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April News Part 2

 4/19/02

Quote of the Day

"A man on a mission is far different from a drone on a deadline."

Rheta Grimsley Johnson

AFC 2

Amateur Fighting Competition 2
http://www.afchawaii.com
Thursday, May 23, 2002
7:00 PM
Blaisdell Center
Honolulu, Hawaii

$25 in advance
$27 on the day of the event
$40 ringside

Hawaii's toughman contest returns in its second event. Come see amateur boxers and tough guys battle it out in exciting stand up matches! Buy your tickets now!

Super Brawl Match Up #5

Jason Lambert 10-2
5-11, 245, Apple Valley, Ca.
Ted Williams Combat Grappling
Vs.
Ron Faircloth 5-3
5-11, 235, Madison, WS
Freestyle Academy of MA


Lambert's impressive record is matched only by his talent. Fighting out of Ted Williams Combat Grappling, look for him to be a seasoned pro who will be amongst the favorites to make the finals.

Faircloth is another Dave Strasser trained fighter. He is rough and can do damage from both the top and bottom. What he lacks in weight (235lbs is light in this behemoth field) he makes up for in heart.

International Martial arts Boxing
Seminar with
RICHARD BUSTILLO

A member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame - Instructor of the Year Award, the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Pioneer Award, and the Filipino Martial Arts Hall of Fame - Life Time Achievement Award, has the distinction of being certified as a law enforcement defensive tactics instructor with the FBI, LAPD, and the LASD. Sigung Bustillo is a senior instructor of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do and a recognized 9th degree rank and Grandmaster with the fame Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima of Cebu, PI.

Saturday & Sunday, June 1 & 2, 2002
Gold's Gym
(across Advertiser Building)
768 South St., Honolulu, Hawaii

The hands-on training is not designed to compete against your style but will compliment all levels from beginner to advanced. We will not teach you only martial art techniques. We will teach you to be able to develop it. We call this process Jeet Kune Do. Evolve with change for a simple and practical seminar. Under age 18 must have prior approval to attend. No spectators or video allowed. Come see why Richard Bustillo is one of the most acclaimed and sought after martial artist and Instructor.

Jeet Kune Do
Saturday Morning @ 9 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Bruce Lee's basic footwork, hand/foot speed, explosive power and strength drills, philosophies, and training concepts to enhance the three combat ranges below.

Muay Thai/Boxing
Saturday: 1 P.M. to 3:30 PM
Offense/defense/counter drills on Boxing and Muay Thai techniques. Understand knee/elbow/punch/kick techniques with Thai pads for self defense and sport.

Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima
Sunday Morning @ 9 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Bring double stick and single stick for training drills for Pangamot (empty hand), Agaw (disarming), Dumog (grappling), and Pormas (forms).

Kali/Eskrima/Arnis
Sunday Afternoon @ 1 P.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Dangerous edge weapon awareness, Standing grappling against weapons, Ground grappling against weapons.

Fee:
$75.00/Pre-registration by June 1, 2002
$85.00/Door fee, $55.00/per day
(Special Rates for Law Enforcement Personnel, HAMA & Brazilian Freestyle JJ Members: $65/both days; $45/per day)

Contact:
Honolulu Academy of Martial Arts
Sifu James Tanaka
(808) 223-9363
jkt@lava.net

HISTORY IS MADE IN LONDON
Dana White and Dale Adams sign the UK UFC contract,
17th March 2002

Just a little after eleven thirty in the Sports Café, Haymarket, London, after an impressive video presentation about the history of the UFC, Dana White and Dale Adams did what many people feared would never happen here in the UK - they signed a contract allowing the UFC to be held in the United Kingdom on Saturday 13th July at the Royal Albert Hall and thus securing themselves a place in the history books. The UFC joined forces with BAMMA, a UK MMA association, headed by Dale Adams and Mark Woodard, with all fights sanctioned under the BAMMA professional fighters rules and code of conduct.

I remember a number of years ago, talking to fighters and promoters alike at events in the UK, of how they would long to see an event such as the UFC in the UK; many voiced their concerns stating that the local authorities would never grant such an event, and as for the fights being held in a cage, no way Jose. In 2002, all this has changed, thanks to promoters such as Paddy Mooney, Andy Foreman and Andy Jardine, whose respective shows Cage Wars and Millennium Brawl are now being held in the very creations many people were confident UK fans would never get to see - who says we have not made progress?

The press conference was filled with broadsheet and tabloid journalists and all the major UK lifestyle magazines, as well as many MMA reporters and players, all eager to say that they were there for such a historic occasion; Dana White was joined on stage by Ian Freeman, Leigh Remedios, Mark Weir and Carlos Newton, who answered questions from the audience and it was Leigh Remedios who stole the limelight. When asked about his fight with Sudo, Remedios brought down the house answering in typical fashion, 'on paper he's a lot better than me and seems some kind of superman, so I'm just going to go out there and bang him out.' After an excellent display of MMA fighting by Rough House gym fighters Paul Sutherland and Mark Collett. It was also refreshing to see that strange breed of creature, the managers and promoters, put their differences to one side and make a united effort, by actually communicating with one another and, dare I say, getting on with one another.

A number of fights were confirmed at the press conference, namely Mark Weir versus Eugene Jackson; Leigh Remedios versus Genki Sudo; Ian Freeman versus Frank Mir, who was absent from the conference and a rematch between Carlos Newton and Matt Hughes; will we see a double knockout once more in the Octagon?

In his opening speech, Dana White said 'We are very excited to be holding our first UFC event here in the UK at the legendary Royal Albert Hall; my company Zuffa bought the UFC a year and a half ago and we have been very aggressive in not only making it the premier event in the US, but also around the world. We have just had our first event in Japan the last weekend and was more successful than we'd anticipated and now we plan on having the same success in the UK.'

So there you have it; Dana has set out his stall and with an aggressive marketing campaign now set in motion, Zuffa are confident that the Royal Albert Hall will be at full capacity; Sky Box Office are working closely with Zuffa and the show will be available on PPV for £14, but for the best experience, garb your tickets now and be part of history in the making.

INTERVIEW: Ricardo Pires (Frank Mir's Manager)
Submitted by: Marcello Tetel

Ricardo Pires is well known nowadays as the coach of a real good fighter: Frank Mir. Since Mir started training with Pires 2 years ago, Mir fought NHB 3 times and his fights lasted less than 15 minutes all together, with two victories in under a minute. Mir credits Pires for this work so let's get to know Ricardo Pires.....

Starting from the beginning, when did you start to teach Jiu-Jitsu?
I started with Marcus Soares (Carlson Gracie student) back in 1978 in Copacabana.

Where are your roots?
I have trained with few different guys like Marcus Soares, Jorge Vazenlota, Ricardo Cavalcanti, Ricardo Liborio and Aloisio Silva but I've learned and got my black-belt from Sergio Penha.

Did you compete or coach more?
I competed and I am 2x times Pan American Champion, 2x times brazilian nationals champion and 2x times Rio de Janeiro Champion and l am not mentioning smaller tournaments!

When did you move to Vegas?
I moved to Vegas in 2000.

Why?
I was tired of the brazilian economy and I talked to Penha about open a school and he told me to go to Vegas, he has all his in-laws living here. So I decided to come.

How long has Frank Mir trained with you?
He is training with me for 2 years now, like 4 hours a day for all those two years.

Do you have other young guns coming?
Yes.

Who are they?
Chad Davis is the one to keep eyes on.

How's your team doing competing?
We competed most of the west coast tournaments last year and we did very well.

Is it true UFC board is training with you?
Yes, but they are not coming too often right now, due to a lot of work with the UFC.

How do you Frank's fight against Freeman in London?
I've been preparing Frank to be closer as possible to a complete fighter, so we only decide during the fight.

Is there any other UFC fighter training under you?
Yes.

Which rules do you feel better, Pride or UFC?
I thing that they should combine both rules, they both have thinks to be changed.

Do you feel nervous when Frank is fighting?
Man, you have no idea how nervous l get.

Frank was the first Jiu-Jitsu guy to fight another BJJ guy. how do you feel about that?
Not good at all! You know that we, brazilians, think as one and have an american fighting a brazilian in the same style is not good.

Did you receive any criticism on it?
Yes, but it's over now.

Few people know but Frank is like a son to you, training with you, sharing most part of his day with you and even more, living in your house. Describe what feelings you have when he fights.
I am not that old (37) but l like Frank like a son. When he fights l feel like my responsibilities triple so my feelings on his wins is not like a trainer, it's more like a family.

How's your academy going?
Students are already asking me to get a bigger place so l guess is doing very well.

What's the future plans?
I really don't think about the future that much, l try to make sure that l do the right thinks in the present so what l am doing in the present will reflect somehow in the future.

With Barnett probably leaving UFC, Frank is closer to a title shot than before. Do you think it will happen within this year?
In order for him to get in there l have to say like l said, let's take care of the present and the present now is Ian Freeman.

Any other words?
I'd like to thank all my students that showed a lot of team work, without them this could not happen and I also would like to thank Sergio Penha for sharing with me all his techniques.

Source: Abu Dhabi

Macaco's Return
By Eduardo Alonso
Photos by Joel Gold

Jorge Macaco Patino is one of the most controversial and charismatic NHB fighters in Brazil, and has been this way ever since his first battles with Pele Landi several years ago. Wherever Macaco is fighting, he brings excitement to the event. The last MECA event in Curitiba, where he fought RVT member Gustavo Ximu, was no exception. In a conversation held before his fight at MECA, Macaco shared a lot of his views on fighting, training and a fighter's behavior. Unfortunately, Patino ended up losing his fight against Ximu by submission, but it was still very interesting to review this interview and share it with FCF's readers, because Macaco is really an interesting character and he surely will be around the NHB game for a long time. The Octagon awaits...

FCF: You are already a well known fighter abroad, but you spend a good amount of time without fighting in the major events, only training and helping your students. How was it for you to stay away from the ring for such a long time?
JMP: Well, the last event that I fought was Deep, in January 2001. Then I suffered an injury on my left hand, I broke the capsule of my hand hitting the opponent's face and the also hitting the ring. From then on, I have been working with my students. I have been working on my cardio, my techniques, and focusing on my students. But, if something came up, I would fight! I already had a fight abroad scheduled for this year and the MECA invitation came about. MECA is very important here in Brazil, and my students can watch me, so I need to work here inside Brazil too. It's here that I make my money. When you go to fight abroad, you don't have students there. But here I have students. So I have to put my neck on the line! I make a living out of this, and I like it. Besides, MECA is for sure the biggest NHB event in Brazil, and if I'm not in it, I'm losing! Rudimar [Fedrigo] opened the doors for me, and got me a very tough fight against Ximu. So, may the best man win!

FCF: You have been to some previous MECA editions, bringing your students over to fight. This is the first time that you will actually fight in the event. How can you compare both experiences?
JMP: I can only congratulate Rudimar on the event's organization, and the Chute Boxe team for the great reception they always give us! We always participated in the event, from the first MECA to the fourth! We only haven't been here in the fifth. Now we're back to MECA, with Luiz Azeredo and myself. Azeredo already won two times in MECA, and he's coming for his third fight at the event. My students have been working very hard, and you know that it's not easy to step inside the ring. It's very tough! You need very tough psychological work. There are some days that everything will go right for you, and there are others that nothing will go right. As a fighter, I know that, because it happens to me a lot of times! I trained the whole year, I'm more than ready, but when I step into the ring I get kind of locked. But I'm relaxed, and I'll try to do a good work there. I have Jesus in my heart, and thank God we had a great reception once again. All the guys from the Chute Boxe team gave us a great support, and we're here to add something to the event.

FCF: Everybody knows what you're capable on the ground, but you have been training a lot of Muay Thai lately. Are you already feeling more comfortable to trade now?
JMP: Since I have been training Muay Thai with Luiz Azeredo for more than a year and a half now, we have been hitting each other for that long, I could do a good showing of my stand up in Japan. I traded a lot of strikes with my opponent at Deep, I was able to hit him with several punches and kicks, but I couldn't knock him out because he was very tough indeed! He was a real Samurai. He was much bigger and stronger than me. As for my fight with Ximu, let's see what happens. It'll be like a major test. He is also a stand-up fighter, which I wasn't in the past, but I'm becoming one now! So I'll look for the stand-up fight. I'll look to fight in his style... let's trade! It'll be all or nothing, let's do the event's show. I came here to give a show! Let's brawl standing up and the best will win! If I have the chance to take the fight to the ground, I'll take it to the ground. But I'll trade standing up first.

FCF: What do you expect for your career after this fight at MECA 6? Do you have any plans to fight abroad?
JMP: First of all I would like to thank everybody at the Cleber Luciano academy for all the support. Every time that I go there they treat me very well. My cousin Lili is married to Cleber Luciano, and we do good work there. My cousin is my manager, and she always gets the fights abroad for me. As a matter of fact in 2000 I had 17 wins, and I fought seven times abroad. In 2001, I fought 3 times abroad, and I won the Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championship. So, MECA gives you the opportunity to go to PRIDE, and I already have a fight signed with the UFC. I'm only waiting to finish my work here to be able to work on that.

FCF: You had a big rivalry with Pele in the past, but nowadays you two get along very well. Do you fear that the fans from Curitiba, Pele's hometown, will be all against you in the fight?
JMP: We're, Pele and I, both professionals. Inside the ring we will try to beat the hell out of each other, we hate each other! But outside of the ring we're professionals. We talk, eat together, and shake hands and stuff like that! This is the life of a real fighter. Outside the ring we're regular people just like anyone. And inside the ring we do our work. Since I'm a very charismatic fighter, I don't worry about the crowd. I have a very good psychological aspect. I'm sure the crowd will scream and call me names, because this is part of the event. But as much as they scream, it gives me even more strength in the fight. I like it! But I'll also have my supporters here. There are some buses with my supporters coming from Sao Paulo to watch the show. I love when the crowd from Curitiba calls my name! This is part of the event, and it helps promote the sport, and this proves that I'm alive in the sport. I'm not the sort of guy who talks a lot but doesn't put his neck on the line. Currently I have 25 fights, with 20 knockouts in under a minute! I also have 4 losses and a draw. If you take a close look among the Brazilian fighters, I'm one of the fighters with more fights on their records. Besides that, my defeats only helped me to learn from my mistakes and improve my game.

FCF: The best of luck for you, and thanks for the interview!
JMP: It was my pleasure.

Source: FCF

 4/18/02

Quote of the Day

"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't."

Erica Jong

Super Brawl Updated TV Schedule on K5

Friday, April 19, 12pm Super Brawl 23 part 1 (including Cabbage/Bruzzi, Wang/Tsuruya, Demotta/Light)

Friday, April 26, Super Brawl 23 part 2 (Including Inoue/DaSilva, Vitale/Drexel, Tyler/Matsune)

Super Brawl Match Up #4

Ben Rothwell 12-1
6-5, 270
Knsh, WS
Freestyle Academy
vs.
Curtis Crawford 1-1
6-2, 240,
Portland, OR
Team Quest


Rothwell earned a spot in Super Brawl 24 by winning the 8-man qualifying tournament in Des Moines, Iowa in March. Trained by Dave Strasser, he is well rounded and will certainly be one of the favorites to win it all.
Crawford is a kick-boxer who trains with former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and the rest of Team Quest. With lethal hands and wrestling and submission instruction from some of the best in the business, he will be a formidable opponent for anybody in this tourney.

UFC Official Press Release

LAS VEGAS, April 9: Officials of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today announced that tickets, £100, £75 and £50, will go on sale Wednesday, April 10, for its first European fight show to be held Saturday, July 13, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Tickets are available at the Royal Albert Hall box office, at all Ticket Master outlets in the United Kingdom, by calling Ticket Master at 011-44-020-7316-4709, or on the internet at www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

The event also will be available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America and Brazil on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu , Viewers Choice Canada and Globosat Programadora LTDA pay-per-view television. It also will be televised on WOWOW-TV in Japan. The fight will be televised live at 7 p.m. (BST, British Summer Time) on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and on a tape-delayed basis in the other countries. Viewing dates and program schedules will be announced. The suggested retail price in North America is $29.95.

A full fight card will be announced but Heavyweight Ian Freeman (10-4-1 in Mixed Martial Arts) of Sunderland, England, will meet Frank Mir (4-0-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., and Middleweight Mark Weir (12-0-0) of Gloucester, England, will fight an opponent to be named.

“We are really excited about bringing the UFC to the United Kingdom for our first fight in Europe. The viewership for our weekly television show on Sky Sports since February has been excellent and we are looking forward to bringing the UFC live to thousands of U.K. fight fans,” said Dana White, UFC president.

The UFC airs a one-hour show, Ultimate Fighting Championship, at 11 p.m. (BST) each Thursday on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). It is soon to be expanded to two hours.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world’s leading mixed martial arts sports company. It is owned and operated by Zuffa LLC and has distribution agreements with WOWOW, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England, and Globosat Programadora LTDA and Sportv in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a sport that brings together the world’s most talented mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes from disciplines such as karate, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion.

Gardner faces long odds, but no submission

By Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY

Rulon Gardner holds the snowmobile boots that were cut from his feet after his ordeal in the forest. Mount Wagner, shown in the background, was his destination.

AFTON, Wyo. — Jessica Gardner leans into the driver's side window, glances toward the floor and asks her uncle the question he always hears first. "How's your foot?" "It's good," he says. "Wanna see my toe?" Rulon Gardner reaches toward the back of his extended-cab pickup for a plastic container sitting in a cupholder. In it is his right middle toe. Gardner also keeps his 2000 Olympic gold medal in the truck, in a handmade, wood-framed glass case cloudy with hundreds of fingerprints. The medal used to be the main attraction in this diesel-powered traveling museum. The story of how Gardner won it by wrestling seemingly unbeatable Russian Alexander Karelin into submission was his calling card. Two months ago, through a night spent in unforgiving darkness and Jack London-like cold and darkness, that changed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stories Relive Gardner's triumph in Sydney
2001 World Championship: Another gold

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Feb. 14, Gardner and two friends went snowmobiling in the Salt River Range, a rugged group of mountains that run south of Wyoming's famous Tetons and rise to the east of Afton, Gardner's hometown.

One friend, Danny Schwab, turned back early to attend his daughter's basketball game. Schwab was the only one carrying matches and other survival equipment. Gardner and the third man, Trent Simkins, became separated about 4 p.m. Soon after, Gardner steered his snowmobile down a steep ravine and, inadvertently, into the Salt River.

More than 17 hours later — hours marked by creeping time and fears as well as temperatures that dipped to 20-below — a helicopter lifted Gardner out of the snow. His body temperature was 88 degrees when he arrived at the hospital. His boots were caked with ice. His feet were so severely frostbitten doctors immediately feared he would lose all of his toes and, perhaps, part of his feet.

