: MMA Weekly |
BONNAR
NOT WORRIED ABOUT FIGHT
UFC superstar and star of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter
Stephan Bonnar joined the radio show "Between The Ropes"
on Central Florida's Sports Radio 740 The Team to discuss his
fight with James Irvin on Spike TV's Ultimate Fight Night this
Monday night.
Stephan
started off talking about his fight on Monday on Spike TV with
James Irvin. He just wrapped up his intense training on Wednesday
night and planned to take the next four days to recover and prepare.
He said the Irvin flying knee probably won't be a problem since
he's taller and doesn't shoot from the outside. But Irvin has
a heavy right hand and can be dangerous.
"I
talked to Chris Leben the other night and we're actually in the
same boat. He's fighting Jorge Rivera. We're both guys who like
to stand up and throw down, but we both feel we're better than
our opponents on the ground. So I kind of like it. I'm really
not worried about anything. I can let my hands and my feet go.
I'm not worried about him taking me down because I like it on
the ground. He's going to be worried about me taking him down.
If the opportunity is there, I'll do it. If not, I'll just pull
out and trade more. So I feel pretty good going into it."
Stephan
said his broken hand is doing fine now. He said the injury didn't
hinder his training much since he was able to do most everything
with the cast. He was ready to fight back on November 19, but
UFC wanted to save it for Spike TV.
Bonnar
got into martial arts at age 10 with wrestling. He started tae
kwan do at age 12. He got into jiu-jitsu after seeing the early
UFC events. He noted the tae kwan do is more useful than he thought
it would be, particularly mixing it with boxing to surprise an
opponent with a spinning back kick or the like.
Asked
if there are greater expectations on him coming off the notoriety
of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, Bonnar said every fight
is do or die for him and every fight is the most important. He
said he always hears from people about the classic fight with
Forest Griffin when he goes out and it's usually good for a free
drink. He said he's not worried about having to live up to the
expectations of the first fight with Griffin if there was a rematch.
He believes their styles mesh well enough to produce a good fight
every time.
Bonnar
discussed his training, particularly in the Chicago/Indiana region
where he's from. Since he's not affiliated with any specific
team, he's more of a lone soldier. He goes to the jiu-jitsu school
to work on his ground, but no one there can help him work on
his stand up. So he has to move on Windy City Boxing to train
in stand up. He goes from gym to gym that specialize in different
fighting styles throughout the region.
Asked
how he would describe his fighting style, he said he's pretty
much a hybrid. He prefers to throw down, but he also enjoys grappling
and submissions. For him, the fun is throwing spin kicks and
landing good punches.
Bonnar
was asked who he would like to face if he can get past Irvin
on Monday. "I'm no dummy so I know my chances with [Chuck]
Liddell get better with his age so I'm in no hurry with that.
But I would like to beat Irvin and to fight a big name would
be nice, like a [Ken] Shamrock or a Vitor Belfort. To get a big
name like that to fight that would be a honor. I've been idolizing
those guys since I was like 19. I remember watching Vitor Belfort
bust on the scene when I was in college at Purdue at 19 years
old. I was like, 'Holy crap, this dude is awesome.' It's just
amazing that I could actually fight him now. It's funny, he's
a veteran of the sport. He's been doing it since then. And I'm
kind of a rookie but we're about the same age."
Bonnar
said he's a fight junkie and watches tapes of any MMA he can
find. He used to watch a lot of NBA and NFL, but now it's mostly
fighting. He recently watched some K-1 World Max DVD's and loved
them. He never misses a PRIDE event and loves to watch ESPN Classic
Boxing.
Asked
what he thought of the 'kiss of death' involving Heath Herring
at the PRIDE New Year's Eve show, "I don't blame Heath Herring
at all. That's just something you don't do. You don't kiss your
opponent before the fight. He was asking for it. If you're going
to kiss your opponent on the lips like that, you better have
both hands up by your chin."
Bonnar
ended by discussing his training regimen before Monday night's
fight. He's been training a lot lately with a lot of sparring
to get his wind up. He trained every day last week with a couple
of two-a-day's and Sunday off. He continued Monday, Tuesday,
and Wednesday of this week. From that point on, it's mainly preparation,
resting, and stretching for four days to allow his body to recover
for Monday night.
To
listen to the Stephan Bonnar interview, including some interesting
stories of instigating fights back in school with special ed
kids and more UFC thoughts, and the entire January 11 edition
of Between The Ropes in streaming audio, visit the show online
at http://www.BetweenTheRopes.com. Join us for Between
The Ropes for two hours every Wednesday night at 10:00pm ET on
Central Florida's Sports Radio 740 The Team and worldwide on
BetweenTheRopes.com.
Source: MMA Weekly |
GRACIE
WORLD EVENT
This year the competition will be held at the Nationwide Arena
adjacent to the Greater Columbus Convention Center. This venue
is a "State of the Art" Professional sports Arena and
holds 17,000.00 plus spectators.
Events:
March
3rd
Weigh-ins for Gi competition
*weigh-ins
for No Gi amateur and professional will be held on March 4th
at Nationwide Arena
*weigh-ins
for amateur MMA will be held at the competition on March 4th
and 5th
March
4th
Gi Competition-All belts, weights and age categories
Professional No Gi Qualifier
Gracie Junior Worlds
Amateur MMA
March
5th
Amateur and Professional No Gi Competition
Amateur MMA
New
for 2006
Friday
evening, March 3rd GFC Professional MMA "Pay Per View-Indemand
Event"
Gracie
Fighting Championships Amateur MMA
Gracie
Junior Worlds-Rotary Scholarship
Please
visit our website for more Registration fees, weigh-ins times
and location and general updates on all of the events www.gracieworlds.com
|
ROTR
PREVIEW: YUSHIN OKANI
At the upcoming Rumble on the Rock January 20th show there will
be a gathering of eight of the best fighters around to compete
for the company’s first ever 175lb tournament title. Among
the eight fighters is one that not many American fans may be
familiar with, but he could just end up being the dark horse
that wins the whole thing. That fighter is Yushin Okami, the
tournament’s Japanese seed and x-factor.
Okami
is a veteran of nearly every promotion in Japan, including Greatest
Common Multiple, Pancrase, Pride and K-1. He’s faced off
against some of the toughest competition in each promotion and
has so far amassed an impressive overall record of 17-2.
Originally
debuting as an amateur on Pride’s Pre-Pride and The Best
series in 2002, Okami quickly proved that he was an all-around
style fighter that could take the fight anywhere. During his
first 10 fights, all of which he won, Yushin showed a penchant
for standing and trading, while also being able to take advantage
of the ground game and if necessary, outlast opponents to decisions.
It
was only until he fought Amar Suloev at an M-1 show in Russia
that Okami could be stopped. Perhaps going too far above his
natural weight, Okami had difficulty against the larger, hard-hitting
Russian fighter. In the end the size difference was just too
much to overcome as Suloev ended Yushin’s winning streak
at 10 via KO in the first round of their bout.
Determined
to not let the loss set him back, Okami returned and knocked
out fellow Japanese fighter Kousei Kubota and was impressive
enough that he would be welcomed back to Pride, this time on
their Bushido imprint. At Bushido 2, Okami stifled Ryuta Sakurai
for 15 minutes and won the fight by unanimous decision.
While
not as impressive as his previous fight, his performance was
strong enough to earn him a trip to Hawaii to take on fan favorite
Niko Vitale at in Superbrawl. During one of the closest fights
of the year in the company, Yushin lost a tight split decision
to Vitale.
Since
the loss Yushin has been on a tear, winning five straight, including
a win over future UFC veteran Nick Thompson in GCM. Most recently
Okami steamrolled Myun Joo Lee at K-1 Hero’s Korean event
this past November and continues to look impressive both on the
ground and standing. With his successes in Japan Okami would
be invited to be the Japanese representative in ROTR’s 175lb
tournament.
In
the first round of the tournament Okami is set to face off against
UFC alum Renato “Charuto” Verissimo. And while Yushin
has faced off against some tough talent in the past, this fight
could easily represent the toughest of his career, as when Verissimo
is on his game, he’s one of the toughest fighters to beat
in the middleweight division.
Patience
should be the key for Okami against Charuto. If he rushes and
decides to slug it out right away with the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
blackbelt, he could find himself being taken down, as Verissimo
has used such a tactic against past opponents. If Okami takes
his time and picks his shots carefully he can neutralize Charuto’s
attempts to get Yushin to rush in and eventually work his way
to guard where Verissimo is dangerous.
Charuto
in the past has been prone to set himself in a submission and
not continue to work to stop position changes. Such is the case
when Verissimo fought Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg, in those fights
he had both in a lot of trouble but was too content to sit in
one submission and got caught with position changes. So if Okami
gets caught in a submission he must continue to work and use
the overconfidence of Charuto against himself.
