No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you
have the power to change anything about yourself or your life
that you want to change.
Barbara De Angelis
Super
Brawl 30 This Friday!
Friday, June 13,
2003
Neil Blaisdell Arena
Super
Brawl 30 is fast approaching. Get your tickets now for the best
seats. Two of the hardest hitters to ever step in to the Super
Brawl ring are scheduled to fight and you know that both guarantee
some huge blows. Also, the 185 pound tournament looks very stacked.
If you have not seen fighters like Jay Buck and Joe Doerkson
fight, you are in for a treat. I am looking forward to seeing
Brendan Seguin and Dennis Kang. These are up and comers that
are already making their mark on the 185 lb class.
Fighters hope to continue Super Brawl history
In two previous Super Brawl tournaments, a total of 10 fighters
have used the exposure to advance their careers, earning berths
in either the Ultimate Fighting Championship or Pride -- the
sport's two biggest promotions.
The
eight competitiors in this Friday's 185-pound tourney at Super
Brawl 30 hope they can reap the same benefits.
"I dare anybody to pick the winner in this tournament...
I know I can't do it," said Super Brawl promoter T. Jay
Thompson. "We truly have eight guys capable of winning it
all and moving on to the UFC. It will be quite a treat for the
fans."
Thompson,
along with Extreme Challenge promoter Monte Cox, have assembled
the field through two qualifying events and some at-large berths.
Fans can bet on their favorites at Thegreek.com website.
Jay
Buck of Chicago and Brendan Seguin of Detroit finished first
and second, respectively in an 8-man qualifier in Iowa... Meanwhile,
the top two finishers in the Utah qualifier dropped due to injuries
and were replaced by fellow Utah competitors Jason Miller of
Los Angeles and Denis Kang of Vancouver, British Columbia.
The
last four spots were filled with at-large berths ... Joe Doerksen
of Winnipeg, Manitoba; Jonathan Goulet of Montreal, Quebec; and
Honolulu favorites Desi Minor and Kaipo Kalama.
In
addition to the tourney, a pair of heavyweight showdowns will
keep fans entertained at the Blaisdell Arena. Huge Andre Roberts
(380 pounds) of Tama, Iowa, returns to Honolulu to face veteran
Jonathan Ivey of Houston, Texas.
In
the Super Bout, Wesley "Cabbage" Correira will face
up and comer Justin Eilers, a member of Team Extreme and roomate
of UFC Champion Tim Sylvia.
The lineup:
A
bracket
Match 1: Joe Doerksen Vs. Desi Minor
Match 2: Jay Buck Vs. Jason Miller
B
bracket
Match 3: Jonathan Goulet Vs. Kaipo Kalama
Match 4: Denis Kang Vs. Brendan Seguin
Semifinals
Match 5: Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2
Match 6: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
Feature
bout
Match 7: Johnathan Ivy vs. Andre Roberts
Tourney
championship
Match 8: Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6
Super
Bout
Match 9: Justin Eilers vs. Cabbage
Source: The Promoter
LINDLAND
DIDN'T REMEMBER WALK TO OCTAGON
Matt Lindland appeared on Monday's MMAWeekly Radio Show and talked
about the bizarre circumstances of his loss to Falaniko Vitale at UFC 43. In one of the most unusual
finishes in UFC history, Lindland's head hit the mat while he
was attempting to execute a throw on Vitale, and the impact rendered
Lindland unconscious.
Lindland
said that he has executed the same throw many times in the past,
and also landed on his head many times, but this was the first
time he has ever been knocked unconscious in his career. As a
result of the concussion he suffered, Lindland is also suffering
from memory loss, as he does not remember anything from the time
he walked out to the Octagon to the time he was in the ambulance
on the way to the hospital. Matt said it was scary to be knocked
out like that and he is glad he didn't suffer a more serious
injury.
Matt
Lindland was one of several UFC fighters to notice during pre-show
warm-ups that there were small holes all over the Octagon mat,
and several fighters actually tripped on these holes before the
show. The group of fighters, including Lindland, relayed this
information to the man who sets up the Octagon before each show.
The man replied that the mat hadn't been changed in at least
ten UFC's, but it would be okay because he put some tape on it.
Essentially,
there was nothing but the mat and some tape covering the steel
frame of the Octagon. Lindland said he gives Vitale credit, but
he also wants a rematch as soon as possible. Lindland said that
he would like to fight on every UFC show, and when asked about
the timetable for a rematch with Vitale, he said, "It's
going to be September. It's gotta be September." Matt has
still not seen the entire fight, but he did order a replay of
UFC 43 and see the clip of the knockout that aired on the pay-per-view.
A
Niko/Lindland II has the making of a Penn/Uno II. The first fight
was a quick finish, but Niko has already impressed the fans on
hand with his composure during the first part of that match!
If Niko comes out on top again, he may be the fighter with the
fastest rise to the top since Heavyweight Champ, Tim Sylvia,
another Super Brawl raised fighter.
Source:
MMA Weekly
EASTMAN
DOING FINE
MMAWeekly.com tried to catch up with Marvin Eastman and he was
nice enough to leave a message with us. Eastman said "I
appreciate all the fans voicing their concerns for me. I am fine...
just a little heartbroken but I am fine."
Eastman
continued and said "There was a few factors going on outside
my life at the biggest moment of my fight career, but I had to
put that aside. I'm grateful that the UFC put me in their show.
I will regroup and unleash it on somebody else."
Marvin
concluded by saying "Please tell all the fans I say hello
and thank you again for your support. It means a lot to me. I
will come on mmaweekly radio this week and tell the fans what's
going on in my fight career. Thanks again and I will talk to
you soon."
Source: MMA Weekly
UFC
43: The Meltdown of Wes Sims
Watching Wes Sims self-destruct in what should have been the
breakthrough fight of his career was disheartening. Instead of
capitalizing on the opportunity to emerge as a threat to Tim
Sylvia’s UFC Heavyweight Title, Sims experienced one of
the biggest mental meltdowns ever witnessed in the history Ultimate
Fighting Championships.
Many
of you may think I am crazy for seeing seems on the verge of
a breakthrough in his fight against frank Mir– but let’s
break it down. There is no arguing that Sims was being dominated
by Mir up to the point of the disqualification. Mir got the takedown,
controlled position, maintained mount, took the back and threatened
submissions – putting himself in position to win the round
with a 10-8 score. Sims was getting pounded but not getting knocked
out. Sims was being attacked with submissions but never tapping.
What
many fail to recognize is Sims has been in this position before
– and on numerous occasions. Sims trains with two of the
strongest men in MMA, Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman. Both
Randleman and Coleman will boast how they can dominate Sims with
their strength – but they both admit they cannot break him
mentally or physically. At the inaugural Absolute Fighting Championships
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Coleman told a group of fans that
Sims doesn’t quit – you can beat him, you can choke
him, you can humiliate him and he keeps coming. Quite simply,
Sims perseveres and finds a way to win.
In
his match at AFC we saw first-hand how getting abused in training
and fighting through the pain and punishment on a daily basis
paid off for Sims. In his AFC title fight, Sims was being dominated
by a stronger and more technical Conan Silveira. Silveira took
Sims down, dominated position, and even maintained an arm triangle
choke from mount on Sims for well over two minutes – and
Sims survived the attack, going on to knock Conan out on his
feet to claim the AFC Heavyweight Title.
That’s
where Sims found himself in his fight against Mir – getting
dominated in every aspect of the game. But in what can only be
characterized as a moment of insanity (or hubris depending on
how you look at it), Mir gave up the dominant position and control
by attempting the armbar. That was the opening Sims was looking
for to turn the fight. That was the moment Sims needed. That
was the moment Sims imploded.
Mir
took Sims’ arm and Sims power-bombed his way out of the
submission. Mir is visibly dazed and that’s where Sims looses
it. Instead of raining down serious punches to give Mir an Ian
Freeman flashback, Sims experiences a brain-freeze of sub-Arctic
proportions, forgetting the rules, grabbing the fence, and stomping
Mir’s head and neck. The result was justified – an
instant disqualification for sheer stupidity, and even more bonehead
points for the post-DQ temper-tantrum.
With
the DQ, Sims lost much more than a fight. Sims most certainly
fans, definitely the chance for an additional $5,000 paycheck,
but most dramatically, Sims lost an opportunity to emerge as
one of the three UFC Heavyweight “Giants.” Zuffa was
prepared to run with Wes “The Project” Sims and market
the sheer size and strength of the UFC Heavyweights – alongside
current champion Tim Sylvia and challenger Gan McGee.
Will
the three giants emerge given Sims’ meltdown? Only time
will tell. Zuffa has to gauge whether Sims made an isolated mistake
and will not repeat his actions in the Octagon. Also, Sims has
to decide if he wants to fight for the UFC, as he immediately
claimed he wanted to go to Japan and fight for Pride. Either
way, Sims needs to rebuild some credibility with fans and promoters.
An honest and contrite apology and explanation is the place Sims
must start. That’s where people will begin to re-evaluate
the status of “the Project.”
Source:
ADCC
Foreman,
15 others inducted into Hall
CANASTOTA, N.Y. (AP) -- For once, George Foreman wasn't the dope
at the end of Muhammad Ali's rope. And he wasn't selling anything,
either.
And
it felt so good.
'It's
wonderful. Finally, I'm not the Grillman,' Foreman said Sunday
with a big smile, holding aloft his new ring signifying his induction
into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. 'I'm a boxing Hall
of Famer, and I love it.'
Foreman,
who ruled the ring in reigns separated by two decades and became
the oldest heavyweight champion in history during an improbable
comeback a decade ago, led this year's induction class.
Fifteen
other boxers, officials and ring personalities also were enshrined,
including: Mike McCallum of Jamaica, a champion in three divisions;
Nicolino Locche, a world lightweight champion from Argentina
with a reputation as one of the finest defensive boxers in history;
welterweight champion Curtis Cokes, one of Foreman's idols; Oscar-winning
writer Budd Schulberg; and journalist Jack Fiske.
Foreman
grew up in Marshall, Texas, and was a self-proclaimed mugger
and street brawler by age 15. He found the sport that would make
him famous after joining the Job Corps, where a counselor and
boxing coach redirected his life.
Foreman
won the National AAU heavyweight championship in 1968, then Olympic
gold at the Summer Games in Mexico City in just his 25th amateur
bout.
With
ex-heavyweight champ Sonny Liston as his sparring partner, Foreman
turned pro in 1969 and ripped through opponents, winning his
first 37 fights, 34 by knockout.
On
Jan. 22, 1973, the hard-punching Foreman claimed the heavyweight
crown by dropping champion Joe Frazier to the canvas six times
in two rounds before knocking him out in Jamaica.
After
successfully defending his title twice, Foreman met Ali in the
'Rumble in the Jungle' in Zaire, on Oct. 30, 1974. Ali KO'd the
seemingly invincible Foreman in the eighth round, using his famed
tactic to tire Foreman and pull off one of boxing's greatest
upsets.
'You
know about the rope a dope?' Foreman asked. 'I'm the dope.'
Source:
ADCC
Gatti
Decisions Ward In Another Classic
June
08, 2003; 'The Final Chapter' was all that and a bag of chips!
Arturo 'Thunder' Gatti and 'Irish' Micky Ward provided the boxing
world with another battle for the ages, and for the second time
in a row, Gatti walked away with a well deserved unanimous decision
victory. This time around, Gatti overcame what could very well
be a broken hand, and he rose from the canvas in the sixth stanza
to win every round thereafter. This was going to be Ward's last
fight regardless of the result, and although the pride of Lowell,
Massachusetts did not finish his career on a winning note as
he planned to, Ward truly has nothing to hang his head low about,
because he is the definition of warrior. Thanks for the memories
Mick, we'll all miss ya. Official scorecards read, 96-93 twice,
and 97-92 Gatti, Boxingtalk.com scored it 96-94 Gatti. It's always
good for boxing when serious debates can be made over which bout
should be deemed, fight of the year. Well, here we are halfway
through 2003, and we already have two serious contenders, Toney-Jirov
and Gatti-Ward III. Read on to see Boxingtalk.com's round by
round breakdown of last night's action.
Source:
ADCC
Quote
of the Day
Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children
of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate accomplishments.
Napoleon Hill
6/9/03
Quote
of the Day
Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children
of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate accomplishments.
2nd
Match:
Anderson Silva vs Daiju Takase - Takase via triangle 1 rd
3rd
Match:
Mike 'BATMAN' Bencic vs Alistair Overeem - Overrem Via Strikes
1 rd
4th
Match:
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs Mikhail Ilioukhine - Jackson via
strikes 1 rd
5th
Match:
Don Frye vs Mark Coleman - Coleman via judges decision
6th
Match:
Mirko Cro Cop vs Heath Herring - Cro Cop via strikes 1 rd
7th
Match:
Emelianenko Fedor vs Kazuyuki Fujita - Fedor via choke 1 rd
Source:
ADCC
Ultimate
Cage Warriors Results
Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
June 7, 2003
Here are results courtesy of our good friend and Maui's former
bad boy, Lee Theros.
Dylan Clay (Brazilian Freestyle) def. Cruz Malaiakini (Koali
Fighting Systems)
3:42 rd.1 - Rear naked choke
Clay got the early takedown, delivered blows from the mount,
Malaiakini gave his back and was promptly choked out via rear
naked.
Makana
Albino (Grappling Unlimited) def. Vance Pu (Koali Fighting Systems)
4:27 rd. 1 - Heel hook
Very fast paced match with Pu controlling much of the early action.
Late in the round with Pu on top and landing some effective blows,
Albino quickly applied a heel hook and got the tapout.
Sam
Baff (Grappling Unlimited) def. Anthony Billianor (Lockdown Unltd.)
1:54 rd. 1 - Arm triangle choke
Baff got the quick takedown and exposed Billianors lack of ground
skills and quickly slapped on an arm triangle choke for the tapout.
Royden
Demotta (Nova Uniao) def. Jason "Rukus" Walker (Freelance)
1: 42 rd. 1 - Rear naked choke
Rukus came out fast and tried to utilize his very unorthodox
stand up style, but Demotta got the takedown, got to the back
and quickly applied the choke to end the match.
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) def. Shawn Boyler (Grappling
Unlimited)
(Submission Grappling only match) 3:12 rd. 2 Foot lock
Pretty evenly matched with both contestants displaying some smooth
transitions and submission attempts. Sarmiento got the late tapout
via footlock.
Kauai
Kupihea (808 Fight Factory) def. Ray "King Kong" Seraile
(Grappling Unlimited)
4:17 rd. 1 K.O. via strikes from the mount
Kupihea used his size advantage in controlling most of the action
although Seraile did hold his own and even landed a few good
shots of his own. Late in the round, Kupihea took down a fatigued
Seraile and landed several hard blows that ended the match.
Ross
"Da Boss" Ebanez (Nova Uniao) def. Tyson Coloma Nahooikaika
(Brazilian Freestyle)
Via Unanimous decision after 2 rounds
High adrenaline, furious paced match as both fighters went at
each other trying to impose their will on one another. Ultimately,
Ebanez's superior strength and size began to tell as he wore
down Nahooikaika with hard effective blows and 2 big bodyslams.
Nahooikaika to his credit, never stopped fighting hard.
LINDLAND
KO'S HIMSELF IN FIGHT
In the most bizarre fight of the night, a very rare accurance
happened. Matt Lindland while struggled to take Niko Vitale down,
basically knocked himself out while trying to take down his opponent.
Lindland
had a very difficult time trying to take Vitale down. Vitale
showed great balance and great strength early in the fight. Lindland
and Niko clinched for a bit up against the cage, exchanging a
few blows before Matt attempted a belly to belly suplex. When
he went for the throw, his body actually twisted a bit and instead
of completiting the throw, he fell straight back and spiked his
own head into the canvas with Niko's head colliding with his
in a fraction of a second later.
Lindland
was rendered unconcious and received immediate medical attention.
Many people were concerend about Lindland at the hospital, but
the good news was that Matt was able to get to his feet and walk
himself back to the locker room, and luckily the CAT scan results
came back negative.
There's
a bit more to this story as Lindland talked with MMAWeekly after
the fight and we will give you his story later in the weekend.
Source: MMA Weekly
Naturally:
Randy’s the Man.
Couture Dominates Liddell En Route to Third UFC Title
LAS VEGAS
– Randy “The Natural” Couture, the only two-time
heavyweight champion in UFC history, added a third belt to his
stellar career as he dominated his way to a third round stoppage
of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell Friday night inside the
Thomas & Mack Center.
From
the opening bell Couture (8-2 in UFC bouts) owned the contest.
He consistently out-struck Liddell -- something most felt he
had no shot of doing despite defeating strikers the likes of
Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo (twice) in the past -- with jabs,
lead rights and left hooks.
Liddell,
the UFC’s perennial number one contender to Tito Ortiz’s
light heavyweight crown, appeared sluggish, never finding the
rhythm he displayed in recent victories. Riding a two-fight losing
streak, Couture moved down from heavyweight for the first time
-- and the impact was obvious. The almost 40-year-old champion
looked at home carrying less weight on his chiseled frame. More
importantly, fighting the lighter Liddell made for an easier
time scoring takedowns and imposing his will throughout the contest.
Slamming
Liddell to the mat in the first minute of the contest, Couture
signaled that he was unlike anyone the “Iceman” had
previously faced. Which should not have been a surprise considering
the pedigree he brought into the Octagon.
Liddell’s
only saving grace was the ability to scramble to his feet after
Couture takedowns. Twice in the first and once more in the second
he stood after getting put on the mat -- an unfamiliar place
for Liddell, widely considered, before tonight, to have the best
takedown defense of any 205-pound striker.
In
the third round a visibly tired Liddell (he placed his arms atop
his head between rounds hoping to gain some saving gasps of oxygen)
had no answer for Couture’s strikes. Lead rights. Left hooks.
Takedowns. That was Couture’s overwhelming response to anything
Liddell threw his way. It was a truly amazing performance for
a man that, by all rights, should be over the hill. Instead,
he continues to defeat the best and brightest mixed martial arts
has to offer.
Coming
into the bout, all of the hype centered on Ortiz’ refusal
to step into the Octagon versus Liddell. But none of that conjecture
mattered to Couture, a fighter who’s always let his actions
speak louder than his words. The mild-mannered man from Gresham,
Oregon did what so few thought he could do.
What’s
next? Most expect now that Couture did the improbable and stop
Liddell that Ortiz will step up to the plate. To that end, the
new champion -- the real champion – had something to say
to the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”: “Tito, I don’t
know if you’re in the house,” he said, “If you
want [the belt], you have to come in here and take it.”
All
hail Randy “The Natural” Couture: The Greatest Champion
in Mixed Martial Arts History.
While
the night belonged to the new light heavyweight champ, several
others claimed a small part for themselves as well.
For
the first time in nearly a year, Vitor Belfort -- the man --
returned to the Octagon. For the first time since he faced Vanderlei
Silva in 1998, Vitor Belfort -- the “Phenom” -- returned
to the delight of UFC fans everywhere. Facing tough light heavyweight
Marvin Eastman, a champion for the WFA before it went belly up,
Belfort reminded those everywhere why at the age 25 he’s
more than a force to be reckoned with.
The
Brazilian fighter launched himself towards Eastman and delivered
a gruesome two-inch gash-inducing pair of knees while dropping
the local Las Vegas fighter to the mat. Without hesitating, Belfort
followed and propelled a volley of punches that bounced Eastman’s
head off the mat. Realizing that Eastman was done, “Big”
John McCarthy separated the combatants 1:10 into the fight.
“We
did it,” said Belfort, nearly in tears. “We’re
back! We’re back!” His words are clearly echoed by
his legion of fans that yearned for that kind of performance.
Not only did it propel him back into the mix of UFC light heavyweights
(a group rivaling any in the world), it rekindled the excitement
in Belfort that hasn’t been seen in years.
Tank
came. The crowd roared. The street fighter was taken down. He
was submitted. That’s not a misprint. For the second consecutive
fight, that’s how the story played out for the fighting
legend from Huntington Beach. Fellow old-school UFC fighter Kimo
followed the game plan laid out by Frank Mir in scoring a submission
victory.
Landing
the early takedown, Kimo passed, for lack of a better term, Tank’s
guard. From the mount he secured a side choke, and held on for
nearly half a minute in hopes that the grizzled vet would tapout.
He did 1:59 of the first.
One
can only wonder what kind of marketability Tank has left.
Over
the course of 15 minutes, UFC veteran Yves Edwards systematically
took apart newcomer Eddie Ruiz in a display that affirmed his
place amongst the top-10 lightweights in the world. While his
barrage of knees, kicks, punches and elbows, as well as his numerous
submission attempts weren’t enough to stop Ruiz, they clearly
were enough for him to walk away with a unanimous decision victory.
Meanwhile, Ruiz showed the kind of heart in defeat that’s
rarely seen. He could have succumbed and would not have been
looked down upon for the performance, but the warrior never gave
in and should be commended.
Ian
Freeman and Vernon “Tiger” White, who replaced mentor
Ken Shamrock when he injured an anterior cruciate ligament while
training, slugged it over three wonderfully close rounds en route
to a split draw (30-27, 28-29, 29-29).
White,
the quicker and lighter of the two heavyweights, opened smoothly.
After a double-leg takedown, “Tiger” grounded-and-pounded
Freeman for the first time in the fight. While his shots didn’t
have much power behind them, the pace and accuracy with which
they were delivered was impressive.
Freeman
turned the tables and scored a takedown of his own mid-way through
the period. Though he grounded-and-pounded in kind, Freeman’s
punches and elbows never hurt White. Toward the end of the first
period both men stood to their feet and White, using his speed
advantage, landed several shots.