Instead, Gardner has lost only one toe and none of the bullishness that turned this dairy farmer's son into a 285-pound world-beater.

Grappling with comeback obstacles

"I intend to watch him at the next Olympics," says Timothy Thurman, the plastic surgeon doctor overseeing his care at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, a two-hour drive from Afton. "I don't think we're going to hold him back."

Wrestling's world championships are in Moscow this year, in September. Gardner, 30, would like to be there, defending the world title he won in December. He doesn't know if he'll make it because since he must compete at world team trials in June to qualify. He does know this: Determination alone cannot carry him.

"My feet will determine when I wrestle again. My mind — even though I want to and even though it's strong — is not the one in charge here," he says.

Thurman is hesitant to predict when Gardner will be able to return to the mat. The only thing definite is that Gardner, a four-time national champion, will miss the U.S. championships next week in Las Vegas.

"A lot of guys would have quit after they beat Karelin. You can't get much better than that," says Steve Fraser, USA Wrestling's national team coach.

Gardner's mom, Virginia, says what everyone thinks when they hear of her son's desire to return to heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestling. She points to a picture hanging on the wall in the family's living room. Gardner and Karelin are standing in a clutch.

"You use your feet," Virginia says. "You've got to have that for traction."

Says Fraser: "The toes are very important, but how important, I don't really know. If he gets on them and they're really painful for pushing, that might affect him. If there's no pain, and he's just missing that middle toe, I don't think he's going to miss a beat."

Seven of Gardner's toes have undergone skin grafts to replace dead tissue. The right big toe still has a 2-inch pin in it, to restrict movement while it heals. It is the toe that has Thurman the most concerned. He said he doesn't expect Gardner to lose any more toes.

Gardner's right foot is worse than his left because he removed the sock from his left foot before it froze. His hands got so cold while doing it that he decided to leave on his right sock.

Rulon's experience

In the early afternoon of Feb. 14, Gardner and two friends drove into the foothills of the Salt River Range. Their goal was to snowmobile to the top of Mount Wagner. They didn't make the peak. Gardner spent the night alone in 20-below temperatures:

1 p.m.: Gardner, Danny Schwab and Trent Simkins set out along the banks of Cottonwood Creek.

3:30 p.m.: Schwab turns back to go to his daughter's basketball game. He is the only one of the group carrying matches and survival equipment.

4 p.m.: Gardner and Simkins become separated when Gardner decides to navigate a steep ravine.

4:20 p.m.: Gardner plunges through ice into the Salt River and spends the next 25 minutes pulling his 800-pound snowmobile out. He then finds that his cell phone has no signal.

4:45 p.m.: Simkins senses Gardner is in trouble and goes back for help.

4:45-6:45 p.m.: Gardner works his way southwest along the river but must stop as darkness falls.

7 p.m.: Gardner takes a soaked sock off his left foot, but that leaves his hands so cold that he decides to leave his right sock on.

8:30 p.m.: First search party sets out. Gardner checks his watch and decides not to check again until he thinks daylight is near.

12:30 a.m.: Gardner checks his watch, thinking eight hours have elapsed.

2 a.m.: Gardner hears snowmobile search team. But it's stalled by beaver dams about 2 miles north. At 2:45, Gardner hears the team turn back.

6:30 a.m.: At daylight, Gardner starts walking before realizing he should stay in one place.

7:10 a.m.: Gardner sees search plane. A coat is tossed down, but Gardner never reaches it, instead drifting in and out of sleep.

9:20 a.m.: A helicopter lands. Gardner crawls to reach it.

9:40 a.m.: Gardner arrives at Star Valley Medical Center in Afton. Doctors use a cast saw to take off his boots, which are caked in ice.

He keeps both feet bandaged and wears cast shoes while walking gingerly — "like a penguin," he says. Several times a week, the bandages come off and a team of wound-care specialists poke and prod at his toes before changing the dressings. "It hurts, but it's one of those things where you accept your punishment. I made a bad mistake," Gardner says.

Gardner had no coat the night he was stranded. He had tights and snowmobile bibs on his legs, and a ski mask on his face. On his upper body, he was wearing a T-shirt, a sweatshirt and a fleece top. His feet were the only parts of his body to get frostbite.

The T-shirt, full of holes and tears, has become a symbol of his survival. He sometimes wears it during it while getting his treatments on his feet.

"There were some mistakes made," says Gardner's dad, Reed, who has spent nights in the Wyoming backcountry while on hunting trips, "but he did lots of things right or he wouldn't be here."

When Rulon took cat naps through the night, he positioned himself uncomfortably against trees so that he would wake up from the pain. He stood as often as he could, to maintain circulation in his toes.

"I just said: ‘Hey, you're in for a challenge, you're in for a battle. You do or you don't. You survive or you don't.' I said, ‘There's no way that I'm going to die on this mountain,'" Gardner says.

Near the spot where Rulon was found, Reed says, rescuers discovered a Hereford cow who had starved to death, with her calf, still alive, at her side.

Rulon didn't see the cow. He remembers waking up after seeing visions of Jesus and of an older brother who died more than 20 years ago. He remembers wanting a hot shower, repeatedly. He remembers "just letting myself think of my wrestling career and the future I had to go back to."

His wrestling future rests on the recovery of his scarred, inflammed toes. His present is spent shuttling between treatments, keeping his schedule of motivational speeches and revisiting the warm embrace of his small-town upbringing.

Most days, he's in Idaho Falls, calling a Hampton Inn home. For several weeks, he also made trips to Pocatello, to sit in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The oxygen helps stimulate healing.

Carrying Olympic message anew

By early March, he was back on the speaking circuit, addressing the National 4-H Council in Washington, D.C., and the National Pork Industry in Denver while in a wheelchair. Gardner mentions his night in the mountains during his motivational speeches, but it hasn't become central to his message.

The victory over Karelin, who before the 2000 Games had not lost in 13 years, still is his hook. His University of Nebraska degree in physical education, earned despite learning disabilities, still is his prime example of his doggedness.

"I haven't overcome this obstacle yet," he explains.

When he can, Gardner drives home to Afton, home to 1,818 people and the "World's Largest Elkhorn Arch," which spans a section of Main Street.

Situated in sprawling Star Valley, Afton has all the welcome trappings of a small town. In the spring, it's hard to imagine what a cold shoulder winter in western Wyoming can be.

Benton Smith, a natural resource manager at the local U.S. Forest Service office, calls the part of Bridger-Teton National Forest that Gardner and his friends ventured into "mean, high country."

Last week, Gardner made his first trip since the fateful night to an overlook of the area. "It doesn't seem like I'm back here, because I'm not in the situation," he says. "Now it's springtime. It's a little eerie."

The sun is warming the snow into rivulets. The thousands of snowmobile tracks that crisscross the Salt River Range are fading into the greening groundcover. The signs that welcome "sled heads" to Afton, a town with a snowmobile in every yard, are out of season.

They'll come down, but the ones that proclaim Afton to be the "Home of Rulon Gardner, 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist" won't. Throughout town, banners stretch across fences and restaurant fronts. One greets visitors to the Gardner's farm, south on the southern edge of town.

"We're just lazy around here. We don't take 'em down," Reed Gardner says.

Rulon sees no need. After he wins the 2004 Olympics, he says, everyone simply can replace the last zero in "2000 Olympic Gold Medalist" with a four.

"I have nothing to lose," Gardner says. "I've lived my whole life reaching for a dream. Why stop reaching now?"

Source: USA Today

BUSH, GABLE, AND CAEL

We usually don't make it our business to comment on partisan political activities on this site, but sometimes there are exceptions. This here thang called the Internet has, oh, several billion other places to do so, and in every language known to humanity and then some. But once in a long while something comes along at one of these events that demands our attention and comment.

In this case, it is a welcome occurrence.

President George W. Bush spoke Monday at a dinner for Greg Ganske, Republican candidate for U.S. Senator from Iowa, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cedar Rapids. This hotel, by the way, is part of a complex including the U.S. Cellular Center, formerly known as the Five Seasons Center, which was the site of UFC 26 on June 9, 2000, when Kevin Randleman defeated Pedro Rizzo, and also UFC 21 on July 16, 1999, when Pat Miletich successfully defended what was then the lightweight title.

But that incidental piece of trivia is not why Bush's remarks caught our eye. (By the way, Bush mentions in his speech that he made this trip without his wife, so I wonder if he visited that same joint that I did when we were in Cedar Rapids with Gary Myers, Al Gattullo, Joel Gold, and several others. Somehow I doubt the, er, dancers got security clearance.)

Bush, of course, was playing the local angle in his speech because I doubt he imagined a web site in Abu Dhabi or anywhere else outside of Iowa would pay too much mind to his remarks. So he went about saying all the right things about all the important local people, at least the Republicans.

'I want to thank Greg's colleague, Jim Leach for being here tonight. Jim Leach is one of the true class acts of the United States Congress,' the President said, followed by applause. Then he joked, 'He still reminds me that he was a fine wrestler in high school and college, but not nearly as good as Dan Gable, and I want to thank Dan Gable for being here tonight, too.' There was more applause -- they do love wrestling and wrestlers in Iowa.

But Bush wasn't done. 'I know Greg is proud to call you friend and supporter, and I know Iowa is proud to call you son. And they're also proud of Cael Sanderson, and his incredible accomplishments, as one of the finest college athletes ever. Cael, thank you for being here tonight, as well.' And yet more applause.

Let's see. Cael was eating Italian food with us in New York on Saturday night and now at a political dinner with Bush in Iowa on Monday. I wonder if Cael whipped out that raspberry tart he said he would get to take out from Ferrara's. I don't think they have many cannolis in Cedar Rapids, either.

Now, does President Bush know something more about the importance of Cael Sanderson, Dan Gable, and the sport of wrestling than, say, the so many so-called journalists who have short-changed their coverage of the sport? Here is the most powerful man in the world honoring not only the legendary Gable, but also this 22-year old lanky kid from Heber City, Utah, who just single-handedly rewrote the college wrestling record book.

Bush was elected President, after all (I will try to listen to my own advice and avoid the politics, if you Floridians know what I mean), and certainly has a high approval rating now. Whatever your political slant, even if you hate politics in general, when the President of the United States takes the time to single out a pair of wrestlers, people in the combat sports world should look up and take notice.

Maybe some of these pencil-necks in the mainstream sports media can learn from the respect Bush has given to wrestling, and themselves give honor where honor is deserved. Maybe he just knows something about communicating with people that these alleged professional communicators don't.

If you must read the whole speech (and I haven't), 'Remarks by the President at People for Ganske Dinner,' here is the link to it on the official White House page:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020415-10.html

We shall also return to report on the Adventures of Cael Sanderson and Chris Bono in New York very soon.

Source: Abu Dhabi/Eddie Goldman

 4/17/02

Quote of the Day

"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one."

John Lennon, 1940-1980, British Rock Musician

Super Brawl Match Up #3


Travis Wiuff 5-1 (Pictured Above)
6-2, 270 lbs.
Minn. MN
Lion's Lair
vs.
Ernest Henderson
6-3, 390 lbs.
Ellensburg, Washington
Unattached


Nearly 700lbs will test the ropes at the Blaisdell Arena in the 7th bout of Friday nights preliminaries! Wiuff (pronounced "VIEW") carries about 5% bodyfat on his 270lb frame and scored a brutal 6 second knock out in the Des Moine, IA qualifying round. Henderson is a load! He was robbed of a performance in the Utah qualifier when he was pushed over the ropes just 30sec into the 1st round and suffered a major concussion.

CANNOLIS, CHRIS, AND CAEL
(AND WRESTLING)
Part Two

Submitted by: Eddie Goldman

'Cary Kolat flat out got robbed, and will win a world title next year.' -- Chris Bono, on Cary Kolat's streak of bad luck, at the 2000 Olympics, on Chris's web site, at: http://www.chrisbono.com/.

NEW YORK -- It will not be easy for either Chris Bono or Cael Sanderson at this year's U.S. National Freestyle Wrestling Championships, coming up April 26-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Although Chris is ranked number one at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in TheMat.com's U.S. Senior Freestyle rankings, this is a brand new weight class for him and everyone else in it. When FILA, the international wrestling federation, had to reduce the number of weight classes from eight to seven under what were essentially orders from the International Olympic Committee, they fiddled with the weight limits a little in some weight classes, but had to collapse two of them into one somewhere. Thus, this new weight class was made in-between the old 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and 69 kg/152 lbs. limits. This meant that the wrestlers in these weight classes had to choose to go up or down several pounds, like it or not, and most of them plain didn't.

Bono had wrestled at 150 pounds back in college, when he won an NCAA national championship at Iowa State in 1996 under coach Bobby Douglas. Now he would be wrestling almost five pounds lighter than he did all those years ago.

'I had a choice to go up to 163, but I decided to go down to 145 because it's more suitable to me,' said Chris. 'It's just been a lifestyle change, and I'm in better shape and ready to go.'

But going to this new weight class also puts him against some pretty fair competition who had to move up -- including the same Mr. Kolat who Chris argued, and not alone on his behalf, was robbed at the 2000 Olympics.

Kolat was a U.S. national freestyle champion in 1997, 1999, and 2000, and an NCAA national champion in 1996 and 1997 at Lock Haven, where he now is an assistant coach. He sat out 2001 after, for the fourth time in four years, having a seeming victory overturned on what appeared to be the road to a gold medal.

In the 1997 world finals, his opponent untied his shoes on the mat. In 1998, his second-round victory over eventual world champion Serafim Barzakov of Bulgaria was overturned by protest, and Kolat lost the rematch. In 1999, Kolat thought he had won his semifinal match with Elbrus Tedeev of Ukraine 4-2, but that, too, was protested, and then Tedeev won in overtime, 2-1. And in the 2000 Olympics, Kolat beat Iranian world champion Mohammad Talaei 3-1, or so he thought, only to have yet another match overturned by protest, and only to lose yet another rematch, by a score of 5-4.

The hungry and apparently snake-bitten Kolat, now ranked number two at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., is not the only accomplished wrestler chomping at Chris's heels. Bill Zadick, a 1996 NCAA champion at Iowa under Dan Gable, and a National Team member last year at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., has also made the move up.

Chris recalled that this will be his seventh trip to the U.S. Nationals -- all without a national championship. Last year, he made it to the finals, only to lose to Ramico Blackmon by a score of 6-3. Chris did not give up then, but went on to win the Challenge Tournament at the World Team Trials, and face Blackmon again. This time Chris would not be denied, and he won that best-of-three series in just two matches, 3-0 and 4-3.

While Blackmon has gone up to 74 kg/163 lbs., where he is ranked fourth, the new 66 kg/145.5 lbs. weight class is one of the most stacked divisions.

'I'm excited,' Chris said. 'With all these good guys in the weight class, it's made me train a little different, a lot smarter, a lot harder. I'm prepared and I'm ready to go. I'm looking forward to the national tournament out in Vegas here in the next ten days.'

While Cael's weight class in freestyle, 84 kg/185 lbs., will not have changed much since last year, when it was 85 kg/187.5 lbs., remember that during the previous college seasons he had wrestled at 184, but moved up to 197 this year. But as he admired his raspberry tart at Ferrara's and prepared to order another to take out, he said he did not think cutting this weight would present any problem.

What Cael did not take lightly was his competition. Last year, he won the finals of the Nationals by defeating 2000 Olympian Charles Burton, 4-1. In the semis, Cael defeated Brandon Eggum, a three-time NCAA All-American at Minnesota and now second-ranked in freestyle in the U.S., 7-4. Cael also faced Eggum in the World Team Trials, where the Minnesotan won the Challenge Tournament. This time Cael shut him out, and twice, 9-0 and 4-0.

So how good was Eggum? It was he who replaced Cael in the World Championships when Cael decided to pass on that event when it was rescheduled following the Sept. 11 attacks, and conflicted with Cael's final college season. In his first World Championships appearance, Eggum walked off with a silver medal, only losing in the finals to Russia's world champion Khadshimurad Magomedov, 3-0, who was also a 1996 Olympic gold medalist.

Cael is well aware that he, too, has his work cut out for him in the Nationals. Besides Eggum and Burton, there is also Lee Fullhart, a 1997 NCAA champion at Iowa, and, more importantly, the holder of a victory over Cael in freestyle.

'It's a real competitive weight, as are all of them,' Cael remarked. 'There are five world class athletes in every weight. You can't really look at one individual. There are a lot of real good guys. I'm going to have my hands full. It's a tough tournament.'

While Chris and Cael are as focused as can be on the Nationals, they also were learning about the state of wrestling in the New York-New Jersey area. Chris commented how impressed he was by the wrestlers at the clinics he helped run. (See 'CANNOLIS, CHRIS, AND CAEL - Part One.')

'It was unbelievable,' he beamed. 'We had a great turnout, and the talent level was very, very good. When you do these clinics, you usually deal with the real low skill level, and then occasionally you have two or three kids that are real tough. But we had a real high skill level today and a big turnout, so it was very, very encouraging to see that kind of wrestling going on.'

I also explained to Cael the dreadful situation in New York City wrestling, particularly in the public high schools. There are not many teams, only about 19, and most do not even have the use of their own gymnasiums. I never fail to mention the plight of Midwood High School Wrestling, whose Coach George Hero has had to coach that team as well as one from a Catholic school, at the same time, to get use of the Catholic school's downstairs cafeteria for practices and meets.

This revelation left Cael somewhat distressed, annoyed, and almost in disbelief. He had grown up in Utah, and was a four-time high school state champion at Wasatch High, with his father as coach, Steve Sanderson, himself a former wrestler at BYU. I get this reaction a lot from wrestling's elite, who are just unaware of the dreadful lack of resources in so many places. And we were talking about the state of wrestling in the town in which he was then present, so I think the point got across.

But Cael, as we all know, is no quitter, and neither are those who make up the backbone of New York City wrestling.

'Just keep working hard,' he encouraged them. 'It's going to come around. It's going to pick up. Wrestling's a great sport. As soon as people get a chance to see its beauty, they're going to get hooked on it real quick.'

Dinner time was ending, the cannolis and raspberry tarts were history, and Chris and Cael had to get some sleep, do another clinic on Sunday, and fly back to Iowa later that night. I asked Cael when he was bound for Las Vegas.

He replied that it was a few days before the tournament, but he wasn't sure, since 'I just let Bono' do that. 'He does all the arrangements. He tells me when to be at the Rec. center, and we take off from there.'

There also seemed to be a certain chemistry that worked between Chris and Cael. Chris is older, more extroverted, now an assistant coach, and a top wrestler, but not with the Superman-like qualities on the mat that Cael displays. Maybe no one is. But these guys work well together, which is also a tribute to the system head coach Bobby Douglas has established at Iowa State.