Some
feel that Okami is being used as a set-up opponent for Verissimo’s
advancement in the tournament, but he has shown in previous bouts,
he’s not someone to be overlooked or underestimated. If
the field does that, you could very well see Yushin make a long
run in the tournament, possibly to the finals and ultimate victory.
Not
many fans are expecting much out of Okami, with possibly less
to lose than the other fighters, and that makes him a most dangerous
opponent in the tournament. With the Japanese market always on
the lookout for the next great hero to get behind, Okami could
quickly fill that role and become a star overnight if he does
well. And that’s incentive enough to play the role of the
tournament’s wild card fighter, win the whole thing, and
be overlooked no more.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"It
is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is
because we do not dare that they are difficult."
Marcus Annaeus Seneca, 3 B.C. - 65 A.D., Roman Philosopher/Dramatist/Statesman |
Punishment
In Paradise: East vs. West II
Sea Life Park, Honolulu, Hawaii
January 14, 2006
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
Punishment
In Paradise returned with an event that was held in an interesting
venue, Sea Life Park. A large tent was erected and fight fans
from the East side and West side crammed in to watch a great
night of fights. Head instructor of the Koden Kan fight team
took on recent transplant James Martinez. Kukahiko executed a
perfect strategy by pressing the action, staying inside and out
punching Martinez. A great match up that had fans on their feet
cheering was the Val Ulafale-Hansen Apo fight. Both young fighters
went after each other and had great exchanges with Ulafale started
to take the edge in the fight as Apo tired. The unassuming Henry
Hori proved that he has heavy hands by rocking Kapena Abilla
enough for the referee to step in and protect Abilla from further
punishment. Kyle Miyahana executed a beautiful climbing arm lock
on PJ Dean quickly ending a short, but fast paced fight.
The
main event pitted two boxing technicians in Kaleo Kwan and Kevin
Smith. Both fighters displayed a balance of skill and power.
As the fight went on, Kwan's experience started to turn the tide
in his favor. Smith fought back like a warrior and stayed in
the fight, but Kwan kept up the pressure and slowly picked apart
Smith.
Lightweight
Kickboxing Bout: 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes
John Kukahiko (Koden Kan, Waimanalo) def. James Martinez (Freelance)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (30-27), (29-28)] after 3 rounds.
Kickboxing
Bout: 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes
Bronson Kamaka (808 Fight Factory, Waipahu) drew Jason Pembelton
(Fairtex San Francisco)
Draw [(28-28), (29-29), (28-28)] after 3 rounds.
Welterweight
MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Marshal Harvest (Animal House, North Shore) def. Keoni Bryant
(Jus Rush, Kailua)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 rounds.
Flyweight
MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Chas Schmidt (Team MMMAD, Kailua) drew Jay Bolos (Freelance,
Waipahu)
Majority Draw [(19-19), (18-18), (18-19)] after 2 rounds.
132lbs
Kickboxing Bout: 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes
Bronson Mohika (808 Fight Factory, Waipahu) def. Devin Damo 'Pihana
(Valentino K.B ,Ewa)
Split decision [(29-28), (28-29), (29-28)] after 2 rounds.
Heavyweight
Kickboxing Bout: 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes
Val Ulafale (Team Bigdogs, Waianae) def. Hansen Apo (Eastsidaz,
Waimanalo)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after 2 rounds.
165lbs
MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Fatu Tuitafa (808 Fight Factory, Waipahu) def. Jimmy Nakamura
(Koden Kan/JKD, Kailua)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 rounds.
145lbs
Kickboxing Bout: 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes
Henry Hori (Koden Kan, Kailua) def. Kapena Abilla (Valentino
Kickboxing, Hilo)
TKO via referee stoppage in Round 2.
Heavyweight
MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Keahi Kuikahi (Team Bigdogs, Waianae) def. Kealoha Emsley (Jus
Rush, Kailua)
Split decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 rounds.
Light
Heavyweight MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Maui Wolfgram (Team MMAD, Kailua) def. Ron Verdadereo (Jesus
Is Lord, Waipahu)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 rounds.
150lbs.
MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Albert Manners (BJ Penn's MMA) def. Kaipo Gonzales (Team MMAD,
Kailua)
Unanimous decision [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)] after 2 rounds.
163lbs.
MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kyle Miyahana (Team MMAD, Kailua) def. PJ Dean (Bad Intentions,
Waianae)
Submission via arm bar from the guard in Round 1.
170
Kickboxing Bout: 3 Rounds - 1.5 Minutes
Wayne Perrin III (Bigdogs, Waianae) def. Bryan Ingram (808 Fight
Factory, Waipio)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds
Lightweight
MMA Bout: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Makoa Hainake (Team MMAD, Kahuku) def. David Padilla (Jesus Is
Lord, Waipahu)
Unanimous decision [(29-28), (29-28), (29-28)] after 3 rounds
Lightweight
MMA Bout: 2 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kaleo Kwon (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) def. Kevin Smith (Team Bigdogs,
Waianae)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
|
Shogun
Elected Best of 2005
By Alexandre Lobo / Team TATAME
Pride
GP Middleweight champ Maurício 'Shogun' Rua was elected
by a team of specialists as the number 1 fighter of 2005. The
election was held by the most important MMA magazine in Brazil,
TATAME Magazine, and included names such as Master Carlson Gracie,
Quinton Jackson, Rodrigo Minotauro, among others. “I’ve
no doubt to say: Shogun was the fighter of the year, due to his
technique, his cardio conditions, his heart and determination.
Shogun has the blood and the soul of a real fighter”, stated
one of the most important fighters of the MMA history, Master
Carlson Gracie.
Shogun’s
opponent at the Pride GP Middleweight 2005 first round, Quinton
Jackson agrees with Master Carlson and says that Shogun is also
a great guy outside the ring. “He is not only the best of
the year, but he’s the best fighter nowadays. Shogun also
has a great mood outside the ring”, Jackson says. Brother
of Rogério Minotouro, Shogun’s opponent at the GP
second round, Rodrigo Minotauro confirms: “2005 was Shogun’s
year. He beat some of the better fighters on his weight, such
as Ricardo Arona and Minotouro. He deserved the GP’s belt”.
Shogun thanks everybody for the nice words and promises to his
fans another great year.
"I’m
very happy to be chosen the best of 2005 and I promise I’ll
repeat the good performances now in 2006”, Shogun states.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Alexandre
"Cacareco" Ferreira
- Brazilian Fighting Machine
Two
quick victories by submission in last two fights turned the plans
of any fighter. This would not be different to BTT's Alexandre
"Cacareco" Ferreira, who had in his mind just the plans
of a career focused in Submission Grappling competitions. We
caught-up a motivated Cacareco after his less thgan one minute
submission victory over ChuteBoxer Julio Cesar "Jamanta"
in last edition of Jungle Fighting Championship (fifth edition)
in last November '05 in Brazil
Takimoto-
Cacareco, tell us how does your rivalry with Julio Cesar "Jamanta"
started?
Alexandre Ferreira- It started in Portugal, because besides the
fact that he didn't reach the weight to fight against me, he
kept calling me a chicken, that he were going to knock me out
and send me to the hospital. After my victory in 15 seconds,
he said that I had won against a "dead man" [because
of the weight cutting]. After this fight, Wallid
Ismail had interest to put our fight together in Jungle Fight
5 and it happened like that… That fight was personal I put
all my angry off and lasted only 52 seconds to submit him.
Takimoto- Tell us what happened at breakfast in the hotel after
the JFC fight against Julio Cesar.
Alexandre Ferreira- What happened is that they do not know how
to lose and Chute Boxe took a beating in Jungle. Only CYBORG
won and, even him, won against a tomato can. If the guy had a
little more knowledge about fighting and stamina, he would surely
have won the fight. They, when they lose, they can not stay with
anyone socially. It is hard to stay around them. They tried to
come at me with a group of people, but I took the initiative
and they hesitated… So, Fabio Piemonte called me to fight.
I took off my watch and went straight forward him. But at this
time Carlos Barreto, along with Marcelo Alonso (TATAME Magazine
editor) and others held us.
Takimoto-
A lot of people criticized your gestures after your victories
over Julio Cesar and Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas [at a
submission event]. What do you have to tell about this?
Alexandre
Ferreira- With Julio Cesar it was personal. He did not know how
to respect me and my team. That gesture was to but off my emotion,
to showed that the ones who talk too much are out. The thing
with Cafe Dantas, I am regretted because I did that, he did not
deserve what I did. After all, he treat me well and is a guy
that I already trained with. I apologize to him once again.
Takimoto- Do you have any bad feelings toward any fighter or
academy?
Alexandre Ferreira- No, I do not. The few problems that I had
were solved with talk or insidethe ring.