Round
two appeared to be White’s as well. Capitalizing on his
quickness, White out-struck and controlled Freeman throughout
the period. In the third and final round, White’s speed
waned and Freeman was finally able to utilize is considerable
strength through numerous power punches. As the round came to
a close, Freeman and White let go a flurry consistent with the
tenor of entire bout. Though neither man stepped out of the ring
a winner, they definitely earned the crowd’s respect and
perhaps another bout in the UFC.
Never
before has a disqualification rendered such a good reaction from
ticket holders as UFC rookie Wes Sims fought disgracefully in
the opening contest on live pay-per-view. Fighting in front of
a hometown crowd, submissions wiz kid Frank Mir opened the contest
by slamming his six-foot 10-inch opponent to his back after the
giant lumbered across the length of the Octagon.
Moving
from side control to mount to back control, Mir dominated Sims
in ever facet of the ground game. Following a multitude of punches
and elbow strikes mixed in with the occasional submission attempt,
Mir finally moved for an armbar from the mount. Sims countered
and rolled to the top. Using every inch of his frame he lifted
Mir six inches above the mat and attempted to crash him down.
While the move didn’t hurt Mir, it freed Sims arm.
Standing
above his downed opponent, Sims raised his lanky right leg and
slammed his foot into Mir’s face. He repeated the illegal
maneuver several more times before referee “Doc” Hamilton
jumped in to call time. Sims moved to a neutral corner as Mir,
obviously affected by the stomps to his head, remained on the
mat.
Mir’s
supporters voiced their displeasure and Sims responded stupidly
by egging them on. His childish tactics proved just how immature
a fighter he is, and was rightfully disqualified when it was
deemed Mir could not continue.
Hamilton
called a halt to the contest at the 2:56 mark. Sims stormed off
like he’d deserved something better while Mir walked away
with a black eye.
UFC
veteran Matt Lindland was surprised when he was told that his
bout versus Faliniko Vitale would take place absent the live
cameras of pay-per-view. The contender for the 185-pound title
had hoped to continue his string over victories, the most recent
being a decision over rival Phil Baroni in February. In Vitale
he faced an athletic addition to the UFC’s middleweight
division, though most pundits had him pegged as a solid bet to
win.
So
much for sure things. Vitale, a native Hawaiian, smartly avoided
Lindland’s flailing punches in the opening moments before
moving into a clinch. Countering Lindland’s repeated attempts
to gain leverage for a takedown, Vitale looked to put Lindland
on his back. A surprising strategy given that it allowed Lindland
to maneuver into a position where he could score a throw of his
own.
As
he lifted and twisted Vitale into the air, Lindland appeared
to be in control. However, Vitale contorted his body in mid-air
and forced Lindland to alter the takedown. When the fighters
landed, Vitale found himself in the mount and his opponent unconscious.
Shockingly,
Lindland had knocked himself out 1:56 of the first round. Vitale
jumped for joy while the Olympic silver medallist struggled to
regain his senses. After several tense moments on the mat, Lindland
was able to get to his feet and walk out of the Octagon under
his own power.
From
the opening moments the crowd could sense that the fight between
Pedro Rizzo and Tra Telligman would live up the expectations
formed after their initial fight several years ago. The first
contest saw Rizzo -- then young and untarnished before bouts
versus Randy Couture and Gan McGee rendered him a non-factor
in the heavyweight division -- reign victorious by TKO in one
of the most action-packed contests in UFC history.
Tonight,
in the opening contest of the eight-fight card, Rizzo once again
came out on top as a beautifully placed Muay Thai knee opened
a nasty gash on Telligman’s face that forced referee Larry
Landless to look towards ringside physician Margaret Goodman
for advice. After diagnosing the cut, she put and end to the
fight 4:25 of the second round.
For
most of the contest both men battled it out on the feet. Telligman,
showing boxing skills he cultivated over the past two years,
impressed in the first round, countering Rizzo’s strikes
with combinations of his own. One such flurry weakened Rizzo’s
knees and forced his back to the cage. Telligman followed with
strikes, but Rizzo smartly clinched and used the time to regain
his composure.
In
the second frame, Rizzo was much more active with kicks, spinning
Telligman a full 360 degrees with his most powerful shot of the
fight. Hurt, Telligman moved into the clinch, but unlike Rizzo
in round one he could not use the position to recover. Instead,
Rizzo scored an outside trip to force the veteran to his back.
Uncharacteristically, it was Rizzo on the giving end of ground-and-pound,
the result of which saw Telligman absorb numerous punches and
elbows. With both fighters back on the feet and Telligman not
all there because of ground attacks, Rizzo clinched and landed
the cut-inducing knee.
Source: Maxfighting
Chuck
Liddell on Ice
Start
in the mailroom. Do everything you're told. Stumble, then recover.
Impress your bosses. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Work
double shifts. Travel overseas and represent your company with
confidence. Don't complain. Don't make waves.
In
the end, maybe, you'll be sitting behind the nice oak desk, relaxed.
Feeling as though loyalty, hard work, and ambition pay off for
everyone in the end. Enjoying the room with a view.
Chuck
Liddell's journey started from scratch in the gruesome Vale Tudo
arenas of Brazil, moved on to one of the most successful runs
in the UFC's history, and comes to a penultimate climax on June
6 for a bizarrely implemented interim light heavyweight title.
So deserving of a trophy is Liddell that one is essentially being
created specifically for him to contend for. The obvious question
for him is, does this facsimile hold the same value as the real
thing? Is the desk oak, or particle board?
"Honestly,
I really don't care. It's for a title, so that's fine with me,"
Liddell tells Maxfighting one week before the Las Vegas-hosted
bout. The interim title holder will presumably be put in front
of Tito Ortiz should he come to terms with the UFC contractually.
"If that's what it is, it puts a little bit more pressure
on him to fight the winner," says Liddell, nonplussed by
Ortiz' public career defecation. Of that PR disaster, which has
most fans convinced Ortiz simply does not want to face him: "I
think it's helped me some. But at this point, it would help me
a lot more if I got to fight him."
Liddell
is clearly weary of all queries a la Tito, possibly aware that
no amount of public jabs will entice him into the fight unless
the money is exorbitant. For now, he's well aware that Couture
is clearly not someone to be overlooking, and any future bouts
are predicated on his performance Friday.
The
secular world of MMA prompted the two to actually share in a
training session not long ago. "We wrestled once, about
two months ago. When Matt Lindland was training with us, he came
down. He was supposed to be here a couple of days, but could
only be there one day."
One
would figure such an opportunity would do wonders to inform a
fighter's strategy. (Imagine Lewis and Tyson going at it sixty
days before their bout.) But Liddell didn't come away with anything
too valuable. "I don't think it matters. We wrestled one
round, maybe two. Training's training. We were just working on
stuff, so it wasn't real hard, and neither one of us had a fight
coming up."
Of
Couture, "His biggest strength is he's just tough, mentally
tough. He's gonna come hard, and he'll keep coming until you
take the fight from him." Not surprisingly, Liddell expects
to force a striking exchange. "I'm gonna stay on my feet
and strike with him. He's gonna have opportunities to take me
down, but it's my job to stay up or get back up if he does take
me down."
Couture,
the aging warrior, will stand in the Octagon with a variable
that may prove to be a blessing or a curse: he'll be cutting
weight for the first time after getting outworked by the burlier
Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez consecutively. Liddell won't
present a size advantage, but his speed could prove to be a challenge.
Couture
will retain two key strengths, Liddell opines. "His experience
and wrestling ability. He's able to stand in front of people
and strike with them. He's good at tying people up and doing
his striking inside."
While
he hopes for the knockout, Liddell doesn't like playing seer,
preferring to let the action dictate his pace. "I would
be surprised if it went the distance. I definitely wouldn't be
happy if it went there. He's a tough guy, and it's gonna be a
tough fight. I don't try to guess how a fight will play out,
because you'll go out there and start going, 'Oh, this isn't
how I thought it was going to go,' getting those thoughts in
your head. I just go out there to fight and let it happen."
With
three more fights on his contract post-Couture, Liddell still
hopes for an opportunity to challenge Pride title holder Vanderlei
Silva, although the politics involved could see him facing potential
Silva conqueror Quinton Jackson instead. "I'm open to any
fights," Liddell states. "I'm trying to prove I'm the
best 205 pound fighter in the world, so as long as I'm still
working toward that goal, I'm still motivated."
In
between contests, the soft-spoken contender has made an unlikely
foray into Hollywood, bizarrely popping up in full contact gear
in "How High," a 21st century ode to the Cheech and
Chong mentality. More impressively, Liddell donned a motion capture
suit for "The Hulk," the latest in Marvel's highly
successful string of comic adaptations.
"A
guy I knew from college was working on the tech portion, so he
called me up. I put on one of those motion capture suits and
did some stuff. It was really kind of fun. We did a few things.
This one scene where he's fighting the dogs that's in the movie,
and a couple other scenes where they captured me doing some moves."
(Despite the contributions, hoping to see the Hulk in grappling
gloves is pushing it.)
The
movie hits June 20, which is something for Liddell to look forward
to post-fight, along with another example of the insulated nature
of the sport. Some ten days after Couture and Liddell vie for
a title, they'll be holding a seminar together in Oregon. "It
was planned when he was scheduled to fight Andrei Arlovski. When
Matt Lindland was working with John Hackleman, they talked about
it and set it up."
Liddell
marvels at the circumstances, conceding that it is indeed a strange
series of events. "Of all the opponents out there, he's
probably the nicest guy," he observes with a degree of resignation.
May
the nicest guy win? Share that sentiment and you may as well
wish for a draw.
Source: Maxfighting
EDWARDS
DOMINATES AGAIN
Put yourself in Yves Edwards situation for a moment. Your the
most favored fighter on the UFC 43 card by Las Vegas bookmakers....
your fiancee is at the hospital, getting ready to give birth
to the couple's first child and oh yea, you need to be focused
for a fight, that your supposed to dominate and some people tell
you it will be easy.
Well
Yves Edwards made it look easy as he put on a black cowboy hat,
got down to business and found our Eddie Ruiz has an iron jaw
as Edwards landed knee after knee in the fight, not to mention
a wicked kick in the second round that somehow Ruiz just shook
off.
While
it was clear early that Yves was the more talented fighter, Ruiz
did show a tough chin and a lot of heart that some MMA fans appreciated,
but this was all Edwards all the time.
Edwards
put on a sensational display of working well in the clinch, by
using some devastating knees, some solid kicks, and a wide range
of punching and kicking tatics that made Ruiz look foolish through
out the fight.
Edwards
sprawl was top notch and the athleticism he showed in the Octagon
Friday night shows he is the real deal and a top contender at
155.
Source: MMA Weekly
RIZZO
VS TELLIGMAN...ANOTHER CLASSIC
In boxing tonight we will see an amazing matchup between Gatti
and Ward for a third time. Can we please see a Rizzo vs Telligman
matchup for a third time?
To
say that these two fighters bring the best out in each other
is an understatement. Once again Pedro and Tra put on an epic
stand up crowd pleaser that had the whole house rocking by its
foundation.
Tra
came out looking strong and threw some serious sledge hammers
that rocked Pedro and cut him under his left eye. Tra pressed
the fight and controled the entire first round with ease as he
dropped Rizzo with a vicious right hand and Pedro was holding
on for dear life.
It
seemed as if Tra was going to run off with the fight, and possibly
finish it early in the second round but Rizzo would rally. Pedro
was able to come up with a solution to Tra's aray of attacks.
Pedro
landed a few punches before countering a leg kick with a leg
kick that sent Tra spiraling to the canvas. Pedro quickly hopped
into the guard and unleashed a ground and pound assault. Pedro
then stood up and beckoned Tra to his feet. Tra came up and clinched
with Pedro and before Telligman knew it, he had caught a knee
square between the eyes that split him good. Blood began to actually
squirt from his head, and caused the doctors to stop the fight.
An amazing fight for an amazing night.
Source: MMA Weekly
6/8/03
Quote
of the Day
"In every person who comes near you look for what is good
and strong, honor that; try to imitate it, and your faults will
drop off like dead leaves when their time comes. "
John Ruskin
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Midro
SuperBrawl
30 - Coming Up This Weekend!
Honolulu, HI - Friday the 13th is sure to be scary this time
around since it is the day the SuperBrawl “Size Does Matter”
show takes place in of Hawaii. With Andre Roberts facing Jonathan
Ivey and SuperBrawl Heavyweight Champion Wesley “Cabbage”
Correira facing Justin Eillers this is going to be a night of
heavy leather and unstoppable forces.
The
finals of the Extreme Challenge/SuperBrawl Middleweight tournament
series also take place as the undercard. Interesting to note
is both finalists from the Salt Lake City show, Tim Kennedy and
Cruz Chacon, are both out of the tournament. The rest of the
tournament is currently:
A
bracket
Joe Doerksen vs. Desi Miner
Jay Buck vs. Jason Miller
B
bracket
Amir Rahnavardi vs. Kaipo Kalama
Stephan Potvin vs. Brendan Seguin
Buck
is the early favorite, having won the February EC49 tournament
including beating Seguin in the finals. Buck’s first round
opponent Jason Miller is a vet of the Utah EC50 show and put
on arguably the fight of the tournament in his bout with eventual
winner Tim Kennedy as well as going through Denis Kang who just
KO’d HOOKnSHOOT champ Keith Rockel. Rounding out the A bracket
is 808 Fight Factory fighter Desi/Desmond Miner, a local fighter
fans outside Hawaii and California may not be familiar with considering
his 5-1 record was harvested mostly in Gladiator Challenge and
Warriors Quest. Miner’s first opponent is Canadian fighter
Joe Doerkson, at 18-5 not exactly an unknown talent sitting on
a loss to fellow tournament fighter Potvin and a win over Denis
Kang mentioned above.
Sitting
in the B bracket is favored to make it to the finals Seguin,
the man who lost to Buck in the finals of EC49. Itching for a
rematch he’ll have to go through Potvin and the winner of
Rahnavardi/Kalama to get it. Potvin holds wins over Ronald Jhun
and fellow tournament fighter Joe Doerkson who appears in the
A bracket, so look for this first round fight one of the ones
to watch. Kaipo Kalama fights out of local team Grappling Unlimited
with a 1-0-1 record while Pride and KOTC vet Rahnavardi has a
mixed record but above average experience for this group of fighters.
Source: The Event Promoter
UFC
43 A Monster Meltdown:
Couture Becomes 3-Time Champion, Belfort Is Back
By Loretta Hunt
Liddell
In a triumphant return to Las Vegas tonight, UFC 43: Meltdown
tore through the Thomas & Mack Arena with a hurricane of
excitement. 9,464 hungry fans turned out to be wowed, amazed,
and most importantly entertained. Mission accomplished. 43 provided
a healthy mix of action-packed fights, complete with battles
of skill, tests of will, and surprise endings to boot. At the
top of the list, underdog Randy Couture's decimation of striking
king Chuck Liddell for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Interim belt,
a rousing performance by returning Vitor Belfort, and a boxing
slugfest compliments of Tra Telligman and Pedro Rizzo.
Here's
the breakdown:
In
a main event to end all others (until the next show of course),
Randy Couture proved that no one is ever out of the game if the
will is there to win. Turning 40 years old in a week and a half,
Couture made UFC history again tonight, earning the third title
of his already illustrious career. From the start, Couture looked
poised and on the attack of opponent Chuck Liddell, the number
one contender for the light-heavyweight title for almost the
last two years and one of the best strikers to grace the entire
sport. Former Olympic-level wrestler Couture got the takedown
early on, and as expected, the always-slippery Liddell escaped
almost immediately to his feet. But for every kick or punch the
Iceman fired off, Couture had an answer, landing jabs and crosses
that hit their mark. Couture took some damage closing in for
his clinches, but made it worth his while with some penetrating
knees. The result? An evenly-matched, gripping first round. Round
two saw Couture pick up even more steam, as he continued to land
punches and performed a beautiful trip that truly jarred the
Iceman. Unable to get up as quickly as he had in the previous
round, Liddell was starting to show damage and fatigue. Couture
shot it out of the park in the third, taking Liddell down with
a raw viciousness to gain mount and the TKO referee stoppage.
Liddell will be back, but tonight was simply not his night. Couture
takes home the belt at 2:47 in round three. Tito Ortiz, where
are you?
Kimo choking Tank
In the co-main event, UFC heavyweight veterans Kimo and David
"Tank" Abbott returned to the arena that brought them
both infamy. Abbott was coming off a disappointing showing at
UFC 41 after almost five years out of the Octagon. Kimo had not
fought with the event since UFC 16 and had turned in an unimpressive
performance in his last MMA fight over a year ago. It was a battle
based more on nostalgia than anything else, but it sure appealed
to the crowd present nonetheless. At the bell, Kimo immediately
shot in for the takedown but Tank's wrestling background served
him well as he defended with the sprawl. A scramble for position
brought both men to the ground with Kimo gaining half mount.
The determined Hawaiian worked to mount and then to side choke.
Abbott held tough for about thirty seconds, but a tapout came
before Kimo could put his trapped opponent to sleep. Tank's UFC
comeback has been an incredibly bumpy one and maybe it's time
to call this little experiment a day. To Kimo's credit, he was
the better man tonight, but if he is to continue a run in the
current heavyweight class, he's going to have to brush up, for
Abbott is not a fair representation of what is out there waiting
for him. Kimo improves his UFC record to 2-3.
For
the swing match tonight, Texan Yves Edwards had a much harder
time trying to finish unknown opponent Eddie Ruiz than most would
have thought. In fact, the tough-as-nails Ruiz rode out the storm
for a decision loss after three rounds, with Edwards throwing
everything but the kitchen sink at him. It looked like it was
over early for Ruiz in the first round, when Edward's overwhelming
experience and skill landed him in the mount. Ruiz gave his back
for the rear naked choke easily, but surprisingly, the teammate
of Tank Abbott defended it well. Into the second, Edwards was
landing kicks and knees that would have floored most other lightweight
opponents, but Ruiz again held on, working his wrestling when
he landed yet again in Edward's rear naked choke attempt. By
the third round, it was becoming obvious that Ruiz was one tough
SOB when he escaped a tight triangle choke, but both fighters
kept the action going and, more importantly, the audience entertained
to the bell. Edwards get the unanimous decision (30-27 all).
Although
their fight tonight ended in a draw, Ian "The Machine"
Freeman and Vernon "Tiger" White should have much to
be proud of. In a fast-paced three round odyssey, both men showed
what the pros can really do if given the chance. White showed
an especially aggressive round one, complete with takedowns and
strikes (diving) into Freeman's guard. Freeman later answered
with a throw of his own and worked his elbows and strikes from
above as well. Round two, both men enjoyed positional dominance
by taking each other's backs and attempting submissions, but
it was clear neither one was willing to give up the win. If anything
was going to get them, it would be the fatigue of keeping up
such a furious pace. With a bold spinning back fist to start
out round three, White showed unwavering confidence and eventually
got the mount. From the mount, they went to a showdown of the
heelhook attempts, and from there it was back to their feet to
finish out the round strong. The crowd loved it all, as they
should. Freeman and White share the split draw (30-27, 29-28,
29-29).
In
a fight that every diligent MMA fan had hoped and prayed for,
the Vitor Belfort of lore made his return to the Octagon tonight.
In his match-up with first-time UFC entry Marvin "The Beastman"
Eastman, Belfort came out calm, cool, and collected-- while opponent
Eastman seemed, quite simply, "jacked." Former Muay
Thai champion Eastman threw off a few high kicks, losing his
balance at one point to bounce right into his opponent's body,
but Belfort did not bite. Instead, he waited for Eastman to shoot
in for the takedown and firmly secured his arms around his lunging
opponent's neck. Delivering two knees that sent Eastman to the
ground and against the fence, the Brazilian finished the bout
with a slew of hard-hitting strikes from the guard. The Phenom
is back. Belfort by TKO via referee stoppage 1:10 into round
one.
From
strange to bizarre, the heavyweight stand-off between local favorite
Frank Mir and Wes "the Project" Sims proved another
perplexing fight in the end. Sims inexperience shown through
right off the bat, as he ignored the cordial glove tapping and
came charging in at his opponent. Mir scored an easy double-leg
takedown on his 6'10" adversary. From there, Mir went right
to the arm bar, but Sim's brute strength kept him alive. Transitioning
to side control and then the mount, Mir began to tee off, but
the tapout wizard wanted to finish with his weapon of choice.
From side choke to armbar again, it looked like Mir finally had
the resilient giant, but Sims responded by lifting Mir and slamming
him off his limb--clutching the fence as he intensely stomped
down on Mir on his neck and face. An outright intentional foul,
Sims was immediately separated from his downed opponent and handed
the disqualification. Sims true calling may be pro wrestling.
Mir gets the win via disqualification.
The
match-up between Matt Lindland- Faliniko Vitale, the second offering
of the evening, will go down as one of those oddities of the
sport, one of those fights that is referenced for its utter unlikability.
Both middleweights came out early on with some wild punches that
didn't land, but Vitale did get in close enough with one set
to warrant Lindland go in for the takedown. Vitale stabilized
himself nicely along the fence and both men literally wrestled
for position along the Octagon-side. Lindland eventually got
hold of the Hawaiian's upper body and went for a throw, with
Vitale fighting all the way. Unfortunately, Lindland landed on
his head, instantly knocking himself out. Vitale acquired mount
and fired off a shot, but the Olympic wrestler was long gone.
Vitale upsets in the first with a KO win.