Now that he has finished his undergrad career, Cael has been offered a position as an assistant coach at Iowa State himself. I asked him whether or not he would accept, and he said that he was not sure, without dropping a hint one way or the other. Clearly he is pondering his many options.

Wrestling is not often blessed with someone who can potentially be a superstar, whose ability and charisma and skill and charm can just run right over all the negative stereotypes and obstacles that keep wrestling out of the headlines and top stories. Cael may help change that, but we do not really know. We also are not sure just what options he is weighing, just what affect his marriage next month will have on his next move, how long he wants to be known primarily as a wrestler, and how important art is to him. Perhaps he does not yet have solid answers as to which road he will take. And why should he? Is it fair or sensible to expect any 22-year-old to have such a clearly charted roadmap for the future, especially when it may involve two areas that promise uncertainty more often than not, wrestling and art?

Whatever Cael does, he WILL always remain a wrestler at heart. As he advised the New York wrestling community, 'Wrestling's a great sport. As soon as people get a chance to see its beauty, they're going to get hooked on it real quick.' He is already hooked, and alongside Bono, expect to see a whole lot more of him on the mat.

Source: Abu Dhabi/Eddie Goldman

INTERVIEW: FERNANDO VASCONCELLOS
of rAw TEAM

There are many insiders in the business buzzing about the 'secret weapon' of the rAw TEAM - Fernando Vasconcellos. A BJJ Black Belt WORLD CHampion (defeated Jose Marcello in the finals, also defeated ALLIANCE's Jamelao) now training with rAw Team. Our Brazilian correspondent interivewed Fernando recently -

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- How's your life in the USA?
Vasconcelos- It seems that everything has or is about to fall into place. I feel that I've surrounded myself with a group of reliable people that are very competent and if I do as they say I think I'll be set to do good things in the ring. My BJJ classes are the biggest I have ever had. The group seems very enthusiastic about training and even about competing which makes teaching very rewarding to me. The whole gym seems to be growing a lot which is cool because it's way more fun to take the wrestling classes or go to the fighting training sections (that we've daily) when there are more people to train with. The gym is fun to me, and that means things are cool since I spend all my time there.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Is there anything that you miss about Brazil that you can't find in the USA?
Vasconcelos- My family and relatives in Brazil.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- After your ADCC2001 fights and NHB debut will you abandon the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition?
Vasconcelos- Everything is secondary to the goal of becoming better at fighting. I'll do gi when that does not interfere with that goal. As a matter of fact after ADCC 2001, I did a Judo tournament in Brazil, and the US Open (BJJ) placing first in both.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- And now are you representing the RAW team?
Vasconcelos- Yep

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- How're your takedowns?
Vasconcelos- Hopefully they're getting better

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Who from the RAW team do you do most of your training with?
Vasconcelos- I train with all the guys about the same.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Was ADCC 2001 your first participation in Submission events?
Vasconcelos- ADCC 2001 was my second ever sub event.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Caol Uno was your first opponent, did you know his submission game? Vasconcelos- I can't answer this question until I fight him.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- That suplex that you gave to Uno did you learn that from the RAW Team?
Vasconcelos- I think Chad had shown me that one as a possible finish to a duck he was teaching me.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Uno is a great fighter in SHOOTO, did you think that his Submission game is not as good as his NHB game?
Vasconcelos- I shouldn't judge the guys fighting ability only on the limited grappling experience that I had with him. Grappling is really important but is only an aspect of fighting .

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Your second fight was against Márcio Feitosa, what did you think about your performance?
Vasconcelos- Not up to the standard that I expect out of myself.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Do you think that position of thorax triangle, was an advantage for you?
Vasconcelos- He told the GRACIE Magazine it was working... to tell you the truth, I had just learned the move and I thought it wasn't working at all. I think had I known I was doing it right I'd put a great deal of more power into it.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- You won the best take down award of the competition, would have it meant more if you would have made it to the semi finals?
Vasconcelos- The take down thing was cool, it brought me recognition. As far as meaning, I'll say that getting the type of decision that I got on my last match meant a lot .

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- What did you think about the ADCC2001 event?
Vasconcelos- It was good for me, I thought I came out of it with valuable experience.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- The rAW team and the Brazilian teams have a good rivalry and the rAW fighters always give Brazilian fighters a hard fight, now that you're teaching the rAW team, will they be even more dangerous?
Vasconcelos- I hope that my presence at the gym has helped someone!

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- You had your debut in NHB in King of the Cage 12, how did this opportunity show for you?
Vasconcelos- I told Rico what I wanted and he got it!

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Were you training NHB before or only started this kind of training when your NHB debut was marked?
Vasconcelos- Specific training started around 6 weeks before the fight

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- You beat John Chrisostomo convincingly, were you pleased with your fight or what do you feel you need to work on?
Vasconcelos- Denis, I did enough to win, but I still have a lot of room for improvement

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Were you worried to fight a guy who had alot of NHB experience (4-8-0)? Vasconcelos- When Rico first said something about the guy I'd be fighting, he said the guy would be a begginer like myself. Then things happened and I ended up matched with John

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Chrisostomo is from Grappling Unlimited, so he's a BJJ stylist. What did you think about his ground game, does he really have an effective guard?
Vasconcelos- I've not seen the tape yet and I can't really tell you with any detail how the fight went

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Do you think that still there's a big difference between Jiu Jitsu from Brazil and from other countries?
Vasconcelos- I think it's increasingly becaming an individual thing rather then a country thing

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- And right now, after your victorious debut, what're your goals?
Vasconcelos- To be the best I can at this fighting thing.

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Do you've any intention to fight in the UFC?
Vasconcelos- When time comes...

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Is there any contact for you to fight in next KOTC, which'll be shown in PPV?
Vasconcelos- I was told I'd be fighting June 22 at KOTC

FIGHTWORLD.com Brazil- Ok man, thanx for your time and HuG.
Vasconcelos- Thanx for the opportunity

Source: Abu Dhabi/Martins Denis

 4/16/02

Quote of the Day

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Super Brawl Match-Ups!

Check back for upcoming match-ups for the Heavyweight tourament.

Match Up #2

Gabe Beauperthuy 6-3
6-2, 265 lbs, Colorado Spring, CO
Unattached
vs.
Brian Stromberg 5-1
6-2, 235 lbs, Portland, OR
Team Quest

Beauperthy was convicingly beating undefeated Tim Sylvia (Extreme Challange 47,Utah Qualifier Champion) for over 10 minutes before finnally getting caught. He will face Team Quest's Brian Stromberg who recently beat Gladiators Challenge Heavyweight Champion, Kauai Kapuhea. THis ex-arena football star has no fear and is not afraid to trade bombs!

Match Up #1

Wesley "Cabbage" Correira 12-3
6-3, 291 lbs, Hilo, Hawaii
Grappling Unlimited

vs.
Chad Neal 20-1
295 lbs, Fresno, CA

This match up puts Hawaii heavy Cabbage against Chad Neal of Fresno, Ca. Neal, who tips the scale at 295, has a mixed martial arts record of 20-1. These two monsters will battle in the final preliminary fight on Friday night. Although Cabbage is one of the many favorites to win the tournament and has gone 5-0 in the last year, he will have no easy task with Fresno's brawler Chad Neal.

Official SHOOTO: Results

Date: April 14
Promoter: Paraestra
Kitazawa Town Hall - Tokyo, Japan

The Paraestra Dojo produced an all day SHOOTO event that took place in two waves. Their was an afternoon and evening show which featured an influx of European fighters. It was primarily Class-B match-ups thereby allowing these foreign competitors a chance to get valuable ring experience. However, there was one Class-A bout on the evening card which was the return of, fan-favorite, Mamoru. This was a big match for him after having lost the Featherweight title in his first title defense to Masahiro Oishi. He is young and very talented and has a long exciting career ahead of him, and he intends to make the Championship a part of that. Additionally, while HOOKnSHOOT was holding an all women card half a world away, this show featured Marloes Coenen, who is being touted as one of the best female fighters on the planet. She earned a decision victory and now the stage is set for her to take on one of the winners from HOOKnSHOOT evolution. She was originally supposed to fight Erin Toughill on that card in Indiana, and many would like to see it happen in light of her Marloes’ win. Also, as is the tradition with Paraestra, there were three Brazilian Jiu Jitsu matches that took place.

Below is the full card with results:

Part 1:

Bout #1: Class-B (154 lbs):
Seiki Ucimura [Paraestra] draw Kenichiro Togashi [Paraestra] Majority Draw 0-1 (19-19, 19-20, 19-19) 5:00 rd2

Bout #2: Class-B (167 lbs):
Akira Kikuchi (K’z Factory) def. Jani Lax (Team Scandinavia) Sweden Armlock 2:51 rd1

Bout #3: Class-B (154 lbs):
Masato Fujiwara (Paraestra) def. Vincent Latour [Tatsujin Gym] Holland Arm-triangle 3:53 rd1

Bout #4: Class-B (Ladies 158 lbs contract):
Merlos Coenen [Tatsujin Gym] Holland def. Miwako Ishihara [Zendo Kai] Majority Decision 2-0 (20-19, 20-19, 19-19) 5:00 rd2

Bout #5: Class-B (132 lbs):
Kentaro Imaizumi [SK Absolute] draw Shuichiro Katsumura [K’z Factory] Majority Draw 1-0 (20-19, 19-19, 19-19) 5:00 rd2

BJJ Match: Takahashi Watanabe [Paraestra] def. Jiro Wakabayashi [SK Absolute] Points: 2-2 / Advantages: 2-0

Part 2:

Bout #1: Class-B (167 lbs):
Toru Nakayama [Impress] def. Yoshifumi Dogaki [Paraestra] Unanimous Decision 3-0 (20-17, 20-18, 20-17) 5:00 rd2

Bout #2: Class-B (167 lbs):
The Babanba [Paraestra] def Mario Stapel [Power Academy] Germany Unanimous Decision 3-0 (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) 5:00 rd2

Bout #3: Class-B (154 lbs):
Yohei Suzuki [Paraestra] def. Patrick Rahael [Tatsujin Gym] Holland TKO 3:20 rd1

Bout #4: Class-A (132 lbs):
Mamoru [STG] def. Hiroaki Yoshioka [Paraestra] Unanimous Decision 3-0 (30-27, 30-28, 30-27) 5:00 rd3

BJJ Matches:
Ikuma Hoshino [Very Good Man] def. Ayumu Sato [Paraestra] Points: 0-0 / Advantages: 1-0

Martijn de Jong [Tatsujin Gym] Holland def. Kazuhiro Kusayanagi [K'z Factory] Point: 0-0 / Advantages 1-1 (Judges’ Decision)

Source: Abu Dhabi

Chute Boxe Team
Looking to Take Over K-1!
Text & Photos by Eduardo Alonso

With the huge success achieved by the Chute Boxe Academy athletes in NHB over the years, with Vanderlei Silva, Pele Landi, Murilo Ninja, Anderson Silva, among others winning fights and titles in the world's most important events, many could have wondered why a Chute Boxe fighter was yet to step into the K-1 ring. The Chute Boxe team is originally a Muay Thai team, and K-1 is the biggest stand-up fighting event in the martial arts world, so it was natural that many Chute Boxe fighters would have the desire to compete and test their skills in K-1. Finally the chance has materialized, and just one week before PRIDE 20, K-1 will host the debut of a Chute Boxe fighter in the event. The man selected for the job is Nilson de Castro [pictured]. A Chute Boxe fighter who got his black belt on the same day that Vanderlei Silva got his, and has already fought some tough NHB battles. Nilson is an IVC veteran, and he was away from the ring for a while. However, after some incentive from his teammates Nilson decided to come back to the hardcore training at the academy, and resume his fighting career! The decision proved to be the right one, and Nilson de Castro came back with an impressive win at MECA 6 in January, and he is now welcoming his chance in K-1, hoping to open the doors to his teammates at the event and possibly start an NHB career in Japan as well, much like his long-time friend Vanderlei Silva. FCF had the chance to catch-up with Chute Boxe coach Rudimar Fedrigo, and the man himself, Nilson de Castro, just before they left for Japan!

FCF: You have been dedicating yourself to NHB again, and even won at the last MECA. Did this opportunity to fight in K-1 surprise you?
Nilson: To tell you the truth I was expecting an invitation from PRIDE, but since the K-1 invitation appeared, it was great! It's every Muay Thai fighter's dream to fight in K-1! I welcomed this opportunity very much, and it was a surprise -- a very good surprise. I was expecting an invitation, but it was a surprise that it came from K-1!

FCF: Since you have been dedicating yourself to NHB, how long have you been away from stand-up only fights?
Nilson: Well, to be honest with you I fight standing up every day! [Laughs]

FCF: [Laughs] Of course, but I meant not counting the Chute Boxe academy training!
Nilson: [Laughs] I know! In terms of official fights, well, I believe I haven't competed in Muay Thai since 1998, or 1999. I have been doing only NHB lately.

FCF: Finally a Chute Boxe fighter will be fighting in K-1. This could be considered the realization of another Chute Boxe academy's dream…
Rudimar: Without a doubt, Nilson's fight will be very important to us! This is something that we have been waiting for a long time and he's very happy to be fighting at the biggest "Muay Thai" event in the world.

FCF: Considering that the Chute Boxe team is originally a Muay Thai team, was it an old dream for the academy to have someone fighting in K-1?
Rudimar: Yes, this was an old dream of the academy!

FCF: How did this invitation for Nilson to fight in K-1 come about? Was Nilson the first fighter that the promoters invited to fight at the event?
Rudimar: Well, what happened was the product of a group of things: The success of the Chute Boxe fighters in Japan, Vanderlei Silva's good performances there, and also Nilson's excellent fight at the last MECA. All those things lead to the invitation for Nilson to fight in K-1, and I think it's going to be excellent!

FCF: But Nilson, how did you get the news about this fight? Do you remember how it was?
Nilson: Oh Yeah! I was training and the master came up to me and said, "You were invited to fight in K-1!" Man! It was really something you know. It was a huge happiness! I mean, I got very happy!

FCF: Was it tough to prepare a fighter to compete in K-1, and at the same time prepare other fighters to fight at PRIDE?
Rudimar: No, we didn't have any extra difficulty because of it. We were always working a more specific Muay Thai training with Nilson, and he is feeling very well. He is prepared for this fight, and I'm sure it'll be a great fight!

FCF: How was the preparation for this fight? Did you train only Muay Thai?
Nilson: Of course, I train exclusively Muay Thai for this fight.

FCF: And how was the physical preparation? How much will you have to weigh for this fight?
Nilson: The fight is under 90kg, and I'll fight at around 88, or 87kg. The physical preparation was just my regular preparation, nothing unusual. But the Muay Thai training, I mean, the technical part of the training was very strong. We trained a lot!

FCF: Whom did you train more with this time?
Nilson: I trained a lot with everyone here. I trained with Anderson, with Vanderlei, with Ninja, Pele, Rafael, Cunha... all the guys helped a lot! I would have a different guy to fight every day, and sometimes I would have to fight them all in one day! [Laughs] Nobody would take it easy on me! [Laughs]

FCF: Nilson, do you think that being a Chute Boxe fighter, and having the opportunity to train with fighters with very different styles, like Anderson and Vanderlei, helps you to be an even more complete fighter?
Nilson: A lot! It's a complete training. There's no way you won't end up being good. It's impossible [not to] learn something. There's no other way!

FCF: And what about Anderson Silva's jab? Is it still terrible to deal with?
Nilson: Man! It's annoying! It's still terrible! [Laughs] With those little "mosquito's" arms of his! Man! And a stronger mosquito now! Because he's gaining some weight [Laughs] His jabs are very strong! His reach is very long! It's always horrible to train with him! [Laughs]

FCF: Do you expect that this opportunity will open the doors for other team members, such as Anderson Silva, who has this desire, to fight in K-1 in the future?
Rudimar: Without a doubt. It's very important that Nilson will have a good showing, because we have other athletes, such as Anderson, who can and will fight in K-1 in the future!
Nilson: I want to be the guy that opened the doors for our team there! I want all the guys to fight in K-1 too! Because everybody on the Chute Boxe team wants to fight at least one fight in K-1, so I want to open the doors in the best possible way! I'll grab this opportunity with everything I've got!

FCF: What do you expect from Nilson's fight? How do you see the fight unfolding?
Rudimar: I think that Nilson will look for the knockout from the start. He will look for the knockout in all the rounds. And we are expecting him to win by knockout!
Nilson: Look, honestly speaking I don't like to comment on how a fight will go or things like that. My only perspective is that I want to knock him out! I don't have any strategy; I'll go after him and look for the knockout. I'll look for the knockout from the start.

FCF: Do you know anything about your opponent?
Nilson: I know that he is Japanese, and he weighs 88kg, nothing more.

FCF: and you don't care about knowing more…
Nilson: I want to fight my game there! This thing of analyzing your opponent in the end will only prevent you from fighting your game. I'll go there and do my game, and see what happens.

FCF: Do you believe that Nilson's future will be on K-1 from now on, or will he come back to NHB?
Rudimar: Well, as of now he has this fight in K-1, and maybe a fight in the next MECA. But everything will depend on his fight in K-1, because only after this fight we'll see what will happen.
Nilson: Well, I want to fight! Anywhere they invite me to fight I'll fight! If I can continue doing both things, K-1 and NHB, I'll do both things.

FCF: Does the fact that Vanderlei Silva will be in your corner for this fight, and that he helped a lot in your training, motivate you even more for your fight?
Nilson: Of course! Without a doubt! When you train with Vanderlei, you know that you're training with the best fighter in the world today, so it's always an amazing training session.

FCF: The fact that Vanderlei will face a K-1 fighter at the next PRIDE helped his, and Nilson's, preparation in some way?
Rudimar: It helped for sure! They trained a lot together.
Nilson: Of course, for sure! We're going to fight different fights, but the training ended up being good for both of us in fact. But Vanderlei always trains a lot of Muay Thai anyway.

FCF: Speaking of Vanderlei, what do you expect from his fight against Cro Cop?
Nilson: Honestly speaking, Cro Cop will go down! Sincerely. He will be knocked out. If he will trade with Vanderlei, he won't end up standing. I'm sorry to say it [Laughs], but the man is hitting very hard! There's no way! The guy always enters in Vanderlei's game! When he comes right at you and start to trade, he dictates the rhythm of the fight. He is really a very complete fighter. Besides being technical he knows how to impose his rhythm.

FCF: Will you stay in Japan to be in Vanderlei and Ninja's corner for their fights in PRIDE, or will you come back to Brazil after your fight?
Nilson: I'll stay and help Vanderlei and Ninja.

