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(All events on Oahu, unless noted)
November
Pride
Bushido 5
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
August
Pride All Stars
Show
(MMA)
(Japan)
July
Bushido 4
(MMA)
(Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Japan)
July 9-12
BJJ
World Cup (CBJJO)
(BJJ)
(SESC gym, Salvador, Brazil)
June
Pride Heavyweight
Grand Prix
(MMA)
(Japan)
May
Pride
Bushido 3
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
5/2/04
Ring
of Honor
(Sub Grappling)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
5/1/04
Submission Wrestling Tpurnament
(Sub Grappling)
(Kahului, Maui, Hawaii)
4/25/04
Pride Heavyweight
Grand Prix
(MMA)
(Japan)
4/24 /04
Warriors
of the Ring 6
(MMA)
(Wailuku, Maui)
4/17/04
Ring
of Honor 4
( Kickboxing/MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
4/3-4/04
Pan American BJJ
Tournament
(BJJ)
(California State University Gym, Dominguez Hills, Carson (Los
Angeles), CA)
4/3/04
Super
Brawl 33
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/26/04
Shooto Hawaii 2
(MMA)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
3/13/04
Rumble On The Rock
5
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
3/5-7/04
Arnold Schwarzenegger
World Gracie Professional Submission Championships
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Columbus, Ohio)
2/15/04
First Maui Invitational
of Jiu-Jitsu
(BJJ & Sub Grappling)
(Kahului, Maui, Hawaii)
Punishment
in Paradise 2
(MMA & Kickboxing)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
Bushido
II
(MMA)
(Yokohama Arena, Japan)
2/13/04
Amateur
Fighting Compeition 5
(Toughman)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
2/8/04
Pride
FC: Inferno
(MMA)
(Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan on PPV
Ring
of Honor 3
(Sub Grappling)
(Campbell H.S. Gym)
2/7/04
Super
Brawl 32
(MMA)
(Blaisdell Arena)
|
|
February 2004 News
Part 1
Wednesday
night and Sunday classes (w/ a kids' class) now offered!
 
For the special Onzuka.com
price, click on one of these banners above! |
Tuesdays at 6:00PM on
Olelo Channel 52 |
Quote
of the Day
"Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what
they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can."
Mary Frances Berry, US government official, author. She was chief
educational officer of U.S., 1977-80.
|
Punishment
In Paradise
"CROSSROADS"
Valentine Day Weigh In
We would like to announce our weigh-ins @ 808 Fight Factory in
Waipahu. Our weigh ins will start actually at 12pm so all participates
and guest who would like to see the fighters be on time..Also
their are pre-sale tickets being sold right now they are a limited
supply of presale so if you want your $15.00 tickets call 330-4483
or email second2none@hawaii.rr.com . Sunday Feb 14.04 tickets
will be $20.00 so get the cheap ones while they last. And for
those who are worried about work monday its a federal holiday
so come down and don't miss out.....
FIGHT DAY
Sunday Feb 15.04
Doors will open at 6pm and fights will start at 7pm SHARP!! Their
are 15 action packed fights including Mixed Martial Arts, Kickboxing
and Muay Thai. Tickets will be SOLD $20.00 on this day...
THANK YOU and I would like to wish everyone a HAPPY VALENTINES
DAY!!
Source:
Promoter
|
PRIDE
BUSHIDO Preview: In Depth with SEAN SHERK 
Sean
Sherk was recently added to the PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 fightcard
which will take place on February 15th, 2004 at the Yokohama
Arena in Japan and is scheduled to debut on North American pay
per view on March 21st, 2004.
Sherk
is best known for his UFC Welterweight title shot against at
the time Champion Matt Hughes, which Sherk lost by unanimous
decision in April of last year. He also has victories over such
fan-familiar names as Benji Radach, Tiki Ghosen and Jutaro Nakao
in the UFC, UFC vets Karo Parisyan back in 2000, and victories
in just about every top tier North American promotion from UCC
(now TKO) to King of the Cage. He has only fought in Japan once
before in Pancrase in July of 2001.
KM:
You have had three fights since Matt Hughes in the UFC. Weren’t
those all in Minnesota? SS: I had two fights here in Minnesota
and I had one fight out in Tijuana, Mexico. I won all three.
KM:
Didn’t you have two in December? SS: I had two in December.
One on December 12th and another on December 28th.
KM:
Was training through the holidays any problem at all? SS: Well,
obviously I would rather be enjoying the holidays with everybody
else but this is just part of what I do for a living. Actually
I just got married two weeks ago. That is why I was fighting
as frequently as I could and also working a full-time job as
well.
KM:
Congratulations. So how is the married life treating you? Is
it softening you up at all? SS: Not at all, it is really not
any different. We’ve been together for nine years. The ring
is kind of uncomfortable.
KM:
Oh, the wedding ring. For a moment I thought you meant the fight
ring. Congratulations again. SS: Thank you.
KM:
Your three fights since the UFC…how can you put those in
the perspective of the rest of your career? SS: Basically UFC
more or less turned their back on me so I wasn’t able to
get back into their show. The Pride: Bushido shows, we really
didn’t know when or if I was going to be fighting on those
shows so more or less I’m just trying to stay busy and make
some money in the process so I can pay my bills.
KM:
How long ago did you hear about this fight? SS: The one I’m
fighting in now I heard about it probably four weeks ago.
KM:
We only started to hear about it like a week ago. SS: We’ve
been talking with them and negotiating and figuring out a bunch
of stuff. I basically knew I was going to fight about four weeks
ago.
KM:
So how do you feel about getting in Bushido? SS: I’m really
happy. This is a great opportunity. It’s the biggest show
in the world, Pride and Pride Bushido. Two biggest shows in the
world. This is a great opportunity for me and hope to go over
there and show them what I can do.
KM:
This is only the second Bushido show. Do you look at this as
being on the level of Pride or being a feeder for Pride? SS:
I guess I kind of look at it as it is kind of at the level of
Pride. I think their last show had about 45,000. You got guys
like Wanderlei Silva and Cro Cop fighting on these cards so it’s
kind of a feeder as well because they also said if I do real
well in the Bushido show they’ll move me on to the Pride
show.
KM:
And it’s on pay-per-view later. SS: What I heard was it
was going to be on in March. (Note: Sean is right about this,
the ppv broadcast is March 21st).
KM:
What do you think about your opponent Ryuki Ueyama? SS: To be
honest with you I don’t really know a whole lot about him.
I haven’t seen any videos so I don’t know what to expect.
As far as my part goes I’m training really hard three or
four times a day. I think it should be a really good fight. I
like the Pride rules as well because you can knee and kick on
the ground and I think that really plays into my type of fighting.
KM:
You usually have a more aggressive style than I see with a lot
of the fighters but is there any concern if you were to shoot
in he could knee you from a sprawl of or something like that?
SS: With my shot when I shoot I don’t stop shooting until
I get the takedown, so I’m not going to shoot and sit on
all fours and let him knee me. If I shoot and he sprawls I’m
going to drive him right through the ropes.
KM:
Have you done anything to prepare specifically for the difference
in rules? SS: Yeah. I’m working a lot of knees on the ground,
working a lot of kicks and stomps. Anything that presents itself
I think I’ll be ready to take advantage of it quickly.
KM:
This is only about a week away. Are you finishing up your training?
SS: I’m still going full-force. I got three more days here;
a full day on Monday, full day on Tuesday, I’ll probably
get two workouts in before I leave on Wednesday, and I plan on
getting one or two workouts when I get to Japan as well. I arrive
on Thursday in Japan.
KM:
Any concern about the time zone difference? SS: Yeah, there always
is. I remember last time I fought over there I was really caught
off guard by the time zone difference. It was a different experience.
This time I think I’ll be more prepared.
KM:
The only fighter I’ve heard talk about specifically how
to train for a time zone difference was Denis Kang. He said the
general rule of thumb is you should have one day of accommodation
per time zone. Obviously that isn’t going to be an option
to get out there a week or so early. What can you do ahead of
time to prepare for this? SS: Ahead of time I’m changing
up my sleep schedule a little. I’m staying up a little later
at night until about three in the morning. I try to take naps
during the day because our day is their night. As soon as I get
out there I’ll start my workout schedule right around five
or six o’clock at night. I’ll get used to it that way.
KM:
You are now 21-1-1? SS: 25-1. (Note: this includes three fights
listed as amateur on databases which usually have Sherk at 18-1-1
or 19-1-1 as a pro).
KM:
Sorry. Your only loss was to Hughes. How do you feel about having
a loss to Hughes as your only loss? SS: Of course I wish I didn’t
have the loss because then I’d be the World Champion right
now. I think I really learned a lot in that fight and its definitely
changed my outlook on fighting and it will make me a better fighter.
Twenty-five minutes in the octagon with the number one fighter
in the world, it’s a great experience. I think it’s
going to make me a better fighter in the long run. I want another
shot of course. I’m the kind of guy who wants to keep coming
and fight the best guys out there.
KM:
Since that fight you have had three more wins. A lot of fighters
the first time they lose they’ll lose two or three in a
row or take more time off. You got right back in there and started
winning again. SS: Like I said I have to make a living, I have
bills to pay, and I’m not going to lose focus on what I
need to do. I need to fight on the big shows and fight the best
guys and I just want to continue to gain experience in the process.
KM:
Are you focusing on Japan or will we continue to see you fight
in the Mid-West as well? SS: I’m going to focus on whatever
comes my way. Right now I just have a one-fight deal with Pride.
Hopefully they like what they see and sign me to some more fights.
In the meantime anything that comes my way I’m going to
take. I want to stay busy. My goal right now is to fight nine
or ten times this year.
KM:
Being your shot at Pride is there any pressure to put on a good
show? SS: Yeah, for sure. There is a lot of pressure to put on
a good show. This is a very big opportunity and I can’t
let this opportunity pass me by. I’m not going to be holding
still for a second. The second I get out there I’m coming
full-force and I’m not going to quit until the referee tells
me to stop.
KM:
Anything else you want to get across to the fans? SS: Yeah, I’d
like to thank the fans for the continued support. Obviously I
wouldn’t be where I am at if it wasn’t for all the
support. Also I’d like to thank all the guys at the Minnesota
Martial Arts Academy. That is where I do all my training. My
trainer Greg Nelson. None of this would be possible if it wasn’t
for all those guys.
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 will premiere on North American pay per
view through iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1,
Bell Express Vu, and Viewer’s Choice on Sunday, March 21st,
2004. The premiere time is 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST and the count
down show is at 8:30pm EST, 5:30pm PST. The event will be available
at a reduced rate of $19.95. For additional replay times, please
contact your pay per view provider or for more information on
PRIDE FC, visit pridefc.com!
Source: ADCC |
Rodrigo
Gracie Speaks
Rodrigo
Gracie has not had an easy NHB career. His 4 - 0 record hides
the depth of the competition he has faced. After submitting Kyle
DE Mello by rear choke in 2000, it took 2 years for Rodrigo to
make his second professional NHB fight. That occured in Pride
19, no less, against the experienced and tough Daijiru Matsui.
Matsui at the time had 14 professional fights with only two KO
losses (Vovchanchin and Rua) despite having faced the likes of
Silva, Belfort, Vovchanchin, Pele Landis and Quinton Jackson.
In his first professional international fight Rodrigo submitted
the resilient Matsui with a guillotine choke.
Continuing
with his tradition of facing tough and experienced fighters,
Rodrigo faced Yuki Sasaki and Daijiru Takase, two fighters with
an insiders reputation of being much tougher than their records
indicated. In both times again Rodrigo was successful.
This
time Gracie returns to Japan to faced the best fighter he has
ever faced, Hayato Sakurai. Sakurai made a name for himself with
many Shooto victories and a second place in the Absolute Division
of ADCC in 2000.
We
caught up with Rodrigo for a quick interview prior to his departure
for Japan:
KP
- You are back in Bushido, this time against 'Mach' Sakurai,
what do you think of him?
RG - I think he is a very good fighter, with a lot of experience.
He is good on the ground, after all he was the runner up in ADCC
and has very good strikes as well. It is going to be a very tough
fight!
KP
- Sakurai has fought many times in Shooto and even U.F.C. What
is his most dangerous characteristic?
RG- He is very good standing. Very explosive and likes to trade
blows. He is a very complete fighter as I said, but I am coming
prepared to challenge him. It is going to be fun!
KP
-Are you changing your training for this fight?
RG- I train differently for each opponent. Renzo and I already
have a special strategy for him. I have been training at Renzo's
Academy in Manhattan with his help and Royce, Ryan ,Igor, Rolls
Jr, Daniel, Fabio Leopoldo, Shawn Williams, Joe D'Arce, Jay Hieron
and doing kickboxing with Keith Trimble at Bellmore Kickboxing.
I am going to be ready to rock and roll! '
Let's
fast forward to the end of the fight and you come out victorious.
Would you like to face Sakuraba and avenge the family?
RG - Absolutely, he should be next! I would like that VERY MUCH!
Source: ADCC
|
LENNOX
LEWIS HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD RETIRES
Lennox
Lewis, Heavyweight Champion of the World, announced today in
a London press conference that he is retiring from the sport
of boxing. He has provided his fans an open letter (below) in
appreciation of their support.
6
February 2004
I
am announcing the end of an important chapter of my life and
the beginning of a new one. June 21, 2003, was my last fight
as a professional boxer.
When
I began boxing at the Kitchener-Waterloo Regional Boxing Association
in Kitchener, Ontario, I set out on a mission. What started as
a teenager's dream to become heavyweight champion quickly became
my life's passion and career thus far. During the past twenty-three
years, I have set a number of goals for myself and I'm proud
to say that these goals have been achieved. Now I am ready to
set new goals and start a new career for myself outside of the
ring.
I've tried to be a good champion and believe that I've practiced
my trade in a manner befitting a sport that I call 'the sweet
science.' I experienced some wonderful victories. And I learned
that defeat, properly handled, makes a person stronger.
I'm
proud to have returned the undisputed heavyweight championship
of the world to England, a nation with a historic boxing tradition,
and to have been the first heavyweight champion from England
since Bob Fitzsimmons more than a century ago.
I
am particularly pleased to be stepping down while still the reigning
lineal heavyweight champion. Only two other men, Gene Tunney
and Rocky Marciano, have retired as champion and stayed retired.
I promise you, I will be the third.