Rizzo vs. Telligman
From his first punch, a clean right jab, it was clear that Tra
Telligman's last year and a half as a professional boxer were
going to work for him tonight. Round one hosted some of the most
technical stand-up action the sport has yet to offer, but what
made things even more appetizing was the fact that opponent Pedro
Rizzo, who had lost 4 of his last 5 fights, was giving out just
as much as he was taking. Telligman's striking combos enabled
the feisty Lion's Den fighter to put the Brazilian in the trouble
early on with a knockdown was against the fence, but Rizzo clinched
like his life depended on it and the fight moved on. Telligman's
demise came in round two with a looping left hook that sent him
off balance and against the fence. Rizzo was there to capitalize,
but "Trauma" got to his feet, turning the tables enough
with some shots for The Rock to go in for the takedown. In Telligman's
guard Rizzo worked his elbows and strikes, but his real intention
was tire his opponent out. Satisfied with his handiwork, Rizzo
disengaged and Telligman got to his feet. Rizzo landed some low
kicks and some connecting punches, while Tellgiman kept firing
back some great punches as well. A truly exciting fight, it finally
ended when a large cut down the bridge of Telligman's nose brought
on the doctor's stoppage. Rizzo is awarded the TKO via doctor's
stoppage 4:25 in round two.
UFC
43: Meltdown Results:
Pedro Rizzo def. Tra Telligman- 4:25 Rd 2 TKO (Doctor's stoppage)
Faliniko Vitale def. Matt Lindland- 1:56 Rd1 KO (due to Lindland's
head impacting mat)
Frank Mir def. Wes Sims- 2:56 Rd 1 Disqualification by intentional
foul (Sims stomped downed opponent in neck and face)
Vernon White drew Ian Freeman- Split draw
Vitor Belfort def. Marvin Eastman- 1:10 Rd 1 TKO (Referee stoppage)
Yves Edwards def. Eddie Ruiz- Unanimous decision (30-27 all)
Kimo def. David "Tank" Abbott- 1:59 Rd 1 Tapout to
side choke
Randy Couture def. Chuck Liddell- 2:47 Rd 3 TKO (Referee stoppage)
Source: FCF
Picking
and Grinning:
The Sherdog Fight Picks for UFC 43
The countdown is ticking for PRIDE 26, where' fans are treated
to Coleman vs Frye, Emelianenko vs Fujita, Cro-Cop vs Herring,
and more. As with UFC 43, these professional fighters to pick
these fights:
Gil
Castillo
Tom Erikson
Robert Ferguson
Pete Spratt
Add to this list Mike Sloan, Mike Fridley, Freddie Defrietas,
Greg Savage, Brian Piepenbrink, Brett Herman, Tom Hogan, Garrett
Poe, and Jeff Sherwood - you've got a healthy dose of egos just
waiting to be buried.
Fedor
Emeliananko defeats Kazuyuki Fujita 13-0
Brian Piepenbrink: There is a season for all things, and in this
season Fujita's giant melon will be torn asunder.
Tom Erikson: Fedor over Fujita by stoppage, It is going to take
alot to stop a fight between these two guys but I think Fedor
will open a cut on Fujita and they will have to stop it.
Heath
Herring defeats Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic 7-6
Mike Sloan: In a classic war that's almost too close to call,
Cro Cop survives a punishing attack and steals a split decision.
Herring then becomes a trout and has to rethink his career.
Robert Ferguson: Heath Herring by Submission
Mark
Coleman draws with Don Frye 6-6
Jeff Sherwood: The Rematch....I do not think Frye can keep it
standing. Coleman will use the old G&P.
Tom Hogan: Frye will put out Coleman's
lantern in the third round.
Quinton
Jackson defeats Mikhail Illoukhine 13-0
Pete Spratt: Rampage -- KO Round 2
Garrett Poe: Even a chin to the eye won't stop Jackson.
Mike Fridley: Maybe Illoukhine's agent should have negotiated
with Quinton to let him borrow his chain for this fight , because
he will need it ..
Rampage by TKO rd 1 'knees'
Greg Savage: Look out Mikhail because you are about to get "Slampaged."
That is, as long as Quinton is not looking past Illoukhine towards
his eventual title shot with Wanderlei Silva. Don't think that
will happen so I will go with Jackson by TKO in the 1st.
Anderson
Silva defeats Daiju Takase 13-0
Gil Castillo: Silva via Knockout
Brett Herman: KO, round 1.
Freddie Defrietas: Anderson is Pound for Pound one of the best
standing up, and will conduct a clinic with Takase. Silva by
TKO, round 1.
Antonio
"Nino" Schembri defeats Kazuhiro Hamanaka 7-6
Mike Sloan: Was Schrembri's win over
Saku a fluke? Who knows? Maybe it was because Hamanaka steals
a decision in
the night's only true upset.
Greg Savage: I am going to go out on a limb here and pick the
newcomer, Hamanaka to avenge his team mates loss to Schembri.
I don't know why I am picking him, lets just call it a hunch.
I will say Hamanaka by decision.
Source: Sherdog
6/7/03
Quote
of the Day
"There are two educations. One should teach us how to make
a living and the other how to live."
John Adams
UFC
43: Meltdown
June 6, 2003
Pedro
Rizzo def Tra Telligman via TKO (Cut) at 4:24 in Round 2
Falaniko Vitale def Matt Lindland via TKO (Strikes) at 1:56 in
Round 1
Frank Mir def Wes Sims via DQ (Kicking a Downed Opponent) at
2:55 in Round 1
Vernon White drew with Ian Freeman via Draw after 3 Rounds
Vitor Belfort def Marvin Eastmanvia TKO (Strikes) at 1:07 in
Round 1
Yves Edwards def Eddie Ruiz via Decision (Unanimous) after 3
Rounds
Kimo Leopoldo def David Abbott via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke)
at 1:59 in Round 1
Randy Couture def Chuck Liddell via TKO (Strikes from mount)
at 2:39 in Round 3
Rio
State Tournament goes down this weekend
The
event is one of the last chances for most to qualify for the
upcoming Worlds, therefore it has attracted a lot of attention
fromup and coming BJJ talent in Rio. Additionally, may of the
best Masters and Seniors vie to compete for the title of State
Champion. Results later!
Source:
ADCC/Kid Peligro
Southern
California Pro-Am Invitational Results
SCPAI - May 24, 2003
First
Round
Heavy Bracket
Jeff Newton vs. Cassio Werneck - Werneck
Joe Stevenson vs. Rener Gracie - Gracie
Sean Spangler vs. Mario Flores - Spangler
Jason Miller vs. Kenny Bond - Miller
Light
Bracket
Gerald Strebendt vs. Drew Fickett - Fickett
Joe Camacho vs. Andy Wang - Wang
Tyrone Glover vs. Dennis Asche - Glover
Anthony Tolone vs. Paulo Guillobel - Guillobel
Second
Round
Heavy Bracket
Cassio Werneck vs. Rener Gracie - Gracie
Sean Spangler vs. Jason Miller - Miller
Heavy
Bracket (consolation)
Jeff Newton vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson
Mario Flores vs. Kenny Bond - Bond
Light
Bracket
Drew Fickett vs. Andy Wang - Wang
Tyrone Glover vs. Paulo Guillobel - Glover
Light
Bracket (consolation)
Gerald Strebendt vs. Joe Camacho - Strebendt
Dennis Asche vs. Anthony Tolone - Asche
Third
Round
Heavy Bracket
Rener Gracie vs. Jason Miller - Gracie
Heavy
Bracket (consolation)
Cassio Werneck vs. Sean Spangler - Werneck
Kenny Bond vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson
Light
Bracket
Andy Wang vs. Tyrone Glover - Glover
Light
Bracket (consolation)
Gerald Strebendt vs. Jimmy Smith (Alt.) - Smith
Dennis Asche vs. Drew Fickett - Fickett
Fourth
Round
Heavy Bracket (consolation)
Cassio Werneck vs. Joe Stevenson - Stevenson
Light
Bracket (consolation)
Jimmy Smith vs. Drew Fickett - Smith
Fifth
Round
Heavy Bracket (consolation)
Jason Miller vs. Joe Stevenson - Miller
Light
Bracket (consolation)
James Smith vs. Jaime Walsh (Alt.) - Walsh
Heavy
vs. Light Bracket FINALS
Rener Gracie (Heavy Bracket winner) vs. Tyrone Glover (Light
Bracket winner) - Rener Gracie
Superfight
Ryron Gracie vs. Todd Margolis - Ryron Gracie
Keep
checking www.grappletv.com for availability of the tournament
DVD!
Source:
ADCC
Naturally:
Randy’s the Man.
Couture Dominates Liddell En Route to Third UFC Title
By Josh Gross
WLAS VEGAS
– Randy “The Natural” Couture, the only two-time
heavyweight champion in UFC history, added a third belt to his
stellar career as he dominated his way to a third round stoppage
of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell Friday night inside the
Thomas & Mack Center.
From
the opening bell Couture (8-2 in UFC bouts) owned the contest.
He consistently out-struck Liddell -- something most felt he
had no shot of doing despite defeating strikers the likes of
Maurice Smith and Pedro Rizzo (twice) in the past -- with jabs,
lead rights and left hooks.
Liddell,
the UFC’s perennial number one contender to Tito Ortiz’s
light heavyweight crown, appeared sluggish, never finding the
rhythm he displayed in recent victories. Riding a two-fight losing
streak, Couture moved down from heavyweight for the first time
-- and the impact was obvious. The almost 40-year-old champion
looked at home carrying less weight on his chiseled frame. More
importantly, fighting the lighter Liddell made for an easier
time scoring takedowns and imposing his will throughout the contest.
Slamming
Liddell to the mat in the first minute of the contest, Couture
signaled that he was unlike anyone the “Iceman” had
previously faced. Which should not have been a surprise considering
the pedigree he brought into the Octagon.
Liddell’s
only saving grace was the ability to scramble to his feet after
Couture takedowns. Twice in the first and once more in the second
he stood after getting put on the mat -- an unfamiliar place
for Liddell, widely considered, before tonight, to have the best
takedown defense of any 205-pound striker.
In
the third round a visibly tired Liddell (he placed his arms atop
his head between rounds hoping to gain some saving gasps of oxygen)
had no answer for Couture’s strikes. Lead rights. Left hooks.
Takedowns. That was Couture’s overwhelming response to anything
Liddell through his way. It was a truly amazing performance for
a man that, by all rights, should be over the hill. Instead,
he continues to defeat the best and brightest mixed martial arts
has to offer.
Coming
into the bout, all of the hype centered on Ortiz’ refusal
to step into the Octagon versus Liddell. But none of that conjecture
mattered to Couture, a fighter who’s always let his actions
speak louder than his words. The mild-mannered man from Gresham,
Oregon did what so few thought he could do.
What’s
next? Most expect now that Couture did the improbable and stop
Liddell that Ortiz will step up to the plate. To that end, the
new champion -- the real champion – had something to say
to the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy”: “Tito, I don’t
know if you’re in the house,” he said, “If you
want [the belt], you have to come in here and take it.”
All
hail Randy “The Natural” Couture: The Greatest Champion
in Mixed Martial Arts History.
While
the night belonged to the new light heavyweight champ, several
others claimed a small part for themselves as well.
For
the first time in nearly a year, Vitor Belfort -- the man --
returned to the Octagon. For the first time since he faced Vanderlei
Silva in 1998, Vitor Belfort -- the “Phenom” -- returned
to the delight of UFC fans everywhere. Facing tough light heavyweight
Marvin Eastman, a champion for the WFA before it went belly up,
Belfort reminded those everywhere why at the age 25 he’s
more than a force to be reckoned with.
The
Brazilian fighter launched himself towards Eastman and delivered
a gruesome two-inch gash-inducing pair of knees while dropping
the local Las Vegas fighter to the mat. Without hesitating, Belfort
followed and propelled a volley of punches that bounced Eastman’s
head off the mat. Realizing that Eastman was done, “Big”
John McCarthy separated the combatants 1:10 into the fight.
“We
did it,” said Belfort, nearly in tears. “We’re
back! We’re back!” His words are clearly echoed by
his legion of fans that yearned for that kind of performance.
Not only did it propel him back into the mix of UFC light heavyweights
(a group rivaling any in the world), it rekindled the excitement
in Belfort that hasn’t been seen in years.
Tank
came. The crowd roared. The street fighter was taken down. He
was submitted. That’s not a misprint. For the second consecutive
fight, that’s how the story played out for the fighting
legend from Huntington Beach. Fellow old-school UFC fighter Kimo
followed the game plan laid out by Frank Mir in scoring a submission
victory.
Landing
the early takedown, Kimo passed, for lack of a better term, Tank’s
guard. From the mount he secured a side choke, and held on for
nearly half a minute in hopes that the grizzled vet would tapout.
He did 1:59 of the first.
One
can only wonder what kind of marketability Tank has left.
Over
the course of 15 minutes, UFC veteran Yves Edwards systematically
took apart newcomer Eddie Ruiz in a display that affirmed his
place amongst the top-10 lightweights in the world. While his
barrage of knees, kicks, punches and elbows, as well as his numerous
submission attempts weren’t enough to stop Ruiz, they clearly
were enough for him to walk away with a unanimous decision victory.
Meanwhile, Ruiz showed the kind of heart in defeat that’s
rarely seen. He could have succumbed and would not have been
looked down upon for the performance, but the warrior never gave
in and should be commended.
Ian
Freeman and Vernon “Tiger” White, who replaced mentor
Ken Shamrock when he injured an anterior cruciate ligament while
training, slugged it over three wonderfully close rounds en route
to a split draw (30-27, 28-29, 29-29).
White,
the quicker and lighter of the two heavyweights, opened smoothly.
After a double-leg takedown, “Tiger” grounded-and-pounded
Freeman for the first time in the fight. While his shots didn’t
have much power behind them, the pace and accuracy with which
they were delivered was impressive.
Freeman
turned the tables and scored a takedown of his own mid-way through
the period. Though he grounded-and-pounded in kind, Freeman’s
punches and elbows never hurt White. Toward the end of the first
period both men stood to their feet and White, using his speed
advantage, landed several shots.
Round
two appeared to be White’s as well. Capitalizing on his
quickness, White out-struck and controlled Freeman throughout
the period. In the third and final round, White’s speed
waned and Freeman was finally able to utilize is considerable
strength through numerous power punches. As the round came to
a close, Freeman and White let go a flurry consistent with the
tenor of entire bout. Though neither man stepped out of the ring
a winner, they definitely earned the crowd’s respect and
perhaps another bout in the UFC.
Never
before has a disqualification rendered such a good reaction from
ticket holders as UFC rookie Wes Sims fought disgracefully in
the opening contest on live pay-per-view. Fighting in front of
a hometown crowd, submissions wiz kid Frank Mir opened the contest
by slamming his six-foot 10-inch opponent to his back after the
giant lumbered across the length of the Octagon.
Moving
from side control to mount to back control, Mir dominated Sims
in ever facet of the ground game. Following a multitude of punches
and elbow strikes mixed in with the occasional submission attempt,
Mir finally moved for an armbar from the mount. Sims countered
and rolled to the top. Using every inch of his frame he lifted
Mir six inches above the mat and attempted to crash him down.
While the move didn’t hurt Mir, it freed Sims arm.
Standing
above his downed opponent, Sims raised his lanky right leg and
slammed his foot into Mir’s face. He repeated the illegal
maneuver several more times before referee “Doc” Hamilton
jumped in to call time. Sims moved to a neutral corner as Mir,
obviously affected by the stomps to his head, remained on the
mat.
Mir’s
supporters voiced their displeasure and Sims responded stupidly
by egging them on. His childish tactics proved just how immature
a fighter he is, and was rightfully disqualified when it was
deemed Mir could not continue.
Hamilton
called a halt to the contest at the 2:56 mark. Sims stormed off
like he’d deserved something better while Mir walked away
with a black eye.
UFC
veteran Matt Lindland was surprised when he was told that his
bout versus Faliniko Vitale would take place absent the live
cameras of pay-per-view. The contender for the 185-pound title
had hoped to continue his string over victories, the most recent
being a decision over rival Phil Baroni in February. In Vitale
he faced an athletic addition to the UFC’s middleweight
division, though most pundits had him pegged as a solid bet to
win.
So
much for sure things. Vitale, a native Hawaiian, smartly avoided
Lindland’s flailing punches in the opening moments before
moving into a clinch. Countering Lindland’s repeated attempts
to gain leverage for a takedown, Vitale looked to put Lindland
on his back. A surprising strategy given that it allowed Lindland
to maneuver into a position where he could score a throw of his
own.
As
he lifted and twisted Vitale into the air, Lindland appeared
to be in control. However, Vitale contorted his body in mid-air
and forced Lindland to alter the takedown. When the fighters
landed, Vitale found himself in the mount and his opponent unconscious.
Shockingly,
Lindland had knocked himself out 1:56 of the first round. Vitale
jumped for joy while the Olympic silver medallist struggled to
regain his senses. After several tense moments on the mat, Lindland
was able to get to his feet and walk out of the Octagon under
his own power.
From
the opening moments the crowd could sense that the fight between
Pedro Rizzo and Tra Telligman would live up the expectations
formed after their initial fight several years ago. The first
contest saw Rizzo -- then young and untarnished before bouts
versus Randy Couture and Gan McGee rendered him a non-factor
in the heavyweight division -- reign victorious by TKO in one
of the most action-packed contests in UFC history.
Tonight,
in the opening contest of the eight-fight card, Rizzo once again
came out on top as a beautifully placed Muay Thai knee opened
a nasty gash on Telligman’s face that forced referee Larry
Landless to look towards ringside physician Margaret Goodman
for advice. After diagnosing the cut, she put and end to the
fight 4:25 of the second round.
For
most of the contest both men battled it out on the feet. Telligman,
showing boxing skills he cultivated over the past two years,
impressed in the first round, countering Rizzo’s strikes
with combinations of his own. One such flurry weakened Rizzo’s
knees and forced his back to the cage. Telligman followed with
strikes, but Rizzo smartly clinched and used the time to regain
his composure.
In
the second frame, Rizzo was much more active with kicks, spinning
Telligman a full 360 degrees with his most powerful shot of the
fight. Hurt, Telligman moved into the clinch, but unlike Rizzo
in round one he could not use the position to recover. Instead,
Rizzo scored an outside trip to force the veteran to his back.
Uncharacteristically, it was Rizzo on the giving end of ground-and-pound,
the result of which saw Telligman absorb numerous punches and
elbows. With both fighters back on the feet and Telligman not
all there because of ground attacks, Rizzo clinched and landed
the cut-inducing knee.
Source:
Maxfighting
6/6/03
Quote
of the Day
None will improve your lot if you yourself do not.
Bertolt Brecht, 1933
A
Hard Rockin' Meltdown Weigh-In
By Loretta Hunt
A
substantially lengthy line of UFC fans snaked around the corner
of The Joint, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas,
to catch today's fighter weigh-ins for UFC 43: Meltdown. It was
an encouraging sight, despite (unofficial) talk that ticket sales
may be lagging just a bit for tomorrow night's event, to be held
at the UNLV Thomas & Mack Center. With pens and posters in
hand, the crowd watched their favorite fighters and teams slowly
congregate on the affair, almost like the kind of high-profile
red carpet entrance you might see at a Hollywood movie premiere.
Among the crowd, perennial favorite and Lion's Den patriarch
Ken Shamrock, who sported a knee brace after tearing his ACL
two weeks ago. Shamrock reported that he will go under the knife
shortly to correct the problem, opting for the surgery that will
take tendons from his hamstring to recreate the torn area. Although
somber, Shamrock was still willing to spend time with the throng
of fans eager to get a glance and a word from the living legend.
There is no indication of if and/or when he might return to compete.
Other
notes of interest:
Team
Quest's Dan Henderson is recovering nicely from his own ACL surgery,
and anticipates being back on the mats in a month's time. Henderson
chose the "cadaver" procedure to rectify his injury.
Lightweight
stud BJ Penn has become the latest member of the Pit, John Hackleman's
California gym that has churned out the likes of Chuck Liddell
and Gan McGee as of late. Penn is in town to lend his support
to his new teammates.
John
Hackleman, himself will be doing double-duty tomorrow night.
He will first corner middleweight Matt Lindland in his preliminary
match-up (Lindland starting training his stand-up with Hackleman
prior to his second encounter with Phil Baroni). Then, it's to
Liddell's corner, with Lindland across the way in Team Quest
teammate Couture's corner.
On
to the weigh-ins:
The
first pair to make there way to the stage -- masters of the game
Randy "The Natural" Couture and Chuck "The Iceman"
Liddell, who will battle it out for the organization's first-ever
"interim" title in tomorrow night' main event. Challenger
Couture was the first to step up to the scales, weighing in at
exactly 205 pounds. For those that are used to seeing the former
heavyweight at his usual weight of 220 to 225 pounds, his appearance
might be (dare I say) a bit jarring, but Couture has assured
all that he is very familar with the weight cutting process from
his years as a Olympic-level wrestler. The other challenger Liddell
(remember, Tito Ortiz still holds the title, despite his absence
from the promotion at this point to rehash out his contract)
weighed in at 205 as well. Both men, who have been with the promotion
since UFC 13 and 17 respectively and hold a staggering total
of 18 UFC fights between them, could do nothing but smile to
one another in their staredown.
For
those into nostalgia, opponents Kimo and David "Tank"
Abbott were the next two to make their way to the stage. The
35 year old Kimo slipped down to his jockeys to reveal his impressive
collection of tattoos that decorated his still youthful 248 pound
physique. As if to meet the challenge, Tank opted to take his
T-shirt off this time and came in at 251 pounds (He weighed in
at 248 pounds at UFC 41). With both coming off less than stellar
performances, the betting lines have the two fighters even at
this point, properly reflecting that this one will indeed be
a toss-up.
In
what could be a barnburner of the highest degree, slugger Marvin
"the Beastman" Eastman will make his UFC debut tomorrow
night against a focused-looking Vitor Belfort. Both men weighed
in at 203 pounds today and looked ready to roll. Eastman is on
a hot streak after knocking out PRIDE stand-out Alex Stiebling
at his last outing [WFA 3]. Belfort, sporting a wild haircut
and twelve o'clock shadow, will be looking to redeem his decision
loss to Chuck Liddell at UFC 37.5.