FCF: By the way Nilson, what are you expecting from Ninja's fight against Sperry?
Nilson: Man, Ninja is sincerely impressive! His ground game is very strong, his Muay Thai is great and he is hitting very hard! I wouldn't want to be in his opponent's place, he is going to face hell in the form of a fighter.

FCF: What can the K-1 fans -- who maybe don't know the Chute Boxe Academy work that well yet --expect from the team in K-1?
Rudimar: They can expect that our fighters will give their best in the ring, and all three athletes from the team that will be fighting in Japan, Nilson in K-1 and Ninja and Vanderlei at PRIDE, will fight very hard. They can expect a lot of dedication and heart for sure! All the fighters know the meaning of these fights in their lives and careers, and what they can represent to them. So, they'll put their heart in the ring. I also believe that there's a big chance of seeing other Chute Boxe fighters in K-1 in the future.

FCF: Nilson, this will be your first fight in Japan, how are you facing this experience, and what do you expect from fighting there?
Nilson: I'm facing it as my golden opportunity. This is my big chance, and I want to establish my name there and sign a big deal to fight there. I want to become Japanese! [Laughs] I expect to be welcomed there like my friends, but I want to write my own history there too!

FCF: Any final message for the Chute Boxe fans?
Rudimar: They can count that those three fights will be three really memorable fights! Fights that the fans will remember for a long time. The guys are going to really make an impact. They are going to Japan to win.
Nilson: I want to say that I'll try to trade from the beginning and I want to knock him out very fast! I'll try to do a great fight, a fight that the fans will enjoy watching. So I'll mark my presence and please the fans. I want to show my value to the fans and I hope they'll appreciate my fighting style. You can bet that I'll always fight my heart out on the ring. This will be my trademark.

FCF: Thanks a lot for the interview, and the best of luck for the team.
Rudimar: Thank you very much.
Nilson: Thanks a lot.

Source: FCF

Mixed Martial Arts Media Top 10
March 11, 2002

Heavyweights - 205 lbs. and up (93 kg and up)

Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira 189
Josh Barnett 167
Heath Herring 142
Randy Couture 140
Pedro Rizzo 102
Mark Coleman 100
Igor Vovchanchyn 69
Mario Sperry 47
Ricco Rodriguez 42
Kazuyuki Fujita 14

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Light Heavyweights - 185 - 204.9 lbs. (92.9 -83.9 kg.)

Tito Ortiz 186
Vanderlei Silva 175
Dan Henderson 147
Chuck Liddell 131
Vitor Belfort 101
Ricardo Arona 71
Sanae Kikuta 59
Murilo "Ninja" Rua 51
Kevin Randleman 44
Alex Steibling 30

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Middleweights - 170 - 184.9 lbs. (77.1 - 83.9 kg)

Murilo Bustamante 178
Kazushi Sakuraba 177
Matt Lindland 144
Dave Menne 142
Andrey Semenov 95
Paulo Filho 91
Renzo Gracie 56
Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons 51
Ikuhisa Minowa 41
Pat Miletich 26

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Welterweights - 155 - 169.9 lbs. (70.3 - 77.1 kg)

Matt Hughes 182
Anderson Silva 172
Carlos Newton 160
Hayato Sakurai 130
Frank Trigg 100
Tetsuji Kato 83
Gil Castillo 62
Sean Sherk 56
Shonie Carter 48
Nathan Marquardt 10

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Lightweights - Up to 154.9 lbs. (up to 70.3 kg.)

1. Jens Pulver 190
2. BJ Penn 166
3. Takanori Gomi 143
4. Caol Uno 133
5. Din Thomas 107
6. Dokonjonosuke Mishima 93
7. Rumina Sato 90
8. Ryan Bow 52
9. Fabiano Iha 23
10. Franca "Cromado" Barbosa 15
10. Matt Serra 15

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Featherweights - Up to 144.9 lbs. (up to 65.9 kg)

Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira 190
Tetsuo Katsuta 165
Katsuya Toita 140
Baret Yoshida 107
Joao Roque 101
Mamoru 98
Stephen Palling 58
Norifumi Yamamoto 56
Masahiro Ohishi 36
Jin Akimoto 34 140

One on One with Frank Shamrock!

I had the pleasure of chatting with Frank Shamrock a few days ago and when the interview was done, I had even more respect for Frank. Arguably one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, fighters to step foot in the Octagon, let alone mixed martial arts in and of itself, I got to the bottom of more than a few rumors that have been floating around in various MMA news circles. During our conversation we talked about a return to the UFC, his past personal quarrels with big brother Ken, serial killers, Tito Ortiz and why exactly he stepped away from the MMA spotlight.

Mike Sloan: Hey Frank, what's up? I have about 50 questions for you. Is that too many?

Frank Shamrock: (laughing) No that's alright. No, it's always 50 questions, don't you know? (laughs) Don't even worry about it. I do this all the time. I'm pretty good at it, actually.

Mike Sloan: So what have you been doing lately?

Frank Shamrock: Well, I'm working out a little bit. I've been working a lot, eating a lot. That's about it (laughs).

Mike Sloan: Do you still train hard even though you haven't been fighting?

Frank Shamrock: Yeah, I train every day. I always train every day. That's kind of what I do. I don't have the 4 hours to put in every day like I used to. Now I get the 20 minutes to an hour, hour and a half sessions. I still get those in about 3 or 4 days a week.

Mike Sloan: You fought in last year's K-1. Will you participate in this year's K-1?

Frank Shamrock: Nah. That stuff hurt. It was far too painful.

Mike Sloan: But your fight only lasted about a minute and a half.

Frank Shamrock: Yeah, but it's the training for it. You know, it's always the training. It's never the fight, it's always the training. I really wanted to do it and I have always wanted to be a professional boxer and kickboxer, but it was real damaging. I got all beat up from all the kicks and knees. You're just standing there throwing your bones at each other and trying to hurt each other. I found that in kickboxing, I got a lot more damaged than in grappling.

Mike Sloan: How did that happen, with you going into the K-1?

Frank Shamrock: They (K-1) asked me. Well, we were doing business together at the time. Then they asked me if I wanted to fight and I said, "Yes." Then they asked if I'd rather do kick boxing in Vegas or no holds barred in Japan. I was like, "Oh, I'd rather kickbox in Vegas," plus I was real excited about kickboxing, so it worked out good.

Mike Sloan: Wasn't your first appearance in the K-1 against Elvis Sinosic an NHB-ruled bout, though?

Frank Shamrock: Um, that is, that's true. I did fight for the first time in the K-1 like that. That's where we developed our relationship and I started working with the K-1 guys. But it wasn't under the K-1 rules; it was under the new no holds barred K-1 rules. We grappled and did all kinds of other stuff besides just the kickboxing. The K-1 that I fought in, in Vegas, was just professional kickboxing. It was a big difference.

Mike Sloan: How difficult of a transition was it to change from training in mixed martial arts to just strictly kickboxing?

Frank Shamrock: It was difficult, but I didn't forget about it while I was in the ring. I didn't think about doing anything different, it just didn't feel as comfortable because I know so many ways to counter what's going on. I was like, "Why am I being kicked?!" because I know how to counter. I was like, "I don't want that to happen!" but you have to stand there and follow the rules, so it makes it a little different. I enjoyed testing the rules and participating in it because it's a challenge doing that.

Mike Sloan: There are a lot of rumors floating around that you are making a comeback to the UFC or some other MMA event. How true are these rumors?

Frank Shamrock: Well, I'm trying (laughs), so they're pretty true. I moved back to San Jose from LA to go back to camp and start training to fight. I haven't fought since then so I did the kickboxing. That's the last thing I did. But the market's kind of changed; it's a little different. There's really no one I care to fight. There's nothing bigger and more exciting going on, so I'm just hanging out and training and working on my businesses. For me, I'm a martial artist. I look at it as a professional martial artist athlete. I go there and do my job and that's it, then I go home. (Laughs) Put ice on my elbows. I'm a regular guy.

Mike Sloan: Saying you do return, are you willing to battle it out with Tito Ortiz again? That was, in my opinion, the best fight I've ever seen in UFC history.

Frank Shamrock: Yeah, that was a good one. It was a good one. I don't mind mixing it up with Tito again. He's kind of big. He might fall on me and hurt me. But at this point, fighting Tito is like reading the same book again, but if there's big money in it, I'll do it. But for the most part, I've already done that. That one's done so hopefully I can move on to something bigger and better. That's the way I hope it works for me.

Mike Sloan: Does it make you want to return to the UFC a little bit more because Tito is the man right now? When you left, you were the man and you already beat Tito.

Frank Shamrock: No. I still feel like the man (laughs) so I don't worry too much about it. It's fun to go and watch and hang out. I had my fighter, Kelly, in there who fought, but I've been to 20 UFCs. It's different now.

Mike Sloan: Are there any guys in any organizations that you would like to fight?

Frank Shamrock: Well, I like Sakuraba. I've been trying to get Sakuraba to fight me for about 2 years.

Mike Sloan: That'd be a good fight right there.

Frank Shamrock: Yeah. I've always wanted to fight Sakuraba because he's a guy who I always thought could beat me with my own techniques. And that really exhilarated me into training and I actually started preparing for that fight on two separate occasions, but they never happened. That's a guy I'd like to fight. I'd like to fight Vanderlei Silva because he's kind of scary.

Mike Sloan: Yeah, he's wild.

Frank Shamrock: He's scary looking. I'd like to fight him because he's scary and if he whacked you, he'd kill you. That would be a big incentive and really exhilarating to start training and to try it.

Mike Sloan: And besides, he's beaten Sakuraba twice.

Frank Shamrock: And in convincing fashion both times.

Mike Sloan: What is your take on the UFC these days, with Zuffa taking over and changing the rules?

Frank Shamrock: I think it's good. I mean, it's a step in the right direction. Everyone's trying to legitimize the sport and I think they're doing the best job they can. They've done great things. They're back on cable, the sport's pumping, you know.

Mike Sloan: You haven't fought in the UFC since Zuffa took over and you said in an interview in FightSport Magazine that you like the soccer kick. What other rules would you like to see come back or be altered in the UFC, or other organizations for that matter?

Frank Shamrock: (Laughs loudly) That's funny! It's true, though. But I look at it from a different standpoint. When I'm looking at combat, I think to do the most amount of damage in the shortest amount of time possible, utilizing maximum potential of your body, that's really the goal in my job. I just see some techniques that it would be so much easier if the guy was just passive like that, whatever, just kick him in the head, knee him in the neck, knee him in the kidney (laughs), you know, DO damage. I understand the necessity for the rules and the presentation of all these things, but I also understand from a combat point, from training police or military, that sometimes you just gotta take people out. There are just some very efficient ways and some of them are not clean and they're not pretty, but they work. The soccer kick is one of them. The gut stomp, the head stomp, these are just some of the things that go on in combat, but perhaps don't go on in sports, if you know what I mean. I'm in support of the shortest, quickest way possible of handling business, but you have to tailor that to whatever you're doing.

Mike Sloan: What happened in there with Kelly Dullanty against Matt Serra? How frustrating was it to see your guy lose like that?

Frank Shamrock: I don't know. I wasn't that frustrated. (laughs) I don't know. It was a learning experience for Kelly. He's a phenomenal athlete with phenomenal talent, but he doesn't train. He's one of those guys who skates by on athletic ability. He beat Duane Ludwig and he trained for like six days. I haven't seen him for like five months. So he has some issues that keep him from training and if he addressed those and trained all the time, he would be a phenomenal athlete. But he's lacking in certain areas. I think it was a great learning experience for him. I had a great time in Vegas and I got to go watch Kelly fight. See, to me it doesn't matter if they win or lose. It matters, to me, what lesson they learned. If they didn't learn anything, I mean they've got smart guys in their corner (laughs), because this is a life's lesson at the highest level. You're answering questions about yourself and who you are and what you're doing, and there should be a proper presentation. If you're going to go there, then you should show up and show your all. He realized that wasn't his all and that he could do more and do better. I appreciate that and I loved the show. I thought Josh winning the heavyweight title was huge. I'm glad I didn't bet (laughs).

Mike Sloan: Yeah. I actually picked Couture to win that one.

Frank Shamrock: Well, I knew, mechanically, that Josh could beat him. It just wasn't conceivable because of the past record of Couture. If I was gonna bet money, I would have bet it over there. I ended up not doing it because I had the job over there. It was a good show, though. I enjoyed it.

Mike Sloan: It was. It was even better because we were all sitting together down there.

Frank Shamrock: Yeah. It was good and I was able to enjoy it. I wasn't trampled or bugged too much. I was kind of incognito and, for me, that's a very rare experience that I could go there and watch it. Because, you know, everybody wants to come over and talk and, you know, hang out with Frank Shamrock and see what's going on. While that's cool and all, I rarely get the chance to sit down and watch the show. So, for me, that was cool.

Mike Sloan: Besides Kelly, who else do you train?

Frank Shamrock: I train Bob Cook, Josh Thompson and I train Eric Deuce. Well, I would like to say that I actually train these people, but Bob Cook actually trains them all and Javier Mendez oversees their training. I go in there three days a week and try and beat them all up.

Mike Sloan: Nice.

Frank Shamrock: (Laughs loudly) Yeah, I'm like the little rattlesnake. They call me the rattlesnake because they all go in there and do their training and, you know, I work. I do whatever I have to do, like doing my appearances and run around, then I like to sneak in and train a little bit. I'm like the nemesis, so they always try and get me.

Mike Sloan: How often do you beat them all, every time?

Frank Shamrock: No. I have devised ways of handling everybody so they don't hurt me. I don't win every time, but I'm always efficient, always safe and always doing more damage than receiving.

Mike Sloan: Well, that's the way it has to work.

Frank Shamrock: Yeah (laughs). That way, I have longevity.

Mike Sloan: Okay, you've been saying forever that the Gracies are dead. Can you-

Frank Shamrock: (Interrupting with loud laughter) Can I say something on that comment?

Mike Sloan: Sure, go ahead.

Frank Shamrock: I just said that because I was talking, and I can't even remember the context of the conversation or whatever we were talking about, but it was quite some time ago. I remember saying the sentence and recalling that it was going to have lasting effects, but I meant that in the arena that everybody is competing in currently. In the UFC, the modern UFC fan today, to them, the Gracies are dead. They don't understand. They'll be like, "Oh you mean that guy from whatever?" They're a different era. They're the next generation of fans, viewers and participants and that's what I meant by that. If you talk to the first martial arts fan who watched UFC #1, he is a Gracie fanatic. He completely understands. If you watch the new fans who've jumped on at UFC 20, he is a Mark Coleman, submission fighting, wrestling, Tito Ortiz fan. It's a new fan and I meant that to those people, the Gracies are dead. They don't get it. They're like, "…what?" To the martial artists of the world, the Gracies are still the kings of that sport, of that area because those are the people that they touched first. Martial artists are loyal and, you know, they've been down.

Mike Sloan: Well that explains it now.

Frank Shamrock: Yeah, but in modern combat, in this arena in the UFC, the Gracies are dead. Like Pride, the technique, the approach, the style, the discipline, everything has moved to the next level. It just has evolved. And you either evolve with it or move to the next level behind it.

Mike Sloan: If you could take on one Gracie, which one would you take on?

Frank Shamrock: Um…I don't really have a preference. (some thinking) I doesn't really matter to me. I guess I would like Rickson. Rickson's probably the biggest or most popular. I would fight the guy who would bring me the most money at the gate. They're all pretty much basically the same style, just different ages and variances. Truthfully, it's the style and that's why I think fighting Sakuraba would be so fun; he's the same style. If I threw out three combinations, he would know it and be able to move and counter. That's a big thing. That's like a lightweight boxer throwing an 8-punch combination. That's just exciting to watch. But I think that system's (Gracie system) an older system. I think modern systems can combat those. But I would love to fight the Gracies or any of those jiu jitsu stylist guys.

Mike Sloan: Many people, myself included, felt that you left the UFC and the sport too early. Did you leave because of your shoulder injury or for other reasons?

Frank Shamrock: Um… I don't know if I ever…I guess I left, but I didn't really go anywhere. I retired because it was a thing I did, legally, to get out of one of my contracts (laughs). All I really wanted to fight was Tito. They're all like, "Oh, you've got to fight a 5-fight contract" or something. They wanted all these fights, but all I really wanted to fight was Tito. All I really wanted to do was fight Tito because he was the guy who excited me about it. But other than that, you know, whoever (laughs). So I got the fight, made the fight, then made my public retirement speech, gave back my title and stepped out of the UFC because I didn't want to do what they wanted me to do. I wanted to fight Tito, then do whatever was next, whether it be kickboxing or something. I don't know. For me, the fighting thing was really strange because all of a sudden I got really good at it by default. One day I was training and doing my thing and competing and I really didn't take it seriously. I started training a bunch of people then I fought John Lober. Then I made a conscious decision to put 100% of my energy into the sport and be a professional athlete. At that time, I loved what I was doing. It was like, "Okay, I'm really good now. I'll just apply it," and I did. I studied everything and worked on everything and applied everything. My run was a result.

Mike Sloan: Prior to your retiring out of the UFC, you lost seven times. You avenged most of those losses, but how come there was never a rematch with Yuki Kondo, Kiuma Kinioku or even a rematch for the draw you had with Alan Goes?

Frank Shamrock: I did have a chance to fight Alan Goes one time, but he was like 20 pounds heavier than I was at the time. I was like, "Ah, that's probably not a good idea." But I was never into the whole avenging and rematch thing because I kind of had different approaches as to what was going on in the fight. I never really concerned myself with the fighter I was fighting. I was really stressed about his style, so I kind of looked at people and fighters as styles because styles gave me trouble. The people didn't give me trouble. I never had that thing where I was like, "Oh, I want to beat that guy!" I was never like, "Oh, he's beaten me! He's got something on me now!" Although when I fought Lober again and I was training for that, about a week before the fight, I kind of had that weird, 'Oh he beat me. Maybe he's got this weird power over me' thing. Other than that, I never really had that desire or need to go back. I genuinely like most of the people who are competing in the sport. The people who do the sport are nice guys and the fact that we're beating the crap out of each other usually brings us closer. At the end, we're like, "Dude, you almost broke my arm! It was terrible!" But somehow it bonds you to these people at the same time. Male bonding or whatever it is. So I don't have hard feelings towards these people. If Tito would have kicked my ass, I would've been like, "Dude, you KICKED my ass! I can't believe that!" because I would have never conceived that happening. But should it have happened, it would have happened and that's just the way it is. I would have moved on. I still think him and I would have become friends anyway. I never had that thing where I had to fight that guy again. (laughs). Who knows? I fought one of my friends before. I fought Vernon White and it was just retarded. But when I was in there, I was like, "Okay, I know what Vernon can do. I've gotta take care of his style."