Deciding
to end my career as a professional boxer was not an easy decision
to make. I've been offered millions of dollars to fight again,
which is all the more tempting because I believe that there are
more championship-quality fights in me. In many ways, continuing
to fight would be the easiest course of action. That said, I
am mindful of what happens to fighters in and out of the ring
as they age. I believe that, without being able to devote the
same energy, passion, and desire to boxing that I felt from the
start, I should not enter the ring again.
Time
and experience often give birth to a re-examination of values
and a refocusing of perspective. Being champion for as long as
I have has allowed me the luxury of learning on the job. One
of the first things I learned was that being heavyweight champion
is a role that carries with it responsibilities that go far beyond
the ring. As a competitor, as a professional, and as a human
being, I have tried to do my best to fulfil these responsibilities.
I've tried to treat people with respect. I've tried to demonstrate
the importance of hard work and sacrifice in achieving goals.
I have lived by the code that, if a job is worth doing, it should
be done properly.
Now,
in retiring, I hope to transmit the message, particularly to
young people, that the fundamental character traits of integrity,
discipline, and respect translate into a reward worth more than
any purse.
I
am proud that I have the luxury of ending my career on my own
terms. This should serve as a real-life example for other boxers
and professional athletes. Boxers, like all athletes, must realize
how important it is for them to understand every aspect of the
business dealings that surround them.
I
am excited about the future of boxing. I know Vitali Klitschko
is disappointed that we won't be facing each other in the ring
again. But the challenge before him now is the same challenge
that I faced years ago; to become the best heavyweight of his
generation. I look forward to watching Vitali, Corrie Sanders,
and other boxers compete for that honour.
This
is a time of reflection for me, but also a time of gratitude.
A champion is not made in isolation. I owe so much to my Team
which has been led for many years by my Mum, Violet Blake. One
lesson she taught me is that it is easy to be around when everything
is going well, but that true loyalty and love are expressed and
revealed during hard times. The lessons I learned from her have
served me well over the years and kept me grounded. And my respect
for her has continued to grow as I've matured and come to understand
the sacrifices she made to help me.
I'm
also fortunate to have been surrounded by an amazing group of
people; many of whom put their own lives and the lives of their
families on hold to help make me a better person and a better
boxer through their loyalty, encouragement, and support.
Courtney
Shand, my physical conditioner, has been my friend since I was
fifteen years old. His total honesty and attention to the smallest
details have been invaluable to me.
Prince
Osei Poku, Patrick Drayton, Egerton Marcus, Ron Hepburn, Scott
DeMercado, Kojo Amoafo, Joe Dunbar, Leigh McGinniss, and Dennis
Lewis -- all members of Team Lewis -- were voices in my head
that made me run a little further, bike a little faster, play
chess a little better, and punch a little harder.
Arnie
Boehm bought me my first headgear and gloves and, with Jerome
'Hook' McComb, began the task of training me at the Kitchener-Waterloo
Regional Boxing Association when I was fifteen years old. Then
I earned the right to represent my adoptive country of Canada
at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympic Games and was fortunate to
have the guidance of Adrian Teodorescu as my coach.
Emanuel
Steward did as much for me as any trainer ever did for a boxer.
There were times when Manny believed in me more than I believed
in myself. It took his incite and clear coaching style to improve
on my raw abilities. I'm proud that our names will be linked
forever.
Harold
Knight is the left hand to Manny's right and provided a different
perspective that proved invaluable and instrumental in my becoming
an even better boxer.
Adrian
Ogun, Jerome Anderson and my management company, Sport Entertainment
& Media Group, have offered important business guidance.
And in addition to the members of Team Lewis whom I have highlighted
here, there are many more people, who worked behind the scenes
on my behalf and in support of my success.
Like
many champions, I've had my disagreements with the press. But
more often than not, members of the media have returned to me
the respect that I tried to extend to them. I thank the press
for understanding that, while our careers have been linked, I'm
the one who had to be responsible for, and live with, the decisions
I made and that I've always had a life apart from what I did
in the ring. Thank you for supporting me while I became heavyweight
champion on my own terms.
Thank
you to HBO for supporting me throughout my career.
There
are many more people I'm indebted to; and I will be thanking
you all personally in the days, months, and years ahead. But
I want to say 'thank you' now to the people of England, where
I was born; to the people of Canada, where I was raised and nurtured,
who gave me the honour of representing them in the Olympic Games;
to the people of Jamaica, my ancestral home; to the people of
the United States, who welcomed me to their shores; and to all
of the other fans who wished me well from around the world. In
difficult times, I was inspired by their faith in me.
A
special thank you to each of the men I've fought. That includes
boxers like Ray Mercer, Evander Holyfield, and Mike Tyson, who
brought out the best in me in the defining fights of my career.
And thank you also to all the other men who entered the ring
to exchange blows with me. They are part of my story and their
names will go down in history in the record book next to mine.
Thank
you to all the people who fight an uphill battle against heavy
odds to make professional sports a better fairer business. Too
often, athletes are financially exploited by managers and promoters
and victimized by the corruption that pervades their sport. Boxing
needs more people with a commitment to the highest ethical standards.
This is why I have decided to accept a Director position with
Sport Entertainment & Media Group, my management company.
Having been in the sport for much of my life, I think it's important
that I share my knowledge with young and experienced athletes.
I
am proud to have been recognized as the best heavyweight of my
time; a distinction which links me with great boxers like Jack
Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, and Larry Holmes.
While I may be retiring from the ring, I will do my best to continue
to live my life as a champion.
I'm
still a young man. Many exciting experiences await me. I look
forward to seeing all of you in the months and years ahead. It
is an honour to have been your heavyweight champion of the world.
Let
the new era begin.
Lennox
Lewis
Source: ADCC |
Interview:
YVES EDWARDS
Last
Friday, on HDNet, the second half of WEC “Cold Blooded”
aired, including Yves Edwards vs. Deshaun Johnson. We interviewed
Yves shortly aftert this fight at the live event.
KM:
Let’s start with the WEC show. Why did you take that fight?
YE: Just to stay busy. I don’t like being out of the ring
for a really long time because then you get back in there and
its not that there is any rust or anything but it does feel like
you are getting back into it rather than you are still on a roll.
I wanted to take the fight and stay active.
KM:
From a fan’s point of view I’m glad we’re to the
point there are so many fighters getting into the UFC that they
can’t have the same fighters on just about every show like
Pride has done with Sakuraba. It seems like it’s a risk
for the fighters to take a fight in-between. What is your point
of view? YE: Evey fight is a risk. If you fight in the UFC and
you lose you might not come back but if you fight somewhere else
you lose you might not get back in the UFC. It also depends on
the individual. Zuffa has an idea of what they are doing, they
have their gameplan. They want to keep exciting fighters and
I try to be exciting. I won’t take any fights I think I
would lose and I don’t think I’d lose to anybody at
my weight. That’s another thing, I’m not too worried
about losing a fight and not being invited back to the UFC because
even if I were to lose in the UFC that could end that right there.
I want to stay active. You can’t sit around for Zuffa to
say ‘we want you to fight’ because they only have so
many shows per year. You’ll be fighting a lot less than
you need to be to stay on top of the game.
KM:
Of all the shows you could fight in this one turned out to be
a great choice because of the HDNet broadcast. Your fight is
going to be on the broadcast coming up this Friday. YE: That
is awesome. I don’t know what they plan on broadcasting.
They separated the show into two events because there were so
many fights on the card. That is good to hear. I’ll definitely
try to get a hold of that network. You have to have high definition
television and I think I have access to that. That is a good
thing it’s being broadcast so new people will probably see
the sport, I may gain some fans out of it, and I’m sure
there will be some mention of the UFC at my fight. I’m sure
that will cross over and hopefully they will watch the UFC to
look for me and find some other exciting fighters there. Hopefully
that is what will happen and it will bring more fans into the
game and it will be good for everybody. Right now we’re
pretty much a family, there is no need for separation between
promotions because every fan the IFC gets or WEC or Shooto gets,
that is another possible fan for the UFC. It’s all about
what is good for the sport.
KM:
You have been on pay-per-view before with UFC. Did the HDNet
situation effect the fight at all? YE: I don’t know about
other fighters but to me once I step in the cage or ring nobody
or nothing else matters. I’m not the kind of guy to step
in the cage and start throwing down and then wonder if I left
the iron on at home. Once the fight starts I’m in a different
word and I’m just doing what feels natural and fun to do.
I don’t think about anything else, nothing outside that
cage matters at all. Otherwise you’ll get hurt or your timing
is off. That doesn’t sound like a good thing, I think that
would be bad for the sport.
KM:
To put this in the perspective of the rest of your fights for
the fans who have seen you in UFC how was this fight different?
To me it seemed like you had total control the entire fight.
YE: Yeah. This fight was a lot of fun. Every fight I’ve
fought someone tries to take me down and this guy had no interest
in trying to take me down. That was fine for me because I love
to stand up and throw with those guys and this guy wanted to
do that. Even though he wasn’t winning the standup game
he was content to stay there and that was fine with me. I just
want to showcase my skills. I definitely feel I got a chance
to show my standup game. The guy had a really good chin so I
didn’t get to take him out and I got to have a pretty good
time. That is the big thing, just the fact he was willing to
stand up with me made the fight exciting for me.
KM:
It really did showcase your standup skills like I haven’t
seen in a long time. Was there any disappointment he didn’t
make the fight harder by taking you to the ground? YE: No. Shoot,
you don’t want to go to the ground! I don’t care. I
don’t mind at all. I was really happy he didn’t want
to go to the ground because he sweaty and bleeding everywhere
and I didn’t want his blood all over me. I was really happy
he didn’t want to go to the ground.
KM:
It seemed like he was trying to fake you out, first wearing those
Hendrix shorts in the first round and then in the third when
he would turn his back and try to bait you to come in…what
did you think of his trying to get into your head? YE: I think
he was frustrated and then he gassed a little later on towards
the middle of the second round. I think that is why he started
turning his back and leaning against the fence. He’s not
a quitter. He was trying to bait me in so he could throw a big
side kick to my stomach. He wasn’t trying to get into my
head as much as he was looking for a way out without having to
quit. He was looking for a big shot or a big punch or something
to knock me out or stun me so the fight would be over. I’m
sorry but there is nobody in the world that is going to get me
out of my game, out of my rhythm, or frustrate me. I think it’s
a lot of fun and I’m real cerebral about it. While I’m
fighting it’s all thought.
Source: ADCC |
OKLAHOMA
STATE BEATS OKLAHOMA, 26-10, BUT THOMPSON UPSET BY MILLER; AND
MORE SUNDAY RESULTS
While Oklahoma State prevailed in its latest meet Sunday with
traditional in-state rival Oklahoma by a score of 26-10, there
has to be some concern in the camp of the top-ranked Cowboys.
Oklahoma State won seven of the ten matches, but two-time defending
NCAA champion Johnny Thompson has lost once again, this time
to Oklahoma's freshman, Mimi Miller, by a score of 7-6.
There
is also more evidence of the growing parity in college wrestling
this season as Penn State handed Michigan its first loss in Big
Ten competition, 21-19. That meet was witnessed by a crowd of
4,102 at Rec Hall on the Penn State campus in State College,
PA. Any number of teams seem capable of winning that conference
this year, so the heat is rising in the Big Ten.
We
have reports of the Oklahoma State-Oklahoma and Penn State-Michigan
dual meets, as well as news from Missouri, Illinois, Ohio State,
Arizona State, Iowa, Div. III powerhouse The College of New Jersey,
and the NCWA, all compiled from the teams' press releases.
OKLAHOMA
STATE
Cowboys
Drop Sooners, 26-10
Sunday, February 8, 2004
Ryan Teubner
NORMAN,
Okla. (OSU Athletics ) - Oklahoma State’s wrestling
team improved to 16-1 on the year after a 26-10 victory over
Oklahoma Sunday afternoon in Lloyd Noble Center.
After
losing the first two matches, the Cowboys stormed back to win
the next seven matches before ruining the Sooner's hopes earning
the upset.
The
Sooners' Sam Hazewinkle scored a major decision over Cody Stites
to give OU a quick 4-0 lead to start the afternoon. OU extended
its lead to 7-0 after Mimi Miller hung on to a 7-6 win over Johnny
Thompson.
The
Cowboys cut into OU's lead after Ronnie Delk used five takedowns
en route to a 14-4 major decision over Shane Kidd. Delk took
a 2-1 lead to end the first, and then opened up the scoring in
the final two periods, scoring four takedowns and a pair of nearfall
points to take the victory.
OSU
earned close decisions at 149 and 157 pounds to take a 10-7 lead
over OU. Zack Esposito recorded his 12th straight victory over
a ranked opponent after a 3-1 decision over Jef Ecklof at 149
pounds. Johny Hendricks notched the only takedown at 157 pounds
to seal a 3-2 decision over Rafael Maturino.
After
a Tyrone Lewis pin and a Chris Pendleton decision, the Cowboys
extended their lead to 19-7. Lewis only needed 2:10 before flattening
Randy Sulavar, while Pendleton's pair of takedowns in the first
period was all that was needed to secure a 5-2 decision over
E.K. Waldhaus.
Jake
Rosholt three takedowns and a reversal before defeating Justin
Dyer, 10-7, while Rusty Blackmon snapped his four match losing
skid with a 10-0 major decision over Austin David. The pair of
victories gave the Cowboys a 26-7 lead heading into heavyweight.
OU
closed out the dual with a Leonce Crump 6-4 decision over Will
Gruenwald. OSU's Gruenwald got on the board first but Crump came
back to win the match.
The
Cowboys return to action Feb. 15 when they host the Lehigh Mountainhawks
in Gallagher-Iba Arena at 2 p.m.
OSU
26, OU 10
125 -Sam Hazewinkle (OU) m.d. Cody Stites (OSU), 10-1
133 - Mimi Miller (OU) dec. Johnny Thompson (OSU), 7-6
141 - Ronnie Delk (OSU) m.d. Shane Kidd (OU), 14-4
149 - Zack Esposito (OSU) dec. Jeff Ecklof (OU), 3-1
157 - Johny Hendricks (OSU) dec. Rafael Maturino (OU), 3-2
165 - Tyrone Lewis (OSU) fall Randy Sulavar (OU), 2:10
174 - Chris Pendleton (OSU) dec. E.K. Waldhaus (OU), 5-2
184 - Jake Rosholt (OSU) dec. Justin Dyer (OU), 10-7
197 - Rusty Blackmon (OSU) m.d. Austin David (OU), 10-0
285 - Leonce Crump (OU) dec. Will Gruenwald (OSU), 6-4
OKLAHOMA
No.