Takimoto- Do you consider yourself better in submission or MMA?
Alexandre Ferreira- I consider myself better in submission, but,
as incredible as it can be, I let my game flow more in MMA, where
I obtain more finishes.
Takimoto- How is it to train in one of the best Jiu - Jitsu and
MMA academies of the world?
Alexandre
Ferreira- It is very good, there I feel myself at home, and it
only has tough trainings. You look at your side and only see
champions and this thing gives me spirit to train harder to conquer
my goals.
Takimoto- What do you think about Chute Boxe?
Alexandre
Ferreira- It is, without a doubt, a great team. Everybody knows,
any guy from there can be a champion in any event of the world.
And I clap hands to Rudimar Fedrigo for consider him the fight
genius, because he went to a city that did not had this fight
culture and built an empire. Congratulates to him.
Takimoto- Who do you consider the bests of the world?
Alexandre Ferreira- At 83kg, without a doubt, Paulo Filho. At
93kg, there is Ricardo Arona, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio "Shogun"
Rua, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Alistair Overeen, Rogerio
"Minotouro" Nogueira and Tito Ortiz. At the heavyweights,
I think the best are Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and
Emelianenko Fedor.
Takimoto-
You said Sobral's name and was his teammate, what do you have
to tell about him?
Alexandre
Ferreira- I consider Sobral one of the world's best, if not the
best. His game is very similar with Fedor's game. A lot of stamina,
wrestling, ground and stand up. In a little time, he will be
the best.
Takimoto- Your next fight will be against Alistair Overeen at
Cage Rage. What do you expect about this fight?
Alexandre Ferreira- I expect to do a tough fight and, of course,
I expect to win. I know that he is one of the Pride's top 5 and
winning, it will bring to me a big reward.
Takimoto- When will we see you at bigger events, like UFC and
Pride?
Alexandre
Ferreira- If God wants, it will happen in a little time. Jose
Mario Sperry is trying to put me in the UFC at 83kg. We are waiting
and if Rodrigo Nogueira had fought in Pride, I was going to be
in his corner for the Japanese audience to know me, but it was
not this time.
Takimoto- Leave a message to your fans.
Alexandre Ferreira- To all fighters who are starting now, be
careful with the false managers who promise this and that. Look
for a good academy, train hard and
keep going forward that everything is going to be right.
Source: Maxfighting
|
UFC
v. WFC - "FIGHTING" It Out In Court
By WFC - Joe Mesa
Denver
CO, January 11, 2006: The Ultimate Fighting Championship and
its ownership company Zuffa LLC, has filed a federal lawsuit
against the Worldwide Fighting Championship for using the words
“fighting,” and “championship,” within its
name.
The
lawsuit was filed Wednesday, January 11, 2006 stating that the
use of the terms “fighting,” and “championship,”
is a violation of copyright law and somehow misleads fans into
thinking that the two promotion companies are somehow related.
In addition to the suit, Zuffa LLC, is moving to stop the WFC
from using its name as well as stopping the event “Rumble
in the Rockies,” slated for January 21, 2006 at the Budweiser
Events Center.
The
WFC feels that the verb “fighting,” and the noun “championship,”
is a generic term used to describe the type of sports event being
produced. The term “Fighting Championship,” is the
MMA industry’s equivalent to the term “Operating System,”
or “OS,” used in the technology industry. Many different
companies such as Microsoft Windows XP, and Macintosh OS 10,
are companies that use and rely on the term to provide consumers
with a description of the service provided.
The
unprecedented lawsuit by Zuffa LLC, has far reaching ramifications,
and poses the question of whether the UFC will now file against
MMA companies like the Japanese super-promotion PRIDE Fighting
Championship for the same reason.
This
controversial action by Zuffa LLC is the latest of moves intended
to alienate the promotion company from the rest of the MMA industry
in a negative manner. The first such action came as the UFC banned
all online media from covering UFC events except for in-house
and mainstream media outlets.
The
WFC prides itself on openness and accessibility and will continue
encourage and invite all forms of media to cover WFC-related
events and promotions. The WFC feels that the lawsuit is completely
baseless and a ploy to create an illegal monopoly by claiming
ownership of a generic term.
The
UFC has been criticized within the MMA industry as of late for
its lack of serious championship contenders and lackluster fight
cards. UFC has elected to handle this matter with lawsuits against
other companies rather than delivering a superior product.
The
bottom line is that the WFC feels that this frivolous lawsuit
will be dismissed in a timely manner and plans for “Rumble
in the Rockies,” are in full force and fans will again fill
the Budweiser center. It is obvious that the UFC fears the competition
from this relative new kid on the block and the WFC will continue
unencumbered, as the fastest-growing MMA promotion company in
the country.
For
tickets, visit www.comcasttix.com, or for more information please
check www.thewfc.com or www.Budweisereventscenter.com. We invite
all writers and photographers to cover the event and media credentials
can be reserved by contacting J. Mesa at jmfighterinfo@hotmail.com.
See you ringside – J.
Source: Maxfighting
|
Quote
of the Day
"Remember
that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your
fears and allowing yourself the right to be human can, paradoxically,
make you a far happier and more productive person."
David M. Burns
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE Tonight!
EAST vs. WEST II
Friday Jan 13,2006 6pm
Sea Life Park
For
ticket Outlets or Fight Information feel free to call or email
me at bdkamaka@comcast.net or 408-916-8082
Tentative Fight Card
Lightweight MMA Bout
Kaleo
Kwon (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Kevin Smith (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
Lightweight
MMA Bout
Makoa
Hainake (Team MMAD, Kahuku) Vs. David Padilla (Jesus Is Lord,
Waipahu)
Middleweight
MMA Bout
Kimo
Wolfel (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Dylan Clay (Maui Freestyle
Jiu Jitsu)
163lbs.
MMA Bout
Kyle
Miyahana (Team MMAD, Kailua) Vs. PJ Dean (Bad Intentions, Waianae)
170
Kickboxing Bout
Bryon
Ingram (808 Fight Factory, Waipio) Vs. Wayne Perrin III (Bigdogs,
Waianae)
143lbs
MMA Bout
Chico
Cantiberas (Eastsidaz, Kailua) Vs. Gene Gregory (Mixed Bred,
Waipahu)
Heavyweight
MMA Bout
Kealoha
Emsley (Jus Rush, Kailua) Vs. Keahi Kuikahi (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
150lbs.
MMA Bout
Kaipo
Gonzales (Team MMAD, Kailua) Vs. Issac Ukiah (Mixed Bred, Waipahu)
Light
Heavyweight MMA Bout
Maui
Wolfgang (Team MMAD, Kailua) Vs Ron Verdadereo (Jesus Is Lord,
Waipahu)
145lbs
Kickboxing Bout
Jarret
Iha (Koden Kan, Kailua) Vs. Kapena Abilla (Valentino Kickboxing,
Hilo)
165lbs
MMA Bout
Jimmy
Nakamura (Koden Kan/JKD ,Kailua) Vs. Fatu Tuitafa(808 Fight Factory,
Waipahu)
Heavyweight
Kickboxing Bout
Hansen
Apo (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Val Ulafale (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
140lbs
MMA Bout
Scott
Miyamoto (Team Koden Kan, Kailua) Vs. Isiah Cobb Adamms (Animal
House, Ewa Beach)
Flyweight
MMA Bout
Chas
Schmidt (Team MMMAD, Kailua) Vs. Jay Bolos (Freelance, Waipahu)
132lbs
Kickboxing Bout
Bronson
Mohika (808 Fight Factory, Waipahu) Vs. Devin Damo ‘Pihana
(Valentino K.B ,Ewa)
Welterweight
MMA Bout
Keoni
Bryant (Jus Rush, Kailua) Vs. Marshal Harvest (Animal House,
North Shore)
Lightweight
MMA Bout
John
Kukahiko (Koden Kan, Waimanalo) Vs. Shane Nelson (BJ Penn MMA,
Hilo)
Mahalo
& Happy New Year,
Brennan
Kamaka |
Rodrigo
Minotauro
By By Alexandre Lobo
Searching
for the throne
For
a long time, Rodrigo Minotauro was the great fighter of Pride.
With his danger ground game and race, he dominated Japanese rings
until Emelianenko Fedor shows up. After two matches against the
Russian, Minotauro is preparing himself to get back the Heavyweight
belt of Pride. During this exclusive to TATAME web site, Rodrigo
talks about his absence at Pride Shockwave, his preparation to
GP 2006 and the possible dispute with Fedor.
So,
why are you out of Pride Shockwave?
I
was going to fight Zuluzinho but later they gave him Emelianenko
Fedor. Then I didn't know what was going on until the last days.
they were planning to set up a fight against Fabrício
Werdum, but he got his foot injured and the fight got cancelled.