Mike Sloan: I've interviewed Tito before and I talk to him whenever I see him at fights. I've asked him about you a few times, about there not being a rematch. He's like, "You should ask Frank that." Now I'm not saying he doesn't like you or anything like that, but there just seems to be a bit of animosity because of the loss and there wasn't ever a rematch.

Frank Shamrock: Well…yeah. Obviously he's…He's looking for closure. Well, you know, that's his thing. I'm okay with it (laughs).

Mike Sloan: Have you ever fought anybody that you personally just did not like?

Frank Shamrock: Let's see. I got some…Well, no…Yes…Um…No…(some pondering) When I fought…That's a snafu question. I've never been angry at anyone with any fight I've had professionally, except for when I fought John Lober.

Mike Sloan: The second time?

Frank Shamrock: Yes, the second time. He was sending me dirty emails, calling my room and being obnoxious (laughs). And for some reason, as soon as the fight started, I was going to kill this guy and I just knew it. Then I was just torturing him because I was mad at him. But afterwards, he came up to me and apologized and we talked about it. It was another male bonding thing (laughs). I felt terrible about doing that because it wasn't professional. When I did that, it was jacked, you know? But it was fighting, still, and that's how I look at it. But then we talked afterwards and I was like, "God damn. I'm sorry." Then he was like, "That's what I did to get myself up," and I was sorry.

Mike Sloan: But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, you know?

Frank Shamrock: Exactly. It's business. Then afterwards, you should be nice to each other during that business process because afterwards you may hang out. You can talk shit and do whatever you need to do to get yourself by and sell your image or whatever, but at the end of the day, you've gotta live with yourself.

Mike Sloan: Even though I've never seen it, the highlight of your career HAD to have been the Burger King commercial.

Frank Shamrock: (Bursts into loud laughter) I've never seen it either!

Mike Sloan: You've never seen it?

Frank Shamrock: No…

Mike Sloan: So how did that come about?

Frank Shamrock: Well, I moved to LA. When I do things, I do them full force, 100%. So when I moved to LA, I was going to do acting for two years. I got into a school of acting, started doing some commercial work and all these things and I landed a Burger King commercial. I actually landed an Old Spice commercial and I was going to be their main guy in their first national campaign in years. I just signed the UFC commentary thing the day before, and those guys were like, "Oh, can you put that off a day?" I didn't know how much money those things make. They make great money!

Mike Sloan: Do they?

Frank Shamrock: Yeah! Commercials and stuff like that because they keep playing. They're residual. I guess mine went really well. I don't know if it was highlight, though. I don't know. Highlights, for me, are like things in the gym where I discover things.

Mike Sloan: What was the commercial about? Were you in the restaurant ordering food or did you work at the register?

Frank Shamrock: No, I was kicking on the bag. I was kicking on the bag and looking quite menacing like I had just eaten some yummy burgers and was beating up stuff.

Mike Sloan: (Laughs) Oh god…

Frank Shamrock: (Laughs) No, they were doing like a 'BK for You.' It was an urban athletic approach to Burger King. They had a guy playing ball and showing clips of people's lives and doing things. They had me in there beating on the bag and showed me punching and stuff, looking quite menacing. It was fun, though. It was easy. I went down there and I worked for like 45 minutes on tape. They put powder on my gloves and sprayed stuff on me and then it was done.

Source: Sherdorg

 4/15/02

Quote of the Day

"Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't."

Pete Seeger

Pride News
Nogueira vs. Mezger
"Highly Unlikely"

Word from inside the Guy Mezger camp is that although Mezger was originally supposed to fight on the April 28th Pride card (he's been training under the premise that he would be fighting brawler Quinton Jackson), last-minute changes in his opponent make it "highly unlikely that he will be fighting in Pride 20."

Source: FCF

The Ever Evolving Matt 'The Terror' Serra

Matt Serra surprised many at how quickly he dismantled and submitted his last opponent in the UFC, but to those who know Matt, it was just part of the evolution. Matt has finally found his place within the Octagon, in the Lightweight category. I recently caught up to Matt. He was excited about his recent victory and his road down the lightweight division. Matt, though looking towards the title, is more focused on the opportunity to test himself against the best lightweights in the world.

I asked Matt how he had been since his last fight. He said, 'Teaching and hanging out, I have been rehabbing my bicep. Three weeks before the fight I had a slight tear in it. I popped it boxing, but I was in such good shape I was still able to fight. There was no way I wasn't going to fight. I just focused cardio and pad work to compensate for it.

I asked him about the fight itself, what about that takedown, was that a Jiu-Jistu technique? 'It was a very technical Serra bum rush, Look out here I come. I was a dog going after a bone! I took him down to side. I did the knee across to set up for elbows. I want to evolve and pick it up a level. I wanted to strike more to set up my submissions. I wanted to evolve a step more from the Edwards fight. I wanted to use my ground skills to get him in bad position. I eventually mounted him. When I punched he turned back and I went for rear naked. The regular rear naked doesn't work all the time. He actually put it under his neck because of the pressure on his chin put it. When he rolled instead of keeping the choke when he rolled back to the floor, I chose to lose the submission to get position. We were both slippery. I went for the arm bar, but he was intent to escape. He was not out of the fire that is when I set up the triangle and it went on tight. He had to tap or sleep.'

I also asked him about how he felt about Shamrock in the corner. Frank is said be one the greatest MMA trainers out there, where intimidated by that? Matt replied, 'I am glad you asked that question, I read in a magazine recently that Shamrock said, 'the Gracies are dead and everyone knows it' The best thing about this fight was beating a Frank Shamrock student. Shamrock said, in the magazine 'the Gracies are dead and everyone knows it,' but if they are dead someone forgot to tell me, because I used 100% Renzo Gracie technique to destroy his disciple.

How did he compare Shonie and Yves? I asked. I didn't really get to see what he could do, He wasn't any better or any worse than the others, and I am evolving. He was a very game fighter. He was a worthy opponent. As I said, I am evolving even after this fight. I am more and more comfortable. I was calm in there. They could have put anyone in there with me. Din would not have been any different. I was confident. This is definitely my class.

The tale of the tape said you weighed 163lbs. Matt responded, 'I weighed 153!' The tape was wrong! I ate chicken and no bread for a month. I made weight! I weighed 153lbs damn it! Someone owes me an apology.' He was laughing they whole time he was commenting. He did get the pizza he had been craving.

I also asked him about the weight division. He said, 'I cannot think of one boring fight. I am strong and quick at this level. There are some great battles and wars in that I want to be apart of in that weight division.' I then asked, him about the fighters in that division. What about Uno? 'Very well rounded, warrior spirit, I would love to fight him.' What about Iha? 'He trains everywhere, he is well rounded.' Rumina Sato? 'I think he is a great fighter, the best submission fighter out of Japan.'

What about BJ? Is his standup better than yours at this point? 'Let people think that, that's all I got to say. We will see.' I then asked about BJ on the ground. Matt said confidently, 'When we fight, he will not want to be on the ground with me.' Do you respect his ground game, 'He is a great guy and fighter. We will be professional, that fight will be hyped more than any other fight that night and I will buy him a beer afterwards.'

What about Pulver going to PRIDE and possibly vacating the title, do you think you deserve a title shot yet? I am just there to fight. I heard Din is getting a title shot.'

When will you fight again? 'September, I should fight then. I do not know who. I want to be 100%.'

Are your BJJ competition days over? Do you still want a Blackbelt world Title? BJ took some of the prestige out of that. Do I want to be the to be second American to win? I have Pan Am Gold and Mundials gold, and an ADCC 2nd place. I want to concentrate on fighting for now.

Anything else, any Last words to your fans? 'For everyone who supports me and to the UFC fans, you have been great, thank you! To all the trolls - screw them, and to the lightweights, look out because Hell and Jiu-Jitsu is coming with me. There you have it Matt the 'Terror' Serra. He will be back in the Octagon in September to face whomever they put in the cage with him. Don't look for the same Serra, but one that will be ever more evolved than the last!

Source: Abu Dhabi

CANNOLIS, CHRIS, AND CAEL - Part One

'You're him?' he eagerly asked, after he overheard a conversation about wrestling by a group of people lined up to get into the famed Ferrara's pastry shop in Little Italy this past Saturday night. When he was told that indeed he was talking to undefeated four-time NCAA champ Cael Sanderson, his eyes lit up and he summoned all of his party over as well.

Though profiled in Sports Illustrated, covered by newspapers galore, and having had his final match televised live on ESPNews, this encounter was the first time anyone on the street had recognized Cael on his brief trip to the metropolitan area along with Chris Bono to conduct a series of wrestling clinics. They had visited Ground Zero, walked the narrow, crowded sidewalks of Little Italy on a spring Saturday evening, and had only been spotted by what turned out to be a couple of guys from the world of wrestling, including one who had wrestled for the New York Athletic Club.

Cael was not upset at his sudden anonymity. 'I'm a wrestler. We have a small wrestling community. That's something you expect. It's not disappointing or anything. I wrestle because I love wrestling -- not to have people recognize me on the street,' he reasoned.

Their trip to these parts was arranged by several of the leaders of USA Wrestling in New York and New Jersey, with three clinics scheduled over two days. In-between was this evening visit to Manhattan, including dinner at La Mela and dessert at Ferrara's.

Chris Bono, Cael's assistant coach at Iowa State and also a member of the U.S. freestyle wrestling National Team, had seen this before. A native of Philadelphia who moved to Florida around the end of grammar school, he only moved to Iowa upon entering college at Iowa State, and has stayed there ever since.

'Walking around the city, I love it,' said Chris. 'I like seeing the people. We don't get to do these kind of things in Iowa. Out in the Midwest, it's just good old country farm living. But I like walking around the big city, and I could be a city person if I had to be. I like it.'

He was not so sure about Cael. 'It was just funny watching Sanderson walking around here, not knowing what the hell's going on, and him holding his wallet in his back pocket and making sure nobody gets it. But I did buy a pair of Oakley's for ten bucks, so I was happy about that,' he said. For the uninitiated (or those like me who wear prescription glasses), real Oakley sunglasses are, well, not exactly found for that price. Remember, we were in Little Italy, adjacent to Chinatown, where all sorts of miracles can happen at a bargain price.

'Cael got a $5000 Rolex for 15 bucks, so he's happy, too,' Chris informed us, but Cael disagreed.

'I don't know. I don't think I did, actually,' he said. But then he insisted, 'Oh, it's an official Rolex. It's the real deal. It's not plastic, or anything.'

What was on the level was Cael's marveling at his first chance to walk around Manhattan. 'It's real impressive,' the 22-year-old native of Heber City, Utah, said. 'It's like nothing you've really seen until you're here. So it's pretty awesome.'

Cael was an art and design major, and is known to love to sketch, but he did not have any time this trip to witness any of New York's renowned art museums. 'I'm going to have to wait until I get some free time. That may have to be a non-wrestling trip there. I'm pretty busy,' he said, preparing to return to Iowa the next night and then go on to Las Vegas for the U.S. Freestyle Wrestling National Championships the following week.

But he still finds time to think about art. And it might surprise you when he answered just who was among his favorite artists.

'I've been looking a lot at Michelangelo,' he said. 'He has a lot of studies of the body. I'm a wrestler, so I like to draw wrestlers. I look at how he draws muscles and big, buff dudes. So that's who I've been studying lately.'

He at first said he didn't think there was much connection between art and wrestling. 'Wrestling and drawing are totally different for me. I like to just go relax and have fun.' But then he said, 'Well, I guess I take the same approach with both things. Just have fun, and do what I can.' I wonder if in all the interviews by all the sports reporters with varying degrees of familiarity with wrestling whether or not he had been asked that question. It will be enlightening to see how he approaches it again in the future. It is also awesome to imagine the end-product if Cael's taking the same approach with art as he does with wrestling results in similar success.

Meanwhile, the conversation turned to what was in front of him. 'I like my raspberry tart I just ate. That was good. I'm getting one to go, actually,' said Cael. I joked that he might have to wrestle up a weight if he continued to dine on anything from Ferrara's, at which point Bono accused me of stuffing my pockets with goodies. I wish. I had only had a cup of espresso, but had, let's say, not left too much for the garbage pail rats at La Mela.

Chris, of course, had no apologies for succumbing to temptation at Ferrara's. 'Of course not. You got to have a cannoli when you come into Ferrara's,' he said, stating the almost inevitable. 'I only had one,' now pretending to defend himself, then adding, 'But I got a six-pack to go. I'm going to suck them down on the ride home.'

I told Chris about these places I know that have five-dollar pitchers of MGD. 'That's Bobby Douglas,' he retorted, referring to Iowa State's head coach, a man with whom I share a loyalty to that lovable, watery brew. 'I'm a Corona man,' Chris informed us. But when I told him they carried that brand, too, he chimed in, 'I'll be there -- after the Open.'

We also discussed another subject intricately linked to beer -- baseball. Cael had been invited by the Chicago Cubs, a team that means much more to Iowans than most because of its Triple-A affiliate Iowa Cubs, to come to Wrigley Field and lead the crowd in the traditional singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' at the seventh-inning stretch. But the game at which this was all supposed to happen was rained out.

'Lucky for them,' said Cael. 'I'm not very good at singing. But it's postponed. We're going to go back later on in a little while, so it's not a big deal.' He said he had been a baseball fan when he was growing up. 'I played baseball, but since I went to school, you don't have much time to do anything but wrestle. We watch the big games, though,' he said.

Ah, the Cubbies' loss could be New York's gain. I asked him and Chris to sing this baseball anthem anyway, right there in Ferrara's. 'I probably don't know the words,' Cael claimed. Chris wanted me to start, so, shameless as anyone else in the journalism profession, I did, probably setting off a few car alarms in the process. But after growling the first verse, I beckoned Cael to rescue everyone's hearing.

'You just sang the verse that I knew, so I'm out of luck,' he said. So it was up to Chris to chime in.

'Root, root, root for the Cubbies,' he implored.

But Cael stood firm. 'I'm not singing. Not today.'

Mixed in with all this talk about cannolis, New York, beer, raspberry tarts. Michelangelo, baseball, and other items cultural, we did touch on wrestling. But for that, you will have to wait for part two of this report.

Source: Abu Dhabi/Eddie Goldman

Royler Gracie to fight in the U.S. and more

Royler Gracie to Fight in the U.S. and more

Multiple times World BJJ & ADCC Champion Royler Gracie told your interprid reporter that he is in solid negotiations to fight in the U.S. this year. According to Royler, he is negotiating for a Submission Grappling match in late summer and an NHB fight in late fall. More news on this as it becomes available.

Additionally Royler is doing a series of seminars in the West Coast:

May 10,11 & 12th in Eugene, Oregon contact Ryan Kelly (541)726-0860 or (541) 915-9912

May 13-16th in Phoenix, AZ at Megaton Diaz School (602)841-8779

May 17th in Salt Lake City, Utah @ Pedro Sauer Summer Camp (801)561-2535

May 18 & 19th in Huntington Be.,Ca at Cleber Luciano's Academy (714)842-4554

May 25th in Honolulu, Hi at Relson Gracie's Academy (808)589-2524

Don't miss out this big series.

Source: Abu Dhabi

 4/14/02

Quote of the Day

I love this quote!

"It is God's responsibility to judge Osama. It is our responsibility to arrange that meeting."

The United States Marines

The 1st All Female MMA Event Results!

HOOKnSHOOT REVOLUTION
Memorial Coliseum, Evansville, IN
April 13th, 2002

2 Rounds (125 lbs):
Erica Montoya (Next Generation Jiu Jitsu 1-0) vs. Ruth Mejia (Team Benavides 1-0)
Erica wins by arm bar RD 1

2 Rounds (170 lbs):
Shannon Hooper (0-1 AMC Pankration) vs. Olga Bakalopoulos (1-0 Beverly Hills JJ)
Olga wins by keylock sub in RD1

2 Rounds (165 lbs):
Jennifer Irons (Robinson Academy 1-0 vs. Jessica Ross (Team Caique 0-1)
Jessica Ross wins by triangle choke in RD 1.

2 Rounds (135 lbs):
Angela Wilson (Carlos Newton JJ) vs. Tanya Vlahac (Total Fitness 1-1)
Angela wins referee stop due to strikes in RD 1

2 Rounds (155 lbs):
Mayra Conde (2-0 Beverly Hills JJ) vs. Angela Restad (PBBA Martial Arts 2-1)
This fight was a war, and ended in a draw

2 Rounds (135 lbs):
Tara LaRosa (FREELANCE 1-0) v s. Shelby Walker (Team Talon 1-1)
Tara wins by TKO Ref. stops. strikes from the mount in RD 1

3 Rounds (135 lbs):
Debi Purcell (Ruas Vale Tudo 2-0) vs. Christine Van Fleet (Rogue Power Milita 2-0)
Purcell wins by rear naked choke in RD 1.

Source: ADCC/FCF

The Return of the Heavyweights!
“The Biggest Tournament in History!”



Huge heavyweight event begins to take shape

HONOLULU, Hawaii -- What has 32 legs, 16 noses and weighs more than 4,000 pounds?
Answer: The tournament field for the upcoming Super Brawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights.

That's right... the fighters in this year's field for the mega 16-fighter tourney have an average weight of more than 275 pounds. And, they have combined to win more than 80% of their mixed martial arts matches.

Super Brawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights is sponsored by Full Contact Fighter and promises to be the most exciting event held in Hawaii in recent years. The two-day, 16-fighter tournament is scheduled April 26-27 at the Blaisdell Arena and boasts $20,000 in prize money and hopefully an opportunity for some fighters to point their careers toward the sport's major organizations.

"There is no shortage of size... or talent in this tourney," said Super Brawl promoter T.Jay Thompson. "I haven't been this excited for an event in a long time. I look at the field, and realistically we have at least a dozen guys who are expecting to make it to at least the semifinals."

Just over two years ago in the same arena, Super Brawl held what is considered to be the most successful heavyweight tournament in the sport's history. Of the eight competitiors, six went on to compete in either UFC, Pride, or both. Advancing to UFC were: Josh Barnett, Bobby Hoffman, Travis Fulton and Ricco Rodriguez. Advancing to Pride were Heath Herring, John Marsh and Rodriguez.

Barnett, the newly crowned UFC champion and winner of the first tourney, will be on hand to personally put the belt on this year's champion. Jens Pulver, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, also will be in attendance.

Half of the field for "Return of the Heavyweights" was selected through qualifying 8-man tournaments held earlier this year in Iowa and Utah. The rest, were selected from a long list of applicants asking to take part in the event.

"We have received more interest than we ever imagined," said Extreme Challenge promoter Monte Cox, who is co-promoting the event. "We are trying to discover stars... and have only accepted up-and-coming fighters who have no prior experience in the UFC or Pride. We're looking to make some fighters' dreams come true."