8 Oklahoma Wrestling Falls To No. 1 Oklahoma State in Bedlam
Series, 26-10
Miller stuns third ranked and defending national champion Thompson
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004
Jeff Chill
NORMAN,
Okla. - The eighth ranked Sooners loss the Bedlam Series, presented
by the Bank of Oklahoma and Your Oklahoma Ford Dealers, to top
ranked Oklahoma State Sunday in the Lloyd Noble Center, 26-10.
Oklahoma won only three matches on the night with freshman Mimi
Miller upsetting third-ranked and defending national champion,
Johnny Thompson, by a 7-6 decision.
'We
did a lot of battling,' Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates said.
'We just needed to do more.'
The
Sooners jumped out to a 7-0 lead after winning the first two
matches, only to lose the next seven. The highlight of the meet
was the match between Miller and Thompson at 133 pounds. Miller
got a warning in the first period which was the only action.
The second period proved to be more interesting with plenty of
action. Thompson scored first with an escape to open the second
period. Miller got a takedown with Thompson escaping to make
the score 2-2. Thompson scored the takedown only to give up a
reverse to Miller with one second left in the second to tie the
match at 4-4. Miller escaped to open the third period and then
scored a takedown to lead the match 7-4. Thompson escaped with
1:10 left on the clock only needing a takedown to draw even.
Miller gave up one more point to Thompson on a stalling call,
but went on to stun the defending national champion by a 7-6
decision.
'Mimi
Miller wrestled one of the all-time greats' Spates said. 'Mimi
finished strong, he battled all the way through the end. He has
done a great job. He kept fighting and beat a two time national
champion.'
No.
12 Sam Hazewinkel started the night off at 125 pounds with a
major decision over 17th ranked Cody Stites, 10-1. After no action
in the first period, Hazewinkel got on the board with a takedown
and a near fall to make the score 4-0 at the end of the second
period. Stites scored his only point on an escape after choosing
down in the third period. Hazewinkel went on to score six more
points to earn the major decision and start the Sooners in the
right direction.
'Sam
loves competition,' Spates said. 'He just goes out and battles.'
Oklahoma
won only one more match after dropping seven in a row and 26
unanswered points. Fourth-ranked Leonce Crump in his last home
match beat No. 17 Will Gruenwald. Gruenwald started with the
early lead after a takedown ended the first period with a 2-0
advantage. Crump came back in the second with an escape and a
takedown of his own the take the lead, 3-2. Gruenwald tied the
score with an escape only to give Crump another takedown to end
the second period 5-3 in favor of Crump. In the third period
Gruenwald scored his last point on an escape. Crump ended up
with 1:15 of riding time to make the final score, 6-4, and the
overall team score, 26-10.
The
next action for Oklahoma will be when they travel to No. 2 Nebraska
on Feb. 20, at 12 p.m.
125:
Hazewinkel (OU) Maj. Dec. 10-1 Stites (OSU)
133: Miller (OU) Dec. 7-6 Thompson (OSU)
141: Delk (OSU) Maj. Dec. 14-4 Kidd (OU)
149: Esposito (OSU) Dec. 3-1 Ecklof (OU)
157: Hendricks (OSU) Dec. 3-2 Maturino (OU)
165: Lewis (OSU) Fall 2:10 Sulaver (OU)
174: Pendelton (OSU) Dec. 5-2 Waldhaus (OU)
184: Rosholt (OSU) Dec. 10-7 Dyer (OU)
197: Blackmon (OSU) Maj. Dec. 10-0 David (OU)
HWT: Crump (OU) Dec. 6-4 Gruenwald (OSU)
PENN
STATE
#10
Penn State wrestlers hand #5 Michigan its first Big Ten loss
of the year, 21-19
Moore posts 20th fall on the season; Lions equal 11-win total
of last season
Brian Siegrist
State
College, Pa., Feb. 8, 2004 – The No. 10 ranked
Penn State wrestling team avenged an early season loss and upset
No. 5 Michigan, 21-19, Sunday afternoon in front of a season
high crowd of 4,102 at Rec Hall. With the victory Penn State
improved its record to 11-4, equaling its win total from a season
ago, and moved to 4-2 in the Big Ten, its most conference wins
since going 5-3 in the Big Ten in 1999. Michigan fell to 14-3,
4-1 in the Big Ten, with its first conference loss of the season.
The
Nittany Lions and Wolverines split five matches apiece for the
second time this season, but Penn State prevailed winning the
bonus point battle this time around. Michigan came out a 21-17
winner earlier this season at the National Duals under similar
circumstances. This time the Wolverines were wrestling minus
a pair of ranked wrestlers at 133 and 149 and the Nittany Lions
were without starting 174-pounder James Yonushonis. All three
matches swung the other way from the previous meeting, with Penn
State prevailing at 133 and 149 and Michigan at 174.
Michigan
got off to an early lead as No. 4 Mark Moos fought off a tough
challenge from No. 10 Adam Smith at 125. Smith got turned early
off a deep shot of his own in the first but battled back with
a pair of takedowns and the trailed 8-5 going into the third.
The Nittany Lion took down to start the third and Moos turned
him again as he tried to escape sealing a 12-5 victory.
Penn
State responded quickly by reeling off three-straight wins. Fifth-ranked
Josh Moore started the run decking Chase Metcalf at 2:01 of the
133-pound bout. It marked Moore's 20th fall of the season as
he inched within one fall of his brother Scott's single season
record of 21.
Sophomore
DeWitt Driscoll then added a 10-5 decision over Clark Forward
at 141. Freshman Matt Storniolo ran the Penn State lead to 14-3
when he put a 15-0, technical fall victory on Jeremiah Tobias
at 6:37 of the 149-pound bout. Storniolo turned Tobias for three
nearfall points in each period.
Michigan
then got its scoring going as the Wolverines posted three-straight
wins of their own. Fifth-ranked Ryan Bertin had a tough fight
to get the run started, however, as he fought off James Woodall
for a close 9-8 win. Bertin took and early 4-2 lead with a pair
of takedowns in the first period, but Woodall came storming back
in the second with an escape and two takedowns of his own as
he took a 7-6 lead into the third. Bertin tied it up with an
escape from the down position and then took the lead with a takedown.
Woodall got out, but his late attempts for a takedown were fought
off.
At
165, No. 4 Pat Owen made quick work of freshman Jeremy Hart,
pinning him in 2:22. Then Nick Roy got a 22-9, major decision
over Rich Brooks at 174 pounds to stake the Wolverines to a 16-14
lead.
Sophomore
Eric Bradley put Penn State back in front 17-16 with a 7-3 win
over Josh Weitzel at 184 pounds. Bradley improved to 26-3 on
the year posting his 10th win in his last 11 matches. Fellow
sophomore Joel Edwards pushed the lead to 21-16 with a 10-2 handling
of Chase Verdoorn at 197. Edwards got a third period reversal
and a riding time point for the bonus points.
Michigan
then tempered the Nittany Lion faithfull's joy as No. 5 Greg
Wagner handed No. 2 Pat Cummins his first NCAA loss of the season.
The Wolverine bided time through the first two periods, fighting
off a deep Cummins shot on the side of the mat and getting an
escape from the down position in the second. Cummins escaped
to start the third to tie things up and attempted another shot
which Wagner countered with a takedown of his own and then stayed
out of harms way for a 3-2 victory.
Penn
State heads to Lock Haven for a 6:00 p.m. match-up tonight.
#10
Penn State 21, #5 Michigan 19
125 #4 Mark Moos (M) dec. #10 Adam Smith (PS), 12-5 0 3
133 #5 Josh Moore (PS) pinned Chase Metcalf (M), F;2:01 6 3
141 DeWitt Driscoll (PS) dec. Clark Forward (M), 10-5 9 3
149 #11 Matt Storniolo (PS) tech fall Jeremiah Tobias (M), TF15-0;6:37
14 3
157 #5 Ryan Bertin (M) dec. James Woodall (PS), 9-8 14 6
165 #4 Pat Owen (M) pinned Jeremy Hart (PS), F;2:22 14 12
174 Nick Roy (M) maj. Dec. Rich Brooks (PS), 22-9 14 16
184 #7 Eric Bradley (PS) dec. Josh Weitzel (M), 7-3 17 16
197 Joel Edwards (PS) maj. dec. Chase Verdoorn (M), 10-2 21 16
Hwt. #5 Greg Wagner (M) dec. #2 Pat Cummins (PS), 3-2 21 19
Penn State: 11-4; 4-2 Big Ten
Michigan: 14-3; 4-1 Big Ten
Attendance: 4,102
#10
Penn State wrestlers down Lock Haven, 26-11
Nittany Lions move to 12-4, best dual meet win total since1999
Moore equals single-season pin record with 21
Brian Siegrist
Lock
Haven, Pa., Feb. 8, 2004 - The No. 10 ranked Penn State wrestling
team completed a weekend sweep of three matches Sunday night
in Lock Haven, Pa., as the Nittany Lions downed the Bald Eagles
26-11. The victory improved Penn State to 12-4 on the year (4-2
Big Ten) as the Nittany Lions gained their best dual meet record
since going 12-5 in 1999, head coach Troy Sunderland's first
season. Lock Haven fell to 3-7 on the year. Penn State now leads
the series 26-4.
The
win improved Sunderland's career record to 54-53 (6 seasons)
moving him above .500 for the first time since the 2001 season.
Penn State has three dual meets left on the schedule (including
a pair at home next weekend) and will be favored in all of them
as the Nittany Lions look to post the best dual meet record in
Sunderland's tenure. Penn State opened strong on Lock Haven's
home mat, winning the first five bouts to take a 19-0 lead. Junior
Adam Smith got things started with a tough, 2-0, win over Jimmy
Collins at 125. Smith rode Collins for the entire second period
and then posted a third period escape and a riding time point
for the win.
Senior
Josh Moore had a big night at 133 pounds. Coming off his fall
in the Michigan match earlier in the day, the No. 5 ranked Nittany
Lion went straight to work on Dave Predko. Moore threw Predko
twice in the first period for a pair of takedowns and two, three-point
nearfalls. He caught him again in the second and took him to
his back, this time for good ending the match with a pin at 4:15.
The fall was the 21st on the season for Moore as he tied the
single-season pin record he now shares with his brother, Scott.
He also ran his Penn State career fall record to 50 on the day.
Sophomore
DeWitt Driscoll followed with a dominating 12-0 major decision
over John Holsinger at 141 pounds. Driscoll nearly had the Lock
Haven wrestler pinned on three occasions.
Freshman
Matt Storniolo, ranked No. 11, then pulled off the victory of
the night as he knocked off No. 7 Mike Maney for the second time
this season. Storniolo got a second period escape from the down
position and then rode Maney for 1:16 of the third before allowing
the escape and claiming a 2-1 victory with the riding time point.
At
157, James Woodall survived a wild overtime bout with Charlie
Brenneman. Brenneman got the early advantage with a pair of first
period takedowns, but Woodall battled back with two escapes and
a pair of takedowns of his own. The pair battled through the
remaining two periods to a 9-9 tie, before Woodall ended the
match with a takedown 16 seconds into the overtime period and
claimed an 11-9 victory.
Lock
Haven got on the board at 165 where Jason Gilligan handled Jeremy
Hart to the tune of a 14-6 major decision. The Eagles followed
that up with a 3-1 victory by Dan Riggs over Rich Brooks at 174
to cut the lead to 19-7.
Penn
State added to its lead with a 3-1 victory by No. 7 Eric Bradley
over Mike Greenberg at 184, but the Eagles clawed back with a
12-4 major decision victory by Carlos Ponce over A.J. Cummins,
providing a rest for regular starter Joel Edwards, at 197.
Junior
Josh Walker put the finishing touches on the Penn State victory
with a 10-0 major decision shut out of Steve Itterly at heavyweight.
Walker got his first dual win of the season as he filled in for
No. 2 ranked Pat Cummins who took a rest on the night.
Penn
State hosts Michigan State (7:00 p.m., Fri. Feb. 13) and Pennsylvania
(1:00 p.m., Sun., Feb. 15) in Rec Hall next weekend. Penn State
will honor seven seniors at the Pennsylvania match.
#10
Penn State 26, Lock Haven 11
125 #10 Adam Smith (PS) dec. Jimmy Collins (LH), 2-0 3 0
133 #5 Josh Moore (PS) pinned Dave Predko (LH), F;4:15 9 0
141 DeWitt Driscoll (PS) maj. Dec. John Holsinger (LH), 12-0
13 0
149 #11 Matt Storniolo (PS) dec. #7 Mike Maney (LH), 2-1 16 0
157 James Woodall (PS) dec. Charlie Brenneman (LH), 11-9;sv 19
0
165 Jason Gilligan (LH) maj. Dec. Jeremy Hart (PS), 14-6 19 4
174 Dan Riggs (LH) dec. Rich Brooks (PS), 3-1 19 7
184 #7 Eric Bradley (PS) dec. Mike Greenberg (LH), 3-1 22 7
197 Carlos Ponce (LH) maj. Dec. A.J. Cummins (PS), 12-4 22 11
Hwt. Josh Walker (PS) maj. Dec. Steve Itterly (LH), 10-0 26 11
Penn State: 12-4; 4-2 Big Ten
Lock Haven: 3-7; 0-2 EWL
MISSOURI
Missouri
Shuts Out Second Straight Opponent
…Fourth-ranked Team Drops Eastern Illinois
45-0…
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004
Emily Gatewood
www.mutigers.com
Columbia,
Mo. – Competing in their second dual in three
days, the fourth-ranked Missouri wrestling team won a 45-0 victory
over Eastern Illinois in its third home dual of the season. With
four falls and a technical fall, Missouri was able to wrack up
45 team points, holding its second opponent of the season scoreless.
Sophomore
Austin DeVoe (125) scored Missouri's first of five falls of the
dual, dropping Eastern Illinois' Kevin McNicholas in 52 seconds.
The fastest fall on the day, it was DeVoe's second consecutive
win with a fall after landing Central Missouri's Lance Craig
on his back Thursday night.
After
a double forfeit at 133 pounds, senior J.P. Reese (No. 12) took
the mat at 141 pounds, scoring two takedowns to Bob Fangerow's
one escape. Still in the first period, Reese took his 14th fall
of the season in 1:41, and is now only five falls shy of breaking
former heavyweight Kevin Herron's season-falls record of 18 set
during the 2002-03 season.
St.
Charles, Mo., native Cody Greene made his third start of the
season for the Tigers at 149 pounds, scoring a fall in 3:17 over
Adam Beeler. Quick on his feet, Greene had two takedowns and
a three point nearfall before putting Beeler flat on his back
for six team points.