Two-week
replacement and Lion's Den rep Vernon "Tiger" White
was the next to step up to the stage. He weighed in a light 208
pounds for his heavyweight match-up with British brawler Ian
Freeman, who came in at 220 pounds himself. Ironically, White's
last opponent Jeremy Horn (from a somewhat controversial fight
at KOTC 23 three weeks ago), will be in Freeman's corner tomorrow
night.
Oozing
confidence, heavyweight Wes Sims tipped the scales at 244 pounds.
His opponent, the reserved and poised local Frank Mir was a fit
248 pounds. At 6'10", Sims sticks out in a crowd, even among
the group of larger-than-average specimens you'd finds at such
affairs. Paired up against 6'3" Mir, the match-up should
be a visually pleasing one-- that's if Sims can remain standing.
Said "the Project" of his premiere tomorrow night,
"It's gonna be bloody and it's not gonna be my blood."
Chomping
on a Krispy Creme donut, lightweight Yves Edwards elicited some
laughs from the crowd as he made his fifth appearances atop the
official UFC scales. He weighed in on the mark at 155 pounds,
while challenger Eddie Ruiz made the cutoff at 154 pounds. Making
his UFC debut, Ruiz is the X-factor of the entire event. Not
many have had the chance to see this Tank Abbott teammate fight,
so the sky's the limit for this fighter to come in and impress.
This bout has been designated the "swing bout" for
the evening.
The
second Lion's Den member to make tomorrow night's card, always-confidentTra
Telligman weighed in at 218 pounds today. Adversary Pedro Rizzo
weighed in at 231 pounds and says he is unfazed by Telligman's
recent 4-2 foray into professional boxing. Stand-up fireworks
are almost a 100% probability for the bout.
The
final pair to weigh-in today were middleweights Matt Lindland
and Falinko
Vitale,
who are scheduled as the second preliminary bout tomorrow evening.
Consummate professional Lindland came in at 184 pounds. Hawaiian import Vitale did not make his first
call to the stage, however, and under NSAC regulations, was given
thirty minutes to make weight. He eventually made his way to
the scale and came in at 184. 5 pounds. Sixteen weights logged
in later, UFC 43 is a go.
Source:
FCF
Vitor
Belfort: Doing the "Possible"
When
Vitor Belfort steps into the Octagon tonight versus Marvin Eastman
it will mark only the third time in three years he'll have strapped
on gloves in competition. At 25 years of age the Brazilian is
on the cusp of what should be his prime. Instead, Belfort's career
has played out with more ups and downs than Martha Stewart's.
Freak injuries. Allergies. Game shows. What should have been
an already stellar career has been all too often marred by Belfort's
bizarre inability to come to terms with what made him famous.
You
name it he's probably dabbled in it; an all too frustrating fact
for his fans that continue to hope for the return of the gun-slinging
kid who took the mixed martial arts world by storm in 1997. Can
he again crack opponents on the skull with regularity and, in
turn, have fans clamor to watch him fight? More importantly,
is he even interested in any of that?
"My
life has been changed," says Belfort, who's always been
religious but now feels his relationship with Jesus Christ is
the most important thing in his life. "I'm getting married
at the end of the year. Everything is different. Even my struggles
are totally different because I know I'm going to recover. With
Him everything is easy.
"I
always trust Him, but it's hard to do what He wants you to do,
like give yourself up, [or] follow Him. And that's what I'm trying
to do now. I'm trying to follow His will."
Apparently
that means a recommitment to his fighting. But with Belfort there's
always been a caveat and it's usually centered on money. It's
what drove him to Japan to fight in PRIDE and it's what brought
him back to the states after signing a lucrative contract to
fight for the UFC.
"I
want to make more money," he freely admits. "I want
to take advantage of when I'm young. I have a chance. People
still want to see me fight."
Realizing
that, Belfort is faced with the fact that this bout versus Eastman
could make or break his moneymaking potential, though his current
deal with the UFC should provide him some comfort for several
more fights.
That's
not to say he's simply stepping into the ring with similar intentions
as Pete Williams, a heavyweight who closed out his deal with
the UFC by sleep walking through fights en route to a hefty payday.
Belfort, when primed and lucid, is one of the most dangerous
light heavyweights in the world. Unfortunately, those moments
have been far and few between.
Not
this time he says: "I did everything I could. I trained.
I set up my life like the old times. I'm focused. I'm hungry.
I have goals in my life. I did the possible. Whatever comes to
me now, even wins or losses, you have to keep going, never walking
backwards, always forwards."
Looking
forward could be the key for the fighter formerly regarded as
"The Phenom." Nothing good could come for Belfort should
he recollect on his checkered past -- the disappointment versus
Randy Couture; the debacle against Kazushi Sakuraba; the questions
surrounding his reluctance to let his once-lethal hands fly;
etc. -- so, he says, it's simply not done.
"It
doesn't matter the results," he insists, "but I'm going
to keep coming forward. I like to think the way I used to. It
doesn't matter the results, it matters what you think.
"I'm
young. People like to say things. Human beings like to predict
things. 'Oh, I think he's over.' That's the way human beings
are.
"People
used to say when I had my losses that 'Vitor is over,' but you
have to watch yourself as a professional. Some guys win, but
people don't want to see them fight. I just pray to God to do
what He wants me to do in my life. I'm very confident in this
fight and the next…and the next."
Standing
in front of him is Marvin Eastman, a Las Vegas-based fighter
who's more than ready to make the step up against world-class
competitors like Belfort. Coming off the only bad loss of his
career (succumbing to a Rich Franklin armbar early in the first
round of their WFA contest) Eastman rebounded in consecutive
fights to stop Tom Sauer and Alex Stiebling in a combined two
minutes 44 seconds.
Financial
troubles for the WFA and several cancelled fights have kept Eastman
out of the ring since November, and he's chomping at the bit
to get a crack at Belfort knowing a victory would give him instant
credibility amongst fight fans who may not have seen him compete
before.
None
of that, however, fazes Belfort. He's been there and done that.
"I'm looking forward to this fight now," he says matter-of-factly.
"I think of my opponent as a lion. It doesn't matter what
he has to offer, but for me he's the toughest guy in the world
right now."
For
all his troubles in and out of the ring, and the constant criticisms
of him as a fighter who refuses to attack with his best tools
(his fists), Belfort is an obviously improved fighter, as evident
by his performance versus Chuck Liddell last June. Though he
came up short, (He deserved it," Belfort says of Liddell.)
it was his most impressive performance in recent memory.
"In
the old times my hands were very good, and so was my ground game
but I didn't have time to use it," explains the Brazilian.
"Now I'm looking forward to whatever [my opponent] gives
to me. I will take it. I don't have a [specific] way I'm going
to fight. I don't have a game plan. I'm ready for any kind of
situation. I train kicks. I train knees. I train everything."
But
Belfort likes to say that it's not the body that wins fights;
it's the mind and spirit which "control everything."
No matter what direction you try to take the conversation, he
always seems to slip a mention his relationship with Jesus and
how it's impacted his spirituality into the answer.
"Jesus
has saved my life," he says. "Changed everything. Born
again.
"He's
in my corner all the time.
"He's
going to be in everyone's corner. He knows what you deserve.
You do the possible and he does the impossible. That's how it
works. He doesn't do everything for you."
The
more you speak with him, the less it becomes "impossible"
to imagine the Vitor Belfort of old returning to action tonight.
In fact, it seems entirely "possible."
All
Belfort has to do is make it happen.
Source: Maxfighting
Chuck
Liddell on Ice
Start
in the mailroom. Do everything you're told. Stumble, then recover.
Impress your bosses. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Work
double shifts. Travel overseas and represent your company with
confidence. Don't complain. Don't make waves.
In
the end, maybe, you'll be sitting behind the nice oak desk, relaxed.
Feeling as though loyalty, hard work, and ambition pay off for
everyone in the end. Enjoying the room with a view.
Chuck
Liddell's journey started from scratch in the gruesome Vale Tudo
arenas of Brazil, moved on to one of the most successful runs
in the UFC's history, and comes to a penultimate climax on June
6 for a bizarrely implemented interim light heavyweight title.
So deserving of a trophy is Liddell that one is essentially being
created specifically for him to contend for. The obvious question
for him is, does this facsimile hold the same value as the real
thing? Is the desk oak, or particle board?
"Honestly,
I really don't care. It's for a title, so that's fine with me,"
Liddell tells Maxfighting one week before the Las Vegas-hosted
bout. The interim title holder will presumably be put in front
of Tito Ortiz should he come to terms with the UFC contractually.
"If that's what it is, it puts a little bit more pressure
on him to fight the winner," says Liddell, nonplussed by
Ortiz' public career defecation. Of that PR disaster, which has
most fans convinced Ortiz simply does not want to face him: "I
think it's helped me some. But at this point, it would help me
a lot more if I got to fight him."
Liddell
is clearly weary of all queries a la Tito, possibly aware that
no amount of public jabs will entice him into the fight unless
the money is exorbitant. For now, he's well aware that Couture
is clearly not someone to be overlooking, and any future bouts
are predicated on his performance Friday.
The
secular world of MMA prompted the two to actually share in a
training session not long ago. "We wrestled once, about
two months ago. When Matt Lindland was training with us, he came
down. He was supposed to be here a couple of days, but could
only be there one day."
One
would figure such an opportunity would do wonders to inform a
fighter's strategy. (Imagine Lewis and Tyson going at it sixty
days before their bout.) But Liddell didn't come away with anything
too valuable. "I don't think it matters. We wrestled one
round, maybe two. Training's training. We were just working on
stuff, so it wasn't real hard, and neither one of us had a fight
coming up."
Of
Couture, "His biggest strength is he's just tough, mentally
tough. He's gonna come hard, and he'll keep coming until you
take the fight from him." Not surprisingly, Liddell expects
to force a striking exchange. "I'm gonna stay on my feet
and strike with him. He's gonna have opportunities to take me
down, but it's my job to stay up or get back up if he does take
me down."
Couture,
the aging warrior, will stand in the Octagon with a variable
that may prove to be a blessing or a curse: he'll be cutting
weight for the first time after getting outworked by the burlier
Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez consecutively. Liddell won't
present a size advantage, but his speed could prove to be a challenge.
Couture
will retain two key strengths, Liddell opines. "His experience
and wrestling ability. He's able to stand in front of people
and strike with them. He's good at tying people up and doing
his striking inside."
While
he hopes for the knockout, Liddell doesn't like playing seer,
preferring to let the action dictate his pace. "I would
be surprised if it went the distance. I definitely wouldn't be
happy if it went there. He's a tough guy, and it's gonna be a
tough fight. I don't try to guess how a fight will play out,
because you'll go out there and start going, 'Oh, this isn't
how I thought it was going to go,' getting those thoughts in
your head. I just go out there to fight and let it happen."
With
three more fights on his contract post-Couture, Liddell still
hopes for an opportunity to challenge Pride title holder Vanderlei
Silva, although the politics involved could see him facing potential
Silva conqueror Quinton Jackson instead. "I'm open to any
fights," Liddell states. "I'm trying to prove I'm the
best 205 pound fighter in the world, so as long as I'm still
working toward that goal, I'm still motivated."
In
between contests, the soft-spoken contender has made an unlikely
foray into Hollywood, bizarrely popping up in full contact gear
in "How High," a 21st century ode to the Cheech and
Chong mentality. More impressively, Liddell donned a motion capture
suit for "The Hulk," the latest in Marvel's highly
successful string of comic adaptations.
"A
guy I knew from college was working on the tech portion, so he
called me up. I put on one of those motion capture suits and
did some stuff. It was really kind of fun. We did a few things.
This one scene where he's fighting the dogs that's in the movie,
and a couple other scenes where they captured me doing some moves."
(Despite the contributions, hoping to see the Hulk in grappling
gloves is pushing it.)
The
movie hits June 20, which is something for Liddell to look forward
to post-fight, along with another example of the insulated nature
of the sport. Some ten days after Couture and Liddell vie for
a title, they'll be holding a seminar together in Oregon. "It
was planned when he was scheduled to fight Andrei Arlovski. When
Matt Lindland was working with John Hackleman, they talked about
it and set it up."
Liddell
marvels at the circumstances, conceding that it is indeed a strange
series of events. "Of all the opponents out there, he's
probably the nicest guy," he observes with a degree of resignation.
May
the nicest guy win? Share that sentiment and you may as well
wish for a draw.
Source:
Maxfighting
MaxTales:
Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture
What
to do when you have a reluctant light heavyweight champ, a contractually
guaranteed contender, and a former heavyweight champ with an
itch for a third title?
If
you're any one of those three guys, complain. If you're a fan,
complain some more. If you're Zuffa, create a obtuse "interim"
title to attempt to satisfy all parties and their lawyers.
Perpetual
contender Chuck Liddell will square off against two-time heavyweight
champ Randy Couture at UFC 43: Meltdown on June 6. The Las Vegas-hosted
bout promises to be a certifiable war between two accomplished
and determined athletes. For Liddell, it's a chance to cement
his placement among the elite at two hundred-five pounds. For
Couture, it's an opportunity to make history once again. Unfortunately,
someone has to go home disappointed.
It
probably won't be the fans. Here's the Max Tale of the Tape..
UFC
Light Heavyweight Interim Title Bout
June 6, 2003
Chuck
Liddell
"The Iceman," 33 yr, California
11-1-0
Most Notable Win
Vitor Belfort via Decision, 6/02
Most Notable Loss
Jeremy Horn via submission, 3/99
Last Win
Renato Sobral via KO, 11/02
Years as a Pro
5
Finishing %
55%
Time elapsed since last bout
5 mths
Strengths
Devastating stand-up, good sprawl, excellent chin.
Weaknesses
No apparent submission ability, sometimes too reluctant to engage.
Randy Couture
"The Natural," 39 yr, Corvallis, Oregon
10-5-0
Most Notable Win
Vitor Belfort via TKO, 10/97
Most Notable Loss
Josh Barnett via TKO, 3/02
Last Win
Pedro Rizzo via TKO, 11/01
Years as a Pro
6
Finishing %
50%
Time elapsed since last bout
8 mths
Strengths
Superior wrestling and ground control, terrific stand-up awareness.
Weaknesses
Age, no KO power on the feet.
MaxFacts:
-
Couture competes here for the first time in the light heavyweight
division, representing a return to his amateur wrestling roots.
All of his prior bouts have been at heavyweight.
-
Couture has been on the DL for several months now following an
injury to his orbital bone at the hands of Ricco Rodriguez.
-
Couture's two most recent fights, and losses, have come by way
of heavyweights 20-30 lbs. heavier, bouts in which Couture displayed
early dominance.
-
Liddell's last fight against an accredited wrestler was an early
KO over Kevin Randleman.
-
Couture and Liddell have briefly trained together in the past.
Question
Marks
-
Can Couture avoid the heavy strikes and obtain the takedown?
-
Will his age be a factor over a five-round bout?
-
Can Liddell weather an early ground storm?
Probable
Outcome:
Couture
lands early takedowns but winds down as the bout progresses.
Liddell goes for the KO victory or the decision.
MaxAdvantage:
Liddell
Source: Maxfighting
UFC
43 Weigh-In Report
LAS
VEGAS, June 5 - Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, the perennial
number one contender, weighed in at 205 in the Joint at the Hard
Rock Hotel and Casino as he finally gets the chance to claim
the interim light heavyweight title tomorrow evening against
"The Natural" Randy Couture.
The
former two-time heavyweight champion, Couture, who is cutting
weight for the first time in his UFC career, looked shredded
tipping the scales at 205.
Two
legends of the Octagon, Kimo Leopolodo and David "Tank"
Abbott will square off in a heavyweight clash of the old school
fighters. Tank will be the heaviest fighter of the event, weighing
in at 251. Kimo, who has a ripped physique compared to his portly
opponent, weighed 248.
On
his road back to the light heavyweight title, Vitor Belfort,
who has a bushy new hair cut ala Wolverine, squares off against
dangerous striker Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman, who
is making his Octagon debut. Both fighters stepped off the scale
at 203.
After
the disappointing loss of fan favorite Ken Shamrock due to a
knee injury, Lion's Den standout and Shamrock protégée
Vernon "Tiger" White steps up a weight class to face
English brawler Ian "The Machine" Freeman. White barley
missed the light heavyweight mark weighing in at 208, while Freeman,
who will be cornered by the Militech crew, tipped the scales
at 220.
The
young submission specialist Frank Mir will test his skills against
the Hammer House giant Wes "The Project" Sims. Sims,
who stands 6'10", weighed in at 244. Mir, who joked with
the crowd as the fight picture was taken by crouching down to
make the height discrepancy larger weighed 248.
Marco
Ruas trained Pedro "The Rock" Rizzo will face Tra Telligman
in a rematch from an earlier UFC. The 218lbs. Telligman will
be looking for revenge against the 231lbs. Rizzo.
Former
Olympic Silver medallist, Matt "The Law" Lindland made
weight at 184, while his opponent, Falaniko Vitale did not. Vitale, who
is making his UFC debut, was given 30 extra minutes according
to the Las Vegas Athletic Commission.
In
the opening bout of the evening striker extraordinaire, Yves
Edwards made light of the weight making process by stepping onto
the scale with a box of Krispy Crème donuts. Edwards,
who was eating a glazed donut while on the scale weighed in at
155. Newcomer Eddie Ruiz topped the scale at 154.
Source: Maxfighting
6/5/03
Quote
of the Day
"When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like
the flame of a lamp in a windless place."
Bhagavad Gita
SHOOTO
Loads Up For AUGUST 10th Blockbuster...
August 10th, 2003
Kanagawa Yokohama Culture Gymnasium, Yokohama, Japan
SHOOTO
is gearing up for a major show, announcing two title defenses
in there most stacked weight classes.
In
a welterweight title match Joachim Hansen of Norway challenges
for the belt. hansen is highly thought of after taking out legendary
Rumina Sato and Takumi in back to back SHOOTO appearances. He
locks up with undefeated champion Takanori Gomi whose 12-0 record
makes many consider him the top 155 lber in the world at this
time.
In
the lightweights, champion Pequeno Noguiera gives a rematch to
solid Stephen
Palling.
Noguiera won the first encounter, in 2000, by guillotine choke.
Class
A 3 x 5 minutes rounds:
Lightweight [-65.0Kg] Championship: Alexandre Franca Nogueira
v. Stephen
Palling
Welterweight
[-70.0Kg] Championship: Takanori Gomi v. Joachim Hansen
Source:
ADCC
PACIFIC
FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP
"BATTLEGROUNDS"
Bout Added
Mike Labuanan(Maui, Hawaii)
AFC 3 Champion, 1-1
Vs.
Raymond Pintor(Grappling Unlimited)
Warriors Quest Veteran, 1-0
This will be a barn-burner indeed both fighters have good striking
abilitys and ground skills. Do not and I mean do not miss this
fight.Both fighters can BANG!!
Source:
Promoter
Randy
Couture
Famed
boxing trainer Cus D'Amato was always fond of using the phrase,
"people who are born round don't die square." In English,
that means that a person's true colors always shine through.
Want
to see Randy Couture's true colors?
"The
Natural", who faces Chuck Liddell for the interim light
heavyweight title at UFC 43 this Friday, was being pursued by
this reporter when he was tracked down at an airport in Portland.
A week away from one of the biggest fights of his storied career,
Couture wasn't locked away in seclusion, tunnel-visioning his
way towards victory. No, the 39-year-old was on his way to Boise,
Idaho to support and corner two of his Team Quest fighters for
their bouts last Saturday.
That's
Randy Couture. And in true character, he doesn't see his behavior
as being anything out of the ordinary.
"I
guess some people would think that it's odd," admits Couture.
"Two of the top guys in my gym are competing on a card this
weekend, and they're two guys that help me on a regular basis
to get me ready for my fights. So I felt like it was pretty important
for me to be here and see them compete and support them."
A
rare bird in today's "me-first" culture, Couture has
always seemed to be the odd man out in the fight world. He doesn't
talk trash, he's avoided controversy like the plague, and he's
more like your wiser older brother than one of the most dangerous
fighters in the game. Maybe that's his appeal when all is said
and done.
"I
think some of that comes from my amateur wrestling background
and the sharp scrutiny we're put under in the Olympic spotlight,"
said Couture, who made his initial mark in combat sports as a
world-class wrestler. "That's just carried over into this
sport. My attitude and my approach to the sport are similar.
I don't know if I really had to make a conscious effort, because
that's the way I've always approached it."
He's
also proved throughout his career that nice guys can finish first.
Holder of wins over a Who's Who of mixed martial arts since his
debut in 1997 (Vitor Belfort, Mo Smith, Jeremy Horn, Kevin Randleman,
Pedro Rizzo), Couture has been one of the few mainstays in the
sport, and in 20 years, when fans look back at the greats of
the sport, the Oregon resident will be prominently mentioned.
Unfortunately, that doesn't translate into million dollar paydays
today.
"I
wonder if back in the day in football or baseball, if some of
those guys have some animosity or resentment towards some of
the contracts the players are getting nowadays," said Couture.
"Old-time boxers didn't get paid what boxers are getting
paid now too, for that matter. I don't know if resentment would
be the right word. You would like to be able to reap the benefits
of the same hard work and all that; it's just that the timing
and the market for it aren't there yet. There's not a lot you
can do about it."
Ironically,
money and contract issues between light heavyweight champ Tito
Ortiz and UFC management have indirectly led to Couture fighting
Liddell for the interim 205-pound crown. "The Natural",
who was preparing for an April bout with Andrei Arlovski, jumped
at the chance to drop from heavyweight to 205.
"I
told them when I got cleared to compete that I was entertaining
the idea of coming down to light heavyweight," said Couture.
"I could go either way because I'm kind of stuck in the
middle between the two weight classes. I'm a small heavyweight
and it would take a little bit stricter regimen to get down to
205, but I told them that I could do that. They lined me up with
a fight at heavyweight, which I was intending to fight against
Andrei Arlovski on the April card. But as things worked out,
and the Tito thing developed, they offered me a chance to bid
for the title right away at light heavyweight. So it was a great
opportunity for me to get back into title contention and fight
against guys who are a lot closer to my size."