Ben Rothwell (11-1) of Milwaukee, Wis., won the Iowa event, while Tim Sylvia (10-0) of Bettendorf, Iowa, won the Utah event. As announced earlier, those fighters will be joined by local favorite Wes "Cabbage" Coreirra (12-3), who has become a Super Brawl standout.
Also competing will be muscular Travis Wiuff (5-1) of Minneapolis, Minn.; Kerry "Meat Truck" Schall (12-4) of Cincinnati, Ohio; Gabe Beauperthuy (6-3) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Bryan Stromberg (1-0) of Portland, Ore.

Stromberg represents Team Quest, which features former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture and Pride standout Dan Henderson.

All 16 fighters will compete in single bouts on April 26... reducing the field to eight fighters. On April 27, the eight will continue the tourney until one fighter wins three bouts (four over two days) and is crowned the champion.

A special priced ticket for both nights is available at the Blaisdell Center box office, all tickets plus outlets or online at http://www.ticketplushawaii.com/
Much more information is available at http://www.superbrawl.tv/

For additional information, email T.Jay Thompson at tj@superbrawl.tv or call (808) 524-6062.

Source: T.Jay Thompson

2002 Judo National Championships
Hawaiian Judokas make us proud!

2002 USA Judo National Championships
Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio
April 12-13, 2002

The following are the results for the 2002 USA Judo National Championships held at Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio. Over 120 of the top athletes in the nation competed in 9 weight classes each for men and women yesterday and Friday. In addition, over 200 athletes ages 30-74 will compete in the Masters Championships.

Results of Hawaii Athletes who competed:

DIVISION: Women 78 kg
AMY Tong, SAN JOSE, CA defeated NICOLE KUBES, FORT WORTH, TX for First Place. This was Amy's fourth National Championship victory (winning in 1999, 2000 , 2001, and now 2002). Amy was also a 2000 Olympian and a 1999 and 2001 World Team Member. Note: Amy's sister is Anna Tong, and oustanding wrestler and judo player for Kaiser High School.

DIVISION: Women International Open Division
(A person of any weight can contest in this category)
KYONGFA KIM, HONOLULU, HI, HAWAII TOKAI INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE lost in the bronze medal match and placed 5th.

DIVISION: Men 60 kg
TAYLOR TAKATA, CO SPRINGS, CO defeated SHOZO FUKUDA, SAN JOSE, CA in the finals to take the Gold medal. This was Taylor's first Senior National Championship victory. Taylor is a 2000 Iolani Graduate. He took the Gold Medal in last year's Pan American Judo Union Championships, was a member of the 2001 World Team, and a 2000 World Junior Team member. He is currently residing in Colorado and training at the US Olympic Training Center.

Masters DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 55kg
MARK MURANAKA, H0NOLULU, HI, MILILANI YMCA JUDO Club defeated JOHN ALANIZ, CHICAGO, IL, MILITARY ARTS INSTITUTE in the Finals to take First Place. Mark is the Head Instructor for the Mililani YMCA Judo Club and is the Vice-President of Hawaii Judo Inc.

Complete Results:
04-14-2002
For immediate release: SPORTS
The following are the results for the 2002 USA Judo National Championships held at Public Hall in Cleveland, Ohio, April 12-13, 2002.

THIS WEBSITE POSTING IS SUBJECT TO FINAL REVIEW AND CORRECTION. BRING SUSPECTED ERRORS TO THE ATTENTION OF JOHN MILLER AT: jonmira@aol.com

Senior Shiai Category Divisions:
Contestant's Name, Hometown, State Code, Club Name

DIVISION: Women 48 kg
1. SAYAKA MATSUMOTO, RICHMOND, CA, EAST BAY JUDO INSTIT
2. CRYSTAL BROWN, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
3. CHRISTINE CARRERA, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
3. ALEXANDRA CAUSEY, LOMITA, CA, MOJICA JUDO CLUB
5. CHRISTINA PRO, JEFFERSON HILLS, PA, SOUTH HILLS JUDO CLU
5. DIANA CAPOCASA, CARPENTERSVILLE PL, IL, TOHKON

DIVISION: Women 52 kg
1. CHARLEE MINKIN, USOTC, CO, OTC
2. ELIZABETH BURNS, SCOTIA, NY, JASON MORRIS JUDO CL
3. TERESA RATANASURAKARN, WHITTIER, CA, GARDENA JUDO CLUB
3. KATHERINE ENSLER, NORMAN, OK, SOONER JUDO CLUB
5. ROSI BARTKOWSKI, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
5. ANNA NAGAIKA, BELLFLOWER, CA, SAWTELLE

DIVISION: Women 57 kg
1. ELLEN WILSON, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
2. CARRIE CHANDLER, SCOTIA, NY, JASON MORRIS JUDO CL
3. TELITHA ELLIS, WESTFIELD, NJ, CRANFORD JUDO
3. CHRISTAL RANSOM, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
5. IRIS FELICIANO, BROOKLYN, NY, STARRETT JUDO CLUB
5. SHANA SUGIURA, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV

DIVISION: Women 63 kg
1. GRACE JIVIDEN-CHAPMAN, LITTLETON, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
2. ANASTASIA KRIVOSTA, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
3. ASHLIE MARTINI, CHICAGO, IL, TOHKON JUDO ACADEMY
3. YVONNE CARRERA, WHITTIER, CA, MOJICA JUDO CLUB
5. HEIDI BARTKOWSKI, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
5. CINDY IMAI, ROSEMEAD, CA, MOJICA JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Women 70 kg
1. CHRISTINA YANNETSOS, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
2. ASMA SHARIF, DOWNEY, CA, WEST COVINA
3. BRIGETTE KUBES, FORT WORTH, TX, FORT WORTH JUDO CLUB
3. JACLYN FEUERSCHWENGE, LINDEN, NJ, CRANFORD JUDO
5. LAURA COOK, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
5. LILLIE MCNULTY, ALTAMONT, NY, JUDO AMERICA

DIVISION: Women 78 kg
1. AMY Tong, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
2. NICOLE KUBES, FORT WORTH, TX, FORT WORTH JUDO CLUB
3. JILL COLLINS, ENQLEWOOD, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
3. KATIE MOCCO, NORTH BERGEN, NJ, JUDO AMERICA
5. LORETTA EDWARDS, NEW ALBANY, OH, RENSHUDEN JUDO ACADE
5. LISA UEMURA, SALINAS, CA, SALINAS JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Women +78 kg
1. NANOUSHKA ST PRE, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
2. BARBARA PORTER, TWIN FALLS, ID, TWIN FALLS CSI
3. ORDALIX CEDENO, UNION CITY, NJ, APA JUDO CLUB
3. TONI GEIGER, DUMONT, NJ, APA JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Women Intern'l Exhibition
1. LORETTA EDWARDS, NEW ALBANY, OH, RENSHUDEN JUDO ACADE
2. Heidi Moore, Englewood, CO, Univ. of Denver
3. Nina Cutro-Kelley, Albany, NY, Judo America -
3. Katie Mocco, North Bergen, NJ, Judo America-IC
5. KYONGFA KIM, HONOLULU, HI, HAWAII TOKAI INT COL
5. Barbara Porter, Twin Falls, ID, Twin Falls CSI

DIVISION: Men 55 kg
1. MICKEY MATSUMOTO, TORRANCE, CA, GARDENA JUDO CLUB
2. DANIEL GOMEZ, HOUSTON, TX, TEXAS A&M U
3. CID GUMBAN, SAN DIEGO, CA, JUDO AMERICA SAN DIE
3. KENNY HASHIMOTO, THORNTON, CO, NORTHGLEN JUDO CLUB
5. MATTHEW DIAS, FREMONT, CA, SAN JOSE BUDDHIST
5. SEAN ESTREE, KALAMAZOO, MI, SOUTHSIDE DOJO

DIVISION: Men 60 kg
1. TAYLOR TAKATA, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
2. SHOZO FUKUDA, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
3. DYNELL PINDER, BROOKLYN, NY, STARRETT JUDO CLUB
3. JOSHUA RAMIREZ, Vista, CA, San shi
5. DARTANYON BURROWS, FRUITLAND, ID, WESTERN IDAHO JUDO I
5. GERARD CADET, BROOKLYN, NY, STARRETT JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Men 66 kg
1. JUSTIN FLORES, CARLSBAD, CA, SAN SHI JUDO CLUB
2. ALEX OTTIANO, LAWRENCE, MA, NYAC
3. DAVID FUKUDA, FRUITLAND, ID, WESTERN IDAHO JUDO I
3. MATTHEU GOLDSTEIN, RIVERWOODS, IL, COHENS JUDO CLUB
5. TREVOR MALLO, THORNTON, CO, NORTHGLENN JUDO CLUB
5. RICK BROWN, CLAIRTON, PA,

DIVISION: Men 73 kg
1. RYAN RESER, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
2. RICHARD COHEN, BUFFALO GROVE, IL, COHENS JUDO CLUB
3. MANUEL GAMBURYAN, LOS ANGELES, CA, HAYASTAN JUDO CLUB
3. CHUCK JEFFERSON, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
5. TYSON MAYEDA, SANTA CLARA, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
5. Sarkis Chivitchian, Los Angeles, CA, Hayastan

DIVISION: Men 81 kg
1. RICHARD HAWN, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
2. RENO RESER, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
3. DAVID ELLIS, WESTFIELD, NJ, CRANFORD JUDO
3. ENRICO TAYLOR, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, USA STARS
5. LEE HEITZMAN, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
5. KARAPET PARISYAN, LOS ANGELES, CA, HAYASTAN JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Men 90 kg
1. CHRIS SNYDER, SCOTTS, MI, SOUTHSIDE DOJO
2. JOSHUA PETERSON, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
3. TONY COMFORT, BREA, CA, LACC
3. ADLER VOLMAR, MIDDLETOWN, RI, MIKES DOJO
5. DIASUKE HIRATA, WILLIAMSBURG, KY, CUMBERLAND COLLEGE
5. BRIAN PICKLO, YUKAAN, OK, USA STARS

DIVISION: Men 100 kg
1. MICHAEL BARNES, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
2. Rhadi Ferguson, Bowie, MD, Lloyd Irvin
3. BARRY FRIEDBERG, NEW YORK, NY, NEW YORK ATHLETIC CL
3. MICHAEL PRIEDITIS, CO SPRINGS, CO, OLYMPIC TRAINING CEN
5. JOSEPH FERGUSUN, HAMILTON, OH, CUMBERLAND COLLEGE
5. TIM WILSON, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV

DIVISION: Men +100 kg
1. JOHN SERBIN, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
2. OSWALDO NORAT, MIAMI, FL, BUDOKAN MIAMI FLORID
3. MARTIN BOONZAAYER, HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL, COHENS JUDO CLUB
3. RENE CAPO, WELBOURNE, FL, JASON MORRIS JUDO CL
5. JONATHAN LEONHARDT, SAN JOSE, CA, SAN JOSE STATE UNIV
5. ANTHONY TURNER JR, MIAMI, FL, BUDOKAN MIAMI FLORID

DIVISION: Men Intern'l Exhibition
1. Maje Omagbaluwaje, Chicago, NIG,
2. Joseph Ferguson, Hamilton, OH, Cumberland College
3. Phillip Jones, , BAH,
3. KIRK HOFFMANN, ST PETERSBURG, FL, ST PETE JUDO CLUB
5. TIMOTHY HARMELING, BABSON PARK, FL, GE JUDO
5. KEVIN MURRAY, HANOVER, MA, NU JUDO

Masters Category Divisions:
Contestant's Name, Hometown, State Code, Club Name

DIVISION: Female 30-34 yrs, 63kg
1. SHARON LANDSTREET, CENTREVILLE, VA, ARLINGTON JUDO
2. JULIE SEYDLITZ, SAN FRANCISCO, CA, CAHILL'S JUDO
3. SHELLIE GIBSON, BRISTOW, IN, FOUR SEASONS JUDO
3. TERRI LAHNER, WEST PALM BEACH, FL, YMCA CORAL SPRINGS

DIVISION: Female 30-34 yrs, 70kg
1. MONA WHEELER, APO, CO, HYLAND HILLS
2. JANA SEABORN, FARGO, ND, FM YMCA JUDO

DIVISION: Female 30-34 yrs, +78kg
1. DANA BEN AVI, CALDWELL, NJ, APA JUDO CLUB
2. BARBARA PORTER, TWINFALLS, ID, TWIN FALLS CSI JUDO

DIVISION: Female 35-39 yrs, 57kg
1. SUSAN KIM, CHICAGO, IL, TOHKON JUDO ACADEMY
2. PAMELA RUSSELL, WAYNESBURG, PA, KIMS MARTIAL ARTS

DIVISION: Female 35-39 yrs, +78kg
1. MARISA HERNANDEZ, WATSONVILLE, CA, WATSONVILLE JUDO CLU

DIVISION: Female 40-44 yrs, 57kg
1. TAFFY FRANZ, NAPA, CA, KYODO JUDO CLUB
2. ELLZABETH SPAETH, CHARLOTTE, MI, MICHIGAN STATE UNIV

DIVISION: Female 40-44 yrs, 70kg
1. RATHILD FRIEDRICH, DALE CITY, VA, WASHINGTON JUDO CLUB
2. MARIE HOCKETT, JOHNSBURG, IL, TOHKON JUDO ACADEMY
3. DEBORAH FERGUS, BENTON HARBOR, MI, SOUTHSIDE DOJO

DIVISION: Female 45-49 yrs, 52kg
1. CAROL BOULET, ELMA, NY, KIN TORA JUDO CLUB
2. BERNADETTE MCFADDEN, CLEVELAND, OH, MIDEAST CUDELL JUDO

DIVISION: Female 50-54 yrs, 57kg
1. SUE REEDREGAN, RENTON, WA, BUDOKAN SEATTLE WA
2. ELIZABETH SAVINO, ALBANY, NY, JUDD AMERICA
3. C JAN GRADEN, BREMERTON, WA, KITSAP JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Female 55-59 yrs, 52kg
1. KAREN BELTER, LAKEWOOD, OH, CHU TO BU

DIVISION: Male 30-34 yrs, 66kg
1. KURT TAMAI, LAUREL, MD, COLLEGE PARK JUDO CL
2. HEIKO ROMMELMANN, WEBSTER, NY, BUSHIDO KAI JUDO CLU

DIVISION: Male 30-34 yrs, 73kg
1. NICHOLAS RASTELLI, BUFFALO, NY, KIN TORA JUDO CLUB
2. JOE FICO, TUCSON, AZ, TUCSON DOJO

DIVISION: Male 30-34 yrs, 81kg
1. MIKHAIL KOZITSKIY, HUNTINGDON VALL, PA, LIBERTY BELL JUDO
2. PAULO AUGUSTO, LEUCADIA, CA, SAN SHI JUDO CLUB
3. KEVIN COSTELL, WESTFIELD, NJ, APA
3. MICHAEL OSTROWSKI, CORDOVA, TN, TOHKON

DIVISION: Male 30-34 yrs, 90kg
1. MAJE OMAGBALUWAJE, CHICAGO, IL, TOHKON
2. CHRIS SMALL, EASTPORT, MI, PETOSKI KODOKAN JUDO
3. RICK SUCHY, Morris Plains, NJ, Crantond Judo
3. GARRY SNOW, TELL CITY, IN, FOUR SEASONS JUDO CL

DIVISION: Male 30-34 yrs, 100kg
1. IRVIN LLOYD, CAMP SPRINGS, MD, LLOYD IRVIN
2. RAY HUXEN, PHILADELPHIA, PA, MAXERCISE
3. DAVID CHRISTIANSON, SEATTLE, WA, BUDOKAN SEATTLE WA

DIVISION: Male 30-34 yrs, +100kg
1. BRET HOLMES, NORTH OGDEN, UT, INDEPENDENT
2. RAFAEL MATEO, NEW YORK, NY, KOKOSHI BUDO INSTITU
3. ROBERT PARSONS, SALEM, OH, PARKS JUDO AND KARAT

DIVISION: Male 35-39 yrs, 66kg
1. MAHMOUD MANI, DENVER, CO, NORTHGLENN JUDO CLUB
2. NICK JAFFE, CHICAGO, IL, TOHKON JUDO ACADEMY
3. KAZUHIRO SONODA, PORTLAND, OR, OGDEN JUDO DOJO
3. JEFF GIUNTA, WEBSTER, NY, BUSHIDO KAI JUDO CLU

DIVISION: Male 35-39 yrs, 73kg
1. ISTVAN LOVAS, BELLEVUE, WA, BUDOKAN SEATTLE WA
2. BENTLY REINHARDT, Pocatello, ID, ISU Judo
3. BRIAN HOE SR, ELLENWOOD, GA, ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
3. IRVING ORTOLAZA, ROCHESTER, NY, BUSHIDO KAI JUDO CLU

DIVISION: Male 35-39 yrs, 81kg
1. MARCUS SCHAUFELE, JUNEAU, AK, CAPITAL CITY JUDO
2. MARK GLASER, BELLINGHAM, WA, WESTERN WASHINGTON U
3. JAMES RIGGS, CLYDE, NC, WAYNESVILLE KODOKAN
3. DAVID WELSCH, BROOMFIELD, CO, HYLAND HILLS

DIVISION: Male 35-39 yrs, 90kg
1. WAYNE DICKINSON, SOMERSET, MA, MIKES DOJO
2. RUSS LITTLE, FLORISSANT, MO, KIRKWOOD JUDO CLUB
3. HARRY DOHERTY, MAGNOLNA, TX, DIAMONDBACK JUDO
3. MICHAEL FERGUSON, MONROEVILLE, PA, SOUTH HILLS JUDO CLU

DIVISION: Male 35-39 yrs, 100kg
1. JOHN BRANSON, ANDERSON, IN, ANDERSON YMCA
2. MARC DICKIE, BUFFALO, NY, KINTORA
3. PAUL DUGAS, BEDFORD, TX, KODOKAN JUDO
3. AREF HASHEM, POCATEL1O, ID, IDAHO STATE UNIVERSI

DIVISION: Male 35-39 yrs, +100kg
1. WILLIAM FRIZZELL, WAYNESVILLE, NC, WAYNESVILLE KIODOKAN
2. BRIAN RUHOFF, GRAND RAPIDS, MI, GRAND RAPIDS JUDO CL