Next
up at 157 pounds was fifth-ranked senior captain Kenny Burleson.
Extending his consecutive winning streak to four, Burleson scored
a technical fall over Clay French in 4:33. Of his last four wins,
two have come by fall, one with a major decision and today's
by technical fall.
With
only three matches extending a full seven minutes, eighth-ranked
junior Tyron Woodley won a 10-2 major decision over Matt Veach,
with one point awarded for 3:42 of riding time. Woodley was looking
for redemption after dropping his last dual to Veach 5-3 on Feb.
2, 2003.
'Tyron
really wrestled well tonight,' head coach Brian Smith said. 'I
might even have to say it's the best I've seen him wrestle all
year. He looked unstoppable out there against Veach and I think
things are really starting to click for him on the mat.'
Unwilling
to fall behind teammate Reese in falls on the season, redshirt
freshman Ben Askren (174, No. 6) took a pin over Kenny Robertson
in 2:52, and remains tied with Reese at 14. Askren is one of
three Missouri wrestlers to lead the nation in falls at their
respective weights.
Eastern
Illinois took a forfeit at 184 points, putting Missouri ahead
39-0 entering the 197 pound match with eighth-ranked junior Jeff
Foust and EIU's Jim Kassner. Exchanging takedowns and escapes
throughout the first period, Foust took a two-point reversal
in the second period to enter the third period leading 6-2. With
riding time and a second reversal, Foust was able to end the
match 12-6.
Tenth-ranked
senior Mike Whitehead once again closed the dual for Missouri
at heavyweight. Whitehead and Eastern Illinois' Peter Ziminski
went scoreless for the first three minutes of the match, with
Whitehead taking the first points in the second period with a
one point escape. The intense match closed with a score of 5-3,
putting Missouri ahead in team points 45-0.
Missouri
will take to the road for its next dual against Big 12 competitor
Iowa State, Friday, Feb. 13, in the Hilton Coliseum of Ames,
Iowa, at 7 p.m.
Weight-Wrestler
over Wrestler: Result Team Points
125-Austin DeVoe (MU) fall Kevin McNicholas (EIU)::52 MU 6 EIU
0
133-Double Forfeit MU 6 EIU 0
141-J.P. Reese (MU) fall Bob Fangerow (EIU): 1:41 MU 12 EIU 0
149-Cody Greene (MU) fall Adam Beeler (EIU) 3:17 MU 18 EIU 0
157-Kenny Burleson (MU) technical fall Clay French (EIU): 4:33
MU 23 EIU 0
165-Tyron Woodley (MU) major decision Matt Veach (EIU): 10-2
MU 27 EIU 0
174-Ben Askren (MU) fall Kenny Robertson (EIU): 2:52 MU 33 EIU
0
184-Matt Pell (MU) wins by forfeit (EIU) MU 39 EIU 0
197-Jeff Foust (MU) major decision Jim Kassner (EIU): 12-6 MU
42 EIU 0
HWT-Mike Whitehead (MU) vs. Peter Ziminski (EIU): 5-3 MU 45 EIU
0
ILLINOIS
Illini
Wrestlers Rebound with Win Over No. 12 Wisconsin
Tirapelle Stays Unbeaten in Team¹s 11th Victory of
the Season
Feb. 8, 2004
Cassie Arner
CHAMPAIGN,
Ill. ­ The third-ranked University of Illinois wrestling
team rebounded from its loss Friday with a 30-9 victory over
No. 12 Wisconsin on Sunday at Huff Hall as the team improved
to 11-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten. Individually, the Illini
won seven of 10 matches, including a trio of major decisions
by 133-pounder Mark Jayne and 149-pounder Anton Dietzen and 174-pounder
Pete Friedl. Top-ranked Alex Tirapelle got his 26th win of the
season to stay undefeated at 157 pounds.
The
Illini struck first with a hard-fought 7-5 decision by fourth-ranked
Brian Glynn (Jr., Orland Park, Ill.) over Brady Reinke at 184
pounds. Glynn had a 5-2 lead in the second period before Reinke
got a takedown to close the gap, but a pair of escapes and riding
time gave Illinois the win for a 3-0 team lead. The Badger evened
the match at 3-3 with an overtime win at 197 pounds. Ryan Flaherty
jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a takedown and back points in the
first 20 seconds of the match, but eighth-ranked Jason Potter
(Sr., St. Charles, Ill.) battled back to send the match to overtime.
With no score after the sudden victory period, the match went
to a tie-break period. Flaherty escaped to score a point and
held Potter down during his 30 seconds to win 10-9.
Heavyweight
Mike Behnke (r-Fr., Villa Park, Ill.) scored the team six points
with a forfeit win in the next match, then the Badgers got another
upset win as ninth-ranked Tom Clum scored a takedown at the 21-second
mark of sudden victory overtime to win 9-7 over third-ranked
Kyle Ott (So., Huber Heights, Ohio). Sixth-ranked Jayne (Jr.,
Elyria, Ohio) racked up the points over 18th-ranked Ed Gutnik
with an 18-5 major decision. Leading 10-2 after two periods,
Jayne had a big third with two takedowns and near fall points,
to give the team a 13-6 lead. The Illini lost at 141 pounds as
redshirt-freshman Michael Martin (Norfolk, Va.) lost another
close match,
5-4.
The
team then finished out the match with the last four wins, which
began with another dominant performance by Dietzen at 149 pounds.
Dietzen (Jr., Elmhurst, Ill.) scored seven takedowns and got
near fall points to win the 19-6 major decision over Tony Turner.
Tirapelle (So., Clovis, Calif.) got two takedowns, which was
all he needed in his 6-3 decision over Tyler Turner. At 165-pounds,
the match was put out of reach for the Badgers as they forfeited
the second bout of the day in a win for Ben Hay (Sr., Sandwich,
Ill.) In the finale, sophomore eighth-ranked Friedl (Orland Park,
Ill.) got a takedown at the 43 second mark of the match to score
the major decision, 10-2, over Chad Steldt.
The
Illini will return to the mat on Fri., Feb. 13 as they host the
Ohio State Buckeyes in the weekend¹s only matchup.
Action begins at 7 p.m. at Huff Hall.
No.
3 Illinois 30, No. 12 Wisconsin 9
Attendance: 852
184: #4 Brian Glynn (ILL) dec. Brady Reinke (WIS), 7-5 3-0
197: Ryan Flaherty (WIS) dec. #8 Jason Potter (ILL), 10-9 3OT
3-3
Hwt: #9 Mike Behnke (ILL) winner by forfeit 9-3
125: #9 Tom Clum (WIS) dec. #3 Kyle Ott (ILL), 9-7 OT 9-6
133: #6 Mark Jayne (ILL) m. dec. #18 Ed Gutnik (WIS), 18-5 13-6
141: Tyler Laudon (WIS) dec. Michael Martin (ILL), 6-5 13-9
149: Anton Dietzen (ILL) m. dec. Tony Turner (WIS), 19-6 17-9
157: #1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) dec. Tyler Turner (WIS), 6-3 20-9
165: Ben Hay (ILL) winner by forfeit 26-9
174: #8 Pete Friedl (ILL) m. dec. Chad Steldt (WIS), 10-2 30-9
Hunter
Takes Second Place at Schultz International Freestyle Wrestling
Tournament
Illinois Assistant Falls to Top-Ranked Abas
Feb. 8, 2004
Cassie Arner
University
of Illinois assistant wrestling coach Jeremy Hunter
took
second-place at the 121-pound weight class at the 2004 Dave Schultz
International Tournament this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo.,
at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He dropped his finals match
to No. 1-ranked and World Team Member Stephen Abas, 4-0. Hunter
went 3-1 for the tournament, not allowing a point in his first
three bouts.
Hunter,
ranked fifth in his weight class, won his pool with consecutive
10-0 technical falls over Jhon Jairo Barbosa of Columbia in 2:42
and Nick Simmons of Michigan State in 4:26. He then moved onto
the semifinals where he defeated Enkhtur Badamsaikhan of Mongolia,
3-0.
Former
NCAA Champion Matt Lackey
was
also in attendance where he went 1-2 at 165 pounds.
Both
wrestlers will continue their aspirations for a spot on the U.S.
Olympic Team later this spring at the U.S. National Championships
in Las Vegas on April 8-9 and then at the Olympic Team Trials
in Indianapolis, Ind., on May 21-23.
OHIO
STATE
No.
19 Ohio State Wrestling Evens Dual Record with 40-3 Win over
Northwestern
Rowlands ties Buckeye all-time victory mark with technical fall
in HWT bout
Feb. 8, 2004
Pat Kindig
Columbus,
Ohio - The Ohio State wrestling team (7-7, 3-2 Big Ten) evened
its 2004 dual record with a 40-3 triumph over Northwestern (9-7,
0-6 Big Ten) Sunday in St. John Arena. Three-time All-American
senior Tommy Rowlands (Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready) helped the
Buckeyes to the lopsided decision with a technical fall at HWT
as he tied the all-time mark for career wins with No. 151 Sunday.
Rowlands, who tied former Buckeye Ed Potokar (1980-83) for the
most wins at OSU, now owns at least a share of the top standards
in Ohio State history in career wins, team points and is less
than 15 takedowns away from claiming the No. 1 spot in that category.
Rowlands
faced Northwestern's Michael Little in the leadoff bout at HWT
and posted a 16-4 advantage with five takedowns and two nearfalls
in the first period en route to his 10th technical fall of the
season. After four additional takedowns in the second period,
Rowlands ended the match at 23-7 at the 4:40 mark, leading to
an early 5-0 lead for the Buckeyes.
Ohio
State added six points to its lead after the 125 match as freshman
Jermaine Jones (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) was awarded a win
by default after Northwestern's John Velez could not wrestle
through the first period because of injury.
With
an 11-0 OSU lead, senior Jesse Leng (Hinckley, Ohio/Highland)
upped the OSU advantage to 17-0 with his second fall of the season
as he pinned Northwestern's Jon Ott at the 3:39 mark. Ohio State's
Theo Dotson (Fr., Columbus, Ohio/Hamilton Township) looked to
keep the shutout alive at 141 as he carried a 4-3 advantage over
Daniel Quintella in the first match of the day to reach the third
period. Dotson assured the win at 141 with a takedown and an
ensuing nearfall to claim an 11-4 decision and put the Buckeyes
up 20-0.
Ohio
State extended its lead to 24 -0 after a major decision at 149
by senior and No. 12-ranked Jeff Ratliff (Marion, Ohio/Marion
Harding), who used two takedowns and a three-point nearfall in
the first round and a pair of takedowns in period two for a decisive
11-2 advantage heading into the third session. In the final period,
Ratliff claimed Ohio State's fifth win in as many matches with
two more takedowns to post a 16-4 major decision after riding
time and up the Buckeye lead to 24-0.
The
Wildcats notched their first points of the day at 157 pounds,
where NU's Mike Kimberlin claimed a 4-1 decision over Ohio State
freshman Ryan Rhodes (Fr., Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Central Catholic).
The
Buckeyes got back into the win column at 165 as senior All-American
John Clark (Canton, N.Y./Canton) tallied two first period takedowns
and a one in the second to carry a 6-1 lead into the final period.
A Clark reversal in the third moved his lead to 8-1 and he held
on for a 9-2 decision after riding time.
The
Clark win improved Ohio State's lead to 27-3 heading into the
174 match, where Ohio State sophomore Anthony Magistrelli (Maple
Heights, Ohio/Maple Heights) scored an early takedown and nearfall
to take a 5-1 lead over Nolan Walther and extended his advantage
to 10-2 with the same combination near the one minute mark of
the first period. Magistrelli posted another takedown at the
30-second mark to claim a 12-3 lead after one en route to a 17-6
major decision after two third period takedowns.
Ohio
State senior 184 Blake Kaplan (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) quickly
pushed the Buckeye lead to 37-3 with a fall at the 0:27 mark
of the match over Joseph Gulotta. The fall is the fourth of the
season for Kaplan.
The
Buckeyes polished off the win Sunday at 197 as freshman J.D.
Bergman (Oak Harbor, Ohio/ Oak Harbor) his 21st win of the season
with a nearfall in the first period as his opponent Matt Delguyd
held off a fall for more than a minute to close the first period.
Bergman emerged with a 7-1 decision, earning the dual victory
for the Buckeyes at 40-3.
The
Buckeyes next match comes Friday, Feb. 13 when they travel to
No. 3 Illinois.
COMPLETE
MATCH RESULTS - No. 19 OHIO STATE 40, NORTHWESTERN 3
Wgt. Winner Team Dec. Loser Team Result Score
HWT Tommy Rowlands OSU TF Michael Little NW 23-7 5-0
125 Jermaine Jones OSU Def. John Velez NW Inj. 11-0
133 Jesse Leng OSU F Jon Ott NW 3:39 17-0
141 Theo Dotson OSU D Dan Quintella NW 11-4 20-0
149 Jeff Ratliff OSU MD Josh Ballard NW 16-4 24-0
157 Mike Kimberlin NW D Ryan Rhodes OSU 4-1 24-3
165 John Clark OSU D Nick Hayes NW 9-2 27-3
174 A. Magistrelli OSU MD Nolan Walther NW 17-6 31-3
184 Blake Kaplan OSU F Joseph Gulotta NW :27 37-3
197 J.D. Bergman OSU D Matt Delguyd NW 7-1 40-3
Attendance: 850
ARIZONA
STATE
Final
Day of Road Swing Opens With No. 16 ASU Downing Cal Poly, 19-12
Arizona State picks up six individual wins to give team its 10th
victory of the season
February 8, 2004
Alex Ryan
www.TheSunDevils.com
Stats
at:
http://thesundevils.ocsn.com/sports/m-wrestl/recaps/020804aaa.html
TEMPE,
Ariz. - On a day with two tough road tests only several hours
apart, the No. 16 Arizona State wrestling team got off to strong
start as the visiting Sun Devils handed the host Mustangs of
No. 25 Cal Poly a 19-12 decision in San Luis Obispo, Calif.,
Sunday afternoon in Pac-10 Conference action. The Sun Devils
(10-6, 6-0 Pac-10) remained perfect in conference duals by winning
six of the 10 individual bouts, including one mild upset to close
the dual.
Action
opened at 197 pounds with No. 2 Ryan Bader (So., Verdi, Nev.)
staking the visitors to an early 3-0 team lead with his 6-1 decision
victory over Ralph Garcia. Heavyweight Clifford Starks (Jr.,
Phoenix) extended the ASU lead to 6-0 with his 5-1 decision over
Arturo Basulto.