"As
far as some of the issues go, we'd all like to make more money
and see the kind of purses that some of the boxing guys are getting
and all that, but I just don't think that the market for our
sport is there yet," continues Couture. "So I think
it's crazy to shut yourself out of the sport and not be able
to compete and create what I think are problems for the sport
when we're all trying to build the sport and get to that level."
And
while Ortiz has his own issues to deal with, Couture enters Friday's
bout with plenty of question marks of his own.
First,
he will turn 40 later this month, a veritable death sentence
for a fighter. Couture laughs off the talk that he will be filing
for AARP after the bout, but he is realistic in his fighting
expectations.
"I
guess I've gotten used to those questions and that speculation,"
he said. "At some point you do slow down and you get too
old to compete in a combative sport like this one. I don't think
I'm there yet, but I have no illusions that I'm gonna go another
five years or anything like that. I'm certainly getting closer
to the end of my career, but I don't think I'm there yet."
Next,
Couture is coming off a serious injury, a fractured eye socket
suffered in his loss to Ricco Rodriguez in September of last
year.
"The
injury is fine," said Couture. "I've been cleared to
fight and the eye is healed up, but I think that anytime you
deal with your vision and something as delicate as your eyes,
it's kind of scary. It's one of the stranger injuries I've seen,
but I guess it's not all that uncommon in a contact or combative
sport. But I'm feeling real good. It's healed up well. I had
to take about 12 weeks off. That's the longest I've been off
in about ten years."
A
12-week break could do wonders for a younger fighter, giving
a battered body time to heal, and a weary mind time to recharge.
At 39, Couture saw his three months away from the gym as anything
but beneficial.
"I
would say that at my age it's probably harder to get back in
shape, than it is for a younger guy," he admits. "I
don't think the 12 weeks off was a help. I had to take the time
off to let the injury heal, but physically, as far as my level
of fitness and all that, it was much more difficult to come back
after the time off and get back into peak shape. Mentally, I
had to do a lot of soul searching and figure out what I wanted
to do. Did I want to compete anymore? Am I getting too old for
this sport? I had to evaluate my performance and where I was
at in my career. I felt like I did a lot of the things I set
out to do in that fight (against Rodriguez), but unfortunately
I caught a strike that caused the injury and ended the fight.
So I feel like I still have some fighting left to do, and I'm
still interested in competing and that's what I want to do."
Finally,
the question must be asked. After a 2002 in which Couture dropped
bouts to young guns Rodriguez and Josh Barnett, can he compete
with the new generation, of which Liddell is one of the flag
bearers? Some believe Couture is in over his head with "The
Iceman", with the Californian's striking skills and takedown
defense being the deciding factors. Couture disagrees, and as
he prepared for the bout with his Team Quest training partners,
he focused on a game plan he believes will leave him with his
hand raised on Friday.
"I've
been working more on my striking because I'm obviously going
to need to survive in that position long enough to close the
distance and create an opportunity to take him down," said
Couture. "I think my strength is still my wrestling and
my ability to take somebody down. I don't think he's been against
a wrestler with the credentials that I bring to this fight, so
although I do think he's a good wrestler and has good takedown
defense and good scrambling skills on the mat to get back to
his feet, I think that in a lot of the fights that I analyzed
of him, guys approached the fight wrong. They didn't make use
of the transitions and they let him dictate a lot of the ring.
They backed up a lot and let him control the distance. So we've
been working on a lot of tactics and a lot of standup skills
to be sharper and try to put some pressure on him and change
the fight a little bit from what he's used to experiencing."
In
the battle of the nice guys, someone has to lose. Without a win
since 2001, Couture would undoubtedly like to be the one to see
his hand raised; not only for himself, but also for his family,
who naturally worry about the dangers involved in the sport.
"My
family obviously would prefer that I probably didn't fight anymore,
but they want me to quit on my terms," said Couture. "They
don't want any regrets and they don't want to force me to do
something I'm not ready to do. So they're still very supportive.
They obviously don't like to see me injured, but that's always
a risk and a part of the game."
It's
been a long road for Randy Couture, one filled with peaks and
valleys, and one that he believes hasn't reached its destination
yet. That's what makes a fighter, and that's what makes him dangerous
to Chuck Liddell on Friday. Yet as many times as he steps through
the Octagon doors, nothing beats the seconds before John McCarthy
bellows, "Let's get it on."
"There's
no feeling like it," said Couture. "The adrenaline
and the focus are amazing. It's hard to describe. But yeah, it
still gets you every single time. I don't think you'll ever get
used to that feeling."
Source:
Maxfighting
UFC
43 Fight Profile: Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims
UFC
veteran Frank Mir will have a tall order to fill when Wes Sims
makes his UFC debut this Friday, June 6, 2003. This heavyweight
bout is scheduled to be the first when “UFC 43: Meltdown”
airs on PPV from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Both
fighters took their first bout in 2001 and have racked up multiple
victories and sustained just 1 loss a piece.
The
5-1 Mir trains under Ricardo Pires at the Las Vegas Combat Club
in Las Vegas, NV. At 240 pounds, Mir is coming off a major win
over Tank Abbott at “UFC 41: Onslaught.” The 0:46 submission
win over the UFC legend showed that the new breed fighter is
here and ready to take names. The 6’1” fighter sustained
his only MMA loss to Ian Freeman in July 2002 at “UFC 38:
Brawl at the Hall” by TKO at 4:36 of Round 1.
The
6-1 Sims trains under Mark “The Hammer” Coleman at
Hammer House in Columbus, OH. At 265 pounds, Sims is coming off
a major win over Marcus “Conan” Silveira at “HOOKnSHOOT:
AFC 1.” The TKO win at 2:13 of Round 2 earned Sims the HOOKnSHOOT
Southeastern Super Heavyweight Championship over the American
Top Team fighter. The 6’10” fighter sustained his only
MMA loss to Dan “The Beast” Severn in June 2001 at
“RSF 2: Attack at the Track” by Decision after 5 rounds.
“UFC
43: Meltdown” can be seen live on PPV this Friday from the
Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information,
check out www.ufc.tv.
Source: ADCC
ADCC
2003: How I saw It - the 66-76.9 KG Class
77 KG - It is an ADCC tradition that this particular weight division
is stacked every year. This year was even more striking with
big names. On paper, it appeared that one side of the bracket
was tougher than the other, but in a tournament like this it
is impossible to predict anything - the matches have to happen!
The
only thing that was clear when I first saw the brackets was that
Brazilians would be forced to fight each other early - it could
not be avoided.
ADCC
champion Renzo Gracie, 2001 champion Marcio Feitosa, Vitor 'Shaolin',
The North American qualifier Pablo Popovich, and eventual champion
Marcelo Garcia all on the same side of the brackets, you knew
in advance that there would be wars.
The
other side of the bracket featured Fernando 'Terere', the Aussie
Chris Brown, Tony Desouza, Finnish qualifier Jussi Tammelin and
the Japanese qualifier Ishida were the toughest guys on paper.
Nobody was putting money on Otto Olsen although his wrestling
resume speaks for itself. By now, people should know that coach
Matt Hume always breaks thru with a guy who is athletic, well
coached and prepared to play the rules. Any of his students is
dangerous in this format.
The
first round started with the attrition of a champion. Marcio
Feitosa has faced Pablo Popovich in a match in the USA, and after
a tough call Marcio won the judges decision in that one. Everybody
knew this would be a hard task for Marcio to repeat, since Pablo
is a better wrestler and he showed in the ADCC north american
qualifier that he knows how to play the rules.
Marcio
tried to dictate the pace of this match, (something that all
champions have as primary strategy) but was not able to bring
his game together. The match was actually a little boring, but
this was more due to bad luck, as both guys are extremely good.
Pablo finally got the takedown he was looking for. Marcio was
trying to be effective, but he was blocked by a player with the
rules book under his armpit.
OK,
what an eye opener. Immediately, the weight division has one
favorite less.
On
the other side of the brackets the favorite was hurt going in.
'Terere' started the competition with a rib heavily wrapped.
He hurt it during his last training session with Vitor Belfort
who is preparing himself for the UFC 43.
'Terere'
won a difficult match against tammelin in round one, but during
the break, he headed to the medical center to take a painkiller
shot, laid out on a stretcher. I thought 'Nobody can win a tournament
like this if it's not 100%' Of course if you get injured during
the process it's easier (or less hard) to overcome the problems.
But the way Terere left the first round, he would have to be
a giant to win the whole thing.
Now
we had 2 favorites less altough one of them was still in the
race.
Source:
ADCC
Official
Results - May 31st Shooto
May
31, 2003 - Midwest Fighting Championship
Hammond Civic Center
Hammond, IN
OFFICIAL
RESULTS:
Bout
#8: Middleweight / Class-A
Milton Vieira (Universo Athletico) vs. Jake Shields (Cesar Gracie
Academy)
Shields won by Unanimous Decision (3-0) 5:00 rd3
Sean Brockmole: 9-10, 10-10, 8-10 / 27-30
Randy Erickson: 9-10, 10-9, 9-10 / 28-29
Tim Stafford: 9-10, 10-9, 8-10 / 27-29
* Vieira –1 point in 3rd round for holding ropes
Bout
#7: Middleweight / Class-A
Gideon Ray (Hackney’s Combat) vs. Brian Gassaway (Chicago
Fitness Center)
Draw (1-1) 5:00 rd3
Sean Brockmole: 9-10, 10-19, 10-9 / 29-28
Randy Erickson: 10-10, 9-10, 10-9 / 29-29
Tim Stafford: 9-10, 9-10, 10-9 / 28-29
Bout
#6: Welterweight / Class-A
Tom Kirk (Integrated Fighting) vs. Luis ‘Buscape’ (Universo
Athletico)
‘Buscape’ won by Submission (armbar) 1:59 rd2
Sean Brockmole: 9-9
Randy Erickson: 9-9
Tim Stafford: 9-9
* ‘Buscape’ –1 point in 1st round for holding
armbar after time expired
Bout
#5: Lightweight / Class-A
Joe Jordan (Team Extreme Impact) vs. Ryan Ackerman (Grappling
Works)
Ackerman won by unanimous decision (0-3) 5:00 rd3
Sean Brockmole: 9-10, 9-10, 9-10 / 27-30
Randy Erickson: 9-10, 9-10, 9-10 / 27-30
Tim Stafford: 10-10, 9-10, 10-10 / 29-30
Note: Bozo Palling beat Ryan Ackerman in Shooto Alpha on Maui
and Joe Jordan just upset Eddie Yagin in Super Brawl.
Bout
#4: Light Heavyweight / Class-B
Drew McFedries (Miletich Fighting System) vs. Rafael Piszczek
(Hackney’s Combat)
McFedries won by TKO (punching) 2:37 rd2
Sean Brockmole: 10-9
Randy Erickson: 10-9
Tim Stafford: 10-9
Bout
#3: Welterweight / Class-B
Bart Palaszewski (Team Linxx) vs. Kendrick Johnson (Thai Wrestling
Academy)
Palaszewski won by Submission (punch) 2:10 rd1
Bout
#2: Light Heavyweight / Class-B
Adam Gibson (Freelance) vs. Kevin Knabjan (Team Ebersole)
Draw (0-1) 5:00 rd2
Sean Brockmole: 10-9, 9-10 / 19-19
Randy Erickson: 9-10, 9-10 / 19-20
Tim Stafford: 9-10, 10-9 / 19-19
Bout
#1: Featherweight / Class-B
Eddie Wineland (Duneland Vale Tudo) vs. Mustafa Hussani (Hackney’s
Combat)
Draw (0-1) 5:00 rd2
Sean Brockmole: 10-10, 10-10 / 20-20
Randy Erickson: 10-10, 9-10 / 19-20
Tim Stafford: 10-9, 9-10 / 19-19
Source: Rich Santoro
UPDATE:
Chris Brennan and Next Generation
In this update Chris Brennan looks back at what has been happening
lately in the world of Next Generation Fighting Academy.
In
the most recent SuperBrawl
Bao Quach
had to cancel leaving Rami Boukai to be the only Next Generation
representative, winning by triangle at 2:47. According to Chris,
“the night he beat Cole Escovedo he injured his eyeball
and had to heal up for that.” Chris himself missed the show,
missing his flight by 15 minutes so Ray “Bradda” Cooper cornered Rami. Buck
Greer is also out injured for another two months or so.
That
same weekend Erica Montoya won her fight in Japan. Erica fights
in SmackGirl this month and graduates from High School later
this month.
In
Aztec Challenge on June 1st BJ Jalali won by standing rear naked
choke, Russ Miura won by heel hook, and Alex Surdyukov lost a
decision.
As
far as Chris himself he says, “I’m not fighting for
six months. I haven’t trained hard for the last three fights.
Once I get all my schools open and get all my guys ready for
their fights then I’ll start training hard. I’m going
to fly Pete Spratt out here once a month for some kickboxing
and I started training with Dan Henderson. I don’t have
anything lined up with King Of The Cage. I have a four fight
deal with them but that doesn’t start until my first fight
there and it’s not going to be until October now.”
Chris’
most recent fight was Hitman last month in Los Angeles, a show
the Boxing Commission continues to proclaim illegal. This reporter
did not attend. According to Brennan, “I got beat in the
nuts like two minutes into the fight and they stopped it and
gave me a five minute break. If I had stopped right then, they
would have disqualified (Emerson) but because I continued after
the break it was a fair fight after that.” Emerson went
on to beat Chris by decision but once it was over Emerson was
disqualified. “The only reason they gave him a disqualification,
“continues Brennan, “is because the fight was in California
and since they are illegal in California they were using that
whole movie bullshit and they had to have pre-determined winners
and they had me as a predetermined winner. It was a bullshit
event. I shouldn’t have fought in the first place but I
did, so my bad.” When asked if Chris thinks this should
be counted toward his record he responded, “if I won the
fight definitely I would want it on my record but I didn’t
so I don’t know. I lost. It wasn’t like I beat his
ass and they gave the decision to him. It was a really good fight,
action packed non-stop from beginning to end. We never hit the
ground, we kickboxed the whole time.”
Chris
has been kept busy with his now two schools. “My second
one is getting ready to open and we’re re-opening the Irvine
school.” The Irvine one basically moved across the street
while the new one is due to open June 15th with a grand opening
to be in July.
In
the next update we’ll look forward on what is coming up
for the team this summer.
Source: ADCC
Boxing
News: Holyfield confirms Jones talks
Former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield is in
negotiations to fight Roy Jones Jr for the WBA heavyweight title.
The
proposed fight has been tentatively scheduled for 4 October at
Madison Square Garden.
The
40-year-old Holyfield lost a decision to Chris Byrd for the IBF
version of the title last December and injured his shoulder,
which resulted in rotator cuff surgery.
Holyfield,
speaking from Montgomery, Alabama where he appeared at a fund-raiser
for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, believes
a win over Jones Jr would be a formality.
'It's
just a matter of time,' he said.
Source:
ADCC
6/4/03
Quote
of the Day
I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through
– then follow through.
Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker
Kaos
July 27,
2003
War Memorial Gym, Maui
The
next Kaos will be Maui vs. Oahu yearly eventwith the winning
team claiming the team trophy called Ku Kaili Moku which means
the God of War.
The
date is July 27,2003 at the War Memorial Gymnasium. All Oahu
fighters wanting to get on the card can contact kai@808fightfactory.com and Maui fighters
can contact Ira Ho'okano atkpceo1@yahoo.com.
The
spots are limited to 12 amateur fighters. The Main event will
feature Maui's favorite fighter and AFC 3 Champion Mike Labunan.
Spots
are going fast as four bouts are aleady locked in. Some Oahu
schools that will be featured are Jesus Is Lord's Kyong Song
and David Padilla and 808 Fight Factory's Dez Miner,Jamual Perkins,
and Jim Kikuchi and Untaimed Bloodlines Jacob Fa'aagai.
Source: Promoter
Summer
Heat II Martial Arts Tournament
King Intermediate School Gym, Kaneohe
Sunday, June 8, 2003
Registration and weigh-in starts at 8:30 a.m.
Competition begins at 9:30a.m. sharp!
Where: King Intermediate School Gym, Kaneohe
Featuring:
USSJA Sport Jujitsu
Extreme (Continuous) Sparring
Kumite
Kata
Weapons
Entry Fee: $20.00 Per event.
Admission: $2.00
Presented by Kempo Unlimited Hawaii and Yin Kui Tsin Hao Kempo.
For more information contact Tommy Lam at 778-3601 or Kimo Robello
at 220-7113.
Thank
you for your time!
Tommy Lam
Source: Tommy Lam
Brazilian
Portuguese Language Students Desperately Needed!
I usually don't run a post twice in a row, but I just got a call
from Sandy, our teacher, and she told me that there is only one
guy who signed up. Chris and I would make three. We need more
people to sign up to keep the class or it will get cancelled.
If you have any desire to learn Brazilian Portuguese, now is
the time to sign up. We are going to Brazil in late July and
need this class to brush up. Please sign up, it's only like $20
for weeks of classes. You can't beat a deal like that!
Thanks:
Mike
Farrington
Community School for Adults is offering conversational Brazilian
Portuguese language classes, once a week, beginning Saturday,
June 14, 2003 for
the Summer term, ending July 26.
Instructor-Sandy
Tsukiyama de Oliveira
(DOE teacher, member-Hawaii Interpreters & Translators Assn.,
Leader,
vocalist-Mistura Brazilian Jazz Band)
The
Brazilian Portuguese program at FCSA has been ongoing for over
3 years.
Teaching
materials-
Photocopied pages from the textbook, Fala Brasil!
Purchase of two additional books, 501 Portuguese Verbs, and Portuguese
Verbs &
Essentials is recommended. Both available at Borders Books &
Music. Also
available from instructor, casssette tapes of textbook dialogues
& drills.
Please
call FCSA for details on registration & fees. 832-3595.
Located on the campus of Farrington High School, in the heart
of beautiful,
central Kalihi, corner N. King & Kalihi Sts.
The
Gracie Way review by OntheMat.com
Kid
Peligro's latest book, The Gracie Way has been receiving a lot
of attention lately. Peligro's latest work features over 150
great pictures illustrating interesting stories about the Gracie's.
Besides hitting the #1 spot on Amazon.com for Martial Arts category,
The Gracie Way has been receiving a lot of great reviews, the
latest one appeared at OntheMat.com.
A
Must-Win Situation for Tank Friday; Guess What, He's Ready
After a disappointing return in UFC 41, where he was submitted
by Frank Mir in just 46 seconds, Tank Abbott returns this Friday
against a fellow UFC veteran in Kimo. Like Abbott, Kimo is old-school
UFC, and maybe that's what a heavy-handed slugger like Abbott
could use to show off some of that good-old ultra violence he's
renowned for. Abbott won't say exactly what he expects from Kimo
- he rarely pontificates on the unknown - but there's an edge
to his voice that was not apparent before the Mir bout. Abbott
won't say he has to deliver, but he knows everyone knows he knows
he has to. Or something like that.
"It's
going it's all in the bank now, the training," Abbott told
Maxfighting. "It's just about time to take it out. I have
no idea what to expect from Kimo. I really don't. I am ready
for everything."
The
bookmakers have put Tank as an 8-5 favorite. The over-under for
the bout is also nearly even money at 7-5 for the bout going
past one round, 6-5 against it going that far. It's the lowest
over-under for any UFC bout in memory, and perhaps an indication
that the insiders believe Abbott will come out gunning hell or
high water and let the chips fall where they may. But Tank, as
is his nature, thinks otherwise to what the common wisdom foretells.
"Well,
you know 15 minutes is a pretty short time, so I can hit the
throttle pretty hard," Abbott says, recalling his early
UFC fights where there were no time limits and no round breaks
to regain stamina. "I don't know why it's even money with
Kimo. Frankly, why it's that close just blows my mind."
Caught
in a slam-bang toe hold against Mir, Abbott's return was derailed
in a manner that even his harshest critics did not anticipate.
Geared toward boosting pay per view sales with the name value
of one of its most well-known fighters, the UFC has Abbott under
contract for one more fight after UFC 43. But if he loses against
Kimo even the name value of his presence may not be enough to
keep him in the event - it's one thing to bring a name back,
but another to keep a guy fighting when he's lost two in a row.
There
are too many fighters for too few slots, and that's why the pressure
is on for Abbott. Tank, underneath all the passé utterances
of not caring what happens, knows that he's got to win. Part
of the appeal of being Tank Abbott is beating people up as though
you would do it for free - getting beaten greatly diminishes
the marquee value of that attitude.
"I
guess you just go by your last performance, as far the odds go,"
Abbott says of the close odds on he and Kimo. "It was just
a little slip up. It could've happened to anybody. My contract
with the UFC, I signed a three fight deal with 'em. But I'm just
playing it by ear."
Against
Kimo, he'll need to play it his way and land some of that signature
thunder. With an equally motivated Kimo looking to resurrect
his career, the bout could be one of better ones of the night.
Source:
Maxfighting
The
Return of Kimo
With a reputation as a powerful brawler since his debut in UFC
III against Royce Gracie, Kimo Leopoldo returns against Tank
Abbott Friday night in UFC 43 hoping to show his skills that
have been overshadowed by circumstance and image.
"Last
time you guys saw me, I was a blue belt," Kimo told Maxfighting.
"I've improved so much since then under Joe Moriera. I want
to show my skills and what I can do."
Against
Gracie, Kimo gave the Brazilian icon a very tough bout before
submitting to an arm lock; the damage done was sufficient enough
to keep Royce from continuing in his next bout. Kimo then returned
for a superfight against Ken Shamrock, battling gamely but finally
succumbing to another submission, and after losing a decision
to Tsuyoshi Kosaka in UFC 16, he hasn't been back to the UFC
since. The trademark visage of the massive man with tattoos,
swooning musculature, and the grim stare returns against Abbott
in what should prove an entertaining showdown between two of
the event's veterans.