Now I am on my way to France... I will spend New Year's Eve there
and then fly to Madagascar and run a seminar.
Are
you upset because Pride's delay to inform your opponent?
I
think that we can't think about if we will fight or not. I already
though in other opportunities that I was going to fight and it
didn't happen. So, this is normal. At this time I hurt myself
during the trainings and it disturbed me also in the negotiations,
because I didn't confirmed my participation. After that, everything
was right for me to fight against Werdum and he also got hurt.
So, they gave me Zuluzinho, but after that they put him to fight
with Fedor. I am still training.
This
year you've just fought one time. What changed in your relation
with the Pride?
Since
2003, I hurt my right elbow and them I hurt the left one. I spent
all this time recovering myself and I am close to 100%. Against
Pawel Nastula, I did not have conditions, but I had a deal with
Pride and I gave my best. In October, I decided to don't fight
until I recover myself totally. I need to take care of myself
to be 100% for the upcoming GP 2006.
Don't
you think fighting once is just bad?
A
lot of fighters have done that yet. I was the different one.
I was fighting like five times per year. Now my job is for the
GP, which will take place in February or April. I want to be
one of the finalists.
What
about Fedor?
He
is the strong name to be beaten. I bet all my job to face him.
After
three fights with the Russian fighter, you already know his game
well. What is your tip for Zuluzinho?
The
strong thing in Fedor is the beats and take downs. Zuluzinho
must keep the distance to don't fall. I think he should use the
jab and walk around the ring. So he will not be easy.
Source: Tatame
|
HUNT
SPEAKS
Mark
Hunt
Mark
Hunt was recently interviewed by the PRIDE website. Here's what
Hunt had to say:
Interviewer:
What did you do after your fight on December 31st?
Hunt:
I went to Yoshinoya and ate gyudon (beef on rice). Yoshinoya's
gyudon is one of my favorite Japanese foods. (laughing) After
that, I went back to the hotel and went straight to sleep.
Interviewer:
You didn't go out drinking and partying?
Hunt:
No, I didn't. I'm going to lead a moderate life for my next fight,
so I'm not going to go crazy.
Interviewer:
That's very stoic.
Hunt:
Of course! I only fought once in 2005. I'm being careful about
my conditioning and thinking about my body now so I will be able
to fight a lot this year.
Interviewer:
I'd like you to look back on your fight with Mirko (Filipovic).
How did it feel to fight him?
Hunt:
I think it was a good fight. I think his strategy was probably
to make me tired, but I didn't like it because Mirko wouldn't
come out to face me.
Interviewer:
You looked frustrated during the fight. Did you feel frustrated?
Hunt:
Exactly. I was frustrated many times. If you run around like
that, you can't fight a real fight and I wasn't able to do what
I wanted to, either. So, I'm not just frustrated with Mirko.
I'm frustrated with myself, too.
Interviewer:
You wanted to strike more with Mirko?
Hunt:
Yes, because that's what a good fight is.
Interviewer:
You personally hate fighters that just look for counters and
keep their distance?
Hunt:
It's not about liking or hating him. That kind of fighting style
isn't a fight. The fans buy tickets and come to see a fight.
You have to show them a fight in your match.
Interviewer:
It seems that Mirko had a cold and his foot was injured. What
do you think about that?
Hunt:
I didn't know anything about it. When I fought Mirko in 2001,
I only had 2 weeks (notice) before the fight. But, I don't want
to make that into an excuse. A loss is a loss, no matter what
the reason. If Mirko's condition was really bad, that's too bad.
I'm not going to hold back because Mirko's sick, and if our positions
were reversed, I wouldn't want Mirko to hold back just because
I'm sick. When you're a pro, you give your best in the ring,
no matter what the conditions are.
Interviewer:
I see. What were you thinking of doing in the fight?
Hunt:
I wanted to stagger Mirko with punches and then body slam him
from the top rope. (laughing)
Interviewer:
You're not allowed to use the ropes. (laughing) For example,
did you want to ground and pound, since you have been doing MMA
training?
Hunt:
No, I just wanted to KO him with punches.
Interviewer:
When did you hurt your leg during the fight?
Hunt:
I don't know exactly when, but I think I hurt it because I was
always blocking Mirko's kicks.
Interviewer:
You defended perfectly against Mirko's specialty, his left high
kick. Was that something you planned before the fight?
Hunt:
My conditioning was good and I was able to see his movements.
I trained on defense a lot, too. And even if I'm hurt, I recover
quickly.
Interviewer:
Did you feel rusty during the fight, after being away for so
long?
Hunt:
I didn't think it would affect me so much, but really looking
back on it, my timing was off and I wasn't able to lead the fight
like I wanted. I think it did affect me.
Interviewer:
I think a lot of your punches actually hit their mark. Did they
feel good to you?
Hunt:
I wanted them to be better. I wasn't able to grab Mirko well
and after being away from fighting for a year, my timing was
off.
Interviewer:
You seemed to be throwing a lot of body shots yesterday. Was
that something you had planned before the fight? Or did you think
during the fight that they would be effective?
Hunt:
I always thought that body shots would be effective. I used them
during the fight to stop Mirko from running around.
Interviewer:
Your wrestling was really good, too. Did you train that especially
for this fight?
Hunt:
No, I train striking and grappling equally.
Interviewer:
What gym do you train at? Do you have coaches for each area of
your training?
Hunt:
I have a coach that I train with. There aren't many fighters
where I live in Oceania that can fight in PRIDE. For example,
there aren't any good organizations like Brazilian Top Team or
Russian Top Team. So, I want to create that kind of gym.
Interviewer:
Some fans and media in Japan are beginning to think that you
might be the only one that can beat Fedor, since you beat Fedor's
rival Mirko. What do you think about that?
Hunt:
Fedor is an incredibly good fighter. He's good at striking and
grappling. If I have the chance this year, I'd like to fight
him.
Interviewer:
If you hit him with your punches, would Fedor go down?
Hunt:
Sou desu. ("That's right" in Japanese).
Interviewer:
After the event, Dream Stage Entertainment CEO Sakakibara said
that there is a possibility of an open weight grand prix. Are
you interested in that?
Hunt:
Is that fair? I would probably win if I just punched a fighter
smaller than me. If I got an offer, I would fight of course,
but isn't it dangerous to have me fighting in an open weight
class?
Interviewer:
I think a lot of Japanese fans want to see a fight that goes
beyond weight categories, like your fight against Silva.
Hunt:
But Silva almost weighs 100 kg (220 pounds). Silva is less than
93 kg (205 pounds) so he is a light heavyweight, and I'm more
than 93 kg (205 pounds) so I'm a heavyweight. Personally, I think
Silva and I are in about the same weight category.
Interviewer:
If you think so, I think that's fine.
Hunt:
Good, because I just want to fight a lot next year!
Source: Fight Sport
|
SPERRY
POSSIBLY IN PRIDE 31
Mario Sperry
Mario
Sperry spoke with the Brazilian media and stated that he will
most likely be participating on the PRIDE 31 card on February
26th.
Source: Fight Sport
|
GRACIE
FAMILY ARTICLE
The following article is courtesy of Gracie Magazine:
Gracie
Family Values
What makes them so victorious?
by
Martin Rooney III
Most
people that I have met around the world describe only two things
when they are asked about the Gracie Family: fighting and blood
ties. This is one of the most inaccurate descriptions that I
could ever think of to describe this family. This limited observation
has two causes: these people have only seen the Gracie's fight,
and they have never met any of them. This article is going to
give any people that hold the narrow belief mentioned above insight
into what it means to be a member of this family.
I,
like many others, was first introduced to the Gracie Family when
Royce Gracie entered the Octagon at UFC 1 and dominated the competition
in 1993. At that point, even to me they were just a family of
fighters connected by a history of techniques and blood. Two
and a half years later, a friend of mine told me about a charismatic
fighter that I had to meet. His name was Renzo Gracie. Since
my first training session at his New York City academy all those
years ago, Renzo treated me like a brother. I have been lucky
to have met many members of the Gracie family and have accompanied
them on trips all over the world. The relationships I developed
even got me the honor of writing for Gracie Magazine. The trip
to Japan for PRIDE Bushido, held in October of 2003, however,
would be one of the most historic events I would be involved
with the Gracie family to date. It would be the day that they
were to take on Japan.
On
my flight to Japan to see PRIDE Bushido, I was definitely caught
up in the hype that the Gracie "Family" was taking
on Japan. I was excited and also nervous about the pressure that
this event could have in store for the Gracie's that were competing.
Could this be the end of a revolution that this family started
over ten years ago in MMA? Could this be a historical event that
could threaten the legacy for what this family has worked for
over the last century? These were the questions that everyone
was asking, and I too was listening to the propaganda.