The
Mustangs made a comeback, and then took the lead, with three
wins in a row. It started with No. 6 Vic Moreno handing No. 11
Christian Staylor (Fr., Chesapeake, Va.) an 8-1 loss at 125.
No. 7 Darrell Vasquez followed with an 8-2 decision over No.
10 Mike Simpson (Jr., Anaheim, Calif.) at 133 to tie the team
score at six. At 141, Jeremy Mendoza (So., Temecula, Calif.)
dropped a close, 5-4, decision to Steve Esparza to give the hosts
a 9-6 lead.
But
the lead was short-lived as No. 11 Patrick Williams (Jr., Homestead,
Fla.) picked up a takedown in overtime to defeat Matt Cox, 3-1,
at 149 to tie the score at nine. Brian Stith (Fr., Hampton, Va.)
followed with a 6-2 decision win at 157 to again give the visitors
the lead, 12-9. The score, however, was tied again when Erik
Shortenhaus scored a 7-0 decision over Jamie Robbins (Fr., Mesa,
Ariz.) at 165.
With
two bouts remaining and the team score tied, Ron Renzi (Sr.,
Burke, Va.) picked up the only bonus points scored in the dual
with his 10-2 major decision at 174 over Sam Temko to put the
Sun Devils ahead, 16-12. Coming down to the final bout of the
afternoon, No. 10 Nick Frost (Sr., Tucson, Ariz.), who made his
return to the lineup Friday, scored a 5-2 decision over No. 9
Ryan Halsey to end the dual with the Sun Devils on top, 19-12.
ASU
closes its three-dual road trip with a 7:30 p.m. bout at No.
23 Cal State Bakersfield Sunday. The Sun Devils return home Friday
for a 7:30 p.m. dual with Fresno State before closing out the
regular season dual slate with a 2 p.m. dual against the Panthers
of Northern Iowa. Both duals will be inside Wells Fargo Arena.
No.
16 Wrestling Suffers 20-17 Setback at No. 23 Cal State Bakersfield
Teams split with five individual wins apiece as Arizona State
absorbs first conference loss of 2004
February 8, 2004
Alex Ryan
www.TheSunDevils.com
Stats
at:
http://thesundevils.ocsn.com/sports/m-wrestl/recaps/020804aab.html
TEMPE,
Ariz. - The final road trip of the regular season did not end
as the No. 16 Arizona State wrestling team would have liked as
the Sun Devils dropped a close 20-17 decision to No. 23 Cal State
Bakersfield in Bakersfield, Calif., Sunday evening. The dual
was the second of the day in two different cities for the Sun
Devils (10-7, 6-1 Pac-10) following a 19-12 defeat of Cal Poly
in San Luis Obispo, Calif., earlier in the day. The loss also
was the first in conference action this year for the Sun Devils.
The
dual certainly did not start the way many would have figured
as No. 2 Ryan Bader (So., Verdi, Nev.) dropped a 2-1 decision
to No. 5 Matt Monteiro at 197 pounds. In the previous two meetings,
Bader had taken 7-5 and 4-2 decision wins. Trailing 3-0, Clifford
Starks (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) defeated Eric Parker at heavyweight,
10-6, to tie the match at three. From there, the Roadrunners
took a commanding lead with wins in the next two weights that
pitted two ranked foes against one another.
At
125, No. 5 Efren Ceballos scored a 6-2 decision over No. 11 Christian
Staylor (Fr., Chesapeake, Va.) to move the team lead to 6-3 in
favor of the hosts. CSUB doubled its score when No. 10 Mike Simpson
(Jr., Anaheim, Calif.) took No. 8 Matt Sanchez to overtime in
the 133 bout, but was pinned with five seconds remaining in the
extra period. Trailing 12-6, the Sun Devils needed wins and got
just that. Jeremy Mendoza (So., Temecula, Calif.) won his 141
bout with a 5-2 decision that was followed by No. 11 Patrick
Williams (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) scoring an 8-7 decision at 149.
Hoping
to keep the momentum going for the Sun Devils, as well as score
an upset of a nationally ranked foe, Brian Stith (Fr., Hampton,
Va.) stepped on the mats at 157, but dropped a 10-4 decision
to No. 17 Brian Cobb. Leading 15-9, the Roadrunners ended their
scoring with Christian Arellano taking an 18-3 technical fall
over Jamie Robbins (Fr., Mesa, Ariz.) at 165 to put the hosts
comfortably ahead with two bouts to go, 20-9.
The
only way the Sun Devils could win the team meet was to pick up
falls in each of the last two weights. Though they were not able
to win by fall, both Ron Renzi (Sr., Burke, Va.) and No. 10 Nick
Frost (Sr., Tucson, Ariz.) were able to each win their third
match of the weekend. Renzi scored an 8-2 decision at 174 while
Frost picked up a 19-4 technical fall at 184.
The
Sun Devils return home Friday for a 7:30 p.m. dual with Fresno
State before closing out the regular season dual slate with a
2 p.m. dual against the Panthers of Northern Iowa. Both duals
will be inside Wells Fargo Arena.
IOWA
JOE
WILLIAMS TO STEP DOWN
Feb. 6, 2004
IOWA
CITY, IA. - Olympic hopeful Joe Williams has decided to resign
his position on the University of Iowa wrestling staff in order
to concentrate his efforts toward winning an Olympic Gold Medal
at this year's games in Athens, Greece.
Williams
was in his third season as a Hawkeye assistant after serving
one year as the team's strength and conditioning coach.
'I
feel like I have the chance to do something special in Athens
and I want to make sure that I do everything I can to realize
my dream of winning a gold medal' said Williams.
Head
Coach Jim Zalesky was on the road recruiting and unavailable
for comment. But, Assistant Coach Tom Brands had the following
statement.
'Joe's
resignation is a big loss to our staff, but I understand his
desire to make the most of his Olympic opportunity' said Brands.
'Joe
has indicated his desire to focus his energies on preparation
for the Olympics' said Iowa Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby. Therefore,
we have accepted his resignation, effective immediately. We wish
Joe well in his quest for an Olympic gold medal.'
Williams
is a four-time United States National Freestyle champion and
four-time World Team member. He was a three-time national champion,
wrestling at the University of Iowa, and is part of a group of
16 Hawkeyes to earn all-America honors four times. He had a collegiate
career record of 129-9. He was named the NCAA's Outstanding Wrestler
as a senior at the 1998 tournament.
THE
COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
TCNJ
WRESTLING TEAM SETS VICTORY MARK IN 44-6 WIN OVER SCRANTON; ILARIA
FINISHES SEASON UNDEFEATED IN DUAL MEETS
Ann King
www.tcnj.edu
Ewing,
NJ - The College of New Jersey's wrestling team hosted the University
of Scranton in the final dual match of the year and recorded
a 44-6 win over the Royals. The win puts the No. 5 ranked Lions
at 21-3 on the year, which breaks the school's single-season
dual meet win record, which had stood at 20. The University of
Scranton falls to 2-16. The Lions tallied three pins and two
major decisions victories on the day.
TCNJ
also extended its dual meet win streak to nine wins in a row
with the victory. Prior to the start of the match, the Lions
honored their six seniors who helped the program compile a 75-14
dual meet record of the past four years.
No.
5 TCNJ vs. University of Scranton (TCNJ 44-6)
Weight by Weight Team Score TCNJ-US
125 Brian Dempsey (NJ) forfeit win 6-0
133 Niko Vrettos (NJ) forfeit win 12-0
141 Antonio Crespo (NJ) WBF Tom Phillips (S), 1:50 18-0
149 David Icenhower, Jr. (NJ) dec. Donell Young (S), 14-8 21-0
157 Greg Ilaria (NJ) WBF Kevin Byrne (S), 1:27 27-0
165 Sean Flynn (NJ) major dec. Tim Grover (S), 11-2 31-0
174 Ron Saglimbene (S) won by forfeit 31-6
184 Ed Redmond (NJ) dec. Jose Valdez (S), 5-0 34-6
197 Nick Vincigueara (NJ) major dec. Trevor Needham (S), 20-6
38-6
285 Keith Bjorhus (NJ) WBF Mike Kelly (S), 2:00 44-6
Ranked
No. 2 in Division III at 157 pounds, TCNJ's senior co-captain
Greg Ilaria (Belleville, NJ/St. Peter's Prep) picked a pin at
1:27 over the University of Scranton's freshman Kevin Byrne (Putnam
Valley, NY/Carmel) in the match to finish his senior season with
a perfect 18-0 dual meet record. Ilaria, a 2003 All-American
now stands at 26-3 this year with six pins, while elevating his
career record to 76-34 with 20 career pins.
At
heavyweight, sophomore Keith Bjorhus (Wayne, PA/Connestoga) picked
up a fall to seal the Lions' victory as he pinned junior Mike
Kelly (Lynbrook, NY/Lynbrook) at 2:00 give the Lions the 44-6
victory. Bjorhus is ranked No. 8 in the newest poll released
on February 4 and now has a team-high 13 pins this year while
holding a 27-5 record on the year and is now 44-14 on his career.
Freshman
Antonio Crespo (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) picked up the first pin
of the match at 141 pounds after pinning junior Tom Phillips
(Middlebury, CT/Pomperauq) at 1:50. Crespo is now 10-8 this year
with four falls.
Junior
co-captain Sean Flynn (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) recorded an
11-2 major decision win over senior Tim Grover (Selden, NY/Centereach)
and opened the team score to a 31-0 TCNJ lead after six matches.
Ranked No. 8 at his weight, Flynn is now 29-8 this year with
seven majors and now holds a career record of 77-28.
At
197 pounds, TCNJ's junior Nick Vincigueara (Cream Ridge, NJ/Jackson)
recorded a 20-6 major decision win over Scranton's sophomore
Trevor Needham (Doylestown, PA/LaSalle College). Ranked No. 7
at 197 pounds, Vincigueara is now 20-1 in dual match action this
year and 26-2 overall.
Freshman
David Icenhower, Jr. (Lawrenceville, NJ/The Peddie School) recorded
a 14-8 win over freshman Donell Young (Scranton, PA/West Scranton)
at 149 pounds. The win puts Icenhower, Jr. at 22-7 this year.
Junior
Ed Redmond (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) shutout his opponent,
senior Jose Valdez (Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock), 5-0 to tally the
victory at 184 pounds, putting him at 11-11 this year.
Scranton's
senior Ron Saglimbene (Wyckoff, NJ/Don Bosco Prep) picked up
the forfeit win at 174 pounds and now stands at 17-4 this year
with a career mark of 64-52.
The
Lions will be in action again on Sunday, February 22 at the 2004
Metropolitan Conference Championships at Kings Point (U.S. Merchant
Marine Academy). The Met Championship is the NCAA qualifier,
which decided the 15 competitors from the Metropolitan region
to compete at the 2004 NCAA Division III Championships at Loras
College on March 5-6. Last year, TCNJ won the 2003 Met Championship
and sent seven wrestlers to the NCAA's and finished in seventh
place nationally in the team race.
NCWA
The
following are recent results reported to the NCWA for your viewing.
Please enjoy and visit NCWA.net for more great wrestling info.
Pensacola
Christian 48 v Marion Military 16 2/7/04 Reported by: James Hazewinkel
of Pensacola Christian
Pensacola
Christian 48
Marion Military 16
2/7/04
Pensacola, FL LBS WINNER RESULT LOSER SCORE/TIME
125 Daniel Ruiz (MM) Maj (PC) 17-4
133 Drew Garner (PC) Pin Josh Bartlett (MM) Fall
141 Jake Jones (PC) FF (MM)
149 Steve McGettrick (PC) FF (MM)
157 Joshua Weitzel (PC) Pin Mitchel Mendelson (MM) Fall
165 Bjorn Olson (PC) FF (MM)
174 Marc McGreer (PC) FF (MM)
184 Joel Porcher (PC) FF (MM)
197 Adam Hicks (PC) Pin Nathaniel DeFalco (MM) Fall
235 (MM) Pin Mark Norris (PC) Fall
285 Matthew Baker (MM) Pin Johnson Glaude (PC) Fall
Officiated by: Bill Rackley (Non-Registered Official)
Pensacola
Christian 54 v Georgia Tech 9 2/7/04 Reported by: James Hazewinkel
of Pensacola Christian
Pensacola
Christian 54
Georgia Tech 9
2/7/04
Pensacola, FL LBS WINNER RESULT LOSER SCORE/TIME
125 (PC) FF (GT)
133 Drew Garner (PC) FF (GT)
141 Jake Jones (PC) FF (GT)
149 Steve McGettrick (PC) Pin Vasiliy Buharin (GT) Fall
157 Joshua Weitzel (PC) FF (GT)
165 Bjorn Olson (PC) Pin Simon Dunham (GT) Fall
174 Marc McGreer (PC) FF (GT)
184 Danny Micka (GT) Dec Joel Porcher (PC) 12-10
197 Adam Hicks (PC) Pin Alex Molnar (GT) Fall
235 Ben Johnson (GT) Pin Mark Norris (PC) Fall
285 Johnson Glaude (PC) FF (GT)
Officiated by: Bill Rackley (Non-Registered Official)
Source:
ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
"The thing that lies at the foundation of positive change,
the way I see it, is service to a fellow human being."
Lech Walesa, 1943-, Polish Trade Union Leader, Politician
|
Super
Brawl 33 Results
Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
February 7, 2004
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
Super Brawl 33 put together the best card (at least in my opinion)
in a while. In addition to the great card, former and current
UFC champs were out in numbers. I will just list them off to
save time; Tim Sylvia, Dave Menne, Matt Hughes, BJ Penn and Jens
Pulver. SB 33 would feature a four man tournament of the best
155lbers in Hawaii to see who is Hawaii's top dog in that weight
class... A fighter representing each of the four largest MMA
schools in Hawaii took part in the tournament. It was the 808
Fight Factory's night because four fighters competed and all
four won their matches. The king of the 155lbs hill would be
808 Fight Factory's Harris Sarmiento. His superior striking and
take down skills lead him to victory against two tough opponents.