A
cynic would see the matchup as a Senior's Tour - Abbott is 37,
and Kimo is 39 - but Kimo still feels he can make his mark on
the heavyweight division. More confident in his ground skills
than ever, he adds that "Against Royce, I had no idea what
I was doing." He trains one hard day of sparring, be it
standup or grappling, then takes a light day of conditioning
and weights to help his body recover. He also cross-trains in
mountain biking, rock climbing, and tennis.
"I
do it to help my body use muscles it may not use in normal training,"
he explains. The strategy seems sound on the outset - he'll probably
have his best chance in a longer fight against Abbott, particularly
if he can endure the explosive opening exchanges likely to occur
until he can take the fight to the ground.
"I'm
currently a brown belt, but that's just a thing given out of
respect for my training," Kimo said. "I train without
a gi to prepare for no-holds-barred."
He
got as high as 280 lbs. at times, but plans to enter the ring
at 255 this Friday.
"At
280 I was just too big. I couldn't even run without hurting my
back. It was too much weight on my frame, but I'm back at a good
weight for me," Kimo said.
Between
his improvement in grappling and bringing his best weight into
the Octagon, he figures it isn't that far a jump between fighting
Abbott and getting a title shot. Like many veterans of the Octagon,
Kimo feels that his own improvement has been overlooked as the
new wave of cross-trained faces garners attention.
He's
also gambling that he'll win and put himself in a position to
reap the rewards of the risk. Kimo has signed a one-fight contract
with the UFC, hoping that renewed status as a heavyweight contender
will translate into bigger paydays.
"People
forget that I can grapple too," he said. "I have good
ground skills and want to show them. Tank is a very tough competitor
and I think this fight will show what I'm about."
Source:
Maxfighting
TANK:
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE WED.
It's the media exposure the UFC was looking for to get that final
push for their upcoming pay per view. The media blitz actually
started on Saturday as UFC Fighter Pete Spratt was guest host
on the B.E.T Network for the show "Madd Sports."
B.E.T
did a behind the scenes story on Pete Spratt and they also focused
on Yves Edwards and Din Thomas. It was a very positive piece
that really showcased what is great about the UFC.
Tonight
the media blitz continues as Chuck Liddell will be the featured
guest on The Best Damn Sports Show Period on Fox Sports Net tonight.
The Iceman will be plugging his fight against Randy Couture on
the show tonight.
Then
Tank Abbott will be a guest on the Jimmy Kimmell show which is
seen late nights on ABC. For the sport to be seen on B.E.T, Fox
Sports and ABC in the span of five days is huge exposure for
the sport.
Whether
it translates in pay per view buys and attendance, that remains
to be seen, but anyway you slice it, the more eyes on our sport,
the bigger it will become and you would think the overall apperances
by these three men will result in additional pay per view buys.
Source: MMA Weekly
FRYE
VS COLEMAN
Better Late Than Never by Shawn Duff
Two
of the biggest names in the history of MMA, Don "The Predator"
Frye and Mark "The Hammer" Coleman, will finally meet
in their long anticipated rematch at Pride 26, on June 8, 2003.
While many people would have rather seen this rematch years ago,
I must say, itÕs better late than never. While neither
is a current champion, or ranked in the top 5 for that matter,
this fight is still huge in many ways.
Both
fighters have a history of dominance in the sport at its highest
level. Starting out in the UFC, both fighters have created quite
a name for themselves in the US, despite making the move to Japan
and the Pride organization. Frye and Coleman first met in the
tournament finals at UFC 10, in July of 1996. In their first
encounter, the much bigger and stronger Coleman pounded his way
to a TKO victory, becoming the UFC 10 tournament champion. Who
would have guessed it would take seven years to see the rematch.
After
their first battle, both went on to have great success in MMA.
Frye is currently 14-2 in MMA (10-1 UFC, 3-1 Pride) and was one
of the first fighters to be well versed both standing and on
the ground. He was an early prototype of the complete MMA fighter.
Frye has gone on to beat a number of tough opponents including
Gary Goodridge, Tank Abbott, Gilbert Yvel, and Ken Shamrock in
his celebrated career.
The
Shamrock fight at Pride 19, like this one with Coleman coming
up, was another battle of the legends. Frye took it to the smaller
Shamrock, dropping him with a punch at one point, en route to
this monumental victory. In his next fight, Frye beat the much
bigger Yoshihiro Takayama in one of the most brutal fights ever,
at Pride 21. Frye beat the face of Takayama to a bloody pulp
in that fight, a must see if you missed it.
In
his most recent fight, Frye suffered only the second loss of
his career to Japanese fighting legend Hidehiko Yoshida at Pride
23. In what was an uncharacteristic "Frye fight" in
many ways, Yoshida won by technical submission from an arm bar.
It was easy to see why some called this one a fix.
Coleman
has also gone on to compile a tremendous 12-5 record in MMA (6-3
UFC, 6-2 Pride). His power and dominance in the ring are legendary.
Coleman is the epitome of a Ground and Pound specialist. He was
dominant in his first six UFC fights which included a big win
over another legend, Dan "The Beast" Severn, at UFC
12.
He
was considered invincible by many, until suffering his first
loss at the hands of Maurice Smith at UFC 14 in July of 1997.
Unfortunately for Mark, this loss was actually the first of four
consecutive. Coleman lost two more in the UFC, to Pete Williams
by dramatic KO at UFC 17, and a decision to Pedro Rizzo at UFC
18. Mark then left for Japan, where he was defeated once again,
by Nobuhiko Takada at Pride 5. This was a tough streak for a
man who went from unbeatable, to predictable and one dimensional.
After
a little time off, Coleman was back to his winning ways, beating
Ricardo Morais by decision at Pride 8. Coleman followed that
performance by winning the Pride 2000 Grand Prix. The Mark Coleman
of old was back, beating Satake, Shoji, Fujita, and finally Igor
Vovchanchyn to become the Grand Prix champion. This was a huge
way to make a comeback to MMA. Coleman followed this performance
with another impressive win over the tough Brazilian Allan Goes
at Pride 13.
His
career seemed to be back on track, until he was to face another
tough Brazilian, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Coleman suffered his
5th loss at the hands of this soon to be heavyweight champion
and superstar, Nogueira, at Pride 16 in September of 2001. Unfortunately,
this was the last weÕve seen of Coleman, until now.
So
what can we expect this time around, a full seven years later.
Who has aged better? Who has evolved more as a fighter? Who should
be the favorite? What will be so different this time around?
These questions and more will be answered soon enough. Either
way, this fight is great for the sport, great for the fans, and
great for both fighters careers, before itÕs too late.
Back
from a serious neck injury and nearly two years away from competition,
Mark Coleman is looking to get his career back on track. The
question is, how has the time off effected him? Will he be fresh
or just rusty? Has his training suffered from the injury? Has
he worked on other aspects of his game or will we see the same
ground and pound specialist of the past? These kinds of questions
can only be answered in the ring. You know he will come out bigger
and stronger than Frye, but will he be able to take it to him
like he did seven years ago?
Frye
is now a much bigger person than the first time they met. He
has put on lots of muscle since his UFC days, which might make
it harder for Coleman to take him down. Frye has been the more
active fighter, and has been doing a lot of work on his stand
up fighting (despite a KO loss to Jerome Lebanner in K-1 rules)
. Frye has currently been training with Frank Shamrock, in what
he calls the most technical conditioning and fight training he
has ever done. He is now, actually much more lean than we have
seen him in recent fights. But will this be an asset or a detriment
to him in this fight? You know Coleman will come in as pumped
as ever. Frye will need every ounce of strength he has to avoid
the powerful Coleman.
As
both fighters approach the age of 40, this could be a defining
fight in the careers for both men. While neither of them need
the win to solidify their place in history, it would be a nice
addition to their career highlights. Frye would love to avenge
his loss to Coleman, from years ago, with an impressive victory
this time around. Coleman on the other hand, wants to show the
world that he is back and ready to face top level competition
again. Another victory against Frye would be a great first step
in a remarkable comeback.
While
neither man is any longer the premier fighter in the world, they
are still good enough to beat anybody out there. Both men have
tons of heart, are physical specimens, and have years of experience.
The fight between these two MMA legends is much more important
than the upcoming UFC "throw back" fight between Tank
and Kimo.
While
Tank and Kimo might be exciting and fun, it has no real historic
meaning. This fight with Frye and Coleman however is one for
the ages. A classic rematch between two legends of MMA. We saw
them fight each other in the beginning of their careers, now
we can see them again in the twilight of their careers. Does
Coleman still have his number, or can Frye avenge the distant
loss? Either way, I can't wait.
Source: MMA Weekly
6/3/03
Quote
of the Day
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience
in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
Eleanor Roosevelt
Fighters'
Club TV
Fighters' Club TV Episode 11 premiers this Tuesday night (June
3) at 8:30 pm on
Channel 52 (our normal time slot)
It'll run for the following 3 Tuesdays--"same Bat-time,
same Bat-channel"
Episode
11 features:
-Highlights
from Ray and Monica Cooper's "AFC 3" at the Waikiki
Shell
(including interview with Ray)
-Highlights from Danny Kaheaku's "Kickin' it" at Palama
Gym (with interviews with
Danny, Ron Jhun, Stephen Palling)
-Technique of the Week: Featuring Purebred's Norifumi "Kid"
Yamamoto
demonstrating some of his NHB takedowns (plus highlights from
his fight with
an always tough Jeff Curran in Superbrawl 29)
-and of course, TV's two favorite fight hosts, Mike Onzuka and
Mark Kurano
It's
a fast-paced show so don't miss it!
Brazilian
Portuguese Language Classes!
Farrington Community School for Adults is offering conversational
Brazilian
Portuguese language classes, once a week, beginning Saturday,
June 14, 2003 for
the Summer term, ending July 26.
Instructor-Sandy
Tsukiyama de Oliveira
(DOE teacher, member-Hawaii Interpreters & Translators Assn.,
Leader,
vocalist-Mistura Brazilian Jazz Band)
The
Brazilian Portuguese program at FCSA has been ongoing for over
3 years.
Teaching
materials-
Photocopied pages from the textbook, Fala Brasil!
Purchase of two additional books, 501 Portuguese Verbs, and Portuguese
Verbs &
Essentials is recommended. Both available at Borders Books &
Music. Also
available from instructor, casssette tapes of textbook dialogues
& drills.
Please
call FCSA for details on registration & fees. 832-3595.
Located on the campus of Farrington High School, in the heart
of beautiful,
central Kalihi, corner N. King & Kalihi Sts.
Gladiator
Challenge 17 preview...Cole Escovedo!
Porterville, CA-Gladiator Challenge 17 takes place later this
month at the spectacular Eagle Mountain Casino. Fans who were
lucky enough to see the IFCs at this venue know the outdoor site
nestled in the mountains provides a breathtaking view and a management
that takes an honest interest in the events.
Co-headlining
the card is Cole “The Apache Kid” Escovedo vs. Jim Kikuchi. 21 year-old Escovedo
has been one to watch out for in the 145 division with a record
that was undefeated until April of this year. In the first and
third Ultimate Athlete shows Cole showed his striking skills
with UA1 ending with Bart Palaszewski in Cole’s triangle
choke where Cole fired off shots to the face of Bart. UA3 ended
when a bloodied Christian Allen couldn’t defend himself
any more and the ref stepped in.
Cole,
however, is known mainly for his triangle choke, the way he won
UA2 against Jay Valencia and WECs 2,3, and 5. Cole then went
on to appear in Gladiator Challenge 14 where he picked up another,
you guessed it, triangle choke victory. Of all of these fights
only his UA3 victory went longer than the first round.
Then
came Gladiator Challenge 15 against Next Generation’s Bao
Quach. In previous fights Cole showed some openings in his defense
to strikes when he’d go for especially a triangle armbar
like with Valencia but no-one had really rocked Cole. Quach was
the first person to keep Cole on his feet and score with strikes,
going all the way to not only Cole’s first decision ending
but Cole’s first loss too. Can Cole rebound and diversify
his arsenal? Check out this show to find out!
Interview:
MATT LINDLAND Reflects on ADCC 2003
If Matt Lindland would have declined an invitation to the 2003
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships, no one would have
been surprised. The 2003 ADCCs were only three weeks prior to
his UFC match with Niko Vitale – a match that keeps him
as the leading contender to take the 185lb UFC Title Belt. Yet
Lindland thrives on competition and embraced the opportunity
to compete against other elite grapplers from around the world.
ADCC
News caught up with Lindland to get his thoughts on this year’s
ADCC World Championships!
ADCC:
What did you think of the level of competition at this year’s
ADCC Championships? Lindland: Man, these guys are great at submissions
and the overall level of wrestling has gotten better. The Almeida
and Jacare match was great.
ADCC:
What are your feeling about Jacare and your match with him in
the quarterfinals in your weight class? Lindland: He is good
-- really good. But if we go a Greco-Roman match I got him!
ADCC:
Some competitors mentioned the difficulty they had making the
transition from MMA training into a grappling-only competition.
You were training for both the UFC and ADCC – how did you
handle that dual-purpose training? Lindland: Really I was training
for MMA and using this tournament to help me prepare and improve
my submission part of the sport. I would love to do this tournament
again now I have see it and know what its about now I could train
for this kind of a tournament
ADCC:
What did the UFC say when you told them you wanted to compete
in the ADCC Championships? Lindland: Dana said it was great.
He had the same thoughts as I did -- to keep improving.
ADCC:
How did you feel about the way the tournament was run? (judges,
rules, professionalism) Lindland: Great. The tournament was very
professionally ran the hosts did a great job. I have been to
a ton of wrestling tournament have seen good ones and bad ones
and I have no complaints what so ever. As for the rules, they
are fine. Whatever the rules are there is always going to be
some changes and better ways to do things. The judges were very
good. I saw very few mistakes -- they are human so there were
some calls that fell into judgement but that is why they are
the judges. Its not an easy job and somebody has to do it.
ADCC:
There have been people who say the ADCC rules favor the jiu-jitsu
players – do you think that is the case, or are the rules
of ADCC fair? Lindland: This is a tough question but the rules
are a lot closer to jiu-jitsu than to Greco. The rules are the
rules and if you want to play the sport then you have learn how
to do it. This was my first experience with this kind of an event
and if I plan on doing it again. At this level of competition
I have a lot more to learn about the sport and how to play.
ADCC:
Do you think that an organization structured around the ADCC
format can thrive in the US? At what level? Lindland: I think
the sport could surpass amateur wrestling. It has more appeal
but I don’t think it would be easy to get on television
without some big money sponsors backing it.
ADCC:
Would you compete in ADCC again? Lindland: I hope I get a chance
to. I would like to be able to prepare specifically for it since
it is so different than MMA!
TEAM
QUEST FIGHT CLUB!
Intensive Training Camp & Technique Camp!
Come Train With The Best Intensive Camp June 14-21 2003
Featuring:Randy
Couture, Matt Lindland, Chuck Lidell, John Hachelman
Technique Camps
Camp
1: June 14-17 2003 or Camp 2: June 18-21 2003
Pick
the camp that’s best for you!
Technique
Camp:
The Team Quest Technique Camp is 4 days and designed to teach
basic and fundamentals skills needed for self defense or MMA
. The tactics and techniques are proven and used by the best
MMA competitors in the world. We cover:
•Boxing •Kickboxing •Muay Thai •Submission
Wrestling •Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu •Clinch Techniques
And More!
This
is not theory or from some book, the tactics are proven and used
by some of the best fighters in the world, fighters who walk
their talk.
Intensive
Training Camp:
The Team Quest Intensive camp is 8 days that simulates the pre-fight
training regimen of MMA champions. The instructors will teach
you all the secerets of their training techniques from:
•Training Techniques and Tips •Sparring Drills •Conditioning
•Nutritional Advice •Mental Skill Training, And More!
You
will work with World Champions and learn the tactics and techniques
of the top MMA competitors in the world today. If you are considering
taking that next step in your martial arts career, you can’t
miss this camp.
This camp simulates the pre-fight training regimen of MMA Champions.
When
else will you have a chance to train like a champion and with
champions?
Typical
Day Camp Schedule
8 am-9 am Breakfast at hotel
9 am-11am Technique and drills
11 am-1pm Lunch Break
1pm-2pm Technique and drills (technique Camp)
1pm-2pm conditioning (intensive camp only)
4pm-6pm sparing (intensive camp only)
7 pm-8 Technique and drills
Camps
include:
-Training and instuction from the top martial artist in the world
-Camp Notebook
-Camp Shirt
-Room
-Board Breakfast and Lunch provided on your own for dinner
Technique
Camp 1 June 14,15,16,17 $450.00
Technique
Camp 2 June 18,19,20,21 $450.00
Intensive
Camp 1 June 14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 $850.00
Don’t
pass this up! Come and train with the best.
Space
is very limited and going fast. Don’t wait too long or we
may fill up. To get more information or to sign up:
P.S.
Ask about our GOLD package that gets you 4 different private
lessons, 1 each with Matt Lindland, Randy Couture, John Hackelman
and Chuck Liddell!
NO
RISK 100% GUARANTEE!
Source:
ADCC
ADCC
Injury Replacement Rules Clarification
Clarification of the rule regarding fighter replacement.
There
have been questions about the reason as to why Royler Gracie
was asked to replace the injured Eddie Bravo for the third place
match in ADCC 2003 Under-65KG. ADDC has had the same rule regarding
fighter injury and his replacement from day one:
In
the event a fighter (winner) cannot continue to fight in the
event due to an injury, he will be replaced by the fighter who
last lost to him. Example, in 1998, Matt Hume won his quarterfinals
match against Luis Brito but was not able to return because he
injured his knee in that match. Luis Brito returned and took
his place in the semi-finals against John Lewis and won and moved
on to the finals losing to Renzo Gracie. The only times this
rule were not followed was when both fighters were injured in
the Absolute Sperry got a “bye” in the finals winning
by W.O. because both fighters were injured. In 2000 when Morais
won over Mark Robinson and Morais couldn’t continue, they
went to Robinson but he couldn’t continue as well because
of injury in the same match (ankle lock from Morais). Morais
was replaced by Chris haseman, who he had beaten the round before..
ADCC
committee announces referee clinics:
In
order to further expand the sport and to form a larger, fully
trained referee group in more countries, the ADCC Committee will
send its head referee Lubomir Guedjev to conduct referee clinics
in various countries throughout the World. The object of the
clinics is also to expose as many people as possible to the rules
system to stimulate a deeper understanding of ADCC event rules.
Additionally to develop consistency, the selected and approved
referee’s who successfully participate and test in these
clinics will then become a part of the ADCC referee team and
will be present at the main event and some select trials throughout
the World.
DSE/PRIDE
announced changed match up replacing Arona vs Alistar at PRIDE
26.
This
is final match ups and fight number.
1st
Match:
Nino 'Elvis' Schembri vs Kazuhiro Hamanaka
2nd
Match:
Anderson Silva vs Daiju Takase
3rd
Match:
Mike 'BATMAN' Bencic vs Alistair Overeem
4th
Match:
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs Mikhail Ilioukhine
5th
Match:
Don Frye vs Mark Coleman
6th
Match:
Mirko Cro Cop vs Heath Herring
7th
Match:
Emelianenko Fedor vs Kazuyuki Fujita
Source: ADCC
Frye's
Greatest Fight
By Joe Hall
July
12, 1996. Defending Ultimate Fighting Champion Don Frye meets
newcomer Mark Coleman in the finals of the UFC 10 eight-man tournament.
Frye
is undefeated, notes commentator Bruce Beck, 6-0 in the Octagon.
Coleman
is a world-class wrestler, says Jeff Blatnick. One who weighs
245 muscular pounds compared to Frye at 214.
Frye
is visibly haggard in his corner before the opening bell. A mouse
sits below his right eye, reminding fans that this is his third
fight of the night. He has already battled in the Octagon for
15 minutes, stopping Mark Hall in a grueling opening round bout
then defeating Brian Johnston in the semifinals.
Coleman
looks much fresher as he shifts his weight from foot to foot
in his corner. No path to the finals is without tribulations,
though, and this fighter is fatigued as well. He easily dismantled
Moti Horenstein in the first round and dominated Gary Goodridge
in the second; but the bout with "Big Daddy" dragged
on for seven minutes and dented his energy supply.
The
match begins and Coleman shoots for a takedown. Frye stops it
with a well-timed sprawl and clutches a front headlock. Coleman
explodes out of the hold and moves to his opponent's back.
That's
called a short drag, says Blatnick, a great job by Coleman.
And
from there, the beating commences.
Coleman
cuts loose inside Frye's guard, pounding his foe with a series
of right hands that would later earn him the nickname, "The
Hammer."
The
bout becomes a drubbing, as Frye's face is pummeled by Coleman's
endless onslaught. The difference in size and power has been
the difference, says Blatnick 3:15 into the fight. Coleman is
dominating.
At
4:15, Coleman applies a side choke, but Frye slips out and the
fight returns to the feet. Referee Big John McCarthy goads the
tired fighters forward while they slowly stalk each other. Frye
throws a right and a left, but Coleman ducks and pins him against
the cage with a double leg takedown.
The
beating resumes.
Kick
the shit out of him! roars Frye's bitter former trainer, Richard
Hamilton, who is Coleman's trainer for this fight. Frye is stuck
against the cage and Hamilton and friends are hurling a streak
of evil obscenities straight into his ear. He's over the hill!
someone says. Beat the hell out of him! Hamilton adds.
And
Coleman obliges with a knee that snaps Frye's head back violently.
More knees follow and the fight is stopped to check Frye's right
eye, which is bleeding and closing quickly.
You
gotta do something son! You understand me? says McCarthy, informing
the battered competitor that he can't let the fight continue
much longer at this one-sided pace.