DIVISION: Male 40-44 yrs, 66kg
1. BERT MACKEY, EDMONDS, WA, BUDOKAN SEATTLE WA
2. KENNY LOWERY, CLEVELAND, OH, MIDEAST CUDELL JUDO
3. MARK ALLISON, MARS HILL, NC, WAYNESVILLE KODAKAN
3. DANIEL OVERLAND, WESTMINSTER, CO, NORTHGLENN JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 40-44 yrs, 73kg
1. RICARDO TUERO, Miami, FL, Ricardo Judo
2. MICHAEL ALEXANDER, ALBUQUERQUE, NM, SANDIA JUDO CLUB
3. ANDREW SWANSTON, NEW HEMPSTEAD, NY, W PATERSON MARTIAL A
3. KEVIN PARKER, FORT LUPTON, CO, NORTHGLENN JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 40-44 yrs, 81kg
1. LAWRENCE WILEY, CHICAGO, IL, TOKKON JUDO ACADEMY
2. STEVE BELL, SAUGUS, CA, ANTELOPE VALLEY
3. JOE SCHMIDT, HINCKLEY, OH, CHU TO BU
3. THOMAS JONES, YELLOW SPRINGS, OH, EPIZOUNDES JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 40-44 yrs, 90kg
1. ANTHONY CAMAL, WEST PATERSON, NJ, W PATERSON MARTIAL A
2. ROBERT SCHULTHEIS, GURNEE, IL, GURNEE JUDO CLUB
3. DWIGHT BRISE, PITTSBURGH, PA, KIMS MARTIAL ARTS
3. NEIL KOZEROWITZ, GURNEE, IL, GURNEE JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 40-44 yrs, 100kg
1. BRIAN GERMAIN, LAKELAND, FL, GE JUDO
2. LARRY TAYLOR, NEW HAVEN, CT, SHIMAMOTO JUDO CENTE
3. GARY WOOD, TROY, MI, TROY JUDO CLUB
3. RICK BERTUCCI, CAMBRIDGE, MA, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERS

DIVISION: Male 40-44 yrs, +100kg
1. DERRICK KERR, POMONA, CA, WEST COVINA DOJO
2. IVAN CANALEJO, MIAMI, FL, RICARDO TUERO JUDO
3. David Guerrero, Chino, CA, Goltz Judo Club
3. JAMES SCHWARTZHOFF, KETTERING, OH, RENSHUDEN JUDO ACADE

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 55kg
1. MARK MURANAKA, H0NOLULU, HI, MILILANI YMCA JUDO C
2. JOHN ALANIZ, CHICAGO, IL, MILITARY ARTS INSTIT

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 60kg
1. DENNIS OREILLY, COLDSPRINGHARBO, NY, OISHI JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 66kg
1. Roger Tremblax, Sonquierre, CAN, Judokas
2. PETER LACROIX, WILTON MANORS, FL, HOLLYWOOD YMCA
3. WILLIAM ASAI, NEW YORK, NY, APA JUDO CLUB
3. RICHARD FREEMAN, CHEEKTOWAGA, NY, KIN TORA JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 73kg
1. SANDY NORTH, HOLLYWOOD, FL, BUDOKAN MIAMI FLORID
2. DAVID QUINONEZ, San Ramon, CA, Bay Isle Judo Jujits
3. TODD CAVINESS, LELAND, IL, YORKVILLE JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 81kg
1. JAMES CARMER, GRANGER, IN, MICHIANA JUDO
2. STEVE SANFORD, HOUSTON, TX, DIAMONDBACK JUDO
3. DAVE LOYST, DANA POINT, CA, TUSTIN JUDO CLUB
3. RICHARD MIGNOGNA, GOLDEN, CO, NORTHGLENN JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 90kg
1. JACQUES COTE, LONGUEUIL QU, CAN, BOUCHERVILLE JUDO CL
2. CRAIG FASHNER, SEALY, TX, DIAMONDBACK JUDO
3. HAROLD PRITCHETT, LOUISVILLE, KY, WAKAISHU
3. RAYMOND HOYT, SANTA BARBARA, CA, SANTA BARBARA JUDO C

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, 100kg
1. JOSE ITHIER, EAST BERLIN, CT, NEW BRITAIN JUDO CLU
2. PIERRE CAZARES, MIAMI, FL, RICARDO TUERO JUDO
3. LARRY BALLARD, ST LOUIS, MO, KIRKWOOD JUDO

DIVISION: Male 45-49 yrs, +100kg
1. RODOLFO RIVERA, ST LOUIS, MO, MOP DO QUAN

DIVISION: Male 50-54 yrs, 55kg
1. ROBERT OKADA, TULSA, OK, YUSHITAKA JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 50-54 yrs, 66kg
1. ROGER TREMBLAX, SONQUIERE QU, CAN, JUDOKAS JONQUIERE P
2. MICHAEL LANCASTER, XENIA, OH, EPIZOUNDES JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 50-54 yrs, 81kg
1. JERRY WEE, CLINTON TWP, MI, MACOMB Y
2. THOM LAYON, TULSA, OK, KOKETSU JUDO CLUB
3. ROLAND LEONE, CHESTERFIELD, MI,
3. CHARLES BANKS, LAKEWOOD, OH, MIDEAST CUDELL JUDO

DIVISION: Male 50-54 yrs, 90kg
1. BILL BILINOVICH, COPLEY, OH, PARKS JUDO AND KARAT
2. GARY BEST, BARSTOW, CA, BARSTOW JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 50-54 yrs, 100kg
1. DENNIS SCHEIB, ATLANTA, GA, ATLANTA JUDO ACAD
2. WAYNE HAMILTON, TWIN FALLS, ID, TWIN FALLS CSI JUDO
3. JUSTO SANCHEZ, MIAMI, FL, BANZAI JUDO DOJO

DIVISION: Male 50-54 yrs, +100kg
1. RANDY PIERCE, IMPERIAL, MO, KONJO DOJO
2. RODNEY LIMA K, BOISE, ID, TREASURE VALLEY HIGH
3. WAYNE JOHNSON, LAYTON, UT, OGDEN JUDO DOJO

DIVISION: Male 55-59 yrs, 60kg
1. JONATHAN KNIGHT, BELLEVUE, WA, BUDOKAN SEATTLE WA

DIVISION: Male 55-59 yrs, 66kg
1. LARRY YAKATA, NEW YORK, NY, OISHI JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 55-59 yrs, 73kg
1. KATSUJI NERIO, CHINO, CA, TENRI JUDO DOJO

DIVISION: Male 55-59 yrs, 81kg
1. CLYDE WORTHEN, RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ, APA JUDO CLUB
2. STEVE OWEN, TUCSON, AZ, TUCSON JUDO
3. JOSEPH ZURHELLEN, YONKPRS, NY, OISHI JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 55-59 yrs, 90kg
1. JAMES KINDER, KININCLON, NJ, SHEWAMOTO JUDO
2. DOUGLAS PAYNE, NORTHGLENN, CO, NORTHGLENN JUDO CLUB
3. DAVID SHIFLEY, WOOSTER, OH, COMPETITORS JUDO TEA

DIVISION: Male 55-59 yrs, 100kg
1. JOSEPH MERGEN, ALGONQUIN, IL, TOHKON JUDO ACADEMY

DIVISION: Male 55-59 yrs, +100kg
1. ODELL TERRY, NEW YORK, NY,
2. MAC TAKEDA, ELK GROVE, CA, SACRAMENTO JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 60-64 yrs, 66kg
1. LOW DONG, LOMITA, CA, GARDENA JUDO

DIVISION: Male 60-64 yrs, 73kg
1. E.L.B. MAYFIELD, Jacksonville, NC, Mayfield Martial Art

DIVISION: Male 60-64 yrs, 81kg
1. RON PARDINI, PITTSBURGH, PA, KIMS MARTIAL ARTS
2. JACK HICKS, TULSA, OK, TULSA JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 60-64 yrs, 90kg
1. LEE HOLLOWAY, TELL CITY, IN, FOUR SEASONS JUDO
2. JACK SHEILS, SLEEPY HOLLOW, IL, TOHKON

DIVISION: Male 65-69 yrs, 73kg
1. ANDOR JOBB, EMLENTON, PA, CLARION UNIV HUN JUD
2. RALPH LISLE, CARLSBAD, CA, SAN SHI JUDO CLUB
3. RALPH BAIEMA, BLAINE, WA, WESTERN WASHINGTON U

DIVISION: Male 70-74 yrs, 81kg
1. JACK TURRENTINE, RENO, NV, RENO JUDO CLUB

DIVISION: Male 70-74 yrs, 100kg
1. AUGUSTINE JAZO, AURORA, CO, PANCRATIUM

DIVISION: Male 70-74 yrs, +100kg
1. FERD TIHISTA, WATSONVILLE, CA, WATSONVILLE JUDO CLUB

Source: Neal Takamoto

 4/13/02 6:15PM

The Man Page is Updated

After some badgering from it's loyal readers and students, the Man Page has finally been updated. Check it out by clicking here.

Btw, the Man Page is kind of like a boy's club. No women allowed.

 4/13/02

Quote of the Day

"One hundred percent of the shots I don't make don't go in."

Wayne Gretzky

BJJ - 1, Joe Son Do - 0

I don't know what is up with Joe Son, but he is becoming a bigger freak each and every time he is allowed the chance. In his last fight, he came in a thong-type fight shorts with make-up. This time, Joe Son took on BJJ black belt, Joe Morreira and came out with a real snake around this neck. Joe Son then verbally submitted due to a bitch slap. I guess Austin Powers 3 didn't call him back so money is tight. Below is a segment from Sherdog's page concerning Joe Son's actions. Also on the same card, Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu's Marcus Vinicius lost a decision to Savant Young:

On the way there, I asked myself "why are you going?" Well, I went because Joe Moreria is a friend of mine from way back, and he was going to be fighting Joe Son. Fortunately, I just finished my last therapy session after watching Joe Son "perform" in Japan.

"And now entering the ring, Joe Son!" I look down where Joe Son was, and he was hugging a pylon. Just sitting there, hugging a pylon. One of the promoters had to go get him and lead him onto the fighter walkway. He came into the cage doing some crazy dance moves and kung fu moves asking for the music to be blasted then, and during the fight. Also as many of you might ask no there was no g-string this time, nor any ropes to perform his mini sex act on either. Joe Moriera came into the fight looking to be in incredible shape, and you could tell he was ready to go.

Morreira stalked him down, with some big slaps being thrown by both guys. Everyone thinking cool Joe Son came to fight, maybe he will utilize Joe Son Do! This didn't last long, as Morreira land a nice open palm to cut Son on the cheek a little. Son backed up and touched his blood and looked at it on his hand, like from a karate movie. Next, Joe Son turned his back and ran in retreat, and verbally submitted.

Morreira stood in the middle of the cage with his hands above his head, shaking in disbelief as the fight was over. Joe Son should NEVER get another fight ANYWHERE!

Source: Sherdog

Squeezing Millions From a Phrase:
How a Few Words, In the Right Hands, Can Mean a Fortune

By Andrew Chang

Michael and Bruce Buffer have extended their "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" brand to the icon of Las Vegas, home of the big fight — there are now slot machines that feature the famous announcement.

April 11 — Michael Buffer has probably made more money than anyone else on Earth by stepping inside a boxing ring — and never throwing a punch.

Buffer is no wimp. But his manicured hands, perfectly coiffed hair, and gleaming white teeth attest to a life based on something other than his fists. He comes to every fight dressed in a tuxedo. And once he's inside the ring, he does what pacifist parents tell their children when facing a fight. He uses his mouth. So before the fists start flying, he lets out the one cry that earns him his living. It's a cry that he can do like no one else — by not only by virtue of his golden lungs and throat, but by law.

And it goes: "Let's Get Ready to Ruuummmmmmbbbbllllle!"

Let's Roll and Rumble

With those five words, Buffer and his brother have established an empire that's made millions. Wholesale licensing revenues have grossed about $150 million over the last three years, his brother-manager Bruce said.

For a brief announcing engagement that takes anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, Michael Buffer makes in the range of $15,000 to $30,000, his brother said.

The money comes from far more places than boxing. Buffer's trademark "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" slogan has allowed him to branch out into announcing all matter of events — from sports, to entertainment, to corporate functions and private parties. Buffer has also extended to licensing products, among them video games, toys and movies. He received a commission for the 2000 Warner Bros. wrestling film Ready to Rumble. His personal success is a particularly strong reminder of what's at stake in the tug-of-war over another utterance, the Sept. 11-inspired "Let's Roll."

"Let's roll," for anyone who doesn't know it by now, is believed to be the last known phrase mouthed by suburban dad Todd Beamer before he and his fellow passengers on the doomed United Flight 93 took on their hijackers on Sept. 11, forcing the plane to crash in a field. Since that tragic day, those two words have been immortalized as a symbol of American bravery and defiance in the face of terrorism. It has shown up on novelty items of all sorts; singer Neil Young used it in an anthem, and the president even tried to make it a rallying cry for the nation.

Now, Todd Beamer's wife is trying to seize the phrase as her own, fighting makers of floppy hats, keep-the-beer-can-cold foam holders and other backyard-barbecue paraphernalia from hijacking the memory of her dead husband. "Let's roll" is seemingly as innocuous and ubiquitous as "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" — and it could be as profitable and defensible as well. "Let's roll' has a ring to it," Bruce Buffer said.

Careful Choosing

It's takes plenty of work to stay in charge of million-dollar words, however. "It's not easy," Bruce Buffer said. Buffer told ABCNEWS he has been involved in "maybe over 100" legal actions over the phrase — ranging from suing Iran-Contra figure Oliver North because he led his talk show with it, and to asking radio broadcaster Don Imus to cease-and-desist using the phrase as well. Sony's Columbia Pictures and New Line Cinema also heard from their lawyers when they used the phrase in promos of the movie Booty Call and Rumble in the Bronx.

Buffer says he had "never, ever lost" one of these cases. Awards have ranged from four figures to a "healthy" six-figures. The key to their success, lawyers say, is the Buffers' trademark on the phrase, and their willingness to use the law to defend it. Buffer said much the same thing. One of the biggest problems for trademarks, he said, is that if you allow too many people use the phrase, then you've lost control. "If you don't protect it, then you're in trouble," he said.

Not Universal Protection

Just because the phrase is trademarked though, lawyers say, that doesn't mean no one can ever use it. A trademark's main purpose is to associate a phrase or service with a particular source, said Sharon Marsh, an attorney adviser for the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The main issue is the "likelihood of confusion," she said. To that end, trademarks must be applied individually for any one of 42 classes — so a permit for "Brand X" musical instruments would not prevent someone else from registering "Brand X" pharmaceuticals.

Michael Buffer originally trademarked his "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" under a class that applies to announcing sports and entertainment events. He has since branched out to obtain trademarks for other things, like videogames and clothing. When "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" has been used without license, Buffer's attorneys have argued that their use created an inaccurate impression that he was associated with the users.

In their lawsuit against Oliver North, they alleged North's use of a recording of his announcement unfairly associated him with a figure with a "controversial reputation." Buffer's promotion materials state he has "attained worldwide recognition and acknowledgment as the source" of the phrase. "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" is more than five words, Bruce Buffer said. It also evokes his brother's voice, his presence and the "visual image of a fine-looking human being" pronouncing them, he said.

Two Other Protections

While a trademark for one class of item might not apply to other classes of items, lawyers said there are additional protections arising from copyrights. One is the issue of dilution, which can prevent a company from registering a certain trademark regardless of the difference in class. It mostly applies to marks that are so famous any use of them would affect the value of the mark to the owner.

One of the best real-life examples of a company using the dilution argument is "Toys R' Us," which has quashed attempts at similar names like "Lawyers R' Us," said Mark McCreary, a lawyer with Philadelphia firm Fox Rothschild, O'Brien & Frankel. Another example, he said was that "if Company A wants to use "Intel" to describe a handgun, Intel Corporation would have a very strong argument that registration of the mark 'INTEL' for handguns would dilute Intel Corporation's mark."

Buffer might also seek protection under the rights of publicity, said Robert Zielinski, chair of the Committee on Trademark, Copyrights & Unfair Competition of the Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Association. "It prohibits people from economically exploiting that person's likeness without compensating that individual," Zielinski said.

One of the most famous cases took place in 1992, when Frito-Lay hired a Tom Waits impersonator to sing a song, based on one of Waits' songs for a commercial, after Waits had repeatedly refused them. Waits argued that the song made his friends think he had sold out, and the jury awarded him $2.5 million. In 1988, Ford tried a similar stunt, hiring Bette Midler's back-up singer for a commercial after Midler refused. The jury awarded Midler $400,000.

"'Let's Get Ready to Rumble' was not associated with boxing in that unique manner before Buffer adopted it," McCreary said. If someone used that phrase, people might assume "somehow it is Michael Buffer or is clearly trading on Michael Buffer's notoriety or celebrity status," Zielinski said.

Defending the Treasure

The protections are extensive, Bruce Buffer agreed — but he said much more than that comprises the success of "Let's Get Ready to Rumble." "You got to keep it fresh," he said. That means more than protecting it from other people, but also diversifying, he said. His brother announces all manner of events, including NBA games, Indy 500 races — even Fox's Celebrity Boxing, and an Aerosmith concert, he said. As he's diversified, he also been selective with whom he allows to use the phrase. For example, Buffer said, they don't let strip clubs use it. An idea is "worth as much as you put into it," he said. "To me, all business is the same it's just the product that's different and you can have a diamond in your hand, but if you don't market it correctly, it just becomes another piece of coal."

He brings up the phrase "Show me the money," a popular tag line in the 1996 film, Jerry Maguire. It had the momentum behind it, but no one capitalized on it, he said. It's probably still available, he said, but it wouldn't have the same cultural weight now that 'Let's Get Ready to Rumble" does. Lawyers said there were others: former President Bush's "wouldn't be prudent," noted McCreary. Zielinski cited Steve Martin's extended, "Excuuuse me." Even if these had been properly executed, "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" would still probably be the top of the heap. "It's probably the most famous phrase said by a human being in history," Buffer said.

Again he says, it's much more than the five words — and much more than a lucky ring announcer. It's also a "grand partnership between two brothers," he said. "I don't think it would have worked with anyone else." For that reason, it's hard for Bruce Buffer to entertain any ideas about selling the "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" trademark. When asked, he first said he'd only sell it for "millions." And then he said, "I'll entertain that offer when it happens."

"It's hard to put a price on a life's work," he said.

 Factbox

There's often a great deal of confusion about what makes a patent, a copyright, a trademark, and a servicemark. ABCNEWS explains:

Trademark: Protects branding of goods, like the golden arches of McDonald's for hamburgers.
Servicemark: Protects branding of services, like Jiffylube, for the auto-service firm that provides oil changes.
A Copyright: Protects artistic, literary, dramatic, motion picture, musical and architectural work, like the C 1977 in your copy of The Thorn Birds or the C 1982 at the end of your tape of E.T.
A Patent: Protects an invention, like the slot 1 interface for Intel's Pentium chip, or Compaq's MultiPrime encryption/decryption technology.