The
training session on the morning of PRIDE Bushido eased much of
my apprehension. Renzo's punches were crisp and accurate, Rodrigo
looked strong and explosive, Ryan was aggressive and focused,
and Daniel looked relaxed and confident. Everyone also discussed
how great Ralph looked, and that he was surely ready for his
match. I think that session calmed many of the people that were
there, and demonstrated how ready the Gracie's were for action.
As the entire team left the hotel for the arena later that day,
Rodrigo Gracie let out a roar, "Are we ready for a war?"
As I saw all of the people that left with us in the same black
and white Team Gracie shirts, the army that I was now with put
me at ease. It was not until the bus ride to the Saitama Super
Arena that all of my fears and doubts were completely gone. When
I rode for that hour over to the arena I had an epiphany of what
this family is all about. By the time the PRIDE event was over
that night, every belief that I developed on that bus ride came
true.
There
are many characteristics of a successful family. When a family
has the characteristics of a quality family, they can take on
anything. As I am about to show, these values are as important
to the Gracie's success as is their technique and fighting history.
These values are the glue that has held this family together
and allowed them to take on not just a single country, but the
world. The following paragraphs are going to be a back stage
description in chronological order of PRIDE Bushido and what
it taught me about this family.
The
first essential characteristic of a family that I learned on
that bus ride was Unity. A family must be unified in their beliefs
and purpose if they are to be successful. If there is not unity
present, a family is sure to break down. There may not be total
alignment at all times within a family, but there must be unity.
For instance, there is an old saying, "If it is you versus
me, I choose me, but if it is you versus them, I choose us!"
Everyone on that bus was unified with only one purpose in mind:
victory.
The
next characteristic that came on that bus ride was Support. A
family is nothing if it does not have a culture in which every
member supports the other. This characteristic could not be denied
from the Gracie family on this day. There were so many members
of the family and a support staff from all over the world that
it was absolutely amazing. Everyone was there to help in any
way possible. Every member of the team was also supported equally.
There was no one that lacked the attention and the support of
the entire group.
An
interesting characteristic that many people may not understand
is that a family must be able to Agree to Disagree. There are
going to be arguments. There are going to be differences in opinion
and conflict. No family is free from this, and that includes
the Gracie's. A family must allow these opinions to make sure
there is proper communication. If this is not allowed, the relationships
will be superficial. During the bus ride, and during our wait
before the fights in the locker room, the Gracie brothers (Ryan,
Ralph, and Renzo) argued about things as simple as whose gloves
were whose and what to wear. To an outsider, this conflict could
be seen to undermine the situation, but this did not threaten
the integrity of the family or the day. That is because a simple
argument cannot disrupt a family that knows it can express its
opinions. When conflict is allowed, relationships and the family
actually grow stronger.
A
critical characteristic that was displayed throughout this day
by the Gracie family was Trust. Without trust within a family,
the family is going to dissolve and fragment for sure. Each member
knew what their responsibilities were on this trip. For the fighters,
their responsibility was to represent the Gracie legacy and win.
For the corner men, their responsibility was to make sure the
fighter was physically and mentally prepared, as well as deliver
the right strategy at the right time during the fight. When we
were in the locker rooms preparing the fighters for the event,
every family member had a job to do. Whether it was preparing
the gloves and water bottles, making sure there was enough to
eat, stretching and warming the athletes, giving last minute
advice or keeping the press out of the room at critical times,
everyone was trusted in their position. This trust is not something
you are given in a family, this trust is earned. Every member
of the team this day earned that responsibility with accountability
over time. Because of this fact, there would surely not be anyone
let down on this day.
As
the fights began I was aware of two characteristics that the
family also displayed: Tradition and Pride. A family is about
history, and a family will often do anything to defend that honor.
Why they defend that history is because of their family pride.
When a family has enough tradition and pride present, they command
respect. I can only try to imagine the feeling a fighter faces
jumping into the ring to fight. Add the fact that your family
tradition and pride is at stake, and the pressure could be overwhelming.
Because of who these Gracie's are, and what their family represents,
they had no problem taking that weight on their shoulders. When
the fights were tied 2-2, I could feel the tension in the air.
As I stood on the platform behind the curtain with Ryan Gracie
and the other members of Team Gracie, I knew what was at stake.
Ryan was focused and eager to accept the responsibility of the
deciding fight. As the curtain rose and Ryan burst out toward
the ring through the cheering fans, he had only one purpose:
deliver a win for the family.
Could
he win the fight? Could the Gracie family defeat Japan? One might
think that for one family to take on the traditions and pride
of an entire country would be impossible. On closer examination,
however, it should be easy to see why one might take the family
over the country to win. Throughout history, countries are often
divided by civil war. People within countries are often divided
by different interests and desires. This leads to lack of unity,
communication, support, and trust. Each member of Team Japan
may have felt pride to represent their country, but every fighter
was surely first there for themselves. This was not true for
any member of the Gracie family on this day. Each man was there
for a bigger reason than personal fulfillment and country pride.
There is one characteristic that Team Japan may have been lacking
that could not allow them to defeat Team Gracie: Responsibility.
Ryan went into the ring with the responsibility to produce a
victory. That is something his opponent may not have possessed.
When
Ryan delivered his final foot stomp and the referee pulled him
away from his knocked out opponent, the Gracie Team swarmed the
ring. As different members of the family were hoisted onto the
shoulders of other family members, I learned the most important
family characteristic of all: Love. To see all the joy and love
in the ring at that moment was magical to be a part of. No one
that only sees a fight in the ring can ever understand how much
love this family has. This is where all of their strength comes
from. Not only is this love for members of the immediate family,
but it is for the "adopted" members of the family as
well. When Ryan addressed the adoring Japanese fans, he yelled,
"I love you, I love Japan!" For that moment, he made
the Japanese fans part of the family too, and not one of them
would deny the invitation.
The
Gracie family is amazing in their ability to make people feel
part of their family. This family has touched the lives of so
many people around the world that it is difficult to calculate.
So when everyone was saying that this was Japan versus the Gracie
family, I don't think anyone really understood what that meant.
It was not just 5 fighters in the ring connected by blood, but
all the things that you cannot see that made the difference on
this night.
With
the understanding of what type of family culture the Gracie's
possess, one should be able to see that nothing can threaten
this legacy. There is no one win or loss that can disrupt who
the members of this family are and what they have done. When
a family's culture is interwoven with unity, support, trust,
tradition, pride, and love, they can take on anything. That is
exactly what this family did in Japan; victoriously.
Source: Fight Sport
|
Quote
of the Day
"Chance
favors the prepared mind."
Louis Pasteur, 1822-1895, French Microbiologist and Chemist
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
EAST vs. WEST II Weigh-Ins Tonight!
Friday Jan 13,2006 6pm
WEIGH
INS!!
Boardriders,
Kailua @6PM Sharp!!
Friday
Jan 13,2006 @ Boardriders Kailua, we will be hosting EAST vs.
WEST 2nd Anniversary Weigh Ins. Come met the fighters take pictures
and sign autographs. 98.5 will be on hand for the weigh in LIVE.
Also, this is the last day to purchase Presale Tickets... what
ever is left!! To let you know about how fast the tickets are
going, 1500 were made and almost gone.. Just a reminder we are
only letting in 2,000 people.
For
ticket Outlets or Fight Information feel free to call or email
me at bdkamaka@comcast.net or 408-916-8082
|
Recovered,
Pequeno is back to train
The
biggest champion of the Shooto history, Alexandre Pequeno is
back to training after a surgery in his knee. Since the beginning
of January, the star of Shooto Brazil Dojo has been training
his ground skills with his pupils in Rio de Janeiro and earlier
today, he's done his first Muay Thai train, supervised by Toniko
Junior. "Now I'm working to improve my knee. But I'm 100%
recovered," stated Pequeno, who has been improving him physical
condition with trainer André Vinícius Aurnheimer.
Alexandre Pequeno was operated on last November 2 due to a broken
knee.
Source: Tatame
|
GFC
with Gracie vs. Hammer House
Announced by site TATAME in first hands, the event of the governor
of California and the "Terminator" Arnold Schwarzenegger
has already the date confirmed. The Gracie Fighting Championship
(GFC) will take place on March 3, in Colombus, Ohio (USA), and
will put face-to-face representatives of the Gracie family against
athletes of the team Hammer House, of Mark Colleman.