Dr.
Richard Istrico asks Frye if he wants to continue as he dabs
the blood away from the fighter's face. I'm fine, Frye responds.
And
the beating continues.
Seven
minutes into the fight Frye wraps his arms around Coleman's legs
and struggles for a takedown. He's just not big enough, says
Blatnick, skeptical that Frye can complete the double leg. He
can't. Coleman pounds the side of his adversary's head, stops
the takedown and moves to Frye's back, where more punishment
is delivered.
Frye
escapes a choke attempt at 9:30 and briefly takes the top position
on the ground. He is unable to mount any offense before Coleman
stands, scoops him into the air and nearly tosses him out of
the Octagon. Instead of slamming Frye, however, Coleman drops
him to his feet and drills a timely right hand into his foe's
cheek. An uppercut follows, then a right, a left and another
right stagger Frye onto one foot.
A
multitude of right hands landed in that sequence, says Beck.
What
a battle! says an energized Blatnick when Frye doesn't go down.
What a battle!
Coleman
scores a takedown and the assault continues on the mat. More
punches, more knees. Finally, after Coleman smashes a pair of
head butts into Frye's bloody eye and swollen cheek, McCarthy
stops the fight. That's it, the referee says.
The
beating is over.
Redemption
"Mark
just overpowered me," says Frye, nearly seven years later.
"He came in as a superior wrestler, a more powerful wrestler,
and just put the boots to me.
"That
loss has haunted me."
The
physical beating Coleman dished out that night in Birmingham
was brutal, but the psychological pounding of defeat has been
much worse.
Frye
remembers trying to sleep that night. His eye was swollen shut.
His face was inflated over half its normal size. His ego had
taken the worst whipping, though. It had been obliterated, irrevocably
damaged.
His
body would eventually recover, but his mind was scared. He couldn't
forget the loss, couldn't move beyond the defeat.
In
Don Frye's mind, the beating continued.
This
thrashing wasn't courtesy of Coleman, though. It wasn't loaded
with stinging knees or painful punches, swollen eyes or smashed
cheeks. This was an internal trouncing. For all these years,
Frye, with the helping hand of defeat, has been hammering himself.
"It
was my only loss for so many years," he tries to explain
of his inability to forget. "It was the only blemish on
my record for so many years. I just … it just bothered me,
and I can't really explain it beyond that. I was just immature.
"Some
people can't handle losses. Some people get angry if things don't
go their way and they take their ball and go home. Basically,
I sat around with my bottom lip stuck out for six years until
I got this rematch."
It
was the thought of a rematch that fueled Frye's exit from a lucrative
life as a professional wrestler to his return as a fighter. His
stubbornness brought him back, his yearning to right what went
wrong that night in Birmingham. And once he was back, he pushed
for the rematch and urged Pride promoters to put it together.
They signed the fight for June 2002, and it appeared as though
Frye would finally have his shot.
Then,
while training for the rematch, Coleman was temporarily paralyzed
and badly injured his neck. The driving flame behind Frye's comeback
was abruptly extinguished.
"I
pretty much forget about all my anger towards Mark," says
Frye. "I was more concerned about his health. You know,
because he's a father, has two little girls, and that's more
important than my ego getting stroked. So I didn't care about
it. I quit caring about the fight."
Even
though his rival healed quickly, Frye's desire had largely left.
Besides the injury, he had come to know Coleman through the years.
That's right: He actually likes the man who beat him.
"Mark's
a standup guy," says Frye. "He's a really good guy.
He's a good father. He's a loving father. And he's going through
some tough times. It's really hard to build up any hate or any
animosity towards the man when he's got other problems going
on that are more important."
With
his motivation expired, Frye ceased requesting a second bout
with Coleman. Then, a year after the rematch fell through, Pride
made a deal with iNDEMAND cable that would create a ripe situation
for a stellar rematch. The cable provider agreed to begin hosting
Pride events, which will significantly increase the show's American
audience. To cater to the new American fans, Pride promoters
contacted Frye wanting to set up a showdown with Coleman. Negotiations
followed and the deal was signed.
After
nearly seven years filled with aspirations of revenge and capped
with feelings of guilt over Coleman's injury, Frye says the fire
that has been burning is now cooking on a different level.
"It's
not the anger and animosity level," he says. "It's
a respect level. And it's also a last match level, because this
is going to be the last match for one of us and maybe both of
us. So we both want to win this match. This is going to be a
historic event because we could both walk away from mixed martial
arts after this fight."
To
ensure that he quells the torments of the past seven years, Frye
has consulted former UFC great Frank Shamrock to guide him through
a rigorous training camp. "Basically, he takes me out to
the park and lets a couple pit bulls attack me, maul me for half
an hour, and that's prepping me for the fight.
"I've
been doing the same old thing, the same old Don Frye fight for
years now. And I haven't improved or changed or anything, and
the sport has evolved around me. So I needed to change something.
Also, I needed to get out of the house to gain my focus. And
Frank seemed like the logical choice, and he's proving that."
In
addition to the gameplan that he is devising alongside Shamrock,
Javier Mendez and Crazy Bob Cook, Frye says the size difference
that plagued him years ago has since disappeared. The 31-pound
weight discrepancy has vanished; the strength disparity is gone.
This match, says Frye, will come down to where the fight takes
place.
"I
think I beat him on the feet," says Frye. "I beat him
on the feet, and he beats me on the ground. The battle is going
to be both of us trying to keep the fight at our own advantage."
Where
the fight is fought is important, but Frye may be casually underestimating
the battle of heart. That's not to say that Coleman's spirit
isn't strong. It's just that Frye's is heralded as legendary.
He's
recognized as a warrior, and, even though he says his motivation
has shifted, one can't help but believe part of Frye's determination
is to deliver himself from the demons of defeat. If he loses,
he says they'll never cease torturing him. Even in valiant defeat,
Frye says he'll never rest easy knowing he strived for redemption
but failed.
"I
think they'll still eat at me -- worse than ever," he says.
"I'll just have to try to learn to accept it."
In
victory, Frye will contemplate retirement. A few years after
his loss to Coleman, Frye became a father. He has two girls,
a 2- and a 3-year-old. The stakes are different now than they
were that night in Birmingham.
"Preparing
for this fight's really tough," says Frye. "I had to
leave the house to get focused and my little girls are getting
older, and I'm enjoying being around them more. It's a lot harder
to leave them because the fact that they know I'm gone. Where
as when they're young and they're infants, they don't recognize
a time period or whether you're present or not. Now they recognize
the fact that I'm gone and they're asking questions as to my
whereabouts. And they're saying they miss me, so that's having
a big effect on me."
But
Frye is a born competitor. He is an obstinate winner, an inflexible
champion at heart who is held hostage by defeat. And through
the years it has been defeat, not Mark Coleman, that has been
the elusive opponent he longs to conquer.
Even
if he overcomes Coleman, the beating persists.
"And
if I beat Coleman," he says, "which is my plan, I'd
like to walk away, but there's always the [Hidehiko] Yoshida
[loss] haunting me then. Then I have to decide if I want to saddle
up and get after that one."
Source: ADCC
6/2/03
Quote
of the Day
"The more people have studied different methods of bringing
up children the more they have come to the conclusion that what
good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing is best
after all."
Benjamin Spock
Jones
to face Holyfield
WBA heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr will defend his title against
former world champion Evander Holyfield in October, according
to a top promoter.
Murad Muhammad told the San Juan press that the fight would take
place on October 4th and claimed it would earn Jones $15 million.
Muhammad
added that Jones would then fight Mike Tyson at the beginning
of next year before taking on Lennox Lewis at the end of 2004.
Lewis's
next fight will be against Canadian Kirk Johnson on June 21st
in Los Angeles.
Jones
became the first former middleweight champion in more than a
century to win the heavyweight title when he beat John Ruiz in
March.
Source:
ADCC/BBC
ADCC
Injury Replacement Rules Clarification
Clarification of the rule regarding fighter replacement.
There
have been questions about the reason as to why Royler Gracie
was asked to replace the injured Eddie Bravo for the third place
match in ADCC 2003 Under-65KG. ADDC has had the same rule regarding
fighter injury and his replacement from day one:
In
the event a fighter (winner) cannot continue to fight in the
event due to an injury, he will be replaced by the fighter who
last lost to him. Example, in 1998, Matt Hume won his quarterfinals
match against Luis Brito but was not able to return because he
injured his knee in that match. Luis Brito returned and took
his place in the semi-finals against John Lewis and won and moved
on to the finals losing to Renzo Gracie. The only times this
rule were not followed was when both fighters were injured in
the Absolute Sperry got a “bye” in the finals winning
by W.O. because both fighters were injured. In 2000 when Morais
won over Mark Robinson and Morais couldn’t continue, they
went to Robinson but he couldn’t continue as well because
of injury in the same match (ankle lock from Morais). They would
have had to go back two rounds for a replacement and he too was
injured.
ADCC
committee announces referee clinics:
In
order to further expand the sport and to form a larger, fully
trained referee group in more countries, the ADCC Committee will
send its head referee Lubomir Guedjev to conduct referee clinics
in various countries throughout the World. The object of the
clinics is also to expose as many people as possible to the rules
system to stimulate a deeper understanding of ADCC event rules.
Additionally to develop consistency, the selected and approved
referee’s who successfully participate and test in these
clinics will then become a part of the ADCC referee team and
will be present at the main event and some select trials throughout
the World.
Source:
ADCC
UFC
43: MELTDOWN This Friday!
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Friday, June 6
5:30 pm PT - First Fight
7:00 pm PT - Pay-Per-View
Official
Fight Card:
Interim
Light Heavyweight Championship:
Chuck 'The Iceman' Liddell vs. Randy Couture
Heavyweight
Bouts:
Tank Abbott vs. Kimo
Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims
Pedro Rizzo vs. Tra Telligman
Ian Freeman vs. Vernon White*
Light
Heavyweight Bout:
Vitor Belfort vs. Marvin Eastman
Middleweight
Bout:
Matt Lindland vs. Falaniko
Vitale
Lightweight
Bout:
Yves Edwards vs. Eddie Ruiz
*Vernon
White replaces Ken Shamrock due to a torn ACL suffered by Shamrock,
requiring surgery.
GOOD
LUCK FALANIKO VITALE
As a friend and fan of Grappling Unlimited's Falaniko Vitale,
I would like to extend my best wishes to him when he competes
against Matt "THE LAW" Linland in his upcoming Ultimate
Fighting Championship debut. Here at Second 2 None Fight Wear,
we would like to wish him luck and a safe journey. I know you
will make your HAWAII fans proud.
UFC
43 Meltdown Preview
by Arnold “The Sushiboy” Lim
This time around the UFC will be taking place in the biggest
arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Thomas and Mack centre. The UFC
has brought out the big guns and haveTank Abbott, Chuck Liddell,
Vitor Belfort, and Randy Couture all on one card. They would
have also had Ken Shamrock on the card as well if it wasn't for
an ill timed inujury that put him on the sidelines, nonetheless,
we have arguably, the most MMA star power of any show in North
American MMA history. Will that be enough to sell out the huge
arena? Will bigger names translate into a bigger show? Will bigger
names translate into a better show? Those are the questions that
are on the minds of every MMA fan in the world. The star power
is there, will the excitement be far behind? That remains to
be seen…
Chuck
Liddell Vs Randy Couture
Tito
or no Tito the show must go on, and go on it will with Randy
Couture taking his place as the man to face the man that few
men want to face, “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell. With
Tito temporarily out of the picture the winner of this fight
will be declared the interim Light heavyweight champion of the
UFC. Tito will still hold the Light Heavyweight belt, but if
he again chooses not to defend the title against the interim
title holder, he will be stripped of the title. Such is the state
of the light heavyweight belt, the highest profile belt in the
UFC and a sad state of affairs it is. Randy Couture is the consummate
champion, his reign as the heavyweight champion of the UFC was
a fantastic run considering his age, but the fighters nowadays
are getting bigger and bigger, Randy has always been a small
heavyweight, his 225 some odd pounds are a far cry from current
Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia’s 265 pound, 6 foot 8 foot
frame. So his drop to the Light heavyweight 205 division came
as no surprise, and he should have little trouble shedding the
extra pounds. Randy didn’t cut any weight to fight in the
heavyweight picture but cutting weight should not be a problem
for the wrestler, being a wrestler his whole career has acclimatized
his body to the rigors of weight cutting, and I feel he should
have little problem dealing with the weight change. Couture is
stylistically a somewhat similar fighter to Tito so this could
be a good fight for Chuck to prepare for fighting Tito, if that
fight were to take place at a future date. Not to get too far
ahead of ourselves, looking past Couture would be a mistake for
anyone. His run as the Heavyweight champion was no fluke, he
is one of the hardest working fighters in the MMA field and he
will be ready to compete come fight night. He has however lost
his last two fights in a row, both of which have taken some of
the sheen off his otherwise outstanding career. Chuck Liddell
is quickly becoming the new poster boy for the UFC. A champion
in his own right he had stepped aside countless times to let
Tito become the superstar and have lesser challengers step up
to the plate in his stead. There is no holding him back any longer,
Liddell is ready for his shot. Liddell is an accomplished kickboxer
with KO power in all four of his limbs. He has knocked out people
with his hands and his feet, and he has spent time at Cal Poly
crafting his now famous takedown defense. Randy will have more
trouble taking Liddell down then any other fighter in his career.
Pedro Rizzo has a somewhat similar kickboxing style but he is
not even close to being as strong a wrestler as Liddell. This
fight, like many before it, will be decided by the almighty takedown.
Will Liddell be able to stop the takedowns of one of the greatest
UFC heavyweight champions ever? That is the question that will
decide the fate of both fighters, Randy needs to ground and pound
his way to victory or he will find himself in trouble, his work
from the clinch is exemplary as well so that may be an alternative
for him as well. Chuck will want to keep his distance and strike
with the slower and older Couture. If Chuck can stay to the outside
a KO may be in order. I do feel that Couture will find himself
on top after a takedown at one point or another, but not long
enough to score the fight ending blow. Couture will be strong
for the first three rounds or so and then I feel he will find
himself fading as the later rounds come about. It will be here
that Liddell exerts his will and finds the mark with a perfectly
timed strike. Liddell will take the Interim belt back home with
him to San Luis Obispo, where it will be shined and buffed waiting
for Tito Ortiz to call. Liddell via KO round 4.
Vitor
Belfort Vs Marvin Eastman
This
is one of the fights that I am really looking forward to. Both
fighters match up well against each other, Vitor has the fastest
hands in the sport of MMA, that is when he chooses to let his
hands go, which has been few and far between of late. It is amazing
to think that Vitor is still only 26 years old. It seems like
eons ago that his lightening fast hands were lighting up the
UFC, in fact that was over six years ago and Belfort was only
19 years old at the time. Since then, Vitor he has amassed an
impressive record but he did lose his last fight in a very close
decision to Chuck Liddell. He has been off for almost a year
now and an intriguing match-up awaits him. Marvin Eastman is
an impressive fighter from John Lewis’s camp that holds
the distinction of being the first fighter to ever defeat Quinton
“Rampage” Jackson. He has an impressive arsenal of
kick boxing skills, couple that with knockout power, and you
have a dangerous concoction . He is also a strong wrestler with
good strength. His wrestling is strong but can he defend the
takedown better than Chuck Liddell? Belfort was able to take
Chuck down at a couple points however briefly in their fight,
so Belfort may still be able to take the fight to the mat if
he so chooses. Whether he wants to stand and trade or use his
black belt in Jiu Jitsu, where he has the clearest advantage,
is unknown at this time. Having the advantage of the unknown
may be an advantage for him. Eastman will probably want to keep
this fight on the feet, his kicks are much better then Belfort’s
and may be able to use them to good effect against “The
Phenom”. Vitor’s hands will be the X Factor in this
fight, if we see the blazing hand speed again it may be bad news
for the “Beastman”, and good news for the fans, cause
it could be a barnburner. If he is able to counter the leg kicks
and use his kicks to keep Belfort off balance he may find a way
to win. I think that Belfort will be able to do what he needs
to do to get the win here. On an unrelated note, Vitor has the
distinction of having fought the most card-mates in the upcoming
UFC, he fought Tre Telligman, and Tank Abbott beating both in
impressive KO fashion, as well as having faced off against both
fighters in the main event, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell losing
to both fighters. Nonetheless, Vitor should win via KO round
two.
Ian
Freeman Vs Vernon “Tiger” White
A
devastating ACL injury to arguably the biggest draw on the card
will be an equally huge blow for the UFC, but in his place one
of his student’s from the Lion’s Den, Vernon Tiger
White has stepped up to accept the challenge. Generally considered
a pretty exciting fighter, his excitement factor is probably
why the UFC chose to pick him up over Jeremy Horn, despite Horn’s
recent controversial win over White. Few fighters get into the
UFC riding a loss but in White’s defense, White has held
the KOTC Light heavyweight belt for two years, and is a worthy
competitor that will usually give an exciting bout. Ian Freeman
is a very gritty fighter that loves to bang. You know what you
are going to get when Freeman steps into the Octagon. He will
either bang out a victory or get beaten badly on the other end.
This fight should be a good one, maybe a more exciting bout then
even the Shamrock vs Freeman fight. Considered a slow starter
White may need to pick up the slack in the early going because
Freeman will come to bang. Freeman is s bigger stockier fighter
so he should be the stronger of the two but, White is quick and
nimble and sometimes unpredictable. I feel it could be a great
fight but Freeman will have the edge coming into the fight, he
will be the bigger stronger fighter and should have what it takes
to take it to Vernon in the early goings. Freeman has fought
most of his career at heavyweight and White will be taking on
a larger competitor. Vernon has great Cardio so if Freeman, who
has looked tired when he gets into the later rounds, does not
finish quickly, he could have the tables turned on him. With
the unpredictability of the ref stoppages, I feel that Vernon’s
tendency to like the turtle position and eat unanswered blows,
will be a boon for him, even if he is not getting hurt. Freeman
should be able to get position on White and rain punches down
on him to get the ref stoppage, though not necessarily hurting
White enough to hurt him. Freeman via Ref stoppage Round 2.
David
“Tank” Abbott Vs Kimo Leopaldo
The
fighter that fans of the sport affectionately call “Tank”
will be making his amazing 17th walk to the Octagon, that makes
Abbott the most experienced UFC vet in the history of the UFC.
That experience is not what will be the deciding factor in the
outcome of this bout however, that honor will belong to non other
than wrestling. Will Tank be able to stay on his feet where he
can impose his will? Tank has the K.O power to take out any competitor
in all of MMA with one shot, that is of course, if it lands.
Tank has been inactive of late and his most recent appearance
lasted only a minute or so, therefore ring rust may still be
a factor. Speaking of ring rust, the man that goes by one name,
Kimo has not exactly been lighting it up on the MMA scene. He
too has competed in MMA only once in the past five years, and
that was a TKO win over Tim Lajcik who was beating Kimo until
he injured his own big toe and was unable to continue. Both fighters
will be coming off extended lay offs from the sport so it is
unlikely either fighter will be able to take advantage of their
opponents ring rust. I think if Tank can stay on his feet he
will KO Kimo, if he gets taken down he could be submitted. The
size advantage goes to Tank who is the bigger guy, he will outweigh
Kimo come fight time, but Kimo has defeated much bigger competition
in the past. He took a vicious beating from a 300 pound Paul
“The Polar Bear” Varelans and showed incredible heart,
before coming on strong late in the fight to defeat an arm weary
Varelans. But Tank hits harder and has more punching skill then
Varelans, as a matter of fact he too faced off against him and
mauled Varelans when they met in the Octagon. I don’t think
that Kimo will fare much better, call the electrician, because
it is going to be “Lights Out”. Abbott via K.O Round
1.
Tre
“Trauma” Telligman Vs Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo
At
UFC 20 “Battle for the Gold” Lion’s Den fighter
Tre “Trauma” Telligman faced off against Marco Ruas
trained fighter Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo. In one of the
more exciting fights of the night, both fighters exchanged on
the feet with bristling stand up action, and it seemed that Telligman’s
boxing was the superior of the two. He bloodied Rizzo’s
face and was beating Rizzo handily, until it looked like Telligman
gassed out and got himself K.O’d for his efforts. He has
said that he did not gas out but blew out a muscle in his leg
during the fight, but nonetheless, the end result was a loss
on his record. A lot of time has passed since then, over four
years to be exact, and now they are back for the rematch. Telligman
has been fairly inactive on the MMA front, in his last MMA fight
he defeated the heavy favorite at the time, the Russian Wrecking
Machine, “Ïce Cold” Igor Vovchanchyn in Pride
13. Until recently he had stepped into the boxing ring for a
short stint, and now he is back. Pedro has been a steady competitor
in the UFC having faced off in the Octagon an astonishing total
of 12 times. He is no stranger to the UFC and their fans, but
he has been on a skid of late. He has lost four of his last five
fights and some people are wondering why he is still in the UFC.
A long term contract is the culprit here, he signed a long term
contract earlier in his career, and in doing so won the UFC’s
equivalent of “Survivor’s, Immunity challenge”.
It is the only thing that is granting Pedro another kick at the
can in the biggest UFC this year. Will he remain his slow methodical
counter punching self? Or will he break out of his shell and
compete aggressively showing off the immense potential that everyone
knows he has? Both fighters need this fight, that in itself usually
lends itself to one of two outcomes. It will either be a boring
strategical chess match with neither fighter wanting to make
the first mistake, or it could be a throwdown, chew ‘em
up barnburner with one fighter hitting the canvass hard. For
the sake of the fans, lets hope the canvass gets a steady workout
and these guys swing for the fences. Either way I see Pedro using
his counterpunching to his advantage and eventually getting the
knockout to go two for two against Tre Telligman for a career
average of batting 1000, but remember, I, and almost everyone
else at the time also thought that Telligman would lose to Vovchanchyn
so don’t count him out. I will go with Pedro Rizzo via K.O
Round 3.