Another impressive performance was Sarmiento's teammate, Ed Newalu
dominating a very tough Harvey Nakamoto. Bryson Monterde also
stood out and was on another level than his opponent. 808's top
fighter, Ron Jhun, pounded on a very tricky Kyle Brees. Rumor
has it that Dana White and the UFC are taking note of Jhun and
hopefully he will make his long awaited UFC debut very soon,
Jhun has beaten a few of the fighters that have graced the UFC
already. Jens Pulver stepped into the ring with one of Hawaii's
best 145lbers in Eddie Yagin. Unfortunately, this match was a
kickboxing match and was "cut" short (pun intended)
due to a pre-existing laceration over Pulver's eye that was reopened
with the help of Yagin. A night of great fights was capped off
by one of the best main events in Super Brawl history. Niko Vitale
wanted to prove that he was having an off night against his rematch
with Matt Lindland in his last UFC appearance. Vitale took it
to one of the best 185lbs fighters in the world, former UFC Middleweight
champion, Dave Menne. Much like Charuto Verissimo bloodied Gil
Castillo, Vitale did the same to Menne, which is no easy task.
Vitale out punched Menne for three rounds, getting off quicker
punches and even staggering Menne with some punches. This could
be Vitale's ticket back into the UFC, and don't count Dave Menne
out. Like his nickname, he is a warrior and he will be back.
137.5lbs:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory 1-7) def. Harvey Nakamoto (Grappling
Unlimited 2-0)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
145lbs:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Bryson Monterde (808 Fight Factory 0-2) def. Ben George (Bull's
Pen 0-1)
TKO due to referee stoppage due to strikes at 2:55 minutes in
Round 1.
155lbs
Tournament Semi Finals #1: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory 7-7) def. Mike Bauer (HMC
0-1)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
155lbs
Tournament Semi Finals #1: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited 6-5) def. Paul Laga (Bull's Pen
2-2)
TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes at 2:51 minutes in Round
1.
155lb
Kick Boxing: 5 Rounds - 1 Minute
Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited 7-2-1) def. Jens "Little
Evil" Pulver (Team Extreme 19-5-1)
TKO via doctor's stoppage due to cut over Pulver's eye at 52
seconds in Round 2.
*It should be noted that Pulver had recently received 7 stitches
just before going into this fight.
155lb
Tournament Finals: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory 7-7) Kolo Koka (Grappling
Unlimited 6-5)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
170lbs:
3 Rounds - 5 Minutes
Ronald Jhun (808 Fight Factory 20-11) def. Kyle Brees (Team SRJ,
Arizona 9-4)
TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes from the mount at 4:59
minutes in Round 3.
Heavyweight:
3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Justin Eilers (Team Extreme, Davenport, Iowa 7-3-1) def. Vince
Lucero (Phoenix, AZ 13-6)
TKO due to injury (shoulder) at 4:32 minutes in Round 1.
MAIN
EVENT
185 lbs: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes
Falaniko Vitale (Grappling Unlimited #1 SB Contender 15-3) def.
Dave Menne (Menne's Combat Academy 33-10-3)
Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds.
|
Ring
of Honor Grappling Tournament Results
The tournament went smoothly and although the turnout was not
as big as we expected, many schools were represented and there
was some great action.
The
next tournament is scheduled for the first Sunday in May (5/2/04).
The weigh-ins will start 8:00-11:00 am and the fights will start
on 12:00 noon.
130
under Novice-Inter.
1. Gerald Arevalo (808)
2. Ivan Uyeda (GU)
3. Jr. Yacap (808)
146- 160 Novice-Inter
1. TJ Kauhine (JIL)
2. Henry Velasco (GU)
3. Kekoa Biroan (CG/808)
161-175 Novice-Inter
1. Cheyenn Alesna (HMC/808)
2. Bryson Monterde (808)
3. Ron Kayano (GU)
146-160 Inter-Advance
1. TJ Kuahine (JIL)
2. Brandon Bernardino (Gracie)
3. Troy Ochiai (GU)
155-170 Inter-Advance
1. Brian Weihle (GU)
2. Corey Fukuda (Gracie)
3. Mike Seiler (808)
185-205 Inter-Advance
1. Anthony Torres (GU)
2. Paul Ano (GU)
3. Kelvin Wong (Gracie)
221-over Inter-Advance
1. Malcolm Ahlo (Gracie)
2. Ray Sarile (GU)
3. Bryan Sanders (808)
Absolute:
1. Anthony Torres (GU)
2. Ray Sariles (GU)
3. Dexter Kauahi (Gracie)
|
Punishment
In Paradise: "CROSSROADS"
Valentine Day Weigh In
We would like to announce the weigh-ins @ 808 Fight Factory in
Waipahu. The weigh-ins will start at 12pm so all participants
and guests who would like to see the fighters, please be on time.
There are pre-sale tickets being sold right now in limited supply
for $15.00. Please call 330-4483 or email second2none@hawaii.rr.com
to purchase them.
Sunday Feb 14th tickets will be $20.00, so get the cheap tickets
while they last. And for those who are worried about work on
Monday, it's a federal holiday so come down and don't miss out...
FIGHT DAY
Sunday Feb 15, 2004
Campbell High School Gym, Ewa Beach
Doors will open at 6pm and fights will start at 7pm SHARP!! There
are 15 action packed fights consisting of Mixed Martial Arts,
Kickboxing and Muay Thai. Tickets will be SOLD for $20.00 on
this day.
THANK YOU and I would like to wish everyone a HAPPY VALENTINES
DAY!!
Source: Event Promoter
|
Maturation
is The Difference for "The Prodigy"
BJ
Penn still hasn’t had a moment to catch his breath. Nearly
two hours after shocking the mixed-martial arts world by submitting
Matt Hughes, the Hawaiian nurses an aching hand as he balances
a hefty, well-deserved Tapout trophy in his good one. All the
while, he answers questions from a puzzled media.
In
a room full of doubters, Penn singles out a reporter. “You
picked against me,” he says looking in my direction. “BJ,”
I respond in defense, “everyone in here picked against you.”
He
shrugs and continues fielding questions. Though I was the first
to ask for some one-on-one time, I’m the last to get it
-- retribution, perhaps, for going with the other side in the
majority of his UFC fights.
Mandalay
Bay security officials eventually inform us remaining few in
the media center that it’s time to scram. Though getting
the boot doesn’t stop the autograph hounds -- one guy whose
camera wouldn’t work until the third try; a pair of girls
popping out of tight Team Belfort shirts; a Mandalay Bay employee
with nothing more than a one dollar bill to have signed -- from
sequestering Penn every 30 seconds or so.
“When
everybody leaves and I’m alone by myself, that’s when
it will hit me,” notes the newly crowned 170-pound champion,
flanked by his life-long family-friend Alexander Oxendine as
we make our way into the casino. “When I’m alone in
my own thoughts.”
This
is new territory. Twice before Penn received shots to reach the
top of the mountain and both times he failed. “When I talked
about the UFC title before [Saturday],” he explains, “it
would almost bring tears to my eyes that I would have to hold
back because it was something I’ve wanted for so long.”
But
that’s behind him now. Two years to the month Hughes’
gym-mate Jens Pulver decisioned a then-unbeaten Penn at the Mohegan
Sun in Connecticut -- “I only had three fights back then;
now I have 10 fights under my belt,” he says -- the 25-year-old
lightweight-turned-welterweight is finally able to shed tears
in joy.
Buzz
at ringside immediately following Penn’s submission of Hughes
centered on how anyone in the world could possibly make that
look so easy. Sure, Hughes was submitted twice before, but both
came during scrambles or transitions in the opening seconds of
a bout.
This
was different. Dominant.
Looks
in press row were exchanged. Did we really witness the Hawaiian,
who fought solely at 155 pounds before Saturday night and had
never held a title of note, quell the unstoppable force?
Penn
beating Hughes was a pipe dream. There was no way, said most
pundits.
Hughes
was too big, too good, too strong, too experienced.
Too
much.
Unbeaten
in five title defenses -- whether Hughes desired praise or not,
he was recognized worldwide as the pound-for-pound best mixed
martial artist in the sport heading into the fight -- the champion
would not have been laughed out of many gyms had he decided to
change his first name to Goliath.
Yet
as Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort would show two fights later,
all it takes is a moment -- a glancing, eye-lid-cutting blow,
or, as Penn demonstrated, one round of inspired control against
a monster.
With
the Miletich crew visibly supporting Hughes whilst his name echoed
throughout the sold-out arena, the wrestler remained typically
calm. Another day, another fight seemed to be the feeling coming
from the veteran prizefighter’s corner.
Penn,
meanwhile, stood alone, no one behind him. An obvious metaphor,
it occurred to me, for a man from the islands moments, I felt,
from being stranded in the middle of an ocean absent a life preserver.
He
surprised.
Instead
of the plodding, decision-driven post-Pulver fighter who disappointed
UFC fans through uninspired performances, Penn came out the aggressor.
When the two fighters met in the center of the Octagon, it was
the challenger who seemed to hold the weight and strength advantage.
“He
was prepared for this fight,” Oxendine says. “He knew
he was stronger than Hughes. Hughes didn’t know what he
was getting into.”
While
the Illinois farmer displayed an aptitude in past contests for
fighting from his back, he’d never been asked to do so against
the likes of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu power like Penn.
Hughes,
for the first time in recent memory, was forced to respond; he
had no answer to Penn’s attacks.
Participating
in only the fourth fight of his career, a victory over Pulver
was supposed to be Penn’s coronation from skilled contender
to champion. Five rounds versus the now-deposed lightweight champion,
however, signaled Penn’s darkest hour. “Mentally, he
had not gone through the rounds,” Oxendine recalls. “There
were questions in his mind.” Those concerns came as a direct
result of a young fighter’s inability “to listen to
himself,” a lesson that did not escape him.
“He
realized afterwards that he wasn’t a world-class kickboxer,”
says Penn’s confidant. “He wasn’t a world-class
wrestler.
“He’s
a jiu-jitsu master.”
Doubts
about “The Prodigy,” however, had never focused on
his innate physical ability. Rather, his mental toughness was
fodder for those who felt the Hawaiian didn’t have what
it took to be a power in the sport.
Last
years contest versus Caol Uno only added to that argument. Penn
defeated the scrappy Japanese veteran in mere seconds the first
time they faced each other at UFC 34. In the rematch, however,
the vacant UFC lightweight crown (absent a titleholder when Pulver
dumped it following failed contract negotiations) waited for
the winner.
During
the five-round title fight Penn controlled the contest when he
wanted to. Yet mental lapses in the middle of the bout forced
what, by all rights, should have been a victory for Penn into
a too-close-to-call contest.
The
resulting draw disappointed Penn and his followers nearly as
much as the failed effort against Pulver. So he went back to
the drawing board, toned down the training to avoid burning out,
and focused on fights that would motivate him.
“It
takes a threat for BJ to get up to the level that he’s at,”
Oxendine says.
First
on that list was former SHOOTO champion Takanori Gomi. With UFC
president Dana White watching from ringside, Penn easily disposed
of the Japanese fighter. It was time, said Penn’s handlers,
for their charge to get a third chance at a title.
And
so the match with Hughes was made. Penn trained rigorously, flying
to Oregon to practice with Team Quest’s Randy Couture and
Matt Lindland, for example. So impressed was Couture with Penn
that he publicly said that the welterweight challenger had a
great shot to beat Hughes.
Impossible
to control. Difficult to takedown. Punches like a mule.
Those
were the reports coming from Oregon, and they proved prophetic.
Whatever
mental hurdles haunted the Hawaiian in past efforts no longer
look like factors, particularly after his work on mental focus
with Couture.
And
so, from an outsider’s perspective, Penn pulled off the
unthinkable. But Penn’s closest allies felt differently:
“It’s
not jiu-jitsu that wins him a fight,” Oxendine says of Penn.
“It’s not his boxing. It’s BJ Penn. … You
can’t learn BJ. You can’t be BJ.”
Source:
Maxfighting |
FRANK
MIR WATCHING ARLOVSKI VS SYLVIA CLOSELY
Frank Mir, the 24 year old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert, fighting
out of the Las Vegas Combat Club joined the radio show yesterday.
Mir is fresh off a knock out win over Wes Sims in their highly
publicized rematch. Frank knew Wes was a tough guy going in and
that he was hard to submit.
The
pace of the fight was a little higher than Frank was used to
but after the first round he "felt fine." Mir said
he feels comfortable standing and showed it in his deliverance
of knees and a knock out punch to end Wes Sims' night early.
He did say he was upset with the way their first fight ended
with a disqualification of Sims.
Frank
added that he "didn't eye gouge anyone." He said there
is no bad blood there, he went out and did what he had to do
and put it behind him. Mir thinks Wes understands the marketing
side of the business and as far as mental toughness, Wes has
it in "lump sums."
Frank
will be watching the upcoming heavyweight title fight between
Andre Arlovski and Tim Sylvia very close. He thinks that Arlovski
is a well rounded fighter but likes to cruise and sometimes comes
in with a bad game plan.
Mir
said you can't teach a fighter the ability to recognize a bad
game plan and change it, a fighter has to figure that out on
their own. He added that Andre has good knockout power. He hasn't
seen Tim Sylvia's ground game but noted that Tim trains with
good ground guys. He said Tim has incredible reach and comes
after people. With his win over Sims, Frank should be in line
to face the winner of Arlovski and Sylvia for the title.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
|
Denis
Kang Ready for South Korea Fights
I
first met Denis Kang about three years ago when I started training
with the Marcus Soares BJJ club in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Kang, Soares top student and a purple belt at the time, was fresh
off a surprise submission win over favored Minoru Suzuki in Pancrase,
and the Canadian’s fighting career looked to be well on
its way.
The
following two years for Kang, now 26, did not unfold in the fashion
that many expected. The Suzuki fight was followed by three consecutive
losses, coupled with an impressive draw against Dennis Hallman
and back-to-back wins early in 2002.
Those
wins earned Kang fights against talented competitors Joe Doerkson
and Jason Miller. When both contests resulted in losses, Kang
was ready to call it quits.
“This
time last year I was ready to pack it in,” he admits. “After
my loss to Jason Miller I had already signed for one more fight,
so I decided to keep going.” Kang knew that for him to take
his game up to a higher level his stand-up skills would have
to improve.
“MMA
isn’t a jiu-jitsu match,” he says. “I knew I had
to change my training.”
Calls
went out to professional boxing coach Tony Pep, former British
Columbian heavyweight kickboxing champion Chris Franco, and fellow
Canadian mixed martial artist Bill Mahood; Kang reaped the benefits.
“I
matured mentally and physically,” he says. “I took
my training to the next level and my confidence grew.”
Last
year saw Kang rattle off five consecutive victories. His new-and-improved
striking skills, combined with a promotion to brown belt by Soares,
brought a different kind of fighter to the table than previous
Kang opponents had seen before.