Black-belt
of Royler Gracie, Daniel
Moraes
can be one of the representatives of the Gracie family in the
competition. After the victory against Rodrigo Damm in the V
Brazilian Cyclone of Submission, in December, Daniel, said to
team TATAME that he would make his debut in Vale-Tudo in the
beginning of this year, in an event created by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Source: Tatame
|
Vitor
Shaolin:
Another
challenge ahead
Black-belt
of Jiu-Jitsu from Nova União, Vitor Shaolin is getting
ready for another challenge. On February 4, Shaolin returns to
Japan to fight at Mars against Japanese Eiji Mistsuoka, who already
defeated his teammate Gleidson Tibau. Because of it, Shaolin
will have to postpone his holidays. "I've never fought during
this season. so I will pass my Christmas and the New Years Eve
training hard and on diet," he said. Read more about the
Nova União star below.
You
are confirmed to fight in Japan in 2006. Tell us more about this
event...
I
am going to Japan on January 29 to fight on February 4, at Mars.
This event is a union of GMC with K-1, like Rumble on the Rock
made in Hawaii. I will face Eiji Mistsuoka, who already defeated
Gleidson Tibau.
So
you already know Mitsuoka's game?
Not
yet. Mitsuoka defeated Tibau fighting until 77kg, but we will
fight in the category until 70kg...despite of I have asked to
fight until 73kg. I will get the tape of his fight against Tibau
and I will study his game. This will happen soon.
How
will be your preparation?
I've
never fought during this holiday season, so I will pass my Christmas
and the New Years Eve training hard and on diet. I will just
eat one sweet "rabanada", but I will get there well
and I will conquer more one victory in more one different event
that I fight.
This
is a great chance to pride people see you in action. What do
you think about that?
I'm
not thinking about that. One day they will call me to fight there.
I don't know why they take so long, but one day they will call
me. But I hope that they have one person there to put me in the
Pride.
Talking
about Pride, we have Murilo Bustamante fighting Dan Henderson.
What are you expecting of this fight?
I'm
anxious to see Murilo fighting. That is a pity that the fight
won't pass by television, but I am sure Murilo will win. He made
so many things for the Jiu-Jitsu and for the Vale-Tudo. If he
wins, will be something really good, like was to Romario to be
the best player of the Brazilian soccer championship at age 40.
We
also have the belt dispute between Wanderlei Silva and Ricardo
Arona...
If
Arona trained hard, I can't see him losing to Wanderlei Silva.
I don't know Wanderlei, but I respect him a lot. I just don't
think his game had changed since the GP. Arona's game is not
very good for Wanderlei. Arona is really strong, explosive, he
beats and kicks strongly and he can put the adversary down really
well.
Source: Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"What
we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done
for others and the world remains and is immortal."
Albert Pike, 1809-1891, American Author
|
BEING
A FATHER OF FIVE & FIGHTING
Ronald ‘The Machine Gun’ Jhun takes on MMAWeekly’s
own Frank ‘Twinkle Toes’ Trigg in the opening round
of the Rumble on the Rock 8 welterweight tournament that kicks
off January 20th. Sixteen fighters in sixteen days is back by
popular demand with Ronald Jhun talking about his first round
match up with Frank Trigg.
Ronald
Jhun is a father of five and a full-time construction worker
trying to balance work, family life, and a fighting career. Ronald’s
had a roller coaster career in Mixed Martial Arts looking impressive
at times. His career has been marked by peaks and valleys and
is in a valley. He holds wins over Dave Strasser, Pete Spratt,
Shonnie Carter, Ryan Schultz, and ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
season two participants: Joe Stevenson and Jason Von Flue, early
in their careers. The last year and a half have been rough. Jhun
has lost four of his last five fights and is determined to make
Frank Trigg the beginning on an upward track.
With
five kids and a full-time job, can Ronald put in the time training
to be a serious fighter? He said, "I work construction,
so for me I feel that is a workout, doing the daily working:
climbing the ladder, carrying material; for me that’s like
a workout in a day. I come home at night and I train. I’ve
got a solid wife who takes care of the kids. She knows that I’ve
got to get into my training. She plays a big role in my fight
career."
Ronald continued, "I’ve been training at a high level
too, trying to step up my game. I guarantee it’s going to
end up in probably a greco-Roman fighting, dirty boxing fight
in the clinches . . . I think that whoever withstands the storm
and is in better shape is going too win that night."
Trigg
has commented that he plans to stand and trade with Jhun, but
Ronald isn’t buying it. He said, "They all say they’re
going to stand and they do something else, so . . . This is MMA.
I mean whatever he feels like doing. You’re out there to
fight. You stand and if you get hit, who knows? You take the
guy down. I just think Frank Trigg is going to bring a war."
Ronald
added, "Frank Trigg has fought the best in the world. Like
I said, I’ve always trained for a big fight no matter who
I take. Fighting someone like Trigg just steps my game up a notch.
I ain’t taking him light, and I hope he ain’t taking
me light."
Questioned what concerns him most about Frank Trigg, Jhun replied,
"I can’t say I ain’t concerned about Trigg. It’s
just more myself I’m worried about me showing up and me
reacting. Trigg has got a great wrestling background. He’s
a solid wrestler, always comes forward. Just being consistent.
Just me reacting to his movement out there, and trying to counter
his wrestling, and his stand up, and his Thai and all of that.
The thing that concerns me is that he’s unpredictable. If
you’ve watched his last three or four fights, he comes out
and fights to the style of the fighter . . . I mean he’s
unpredictable."
Jhun
feels he has one advantage over Frank Trigg and that it will
pay off in their fight. He commented, "You can’t question
my heart. Trigg, like I said, he brings it. I don’t think
Trigg has ever faced anyone like me, someone who never gives
up. I think that alone speaks volumes right there."
Jhun
brought up an interesting point about the pressure on him and
Trigg entering this fight. He said, "I think it’s better
for me than him because if he wins they’re going to say
Trigg should have won. If I win, I’m back on the map."
Asked
if there are holes in Trigg’s game that he can exploit,
Jhun answered, "A lot of fighters have holes in their armor.
Basically, at the level we fight, the first man that makes a
mistake and you capitalize on it. That’s basically what
I saw in his last few fights. Trigg was doing good. He made a
mistake and his opponent capitalized on it. If you don’t
recover and turn the fight around and capitalize on the other
guy’s mistakes, it could be short night for anybody."
Closing
out the interview, Jhun was asked his prediction for the fight.
He answered, "I’m not one to predict man. I expect
a war. Anytime I fight, my name is on a fight card, some big
things are going to happen."
Source: MMA Weekly |
FEDOR
VS JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAM
The following was reported on a few or the Russian websites this
week. This was taken from the European FightSport Magazine.
"After
the victorious fight on New Year's tournament PRIDE Fedor Emelianenko
has once again visited Paris under the invitation of the magazine
"FightSport" for carrying out of masters - classes.
American
actor Jean Claude Van Damme having learned(about his latest win)
about it from pages of magazine has invited Fedor Emelianenko
to a meeting and a dinner in one of the Parisian restaurants.
Jean
Claude appeared to be an old admirer of Fedor and saw practically
all his fights in tournaments of PRIDE. Van Damme has expressed
the interest about Fedor Emelianenko's participation in the second
part once very popular film "BloodSport".
Shootings
of the film are scheduled for August and September of 2006. After
exploratory talk of the his future producers of the film will
send the scripts and the contracts to Fedor for a role in the
movie.
Beforehand
we assure Fedor's fans, that in case of his(its) consent, Fedor's
participation in shootings the film will not be reflected by
his participation in tournaments or PRIDE Fighting Championships.
Source: MMA Weekly |
UFN
3 PREVIEW: LEBEN VS RIVERA
For the third edition of the UFC and SpikeTV’s Ultimate
Fight Night they have finally put together an inspiring card
that doesn’t have to rely solely on recent participants
of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Although Chris Leben is a season
one TUF veteran, his brotherhood is actually in the minority
for this show.
For
Ultimate Fight Night 3, the UFC has brought in some fighters
that have been in the UFC before and are earning their way back
to a shot at pay-per-view glory as well as some newer talent
that has yet to be seen in a UFC event. Leben’s opponent,
Jorge Rivera, falls into the first category.
In
September of 2003, Rivera made his successful Octagon debut,
launching himself into the ranks of the UFC middleweight contenders
by defeating Canadian, and now number one ranked middleweight,
David “The Crow” Loiseau. Maybe it was too much too
fast as Rivera then dropped his next bout, at UFC 46, to a very
tough Lee Murray. But Rivera wasted no time gaining entry back
into the UFC and took current champion Rich Franklin to the wire
before submitting to an arm bar less than a minute before the
final bell.
The
loss to Franklin again left Rivera on the outside of the Octagon
looking in, but it didn’t slow him down. The Massachusetts
Submission Academy fighter took the loss to heart and has gone
3-1 since, losing only to Anderson Silva and defeating the likes
of Dennis Hallman and Alex Reid. On January 16th, he finds himself
returning to the Octagon once again, this time to face Leben.