Matt
“The Law” Lindland Vs Falaniko “Niko” Vitale
Hawaiian
sensation “Niko” will be stepping into the big show
for the first time in his career come June 6th, but make no mistake
he is a tough hombre and deserves his shot in the Octagon. He
will be facing number one contender to the UFC Middleweight Championship
belt and former Olympic silver medallist Matt “The Law”
Lindland. Lindland has had an impressive career in the Octagon
having spent most of his career in the UFC. He is an impressive
6 and 1 in the UFC with his only loss coming against one of the
world’s best in Murilo Bustamante. Being an Olympic Silver
medallist, his wrestling is unmatched in the MMA scene and that
in itself has powered every one of his victories in the cage.
Position, position, position, that is what Lindland controls
better then most, he always seems to be in the position he wants
to be in. The only time that he was out of position was when
he lost to Bustamante. “Niko” is a well rounded fighter
that is at comfortable on the feet or on his back, that is good
news for him because I don’t really see any opportunities
for him to get the top position in this fight. His submissions
are strong so he should be able to hold his own on his back but
how will he react to having his head mashed up against the fence
with nowhere to go? With the exception of a few fights he has
spent the bulk of his career fighting in a ring environment.
It is now a well known fact that the cage plays a big part in
the strategy of fighting in the UFC. How well he reacts to his
environment will be key to his success, or lack thereof. Lindland
will be looking to do what he always does. He will go for the
takedown and the top position, piling his opponent against the
fence, and grounding and pounding his way to victory. What he
lacks in flair, he makes up for in consistency, and there are
few that are as consistent as Lindland. “Niko” is tough
and he will be there the whole fight but his lack of experience
in the big show, his lack of experience in the Cage, and his
inferior wrestling skills will be his undoing. Lindland via Unanimous
Decision after 3 Rounds.
Wes
Sims Vs Frank Mir
Hammer
House fighter under the tutelage of former UFC Heavyweight Champion
Mark “The Hammer” Coleman, and a freak of nature at
6 foot 9 inches tall, Wes Sims will be a tall order for anyone.
This time around, that anyone will be Frank Mir. Mir will be
in the UFC for the 5th time in his very young career and at the
tender age of 22 he will be a fighter to look out for years to
come. The only thing stopping Mir from being a Champion in the
UFC is his Youthful exuberance, his talent is unquestioned, but
his maturity is unsure. There are few people in the world that
have competed in the biggest show in North America by the time
they were 20 but Mir has done just that. His recent victory,
a quick one minute affair against aging legend “Tank”
Abbot, was too short to gauge how far he has come since he entered
the cage for the first time. In fact, his three wins in the Octagon
clock in at a grand total of just over 2 and a half minutes combined!
That is all three fights combined, in fact none of his four fights
in the UFC have gone past the first round. That can be a good
thing and a bad thing. Time in the cage builds experience and
character, but it can also be argued that quick wins build confidence
and self esteem. Wes Sims on the other hand will have the clear
size advantage, size will be a factor, but how much of a factor
remains to be seen. Sims will clearly be the bigger fighter with
an 8 inch height advantage and a minimum of a 25 pound weight
advantage, but even his most ardent supporters would tell you
he is still young and “Raw”. He has only six fights
to his name, even though that is the same number of fights as
Mir, he has fought mostly “B” , “C”, and
even “D” level competition, his biggest victory coming
at the expense of another UFC vet Marcus “Conan” Silvera.
He is a tough fighter and has some talent but at this stage of
his young career he is too rough around the edges to defeat a
talent like Frank Mir. Mir should be able to grab a hold of one
of his long legs or arms and submit him before too long. Mir
by Submission Round 1.
Yves
Edwards Vs Eddie Ruiz
For
the fifth time in the last two years, Edwards will be squaring
off in the world famous Octagon. His 2 and 2 record in the UFC
is a modest one, but to be fair his losses have come at the heels
of qualified veterans such as Matt Serra and Kauru Uno. Up to
this point Edwards has not been able to get over the top in terms
of getting the big win when the stakes were highest, but that
could all change soon. He is a veteran presence that has been
through the wars and I believe that he is rounding his game out
enough to take a run at the better lightweights in the world.
Ruiz is a newcomer to the UFC and has a very strong wrestling
background in his favor. Experience will not be on his side however
as he will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time in
the second MMA bout of his career. You heard right, he has fought
in MMA just once in his career. It is said that Ruiz could be
one of, if not the strongest fighter in the lightweight class.
His wrestling is super powerful, and he should be able to take
the fight to the ground at some point. Keeping it on the ground
will be the key for Ruiz, because few people would be interested
in standing toe to toe with the kickboxing prowess of Yves Edwards.
Ruiz will be in tough against a man that has fought over 20 times
in his career, which is exactly twenty times more the Ruiz has
ever fought. No knock on Ruiz but I think his inexperience in
the big show will wear on him, nerves coupled with inexperience
is a bad combination. Edwards may get taken down, but will find
a way to wear him down and knock Ruiz out before the bell tolls
on the third round. Edwards via K.O Round 3.
To
recap, my picks for the upcoming UFC are as follows,
Yves
Edwards over Eddie Ruiz via KO Round 3
Frank Mir over Wes Sims via Submission, Round 1.
Matt Lindland over Falaniko Vitale via Unanimous Decision.
Pedro Rizzo over Tre Telligman vis KO Round 3.
Vitor Belfort over Marvin Eastman via KO Round 2
Tank Abbott over Kimo Leopaldo via KO Round 1
Ian Freeman over Vernon White via Ref stoppage Round 2
Chuck Liddell over Randy Couture Round 4
This
will, in all likelihood be the biggest UFC for the year 2003.
The likeliness of Tito Ortiz coming out of hiatus and taking
on Liddell for the belt seems to thin on a daily basis. I believe
the UFC has made the best with what they have and put on the
best show they could but they will need that and more considering
the problems that plagued their last show. The production problems
with the last show were well documented and I hope that they
will have been cleared up by the time June 6 rolls around. Other
then that the card looks like it is stacked with the biggest
names the UFC has to offer. I guess that is why the last show
was devoid of most of the big names. Will bigger names mean bigger
fights? Certainly bigger would be a safe bet, but does bigger
mean better? That will remain to be seen. It also remains go
be seen how well my picks pan out, hopefully I don’t embarrass
myself with my picks. For MMA Ringreport, this was “The
Sushiboy”.
Source:
MMA Ring Report
Telligman's
Back from Boxing, Ready for Rizzo
By Joe Hall
Four
minutes of toe-to-toe thunder filled Tra Telligman's first meeting
with Pedro Rizzo at UFC 20 in May 1999. Surprisingly, Telligman
more than held his own on his feet with the touted striker for
a good portion of the bout.
He
stalked Rizzo early, throwing heavy rights and lefts, one of
which bloodied his opponent's nose. Then he appeared to run out
of gas.
He
stopped moving forward. His aggressive pursuit of Rizzo disappeared,
and he began backpedaling awkwardly. The end came soon after,
as Rizzo's fist found Telligman's jaw.
It
was an eventful fight while it lasted, and popular opinion targeted
Telligman's cardio as the match's downfall. If he'd had better
wind, felt many, the blistering exchanges would have continued.
Actually,
says Telligman, it was his leg that gave way, not his lungs.
"I
tore my quad three weeks before that fight," he says, "and
was nursing it going into the fight thinking it was going to
be fine. Watch the fight and you'll see me shoot on him. My leg
just totally gave out. I hit him and fell back. At the time I
didn't really know what happened because of the fast pace of
the fight.
"After
that I kind of started blacking out; I started not feeling right.
I had a real bad feeling when he started picking up that something
was wrong with me, when he started pressing the fight and coming
after me instead of me coming after him. Everybody keeps saying,
'Oh, you gassed out. You were tired.' It had nothing to do with
that. I was in pretty good shape for that fight."
Bum
leg or not, the bout's conclusion may have been the same. Rizzo
was regarded as one of the top strikers in the sport at the time,
but Telligman was not among the echelon of elite fighters on
the feet. Even after the match, Telligman didn't join the ranks
of the sport's best standing.
It
was not until he stood toe-to-toe with Igor Vovchanchyn at Pride
13 and lived to tell about it that he finally received recognition
for his striking prowess. Telligman's encounter with Vovchanchyn
in March 2001, a splendid performance in which he outgunned and
upset the Ukrainian heavyweight, would be his final MMA match
for some time. Following the biggest victory of his career, The
Lions Den product exited the sport and decided to test his hands
in the world of boxing.
After
beginning 4-0, Telligman dropped consecutive matches. A record
of 4-2 may not be too bad in MMA, but it often spells a bleak
future for a boxer. With the prospects of a lucrative payday
in the boxing ring fading quickly, Telligman's focus has since
shifted back to his first love.
For
his return MMA fight, he has been given a second shot at the
man who bested him four years ago. Only now, Telligman has over
two years of professional boxing experience under his belt. "My
standup game is 100 percent different than it was back then,"
he says. "I'm a totally different style of fighter. The
one thing I can tell you, the people that are judging me by the
fighter that I used to be, they're idiots. I fight nothing like
I did before. My game has gone to another level. I think my standup
is better than his, and I'm going to prove that."
Although
Telligman is still associated with the Lions Den, he has not
been preparing with them for this fight. Instead, he's been training
in Ft. Worth at the same gym as boxers Paulie Ayala and Kirk
Johnson. He says his sparring partners have been top-notch, and
his grappling training under Machado black belt Travis Lutter
has also been first-class.
"I've
kind of backed away [for] a couple years," says Telligman
of his training separation from the Lions Den, "because
of the boxing and [I] started doing my own thing. At my age,
it's hard to explain this, but at my age I have to be a little
selfish in my training. In other words, I can't be there everyday
for everybody else anymore and me still progress. I kind of pulled
away and started training for me, started training for myself,
and it's really upped my game quite a bit. I've risen to another
level because of it. Looking back in hindsight, I should have
done it a long time ago."
Telligman
may be a different fighter than the man who slugged it out with
Rizzo, but he's still guaranteeing another entertaining bout
in the rematch. He is confident his aggressive style will draw
Rizzo out of the shell that has become commonplace for the Brazilian
heavyweight.
"I've
gone on record saying we're going to be the fight of the night,
and I'll say it again and I'll keep saying that," he says.
"Our style of fighting will make for a good fight. He's
a counter fighter; I'm a counter-counter fighter. I come forward.
I press the fight. I initiate, he counters that, and I counter
off of what he's doing. It makes for an exciting fight."
Despite
his rigorous standup training, Telligman is not determined to
stand and trade with Rizzo. Any opening that arises, standing
or on the ground, he plans on attacking it. "Ken Shamrock
used to say to me a long time ago: 'Tra, don't go out there and
try to be technical with anybody, just go out there and kick
their ass.' I'm going out there and whatever he gives me, I'm
going to take it. If I see an opening, I'm going to take him
down. If I see a submission, I'm going to take that. If I can
land a combination, I'll do that."
As
for what a win over Rizzo would do for his career, Telligman
is indifferent. "I'm going to kick some ass," he says.
"I've some had big wins, and I've had some big losses. I've
found that sometimes the big wins do something for you, sometimes
they don't. Sometimes the big losses do, sometimes they don't.
I don't really care about that anymore. This is all for me now."
Source:
Maxfighting
This
Month in Mixed Martial Arts History: June
By Joe Hall
Super
Brawl held their first event in June 1996. Lions Den competitors
Jerry Bohlander, who was impressive in his UFC debut months earlier,
and Tra Telligman journeyed to Hawaii for the inaugural show.
Both were successful; Bohlander submitted two opponents to win
the middleweight tournament, and Telligman was victorious in
the heavyweight field.
June
1997 marks the first major matches between wrestlers in MMA.
At the Brazil Open '97, the Hammer House, led by Mark Coleman,
faced the rAw Team, spearheaded by the Chiapparelli Brothers
(Louis and Rico). Representing the Hammer House was Kevin Randleman
and Eric Smith; their counterparts from rAw were Tom Erikson
and Dan Henderson. A meeting was not guaranteed, though. The
event was divided into two four-man tournaments based on weight,
and the showdowns would transpire only if each fighter made it
through the opening round. Each did, and a wrestler versus wrestler
final was set for both weight classes.
In
the lighter division, Henderson used a guillotine choke to render
Smith unconscious. rAw also prevailed in the heavier class after
Erikson violently knocked out Randleman with a series of powerful
right hands. The scene afterward was one of the more peculiar
to date. A group of seven people struggled to move Randleman's
muscular frame onto a stretcher, and when Erikson noticed their
fruitless efforts, he offered his help. "The Big Cat"
cleared the group out of the way, gently picked his opponent
up and placed him on the stretcher.
In
June 1998, Pride reeled in professional wrestling fans while
frustrating the MMA faithful at their third show by featuring
Nobuhiko Takada in the main event. Takada submitted Kyle Sturgeon
in a match meant to rebuild the pro wrestler's reputation in
real fights and thus set the stage for a rematch against Rickson
Gracie. That dreaded bout occurred at Pride 4 and, of course,
Takada lost again. On the Pride 3 undercard, Kazushi Sakuraba
submitted Carlos Newton in a classic submission battle.
Perhaps
the best fight in Holland's MMA history took place in June 1999
when Gilbert Yvel faced Semmy Schilt. Rules played an important
role in the bout; quick stand ups severely limited time on the
ground and guaranteed a slugfest. The action began right away
as the smack of Yvel's flying right hand connecting with Schilt's
head immediately followed the ding of the opening bell. Schilt,
who fought open hand even though Yvel wore gloves and could therefore
punch, valiantly fought back with stinging knees to his adversary's
midsection. In the end, Yvel bombarded Schilt with a flurry of
flying knees and right-left combinations to capture the thrilling
match.
Also
in June 1999, the bitter rivalry between Egan Inoue and Marcelo
Tigre failed to be settled in the ring at Super Brawl 12. Referee
Matt Hume had no choice but to end the heated battle by disqualifying
Tigre for repeated fouls. A rematch was planned but never materialized.
Tigre's antics were the likely cause; he was disqualified for
a second time against Wesley "Cabbage" Correira at
Super Brawl 21: "The Road to the Rematch." Tigre was
disqualified yet again in September of last year in Pancrase.
In
June 2000, Canada's premier MMA event, the Universal Combat Challenge,
held their first show.
One
week later, Iowa hosted UFC 26, which was billed as "Ultimate
Field of Dreams." However, the fight card was anything but
a "dream" and served as a clear indicator of SEG's
struggles. In the main event, Kevin Randleman won a lackluster
decision over Pedro Rizzo.
Also
in June 2000, Vitor Belfort returned after a yearlong layoff
to fight Gilbert Yvel at Pride 9. After Belfort blasted Yvel
to begin the bout, the action slowed considerably, and Belfort
won the decision.
UFC
32 and the events surrounding it in June 2001 certainly deserve
a spot in the annals of MMA. At the UFC 32 press conference,
Zuffa made a monumental announcement: the UFC would return to
cable. The long awaited breakthrough sparked cheers by those
present, but was relatively anticlimactic considering the tremendous
effort against the cable ban that had spanned the past years.
The show was also a significant step forward for MMA as fans
packed the Continental Airlines Arena (home of New Jersey's Nets
and Devils). Tito Ortiz headlined the card, finishing Elvis Sinosic
in the first round. Other bouts featured impressive wins by Josh
Barnett, BJ Penn, Pat Miletich and Caol Uno. The 11,492 fans
that packed the Meadowlands for UFC 32 remains the record for
a MMA show in the U.S.
Emelianenko
Fedor debuted in Pride in June of last year with a decision win
over Semmy Schilt. In the main event, Don Frye pounded an overmatched
yet gutsy Yoshihiro Takayama. Bob Sapp was also victorious, as
he crushed Kiyoshi Tamura on the undercard.
Also
last June, Las Vegas hosted the impromptu UFC 37.5. Chuck Liddell
spoiled the return of Vitor Belfort in the headliner, defeating
him via unanimous decision. The bout viewed by the most people,
however, was Robbie Lawler's TKO victory over Steve Berger. Billed
as free TV's first Ultimate Fight, the match was taped and later
shown on Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show, Period!
Source:
Maxfighting
Nobuhiko
Takada on Pride 26
Nobuhiko
Takada, PRIDE General Manager, held a press conference on May
21st to announce additions to the card for PRIDE 26, to be held
in the Yokohama Arena on June 8th. New additions include Mirko
Cro Cop, Heath Herring, Ricardo Arona, Alistair Overeem, Quinton
"Rampage" Jackson, Mikhail Ilioukhine and Daijyu Takase.
Nobuhiko
Takada, PRIDE General Manager: First, I'd like to read a message
from DSE President, Sakakibara, regarding Mirko Cro Cop's participation.
"We received an offer from Mirko's side around April of
this year. Just as was reported by some of the news organizations,
he wanted to fight the PRIDE Heavyweight Champion, Emelianenko
Fedor. Mirko said he wants to fight in the PRIDE ring, in addition
to the K-1 ring. He wants to be both the champion of K-1's standing
battle and champion of MMA combat in Pride. To be exact, he wants
to prove that he is the strongest man in the world. That is Mirko's
ultimate goal. No one has yet to become Champion of both these
arenas. It is a great undertaking.
We,
in response to Mirko's offer, had 2 requests. First, that he
fight under pure PRIDE rules, no special rules. Second, we want
him to fight the top fighters in the Heavyweight class. Mirko
accepted our requests without hesitation. We made a list of Brazilian
and American top fighters. From that list, Mirko choose one of
the most dangerous fighters, Heath Herring. We were surprised
that he would choose Heath but it reassured us of his desire
to put it all on the line and his will be the best. It's impossible
to not feel how driven Mirko is given his acceptance of our 2
conditions and given that he choose Heath himself. I would like
to express my respect for Mirko as he truly wants to become the
strongest in the world and he is willing to give whatever it
takes in the toughest ring in the world. Finally, I think the
presence of a fighter as strong as Mirko will start a new era
in PRIDE. In addition to Mirko's presence, we could to continue
to create dream cards for PRIDE fans." This is Mr. Sakakibara's
message.
PRIDE
Fighting Championships: Mirko said that he wants to fight Fedor.
When do you want to make this happen?
Takada:
Fresh cards make the fans the happiest. It makes the event a
success. How will this fight with Mirko turn out? I guess if
he wins, it will happen sooner rather than later. Obviously,
Fedor has to fight Fujita on the same day so it also depends
on the outcome of that fight. If they both win, I'm sure that
dream card can be realized in the near future.
PRIDE:
Who were the other candidate fighters, besides Herring?
Takada:
Mark Coleman, the Nogueira brothers and 5 other fighters.
PRIDE:
How do you think the Herring vs. Mirko fight will turn out?
Takada:
Herring is a fighter whose style is no style at all. If he just
comes in thinking about defense, he'll get beaten by Mirko. If
he can pay attention to his stamina and be careful of Mirko's
reach and do the unexpected, Heath has more than enough to win.
Just like when Mirko fought Silva, the way you deal with strikes,
even if they are the same techniques, between MMA and K-1 is
different. I think the key will be getting inside on Mirko. If
you worry about punches and low kicks and high kicks too much,
you'll put yourself where Mirko wants you. Regardless, I expect
a tough fight. I think this will be a good fight for Heath.
PRIDE:
Will Mirko begin his MMA training after he finishes his K-1 fight?
Takada:
He trains standing and MMA at the same time. He is martial arts
24 hours a day., Mirko is in top shape, mentally and physically
and he's very confident.
PRIDE:
Will Mirko continue to fight in PRIDE after August?
Takada:
It's really up to Mirko. Of course he wants to be both the Champion
of K-1 and PRIDE. Not in 5 years but right now. I'm sure he'd
rather win this fight and fight Fedor as soon as possible, while
he's still in top condition. So, it's not just an issue of his
desire. He has to consider his conditioning, his schedule and
his feelings at the time but I believe that he's going to be
a regular fighter. As far as fighting in August is concerned,
it depends on the outcome of this fight quite a bit but I feel
that the chances of him participating are very high. But, as
I said, it depends on how this fight turns out.
PRIDE:
How is Herring's conditioning?
Takada
Nobuhiko: As once might expect, his beating at the hands of Fedor
was tough on him and he has set out to rebuild himself, physically
and mentally, because it was a total loss for him. So when we
brought the offer to him, he said that he had been waiting for
such an opportunity. He's got a lot to prove and that makes him
a dangerous opponent for Mirko.
PRIDE:
Will it get even tougher for Mirko from now on if he beats Heath?
Takada:
It's not just the contents of the match or the final result.
A lot of it depends on how he beats him. We'll pay attention
to all of these things when we are making the next decision.
PRIDE:
Will fighting under pure PRIDE rules affect Mirko?
Takada:
This will be Mirko's first experience under those rules. He's
clever and not much gets by him. I'm sure he prepared himself
before approaching us. I don't think we need to worry about that.
I believe that he's considered himself to be primarily a K-1
fighter up till now. Now, however, he's in more of a neutral
position. Not a "K-1" fighter or a "Pride"
fighter, just a "fighter". That's probably why he decided
he wanted to be champion of both. Of course, to be the top fighter
in an organization, you have to fight under the rules of their
ring. He's clever so I'm sure he has known that from the beginning.
PRIDE:
If Mirko's ultimate goal is to become champion, which puts a
lot of focus on Fedor as he goes against Fujita.
Takada:
He's had 4 fights in PRIDE already and if he fights as he always
has, I'm sure he will win. The fans will also get to see a real
battle and that's what counts. However, I'm certain that Fujita
is going to show us some real heart. He seems to be in very good
shape this time. I'm going to keep a close eye on him.
PRIDE:
What will be the order of the fights?
Takada:
The Champion will fight last. Mirko will probably fight second
to last.