No
longer just a submission artist, Kang illustrated his new striking
skills at Ring of Fury 3, handing Keith Rockel only the second
loss of his career via knock out.
For
those who have tried to make excuses for Rockel’s performance
that night Kang has a few choice words:
“I
read that Jorge Rivera said that Keith took the fight on short
notice. We both had three weeks to get ready; we didn’t
have to cut weight; it was in his hometown -- there shouldn’t
be any excuses. It was a good fight for me. In the second round
I came alive and he walked into my right hand.
“That’s
fine, I’ll fight him again and next time I’ll knock
him out in the first round.”
Kang
followed up the Rockel victory with two wins in June’s Super
Brawl “Size Does Matter” tournament, and by stopping
Stephan Potvin in the third round at TKO 13 last September.
His
winning streak, however, would come to an end when his fight
with UFC veteran Andrei Semenov was declared a draw at the M-1
card in Russia, December 5. Many who saw the fight have reported
that Kang was robbed of the decision; Denis agrees with that
assessment.
“I
thought so, too,” he says. “I hardly got hit, hit him
a lot, there was some questionable stand ups -- in someone’s
hometown though you can expect that.”
That
strong performance combined with Kang’s successes earlier
in the year resulted in the middleweight being ranked for the
first time in his career. “It felt really good, really surprising
and very rewarding,” he says. “I worked very hard for
it, it’s an honor.”
Recognition
for Canadian fighters can be, at times, hard to come by, and
now that Kang has just begun to receive some attention for his
achievements, the seasoned, yet young, veteran has some advice
for other up and coming Canadian fighters:
“Sometimes
we don’t get the recognition we deserve. You have to build
your base in Canada and step out onto the American or international
scene. Fighters need to go for it when they fight, train hard,
[and when] you get an opportunity you have to be ready. Look
at Georges St-Pierre -- he’s doing it and he’s a great
talent.”
With
the promotional side of Canadian MMA seeing rival faction’s
quarrel over control of the sport lately, Kang sympathizes with
young fighters who have difficulties knowing where and when to
fight. “You know if people don’t want to work together
that’s fine, that’s their right,” he says. “Just
don’t set out to ruin each other.”
As
2004 begins, Kang is fresh off a training stint with Team Quest,
and is set to compete in the Spirit and See tournament February
7 in South Korea. Kang looks forward to what may be in store
for him this coming year.
“Well
hopefully I’ll win the tournament and then we’ll see,”
Kang says. “Of course I’d love to fight in the UFC
or PRIDE. The sport has taken 10 steps forward compared to where
it was before; the skill of the fighters is incredible. I just
want to get in even better shape and take it up to a whole new
level.”
Source:
Maxfighting |
SHERK
READY FOR BUSHIDO
Sean Sherk did a good job of creating waves in the UFC. Now he
will try to make his name in Japan as he gets set to leave for
Japan on Wednesday.
Sherk
will join host Ryan Bennett tomorrow on MMAWeekly Radio and talk
about his preparations for Japan as he will compete in the Bushido
II show.
You
can check out the show LIVE tomorrow at these various times.
Remember the live shows are always free.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
CAN
UNDEFEATED ILLINOIS TOP BIG TEN RIVAL MINNESOTA FOR FIRST TIME
IN 19 YEARS?
Is
it true that there's no place like home? The University of Illinois
wrestling team certainly hopes so. They stand undefeated at 10-0,
and have won 15 straight dual meets dating back from last season.
But
on their home turf, at Huff Hall, Illinois will face Big Ten
rival Minnesota this Fri., Feb. 6, at 7 PM CST. Minnesota has
been plagued by injuries this season, but has not lost to Illinois
since the 1984-85 season. If this highly-ranked Illinois team
is to prove that it is for real this year, then a win at home
over Minnesota is a must.
There
will also be lots of other Big Ten action this weekend, as it
is now crunch time in the college wrestling season. The head-to-head
conference matchups will play a large role in the seeding at
the coming conference championships. The top place winners of
those in turn will earn spots at the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships,
March 18-20, in St. Louis. So a lot is riding on these latest
dual meets.
We
have lots of news from Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio State,
Penn, Arizona State, and NC State, all compiled from the teams'
press releases. Enjoy, and go watch some wrestling this weekend.
ILLINOIS
Illinois
Wrestling Returns Home to Huff Hall
Cassie Arner
#3
Illinois (10-0, 4-0) at Huff Hall
vs. #15 Minnesota (7-6, 1-3), Fri., Feb. 6
vs. #12 Wisconsin (15-3, 2-1), Sun., Feb. 8
-
The Illini are ranked No. 3 by the NWCA and by Intermat.
- Illinois has not defeated Minnesota since the 1984-85 season.
- The Illini are 5-0 against Wisconsin during the Mark Johnson
era.
- The Illini have nine wrestlers ranked in at least one of the
four national polls heading into this weekend's competition,
including No. 1-ranked Alex Tirapelle and six other grapplers
in the Top-10.
- A win over Minnesota would give the Illini 16 wins in a row,
marking the second-longest win streak in school history.
Huff
Hall is Home Sweet Home for Illini
The Illini look to continue their winning ways with a pair of
Big Ten duals this weekend as they host No. 15 Minnesota and
No. 12 Wisconsin at Huff Hall. Illinois returns home for the
first time since its dual against UT-Chattanooga on Dec. 13.
The squad currently boasts a 4-0 conference record and 10-0 overall
mark. Illinois will wrestle Minnesota on Fri., Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
and will face Wisconsin on Sun., Feb. 8 at 1 p.m.
The
Illini will be looking to close in on a 20-24-2 losing record
against the Golden Gophers in a series which began nearly eighty
years ago. Under current head coach Mark Johnson, Illinois has
been unsuccessful in claiming a victory over Minnesota, going
0-9 in 11 seasons. However, the Fighting Illini are undefeated
under Johnson against Wisconsin. Illinois boasts a winning percentage
against the Badgers with a series record of 32-25-2.
Last
season, Illinois did not wrestle Minnesota in a dual. The last
time the two teams met head-to-head was in 2002, when the Illini
dropped a 6-27 loss to the Gophers. This season Minnesota has
six ranked wrestlers in No. 19 Bob Lowe at 125, No. 14 Tommy
Owen at 141, No. 12 Matt Nagel at 157, No. 15 Jon Duncombe at
174, No. 1 Damion Hahn at 197, and No. 6 Cole Konrad at Heavyweight.
The
Illini traveled to Wisconsin last season where they dominated
the Badgers with a score of 29-7. The Badgers have three ranked
wrestlers in No. 9 Tom Clum at 125, No. 18 Ed Gutnik at 133,
and No. 16 Ralph DeNisco at 174.
Minnesota
Matchup Match to Watch-
197 pounds #8 Jason Potter vs. #1 Damion Hahn:
The last time these two wrestlers faced each other was in 2002,
when both wrestlers competed at 184 pounds. Potter upset the
then fourth-ranked Hahn by a decision of 12-8. Hahn is currently
the top-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds with an overall record
of 19-1 and a Big Ten record of 2-0. Eighth-ranked Potter boasts
a 15-3 overall record, 1-1 in the conference.
Wisconsin
Matchup Match to Watch -
174 pounds #8 Pete Friedl vs. #16 Ralph DeNisco:
The last time these wrestlers met was at the Midlands tournament
this season, where DeNisco pinned Friedl in 5:49. Friedl has
improved to 23-4 on the season, and is 4-0 in Big Ten competition.
DeNisco is currently 14-7 on the season.
Streakin'
Illini
Dating back to the 2002-03 season, the Illini have now won 15
straight duals. Illinois finished 2003 strong with five consecutive
Big Ten wins and have now gone 10-0 to start 2003-04. A win against
Minnesota would tie the second-longest win streak in school history
at 16-in-a-row (Penn State, 1998-99 - Michigan State, 1999-2000).
The school record for most consecutive wins is 20, dating back
to the 1920's (Ohio State, 1925-26 - Chicago, 1928-29).
Unbeaten
Wrestlers
Then there were 12 ... Only 12 wrestlers remain undefeated this
season with Illinois' Alex Tirapelle right in the mix with a
24-0 record. Tirapelle, ranked No. 1 at 157 pounds, has two additional
unbeaten wrestlers at his weight class, including junior Jake
Percival from Ohio who injury defaulted prior to a match against
Tirapelle. Only one of the seven returning national champions
has an unblemished records this season - junior Greg Jones of
West Virginia at 184. Tirapelle knocked off the 157-pound national
champion, Ryan Bertin of Michigan in the finals of the Las Vegas
Invitational.
Glynn
Climbs Career Win List
Junior wrestler Brian Glynn won two matches last weekend to give
him 71 career wins which ranks 23rd on the Illinois all-time
victory list. Currently, Glynn needs nine more to move up to
22nd. Junior Mark Jayne has won 63 matches in his three years
in the lineup, only four wins from the Top-25. Others approaching
the mark are senior Jason Potter with 57 victories and sophomore
Alex Tirapelle with 55.
STARTING
LINEUPS
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (10-0, 4-0)
125: #3 Kyle Ott (So., 13-2)
133: #6 Mark Jayne (Jr., 21-2)
141: Michael Martin (r-Fr., 12-11)
149: Cal Ferry (So., 12-9) or Anton Dietzen (Jr., 13-5)
157: #1 Alex Tirapelle (So., 24-0)
165: #20 Donny Reynolds (r-Fr., 3-1) or Ben Hay (Sr., 10-5)
174: #8 Pete Friedl (So., 23-4)
184: #4 Brian Glynn (Jr., 25-3)
197: #8 Jason Potter (Sr., 15-3)
Hwt: #9 Mike Behnke (r-Fr., 19-6)
#15
Minnesota (7-6, 1-3)
125: #19 Bobbe Lowe (Jr, 17-7, 2-1)
133: Quincy Osborn (r-Fr., 17-13, 1-3)
141: #14 Tommy Owen (So., 20-9, 2-0)
149: Keri Stanley (Jr., 8-9, 0-0) or Jeremy Anderson (Fr., 1-7,
0-3) or
Thomas McAlpine (r-Fr., 6-7, 0-1)
157: #12 Matt Nagel (So., 19-10, 2-2)
165: Casey Flaherty (Jr., 4-13, 1-3)
174: #15 Jon Duncombe (Jr.,21-12, 2-2)
184: Josh McLay (Jr., 16-16, 0-4)
197: #1 Damion Hahn (Sr., 19-1, 2-0)
HWT: #6 Cole Konrad (R-Fr., 24-7, 2-2)
WISCONSIN
(15-3, 2-1)
125: #9 Tom Clum (So., 21-3)
133: #18 Ed Gutnik (So., 16-7)
141: Tyler Laudon (Jr., 5-8)
149: Tony Turner (So., 9-11)
157: Tyler Turner (Fr., 19-6)
165: Adam Turner (Sr., 13-2) or Kelly Flaherty (So., 14-5)
174: #16 Ralph DeNisco (Sr., 14-7)
184: Ryan Flaherty (So., 19-8) or Brady Reinke (Jr., 11-4)
197: Lee Kraemer (So., 11-10)
Hwt: Jareck Horton (Sr., 6-11)
MINNESOTA
Minnesota
Wrestling Notes
John Romo
Minnesota
is at No. 3 Illinois and Indiana this weekend.
NO.
15 MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (7-6, 1-3 BIG TEN)
AT #3 ILLINOIS (10-0, 4-0) • HUFF HALL (4,500)
• FEB. 6, 2004 • 7 P.M.
AT INDIANA (17-5, 1-2) • UNIVERSITY GYMNASIUM
(2,500) • FEB. 7, 2004 •
7 P.M.
Probable Minnesota (7-6, 1-3) starters 2003-04 overall, Big Ten
record (pins)
125 - #12 Bobbe Lowe (Jr, Oak Grove, Mo.) 17-7, 2-1 (5)
133 - Quincy Osborn (RS Fr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) 17-13, 1-3
(3)
141 - #16 Tommy Owen (So., Spokane, Wash.) 20-9, 2-0 (7)
149 - Jeremy Anderson (Fr., Thief River Falls, Minn.) 8-10, 0-3
(2)
-or- Thomas McAlpine (RS Fr., Dayton, Minn.) 5-8, 0-1 (0)
-or- Keri Stanley (Jr., Columbia Falls, Mont.) 8-9, 0-0 (5)
157 - #15 Matt Nagel (So., Frazee, Minn.) 19-10, 2-2 (2)
165 - Casey Flaherty (Jr., Big Lake, Minn.) 4-13, 1-3 (1)
174 - #15 Jon Duncombe (Jr., St. Michael, Minn.) 21-12, 2-2 (2)
184 - Josh McLay (Jr., Hastings, Minn.) 16-16, 0-4 (2)
197 - #1 Damion Hahn (Sr., Lakewood, N.J.) 19-1, 2-0 (2)
HWT - #9 Cole Konrad (RS Fr., Freedom, Wis.) 24-7, 2-2 (7)
Probable
Illinois (10-0, 4-0) starters 2003-04 overall
125 - #8 Kyle Ott (So., Huber Heights, Ohio) 13-2
133 - #6 Mark Jayne (Jr., Elyria, Ohio) 21-2
141 - #20 Michael Martin (RS Fr., Norfolk, Va.) 12-11
149 - Anton Dietzen (Jr., Elmurst, Ill.) 13-5
-or- Cal Ferry (So., Machesney, Ill.) 12-9
157 - #1 Alex Tirapelle (So., Clovis, Calif.) 24-0
165 - Donny Reynolds (RS Fr., Frankfort, Ill.) 3-1
-or- Ben Hay (Sr., Sandwich, Ill.) 10-5
174 - #7 Pete Friedl (So., Orland Park, Ill.) 23-4
184 - #5 Brian Glynn (Jr., Orland Park, Ill.) 25-3
197 - #17 Jason Potter (Sr., St. Charles, Ill.) 15-3
HWT - #15 Mike Behnke (RS Fr., Villa Park, Ill.) 19-6
Probable
Indiana (17-5, 1-2) starters 2003-04 overall, Big Ten record
125 - #13 Joe Dubuque (So., Bloomfield, N.J.) 23-4, 1-2
133 - Nick Spatola (So, Cincinnati, Ohio) 10-8, 1-2
141 - #6 Coyte Cooper (Sr., Anacortes, Wash.) 30-1, 3-0
149 - Cameron Sakon (So, Indianapolis, Ind.) 10-13, 0-3
157 - Matt Cooper (So, Anacortes, Wash.) 10-9, 0-3
165 - Nate McMillin (So, Lawton, Okla.) 7-12, 0-3
174 - #14 Brady Richardson (So., Vincennes, Ind.) 22-7, 1-2
184 - Andy Rios (Jr., Strongsville, Ohio) 23-7, 1-2
197 - #19 Pat DeGain (Jr., Clarkston, Mich.) 22-4, 2-1
HWT - Josh Buuck (RS Fr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) 15-4, 3-0
*Rankings from the The Wrestling Mall
TOP
BILLING
Minnesot's match with Illinois will feature two of the top-ranked
wrestlers in the nation. At 197, top-ranked Damion Hahn been
rated number one in the country all season and is currently 19-1
on the year. He has won 29 of his last 30 matches dating back
to last season when he won his national title. For Illinois,
Alex Tirapelle is a perfect 24-0 on the year at 157 pounds and
will attempt to remain unbeaten against 15th-ranked Matt Nagel
for the Golden Gophers.