Following
a much different path to the UFC, Chris Leben will be making
his fourth UFC appearance since graduating from The Ultimate
Fighter. He may have lost twice on the reality show (those bouts
were counted as exhibitions and not declared on the fighters’
official records), but Leben has since gone 3-0 in the UFC with
the sole loss of his career coming at the hands of fellow UFC
veteran Joe Doerksen at the Freestyle Fighting Championships
in Biloxi, Mississippi.
At
first glance, and second glance, and third… you get the
picture… this fight appears to have all the makings of a
stand up war. Sure, Leben has trained for many years with Team
Quest and is also working with Matt Hume now up in Washington,
but make no bones about it, Leben is a strong kid that loves
to throw down. And when he throws down, he likes to throw bombs.
Just ask Mike Swick. Leben had his cage rattled by Swick in the
first round of their bout at WEC 9 before coming out in the second
and knocking Swick cold just 18 seconds in. Or talk to Benji
Radach about his broken jaw via the hands of Leben.
Then
again, this fight isn’t chalked up as a stand up battle
just because of Leben’s propensity to drop the hammer down.
Rivera is also known for his desire to trade blows. He and Loiseau
put on a veritable Muay Thai clinic in the fight that launched
Rivera’s UFC career and he and Franklin were knocking each
other silly before Franklin had finally had enough and went with
the arm bar instead. Yes, Rivera is schooled in submissions,
that much should be obvious considering his training with Keith
Rockel at the Massachusetts Submission Academy, but again, his
love is for the art of striking.
In
short, Leben and Rivera both like to stand and trade, both are
good at it, and that is what they will do. The question is only,
“Who’s stand up style will win out?” As stated,
Leben’s style is a much more raw, bone-crunching, power
game while Rivera has a much more Muay Thai-influenced technical
style. That’s not to say that Rivera can’t lay the
hammer down as well, it’s just that he looks much sharper
doing it.
This
is an important fight with the winner most liking putting himself
in position to challenge the winner of the Rich Franklin vs.
David Loiseau fight in March. Just who will win probably comes
down to a couple of different factors. Though both fighters have
a fair amount of experience and successes, Rivera is about eight
years older than Leben. His strength in maturity has been seen
as a week point in Leben’s game. The other factor is the
means with which each fighter uses to get to the end. Again,
while Leben’s power cannot be denied, his technical ability
is open to scrutiny while Rivera’s technique is sharp as
a razor, as are his elbows.
If
Leben can keep from getting cut up by Rivera’s slashing
style, not a given considering his fight with Kenny Florian on
TUF, or if he can land big early, he has a very good shot at
taking Rivera out and moving a step closer to title contention.
With the odds stacked a little more in his favor, Rivera’s
chin has passed the test before as witnessed by his fights with
both Loiseau and Franklin, and he should be able to land blows
at about a rate of three to every one of Leben’s. He probably
won’t be able to knock him out, but his style lends itself
to opening up fight ending cuts.
This
is a tough one to call. I’d lean in favor of technique over
brawn, but I wouldn’t lay any money down on this one. It
should be a classic battle with a good shot at “Fight of
the Night” honors.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"Jealousy is no more than feeling alone against smiling
enemies."
Elizabeth Bowen, 1899-1973, Irish Novelist and Short Story Writer
|
PUNISHMENT
IN PARADISE
EAST vs. WEST II
Friday Jan 13,2006 6pm
WEIGH
INS!!
Boardriders,
Kailua @6PM Sharp!!
Friday
Jan 13,2006 @ Boardriders Kailua, we will be hosting EAST vs.
WEST 2nd Anniversary Weigh Ins. Come met the fighters take pictures
and sign autographs. 98.5 will be on hand for the weigh in LIVE.
Also, this is the last day to purchase Presale Tickets... what
ever is left!! To let you know about how fast the tickets are
going, 1500 were made and almost gone.. Just a reminder we are
only letting in 2,000 people.
For
ticket Outlets or Fight Information feel free to call or email
me at bdkamaka@comcast.net or 408-916-8082
Tentative Fight Card
Lightweight MMA Bout
Kaleo
Kwon (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Kevin Smith (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
Lightweight
MMA Bout
Makoa
Hainake (Team MMAD, Kahuku) Vs. David Padilla (Jesus Is Lord,
Waipahu)
Middleweight
MMA Bout
Kimo
Wolfel (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Dylan Clay (Maui Freestyle
Jiu Jitsu)
163lbs.
MMA Bout
Kyle
Miyahana (Team MMAD, Kailua) Vs. PJ Dean (Bad Intentions, Waianae)
170
Kickboxing Bout
Bryon
Ingram (808 Fight Factory, Waipio) Vs. Wayne Perrin III (Bigdogs,
Waianae)
143lbs
MMA Bout
Chico
Cantiberas (Eastsidaz, Kailua) Vs. Gene Gregory (Mixed Bred,
Waipahu)
Heavyweight
MMA Bout
Kealoha
Emsley (Jus Rush, Kailua) Vs. Keahi Kuikahi (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
150lbs.
MMA Bout
Kaipo
Gonzales (Team MMAD, Kailua) Vs. Issac Ukiah (Mixed Bred, Waipahu)
Light
Heavyweight MMA Bout
Maui
Wolfgang (Team MMAD, Kailua) Vs Ron Verdadereo (Jesus Is Lord,
Waipahu)
145lbs
Kickboxing Bout
Jarret
Iha (Koden Kan, Kailua) Vs. Kapena Abilla (Valentino Kickboxing,
Hilo)
165lbs
MMA Bout
Jimmy
Nakamura (Koden Kan/JKD ,Kailua) Vs. Fatu Tuitafa(808 Fight Factory,
Waipahu)
Heavyweight
Kickboxing Bout
Hansen
Apo (Eastsidaz, Waimanalo) Vs. Val Ulafale (Team Bigdogs, Waianae)
140lbs
MMA Bout
Scott
Miyamoto (Team Koden Kan, Kailua) Vs. Isiah Cobb Adamms (Animal
House, Ewa Beach)
Flyweight
MMA Bout
Chas
Schmidt (Team MMMAD, Kailua) Vs. Jay Bolos (Freelance, Waipahu)
132lbs
Kickboxing Bout
Bronson
Mohika (808 Fight Factory, Waipahu) Vs. Devin Damo ‘Pihana
(Valentino K.B ,Ewa)
Welterweight
MMA Bout
Keoni
Bryant (Jus Rush, Kailua) Vs. Marshal Harvest (Animal House,
North Shore)
Lightweight
MMA Bout
John
Kukahiko (Koden Kan, Waimanalo) Vs. Shane Nelson (BJ Penn MMA,
Hilo)
Mahalo
& Happy New Year,
Brennan
Kamaka |
ROTR
8 World Championships Hosts 8-Man Welterweight Tournament at
Blaisdell Center Arena January 20th
Event
to Feature World’s Top MMA Athletes and Debut of Local Favorite
“Butterbean”
HONOLULU, HAWAI'I - Jan 09, 2006 On January 20th Rumble World
Entertainment, promoters of Hawai‘i’s largest and most
respected Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event Rumble on the Rock (ROTR),
will hold the first ever ROTR World Championships at the Blaisdell
Center Arena in Honolulu. The event will be the preliminary test
in an attempt to crown the first ROTR world champion at the highly
anticipated ROTR Welterweight Grand Prix in April 2006.
RWE
searched the world to find eight of the best welterweights in
MMA today. In Los Angeles they found UFC contender and World
Fighting Alliance (WFA) Champion ranked 5th in the world Frank
“Twinkle Toes” Trigg. In Brazil they found Cage Rage
Champion Anderson Silva and hailing from Japan is K-1 representative
Yushin Okami. Former UFC Champion Dave Menne, former Shooto champion
Jake Shields, New Mexico’s Carlos Condit, jiu-jitsu champion
and ROTR veteran Renato
“Charuto” Verissimo and former King of the Cage (KOTC) champion
Ron “Machine
Gun” Jhun
were also signed to give the ROTR 8 card a bevy of undisputed
champions.
To
top off the star-studded evening, two Superfights featuring ROTR
veteran and Hawai‘i football star Scott Junk as well as
Hawaiian knockout royalty Wesley “Cabbage” Correira
against Eric “Butterbean” Esch will draw the event
to a close with Superfights that are the kind that make MMA history.
Promoters
are hopeful that bringing these legends to Hawai‘i’s
shores will help to further Hawai‘i’s appreciation
of MMA and the caliber of fighters coming to compete in the tournament.
According to JD Penn, “The athletes we’ve signed for
this event are the very best in the sport right now, the top-
ranked group in the welterweight division today. We originally
scheduled this event for November but postponed it so that we
could bring the fans a card packed with the world’s best.
We’ve put together a card we’re proud of and we hope
that the fans enjoy it,” he said.