Trademarks are often the most confusing because they are the hardest to perceive as creations. One of the main criteria of whether or not a trademark can be obtained is how common it is.

Words or phrases that are too descriptive, or too widely used within a certain industry, are usually rejected, lawyers said.

"Drive Safely," which is being used by Volvo in its ads, was rejected as a trademark because it was too widely used in the car industry altogether, said Sharon Marsh of the U.S. United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The same argument has applied to "Made in the U.S.A." for clothing manufacturers. "Made in the U.S.A." might be open for trademarking as a day-care center though, Marsh said.

In contrast, "America's Freshest Ice Cream" was denied because it was too descriptive, said intellectual property lawyer Mark McCreary.

One unusual trademark that was approved is "Baby on Board," said McCreary. It was OK'd for maternity clothing and prenatal health care. In 2001, someone filed for a trademark for novelty signs, McCreary said.

The filing fee for a trademark application is $325 per class of goods or services. Legal fees, McCreary said, would be in the neighborhood of $500. Each trademark lasts for 10 years.



Source: Sherdog & ABCNews

 4/12/02

Quote of the Day

"The most valuable things in life are not measured in monetary terms. The really important things are not houses and lands, stocks and bonds, automobiles and real state, but friendships, trust, confidence, empathy, mercy, love and faith."

Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British Philosopher, Mathematician, Essayist

UFC 37 complete card

Four more fights have been added to the card for UFC 37: High Impact on May 10, 2002 in Bossier City, Louisiana. Plagued by injuries, the card has taken longer than usual to finalize.

In a Lightweight bout, “The Prodigy” BJ Penn returns to action to take on UFC newcomer Paul Creighton. Penn is coming off a five-round war with Jens Pulver that saw him on the losing end of a majority decision. He is 3-1 in the UFC and is ranked among the top five lightweights in the world. Creighton trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the legendary Renzo Gracie. With a 5-0 record in MMA, Creighton has been wrestling since age five and is a purple belt in BJJ.

Ivan Salaverry, from AMC Pankration in Seattle, Washington, will take on Russian Andrei Semenov in a Middleweight bout. Salaverry won the Hook N Shoot Middleweight Championship on March 9, 2002 when he defeated then-champion John Renken by TKO in 23 seconds.

The two preliminary fights will feature all new blood in the UFC Welterweight division.

Aaron Riley, fighting out of AMC Pankration in Seattle, Washington, will take on Robbie Lawler, who trains with Pat Miletich in Davenport, Iowa. Riley is 11-2 in MMA and has been involved in some of the most exciting fights ever. His most notable fights were his wars with UFC veterans Steve Berger and Yves Edwards. Lawler is undefeated in MMA and recently defeated Japanese fighter Shogun Kawakatsu by TKO.

In the second Welterweight prelim, Joao Pierini will take on Benji “The Razor” Radach. Pierini, a 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, is 5-0 in MMA and trains with Eugene Jackson at the Gladiators Training Academy. He has won all his fights by submission or knockout. Radach (10-0 in MMA) is one of the top students out of Dennis Hallman’s gym Olympia, Washington. He has knockout power and coming from Hallman’s camp, he’s very well-rounded in all aspects of the game.

The official card for UFC 37: High Impact is as follows:

Middleweight Championship Bout

Murilo Bustamante (champion) vs. Matt Lindland

Heavyweight Bout

Ricco Rodriguez vs. Tsuyoshi Kosaka

Middleweight Bouts

Andrei Semenov vs. Ivan Salaverry

Phil Baroni vs. Amar Suloev

Lightweight Bouts

BJ Penn vs. Paul Creighton

Caol Uno vs. Yves Edwards

Welterweight Preliminary Bouts

Aaron Riley vs. Robbie Lawler

Joao Pierini vs. Benji Radach

Ultimate Submissions premiers tonight on pay per view at 10:00 pm eastern. The show is a one-hour feature highlighting the best submission finishes in the UFC's history. The show will be broadcast on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, Dish Network, Bell Express Vu, and Viewer's Choice Canada. It will be replayed throughout the month of April. Check local listings for date, time, and channel.

For a review of Ultimate Submissions, see the link below:
http://www.ufcfightnews.com/news/ultimatesubmissionsreview.html

PRIDE: The OFFICIAL News!

PRIDE.20 / PRIDE Fighting Championships 'Armed and Ready'
DATE: April 28th, 2002
OPEN: 3:00 PM START 5:00 PM
PLACE: Yokohama Arena (Kanagawa-Pref , Japan)

PRIDE Fighting Championships 'Armed and Ready' on April 28th as follows:

Sanae Kikuta vs Alexander Otsuka
Dan Henderson vs Ricardo Arona
Mario Sperry vs Murilo Ninja
Masaaki Satake vs Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson

Gilbert Yvel vs. Sam Greco canceled due to both fighter's injury.

Already announced Official Line Up:

Vanderlei Silva vs. Mirko Cro Cop
Norihisa Yamamoto vs. Bob Zaoo

Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira's Opponent Changes!
By Eduardo Alonso

In a surprise turn of events occurred during last night, FCF just received the info at around 1:20 AM here in Brazil that Gary Goodridge won't be facing Minotauro's twin brother! But Rogerio won't be out of the PRIDE card, and instead his new opponent will be another PRIDE and UFC veteran, none other than Guy Mezger! Mezger is coming off a loss to Ricardo Arona, and a win over Nogueira can boost his career in Japan once again. This creates an interesting match-up, since both guys are closer in weight than Goodridge and Nogueira were. As Nogueira's camp was all set for a fight with Goodridge, this last-minute change of opponents came as a big surprise to them.

Source: Abu Dhabi

2003 Wrestling Worlds in NY!

IT'S OFFICIAL: NEW YORK TO HOST 2003 FREESTYLE WRESTLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!
By: Eddie Goldman

NEW YORK, April 11 -- Ending months of speculation and negotiations, Setrak Agonian, president of the Metropolitan Wrestling Association of New York, announced Wednesday right before a freestyle wrestling dual meet at the New York Athletic Club between teams representing the U.S. and Russia that the 2003 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships will be held in New York City. Both men's and women's freestyle wrestling will be included in this event.

The 2003 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships had originally been scheduled for Slovakia, but, according to Agonian, that country's Olympic Committee recently agreed to have the event moved to New York after the Metropolitan Wrestling Association requested the change. The 2001 World Championships of Wrestling had also been scheduled for New York, but were postponed and relocated following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Metropolitan Wrestling Association was playing a key role in organizing that event, being the competition managers, and will do likewise for the 2003 event.

Just as had also been planned for the 2001 event, the NYC2012 organization, which is leading New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympics, will again play a major role. Wendy Hilliard, Director of Sports for NYC2012, said that the 2003 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships, like the planned 2001 event, will take place at Madison Square Garden, but that the exact dates are still being worked out. The event is planned to take place in September, 2003. A formal press conference announcing the 2003 event will take place at New York's City Hall 'soon,' she said, once the final dates are decided.

The Metropolitan Wrestling Association had also sought to host the 2003 Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championships, which will be held in France, but according to Agonian, that country's representatives would not agree to the move. The 2001 event originally was to have featured both men's and women's freestyle along with Greco-Roman.

There are still some obstacles to overcome, however, before this plan can be successfully carried out.

The 2002 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships are scheduled for Tehran, Iran, Sept. 2-5. U.S. wrestlers did not compete this year in Iran's prestigious Takhti Cup tournament, and Iran did not attend the World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, held in Spokane, Washington, last weekend, as they have done for many years. President Bush has declared Iran to be one of the three countries included in what he calls the 'Axis of Evil.'

Thus, while U.S. freestyle team members are planning and hoping to compete in the 2002 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships in Iran, there is a possibility that the U.S. State Department might advise otherwise, depending on the world situation.

If the U.S. team skips the 2002 World Championships, some countries might want to skip the 2003 World Championships in New York in retaliation. However, 2003 is an Olympic qualifying year, so skipping the 2003 World Championships will make it more difficult or perhaps impossible for some countries to qualify in wrestling for the 2004 Olympics, which will be held in Athens, Greece.

Also, stricter visa screening by the U.S. might make it difficult for wrestlers from some countries to enter the U.S. for the World Championships.

Right now everyone is hopeful that international tensions will subside enough so that both the 2002 and 2003 World Championships can go on unimpeded by any political concerns.

Bringing the 2003 World Championships to New York is also a boost to NYC2012. The U.S. Olympic Committee (U.S.O.C.) will select this November one city from among the four remaining candidates to submit to the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) as its bid city for the 2012 Games. Besides New York, also in the running are Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Houston.

A critical factor in selecting that city, both for the U.S.O.C.'s nominee and the I.O.C., will be its track record in hosting major international competitions in Olympic sports -- like the Freestyle Wrestling World Championships. Many also expect that there will be a huge sympathy factor favoring New York, both in the U.S. and internationally, because of the Sept. 11 attacks.

When the exact dates for the 2003 Freestyle Wrestling World Championships are determined, we will report them right here.

Source: Abu Dhabi

 4/11/02

Quote of the Day

"All my experience of the world teaches me that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, the safe and just side of a question is the generous and merciful side."

Anna Jameson, 1794-1860, British Essayist

AFC 2 Coming Soon!

The Amateur Fighting Championships will be coming soon. The promoter, Ray "Bradda" Cooper, is still finalizing the date with the Blasidell Arena.

If you are interesting in fighting in this event, contact Ray at
696-5502 or
LINEBREDLLC@AOL.COM

Interview: Heath 'CRAZY HORSE' Herring

'Crazy Horse' Heath Herring at 2H2H, Rotterdam, Holland 17th March 2002

Heath, good to see you, it's been a while since we last met; what do you think about tonight's show? I'm looking forward to the show, got a lot of guys fighting out there tonight; for the most part I think everyone will do well, they're all in good shape and Murat makes his debut so we don't want to put too much pressure on him, but he's a good fighter and has the ability to win; Fatih I think will dominate his fight and Paul is just a Wildman you know and is always good to watch.

Your prediction on the main fight Heath? I don't know; Gilbert has been doing a lot of ground training and if he takes it to the ground he will win quickly, but if he stands up with Bob, one of them is going to get knocked out as they are big hitters. It's too hard to call on that one.

Do you think there's a lot of pressure on Gilbert to win? Yes that's right; when you have a lot of pressure on your hands it's harder to focus, but it will be interesting to see how he manages out there tonight.

Can you talk about your recent clashes in Pride Heath? Sure thing; I fought Noguera in November for the heavyweight title and lost it and that's the way it goes sometimes; a lot of people think it was the best fight they have ever seen, not me though because I did not win (laughs) but he's the champion and he's only 23 and has a long way to go in the sport.

How did you cope with the loss? I came back to Holland and kept on training and faced Igor last month and won my fight, I came back ready and hungry man.

What next fight wise Heath? I don't know yet Carl; everyone is talking at the moment so I don't have anything definite on the table, get these fights out of the way tonight and I'll have a better picture then.

Who do you rate in the heavyweight division in Pride? I think Pride is full of top heavyweights, you just have to look at the top ten list and that's why it's the best for me and that's where I want to stay fighting; I'd like to fight in my home country as it's my homeland you know but right now Pride's the one for me.

If the money was right would we see you in the UFC? Of course, I wanna come back; I love Japan and the way the fans treat me and Pride treat me real well, but I'd like a deal where I could also fight in the UFC; the exclusivity deal I understand for organisations as they need this, but if there was a way I could switch back and forth like Sem Schilt has done, that would be worth it.

Still enjoying it here in Holland? Yes, I am loving it here and I have even got my brother Hunter over for a week as he on spring break and is in from Texas and has been in the gym with the guys; he's a football guy but came in and wrestled; he's a monster, 335 pounds and six seven you know, I was the only one who could do anything you know (laughs) but it was fun. I'm still with Cor Hemmers in Breda where we jokingly call it the Evil Mickey Mouse Club with all the guys and we have a good team going right now.

How did you feel when you beat Mark Kerr in Pride, as you needed that win very badly? Yes it was an important win for me for sure, like every win and the way I won it as well was good for me, there was a lot of emotion and Mark Kerr is one of the biggest names in the fighting world.

Do you feel the time limits are long enough in Pride for the fights? I think Pride and UFC need to keep the fights the way they are and to keep standing fighters up a lot more, as well as few other rule changes and a rule where they can break fighters up when they hug on the ground, UFC is trying to do that a bit more.

When did Kazeka Muniz join the posse? About a month ago and he's doing real well and there a lot of guys his size, as a lightweight but he also has to fight the bigger guys like myself which can only be a good thing.

Last words from Heath Herring? Just keep watching guys and hope I'm fighting the way you guys want me to fight; I'm a showman and want to keep you guys entertained.

Thanks for the time and I'll let you get back to the others. No problem Carl.

Source: Abu Dhabi

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Purple Belt To Take On Black Belt in the UFC?

It happened with Frank Mir and Roberto Traven in Las Vegas... and RUMOR has it that Renzo Gracie student Paul Creighton will face Nova Uniao stand out BJ Penn at 'UFC 37: High Impact' at the Centurytel Center in Bossier City, LA on Friday, May 10, 2002. The 31-year-old Creighton, a purple belt in BJJ, seen as one of Team Renzo's rising stars is to face the 23-year-old BJJ black belt Penn at High Impact.

An accomplished wrestler, Creighton is a Junior Olympic National Wrestling Gold Medalist and 2X New York State Wrestling Silver Medalist.

In March 2000, Creighton became the International Fighting Federation (IFF) Lightweight Champion. He followed that up in December 2000, with a championship win at Holiday Fight Party in Atlanta, GA.

Creighton has also seen success at the Calhoun Submission Open in March 1999, where he earned the Lightweight NHB Championship.

Outside of MMA, Creighton won the Middleweight Championships at the 2000 Sport Jiu-Jitsu World Championships in Leeds, England.

This cannot be an easy decision for the UFC management, as they already have Matt Serra, a Renzo Gracie student, in the lightweight division. But it must be difficult to find a suitable opponent in the given time frame. Not only is there less than 1 month before High Impact, your opponent is 'The Prodigy' BJ Penn.

Source: Abu Dhabi

PRIDE Card Coming Together!
PRIDE-20 'ARMED & READY'
DATE; April 28th, 2002

PLACE; Yokohama Arena
(Yokohama, Kanagawa-Pref., Japan)

Matches are pending announcement for Americans Jeremy Horn and Alex Steibling, unless both contracted fighters get stuck waiting for July.

Solid Matches - Card Subject Change:

Ricardo Arona v. Dan Henderson
Mario Sperry v. Murilo Ninja
Rogerio Minotoro Nogueria v. Gary Goodridge
Sanae Kikuta v. Renzo Gracie
Vanderlei Silva vs. Mirko CroCop * * NON-Title Match
PRIDE 20 Developing Strong!

Three more matches official
By Eduardo Alonso

As the 28th of April approaches, the PRIDE 20 card continues to look better and better. FCF was told today about 3 new matches for the card. As has been already mentioned on the Internet, Chute Boxe fighter and PRIDE veteran Murilo "Ninja" Rua will be facing none other than Brazilian Top Team member and 3-time BJJ World Champion Mario Sperry! This will mark the first meeting of two big name fighters from both camps in the ring, and could build an even bigger rivalry between the two camps! This fight was confirmed by both camps and will be announced by PRIDE at any moment! As if Wanderlei Silva vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel vs. Sam Greco and "Ninja" vs. Sperry wouldn't be enough for a great card, FCF learned today about two new matches that are confimed for PRIDE 20!

In one of the matches, Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, Brazilian Top Team member and "Minotauro's" twin brother, will be making his PRIDE debut against seasoned veteran Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge! Goodridge was also Rodrigo Nogueira's first PRIDE opponent, and now he'll welcome Minotauro's twin brother to PRIDE. In addition, two PRIDE veterans will be returning to the ring on April 28th... Ricardo Arona will face off against Dan Henderson in a fight that promises to have big implications in the run for Wanderlei Silva's middleweight title. FCF was told today that all 3 fights are a done deal. Keep checking FCF for the latest PRIDE and fighting news!

Source: FCF

'WANNA SHOOTO JAPAN'

Sponsor: K'z FACTORY
Kitazawa Town Hall, Tokyo, Japan
April 21st, 2002

Bout #1: Class-B (132 lbs):
Hiroki Kita [PARAESTRA TOKYO] v. Manabu Kanou [Souho Taijyutsu]

Bout #2: Class-B (123 lbs):
Katsuhisa Akasaki [K'z FACTORY] v. Shinichi Hanawa [Wajyutsu Keisyukai]

Bout #3: Class-B (143 lbs):
Jin Kazeta [Philoctetes Niigata] v. Masanori Sugatani [Chokushin Kai]

Bout #4: Class-B (154 lbs):
Tsutomu Shiiki [Chokushin Kai] v. Naosuke Mizoguchi [Seiryu Kai]

Bout #5: Class-B (132 lbs):
Akira Kibe [ALIVE] v. Masato Shiozawa [Wajyutsu Keisyukai]

Bout #6: Class-B (154 lbs):
Takeshi Yamazaki [GRABAKA] ranked 9th v. Tatsuya Kawajiri [TOPS]

Source: Abu Dhabi

Saulo Ribeiro out of Grapplers Quest

Saulo Ribeiro has emergency Apendectomy

In a conversation with Saulo's brother 'Xande', we were informed that the Multiple Times World BJJ Champion and ADCC World Champion, Saulo had an emergency Apendectomy. According to 'Xande', Saulo will spend the night(04/10) in the Hospital and will return home hopefully on 04/11. Xande continued to say that his brother is doing well and should have a full recovery.

Because of this, Saulo will be unable to compete in the upcoming Grapplers Quest Tournament event , and Xande is going to be the replacement (it all stays in the 'family'). The 2 time Pan-American Champion and Arnold-Gracie Champion is looking forward to he challenge even on short notice.

Source: Abu Dhabi
News and Rumors Archives April 2002 Part 1 March 2002 Part 3 March 2002 Part 2 March 2002 Part 1 February 2002 Part 2 February 2002 Part 1 January 2002 Part 3 January 2002 Part 2 January 2002 Part 1 December 2001 Part 2 December 2001 Part 1 November 2001 Part 2 November 2001 Part 1 October 2001 Part 2 October 2001 Part 1 September 2001 Part 3 September 2001 Part 2 September 2001 Part 1 August 2001 Part 2 August 2001 Part 1 July 2001 Part 3 July 2001 Part 2 July 2001 Part 1 June 2001 Part 2 June 2001 Part 1 May 2001 April 2001 Part 2 April 2001 Part 1 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 November-December 2000 October 2000 August-September 2000 July 2000 March-May 2000