In
the first match-up of the evening, Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert
and coach to BJ Penn, Renato “Charuto” Verissimo (5-2) will take on
the up-and-coming Carlos Condit (13-2). Verissimo, ranked #6
in the world, is known to be the most technical in his division
holding victories over Carlos Newton in the UFC and Yuichi Nakanishi
in ROTR 7. Condit is a rising star with recent wins over Ross
“Da Boss” Ebanez in a ROTR Qualifier event in November
2005 as well as Pete Spratt in a recent kickboxing match.
Hawai‘i’s
most experienced professional fighter Ronald “Machine Gun” Jhun (23-15-2) will take
on former WFA champion Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg in
the second match-up of the evening. A former KOTC champion, Jhun
is considered to be a heavy underdog. Trigg, known for his flashy
antics and exciting style, is currently ranked #5 in the world
after beating Verissimo in UFC #50. A possible re- match between
Trigg and Verissimo in April’s ROTR Grand Prix Championships
is highly anticipated.
The
third match-up of the evening will bring together Dave Menne
(38-12) and Jake Shields (11-4-1). Menne, UFC’s first-ever
middleweight champion, is arguably the most skilled and experienced
tournament fighter and will move down a weight class to take
on former Shooto champion Shields who is currently ranked #9
in the world.
Former
Shooto Champion, current Cage Rage champion and Pride veteran
Anderson Silva (14-3) of Brazil will compete against K-1 representativeYushin
Okami (13-2) of Japan. Silva who is ranked #1 in the middleweight
division will drop a weight class and attempt to capture the
ROTR Welterweight Grand Prix Title. Standing in his way is Demolition
of Octagon Gear champion and K-1 rival Yushin Okami.
Two
Superfights will draw the evening to a close. The first will
feature the comeback of football star Scott Junk who returns
to ROTR after his impressive debut against UFC veteran Ricco
Rodriguez at ROTR 7.
The
final Superfight of the evening will be between two knockout
artists likely to cause fireworks in the Blaisdell Arena. With
a professional record of 63 wins and 3 losses, Eric “Butterbean”
Esche of Alabama will make his transition into MMA against Hilo’s
Wesley “Cabbage” Correira (17-8). Nicknamed the “King
of four-rounders” and “The man Mike Tyson refused to
fight,” Butterbean proved to be very popular in K-1’s
World Grand Prix event in May 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.
Hawai‘i fans were so impressed with Butterbean that RWE
promoters decided to bring him back to compete in ROTR.
Rising
off three straight wins in October, November and December 2005,
Cabbage is on a warpath with a vengeance. The relentless 27-year-old
Hilo native has come to be known for a willingness to accept
bouts with some of the toughest fighters in the sport today.
The heavyweight Superfight between Butterbean and Cabbage promises
serious knockout power when one of the most famous boxers of
our time will make his debut against a Hilo boy who just wants
to scrap.
The
evening’s grueling tournament promises to bring the action
and excitement that has made ROTR the fastest-growing event in
the U.S. and Hawai‘i’s premiere MMA event. The event
will be held under MMA rules with three, five-minute rounds held
in an octagon-shaped cage. A press conference will be held Thursday,
January 19 at Ala Moana Centerstage at 5pm. On January 20, doors
to the Blaisdell Center Arena will open at 6pm.
The
event will also feature world-renown Polynesian entertainment
group Malu Productions, known for their Snoop Dogg video performance
on MTV as well as their performances with the NFL and the Hawai‘i
International Film Festival. Malu Productions highlight the Polynesian
dance styles of Tahiti, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa.
Tickets
to ROTR 8 can be purchased at the Blaisdell Box Office, at www.ticketmaster.com,
or by calling Ticketmaster toll-free at 1-877-750-4400. Tickets
are priced at $35, $60, $100, $200, and $300 Up-to- date event
news can be found by visiting www.rumbleontherock.com.
ROTR
8 will be broadcast on Canadian pay-per-view and worldwide Internet
pay-per-view on January 21 by visiting www.rumbleontherock.com and clicking on “RumbleVision.”
About
Rumble World Entertainment
Rumble World Entertainment (RWE) is a Hawai‘i-based entertainment
company who produces Rumble on the Rock (ROTR), ROTR Qualifiers,
and RumbleVision. In less than two years, RWE, formerly Prodigy
Productions, has taken ROTR from a small Hilo-based show to a
globally recognized event broadcast in 90 countries including
Japan Pay-Per-View and U.S. Pay- Per-View. Known as Hawai‘i’s
premiere MMA event, ROTR draws record audiences of 12,000. RWE
hopes to bring their events to California and Las Vegas in the
near future.
Website:
http://www.rumbleontherock.com
Source: Rumble World Entertainment |
One
Bout Added to UFC 57
UFC
57 - One Bout Added
February 4, 2006
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
Full
Line-up:
Heavyweight
Bout - New bout
Keith Jardine vs. Mike Whitehead
Heavyweight
Bout
Jeff Monson vs. Branden Lee Hinkle
Heavyweight
Bout
Paul Buentello vs. Gilbert Aldana
Heavyweight
Bout
Brandon Vera vs. Justin Eilers
Light
Heavyweight Bout
Alessio Sakara vs. Elvis Sinosic
Light
Heavyweight Bout
Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs. Mike Van Arsdale
Heavyweight
Bout
Frank Mir vs. Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz
Welterweight
Bout
Nick Diaz vs. Joe Riggs
Light
Heavyweight Title Bout
Champion Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture
==============================
UFC
58 - Sneak Peak
Welterweight
Bout
George
St. Pierre vs. BJ
Penn
Middleweight
Bout
Rich
Franklin vs. David Loiseau
Source: MMA Weekly |
CONVERSATIONAL
BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
Brazilian Portuguese
(Brazil) Sat 06/11 - 07/23 21
8:30-11:30 a.m.
$21
Room U202
"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience
with yourself. Do not lose courage in CONVERSATIONAL BRAZILIAN
PORTUGUESE
NUTSHELL
COURSE DESCRIPTION
With concentration on everyday, modern Brazilian usage, special
attention is paid to quickly gain understanding of polite, informal
and colloquial language, verb conjugations, past & present
tenses, masculine-feminine nouns & adjectives (big obstacles
in Romance language-learning) with goals of attaining native
pronunciation and fluency of speech. Brazilian regional variations
in pronunciation and vocabulary are recognized.
This
class is ideal for:
1) Those interested in travel to Brazil
2) English speakers with Brazilian friends/spouses/partners
3) Practitioners of Brazilian martial arts (Capoeira, Jiu Jitsu)
4) Speakers/students of other Latin-derived languages.
ABOUT
THE INSTRUCTOR:
Sandy
Tsukiyama de Oliveira, a Honolulu native, was drawn to the musical
culture of Brazil while studying for her BA in Ethnomusicology
at UH Manoa in the 1970s.
Portuguese language studies were at UH-Manoa with Dr. Stefan
Baciu, and at Windward Commnunity School for Adults with Cecy
de Souza Browne. Sandy worked as a Spanish & Portuguese-speaking
tour escort for over 10 years, receiving hands-on experience
in the language locally while promoting the Hawaii visitor industry.
She
lived in Rio de Janeiro, from 1980-83; spending the first year
at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Escola de Música
on Rotary International Post-Graduate Fellowship for International
Understanding, afterward working as a vocalist in upscale restaurant/bars
and teaching English.
Performing
in Brazilian music groups (The Rio Trio, Mistura, Banda Carioca)
after her return to Hawaii, Sandy maintained her contact with
Brazilian culture in the community while pursuing education in
simultaneous conference interpretation at UH Manoa Center for
Interpretation and Translation Studies. She then continued in
the field of Secondary Education, receiving certification for
Spanish and Special Education.
Sandy
has worked freelance as an English/Spanish/Portuguese interpreter/translator,
as well as in Federal and State courts, for the Honolulu Police
Dept., US Immigration and Naturalization Service, various international
conferences, is on staff for the Bilingual Access Line of Helping
Hands Hawaii and is a member of the Hawaii Interpreters and Translators
Assn.
Currently a Special Education teacher at Roosevelt High School,
she has been teaching Portuguese at FCSA for the past four years.
TEXTBOOK:
Fala Brazil! Português Para Estrangeiros
by Pierre Coudry & Elizabeth Fontão (Pontes Editores)
Accompanying cassettes/CD available
RECOMMENDED
SUPPLEMENTAL BOOKS:
501
Portuguese verbs
by John J. Nitti & Michael J. Ferreira (Barron's)
Portuguese
Verbs and Essentials of Grammar
by Sue Tyson-Ward (Passport Books)
For
information on registration, location, dates, fees & class
times, please visit the Farrington Community School for Adults
website:
http://fcsa.k12.hi.us
or call: (808)832-3595
|
|