THE
SERIES VS. ILLINOIS
Minnesota leads the all-time series vs. Illinois by a 25-19-2
margin. The Golden Gophers have won 10 straight in the series.
IU has not beaten Minnesota since a 21-16 victory on Dec. 29,
1985 at the University of Hawaii' Invitational. The two teams
have met only three times since 1995-96.
ABOUT
ILLINOIS
Illinois is currently undefeated at 10-0 and ranked number three
in the country by The Wrestling Mall. UI is coming off atop the
Big Ten at 4-0 with wins over Penn State (26-13), Michigan State
(22-10), Indiana (24-13) and Northwestern (32-7). Five of Illinois'
10 starters are ranked in the top 10 in the nation by The Wrestling
Mall, led by No. 1 Alex Tirapelle at 157 pounds.
Illinois
returned 22 of 27 letterwinners from last year's team which finished
11-3 overall and ninth at the NCAA Championships.
LAST
TIME VS. UI
The top-ranked Golden Gophers rolled past 13th-ranked Illinois,
27-6, at Williams Arena on Feb. 17, 2002. Minnesota and Illinois
split the first four matches, but the Golden Gophers won the
final six bouts to claim their 32nd straight dual meet victory.
Fifth-ranked Garrett Lowney avenged a 2001 NCAA Semifinal loss
with a 2-1 decision against third-ranked John Lockhart at heavyweight.
COMMON
OPPONENTS
Minnesota and Illinois have just one common opponent this season.
The Golden Gophers defeated Michigan State, 22-16, on Jan. 23
in East Lansing, Mich. Two days later, Illinois came to town
and posted a 22-10 victory over the Spartans.
THE
SERIES VS. INDIANA
Minnesota leads the all-time series with Indiana by a 37-4-1
advantage. The Golden Gophers have won five in a row with the
last Hoosier victory coming on Feb. 23, 1992 in Bloomington,
Ind. Indiana's other three victories came in 1945, '55 and '68.
ABOUT
INDIANA
Indiana has rolled up a 17-5 record, but is just 1-2 in Big Ten
play. The Hoosiers have beaten Northwestern (19-12), but have
lost to Wisconsin (26-12) and Illinois (24-13). Indiana has four
starters ranked in the top 20 by The Wrestling Mall, led by No.
6 Coyte Cooper at 141 pounds. Indiana returns 13 of 22 letterwinners
from last year's team which finished 16-9 overall and 1-6 in
the Big Ten.
THE
LAST TIME VS. IU
Minnesota won six of 10 matches in a 25-17 victory over Indiana
at the Sports Pavilion to close out the regular season last year.
The Golden Gophers jumped out to a 16-3 lead, before the Hoosiers
cut the lead to 22-17 with three wins in the next four matches.
10th-ranked Damion Hahn closed out the match with a 4-3 upset
of No. 8 Pat DeGain.
COMMON
OPPONENTS
Minnesota and Indiana have just one common opponent this season.
Last Friday, the Golden Gophers were defeated by Wisconsin, 17-16,
at Williams Arena. The Badgers defeated Indiana, 26-12, in Madison,
Wis., on Jan. 23.
INJURY
UPDATE
Senior Jacob Volkmann has missed the last nine dual matches due
to injury, but returned to practice earlier this week. His availability
for this weekend's dual meets has still not been determined by
the coaches. The two-time All-American is 22-4 on the season,
including a 4-0 mark in dual meets. In those four wins, he owns
a pin, a technical fall and a pair of major decisions. The Golden
Gophers have not wrestled with a full lineup since Dec. 12 against
Iowa State.
KEEP
AN EYE ON...
Several intriguing matchups could take place this weekend in
Champaign, Ill., and Bloomington, Ind. Top-ranked Damion Hahn
is scheduled to face a pair of top-20 wrestlers in 17th-ranked
Jason Potter of Illinois and 19th-ranked Pat DeGain of Indiana.
Hahn and Potter met as 184 pounders in 2002 with Potter prevailing
by the score of 12-8. Hahn earned a 10-8 decision against DeGain
last year during the dual meet season.
Three
other Golden Gophers also may face a pair of ranked opponents.
12th-ranked Bobbe Lowe could meet No. 8 Kyle Ott of Illinois
and No. 13 Joe Dubuque of Indiana at 125 pounds. Lowe was scheduled
to meet Dubuque last year, but an injury forced the Indiana wrestler
to default. 16th-ranked Tommy Owen is likely to meet No. 20 Michael
Martin of Illinois and No. 6 Coyte Cooper of Indiana at 141 pounds.
15th-ranked Jon Duncombe will be tested by No. 7 Pete Friedl
of Illinois and No. 14 Brady Richardson of Indiana at 174 pounds.
Sophomore Matt Nagel has gone 8-3 in his last 11 matches with
two of those losses coming by two points and one point against
defending NCAA Champion Ryan Bertin of Michigan. He will face
an even bigger challenge this weekend at Illinois. He is scheduled
to meet top-ranked Alex Tirapelle at 157 pounds. Tirapelle is
a perfect 24-0 this season.
IOWA
EUSTICE
NAMED CO-BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
February 5, 2004
Traci Wagner
IOWA
CITY, IA -- Hawkeye wrestler Luke Eustice has been named co-Big
Ten Wrestler of the Week. Eustice, a senior from Blue Earth,
MN, wrestles at 125 pounds for Iowa. He was honored for sparking
the Hawkeyes to wins over Penn State and Michigan State last
weekend with his 10-6 win over Nittany Lion Adam Smith and his
24-10 victory over Spartan Craig Trombly. Eustice is ranked second
in the nation with an overall record of 18-1 and an undefeated
dual mark of 10-0. He shares the honor with Purdue's Brad Harper
(157 pounds).
Eustice
and the Hawkeyes are idle this week. They resume competition
with a Big Ten road trip to Wisconsin (Feb. 13) and Minnesota
(Feb. 15).
OHIO
STATE
No.
19 Buckeye Wrestling Welcomes No. 2 Michigan, Northwestern
Following win at then No. 19 Purdue, Ohio State faces rivals
Michigan and Northwestern at St. John Arena for a Big Ten weekend
homestand.
Pat Kindig
COLUMBUS,
Ohio - The Ohio State wrestling team (6-6, 2-1 Big Ten) upended
No. 19 Purdue (15-4, 1-2 Big Ten) by a 22-18 count Friday night
in West Lafayette, Ind. The win is the first for Ohio State in
its last six matches as the Buckeyes avenged a tight 21-17 loss
to the Boilermakers in St. John Arena during the 2003 season.
Fresh
off of its win against Purdue, No. 19 Ohio State now faces a
two-match Big Ten weekend series with home meets against No.
2 Michigan and Northwestern. The Buckeyes and Wolverines step
into the circle Friday at 7 p.m. in St. John Arena, while the
Wildcats visit Sunday at 2 p.m.
OHIO
STATE PROBABLE STARTERS
125 - Jermaine Jones (Fr./ W. Chester, Pa.)
133 - Jesse Leng (Sr./ Hinckley, Ohio)
141 - Theo Dotson (Fr./ Columbus, Ohio)
149 - Jeff Ratliff (Sr./ Marion, Ohio)
157 - Ryan Rhodes (Fr.,/Toledo, Ohio)
165 - John Clark (Sr./ Canton, N.Y.)
174 - Alex Picazo (Fr./ Columbus, Ohio)
Or Anthony Magistrelli (So./ Maple Hts.)
184 - Blake Kaplan (Sr./ Cincinnati, Ohio)
197 - J.D. Bergman (Fr./ Oak Harbor, Ohio)
285 - Tommy Rowlands (Sr./ Hilliard, Ohio)
ROWLANDS
REGAINS No. 1 SPOT WITH EXHIBITION WIN OVER CUMMINS, LEADS FIVE
RANKED BUCKEYES
Ohio State senior HWT Tommy Rowlands, who fell from the top position
in all national HWT rankings after dropping a tight 3-2 decision
to No. 2 Pat Cummins of Penn State Jan. 25, reclaimed the top
spot after defeated Cummins 3-1 in overtime at the NWCA All-Star
meet in Cedar Falls, Iowa Monday. Although the win does not count
toward Rowlands' regular season record, it elevated him past
Cummins in both the thewrestlingmall.com and W.I.N. magazine
polls. Rowlands remained at No. 2 in the amateur wrestling news
rankings.
Four
other Buckeyes rank within the Top 20 of their weight class in
all of the major polls. Senior Blake Kaplan, who wrestled at
174 in 2002-03, has jumped a weight class and sits at No. 11
in both the TWM and AWN polls and is as high at 10th in WIN.
Two
other seniors fall into the Top 15 in 149 Jeff Ratliff and 2003
All-American 165 John Clark are ranked No. 12 and 13 by TWM.
Ratliff also is ranked at No. 13 by W.I.N. and No. 14 by A.W.N.
Clark sits at 12th in W.I.N. and 17th in A.W.N.
J.D.
Bergman, at 197, recently made an improvement from No. 17 to
No. 20 in TWM. The freshman, who has been ranked as high as No.
6 this season by TWM, is not ranked by A.W.N., but does appear
at W.I.N.'s No. 16 position.
CLARK
SURPASSES CLARK
With his major decision win against Penn State Jan. 25, Ohio
State senior John Clark registered his 120th career win as a
Buckeye, which surpassed the 119 career wins his older brother
Mitch Clark accumulated during his national championship career
at Ohio State from 1994-98.
On
the season, J. Clark has 24 wins, upping his career record to
121-37. His 121 career triumphs is tied for seventh all-time
with former Buckeye wrestler and current assistant coach Ken
Ramsey.
OSU
- MICHIGAN: THE SERIES
Ohio State has compiled an overall record of 14-60-4 since the
Buckeyes began wrestling the Wolverines in 1924. The Buckeyes
scout their first victory over Michigan in the last 10 meetings
Friday night. Last year's bout concluded with a 26-17 victory
for the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
OHIO
STATE - MICHIGAN MATCH 2003
The Wolverines shot to an early 11-0 advantage, after scoring
a 5-point technical fall and a fall before Jeff Ratliff recorded
a decision. With two first-period takedowns and an escape early
in the second, Ratliff held a four-point advantage heading into
the final frame. Ratliff was able to counter a shot his aggressor
to add another takedown midway through the frame.
At
149 pounds, Ryan Churella added another six points to Michigan's
lead after earning a win by injury default over Josh Daugherty.
Ohio State closed the gap with a win at 157 pounds Keaton Anderson
earned a decision over Ryan Bertin. Anderson struck early with
a takedown in the first period and added another takedown and
a reversal in the second while holding Bertin to just three escapes
and closing the Buckeyes to within 17-6.
Michigan
extended its lead again after scoring a pin in the 165-pound
bout against John Clark. The Buckeyes cut the Michigan lead again
with back-to-back wins at 174 and 184 pounds. Blake Kaplan took
the early lead in 174 pound bout, escaping late in the period
to take the one-point victory. At 184 pounds, Casey Kapustka
scored 5 takedowns for an 11-7 decision victory.
Kyle
Smith, of Michigan, sealed the Wolverine dual victory with an
11-6 decision over Anton Talamantes at 197 pounds. Ohio State
added another win at heavyweight where Tommy Rowlands scored
nine takedowns and collected five near fall points to earn a
23-8 technical fall, ending the bout at 4:52. The win was not
enough to notch a victory, as the Buckeyes were defeated, 26-17.
SCOUTING
THE TEAM UP NORTH
Michigan enters this weekend's dual meet with a 13-2 overall
record and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are on a current
five-game winning streak, with wins against Big Ten foes Michigan
State, Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State.
Michigan
boasts a No. 2 ranking in the latest W.I.N. Magazine and TWM
polls and is tied for third in the NWCA coaches ranks.
Fifth-year
senior captain Foley Dowd was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the
Week on Jan. 21. Dowd was awarded Outstanding Wrestler of the
Tournament honors after notching a perfect 5-0 mark and helping
the Wolverines gain the early lead in every one of their duals
at the NWCA National Duals.
Joe
McFarland is in his fifth season as head coach for the University
of Michigan wrestling program. McFarland led the Wolverines to
an 11-6 record last season, a sixth-place finish at the Big Ten
Conference Championships and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA
Championships.
OHIO
STATE AND NORTHWESTERN: THE SERIES
Ohio State leads the all-time series with Northwestern by a 37-27-0
margin, dating back to 1924. The Buckeyes have won their last
two battles against the Wildcats, including a 25-14 victory last
year.
SCOUTING
NORTHWESTERN
The Wildcats have compiled a 9-4 record overall, but have yet
to score a victory in the Big Ten season in four bouts.
Northwestern
most recently dropped a 32-7 loss to Top 5 ranked Illinois last
week. Freshman Nick Hayes and sophomore Matt Delugurd were the
only two Wildcats to claim a win against the Illini. The win
is the fourth in four Big Ten bouts for Hayes.
LAST
YEAR: THE BUCKEYES VERSUS THE WILDCATS
Northwestern captured wins in three of the first four weight
classes to start the evening as the Wildcats scored major decisions
at both the 125 and 133 classes and combined a fall for an early
14-4 advantage. Jeff Ratliff posted a major decision in the 141
match to post the lone Buckeye score.
The
momentum began to shift in favor of Ohio State at 157 pounds,
where Keaton Anderson claimed his 31st win of 2003 and extended
his current win streak to 19 consecutive matches. John Clark
followed with a narrow win at 165, as OSU moved to within four
at 14-10.
The
Buckeyes climbed back to knot the dual score at 14-14 after a
convincing 13-0 major decision at 174 Blake Kaplan. The surge
continued as the Buckeyes swept the remaining matches at 184,
197 and HWT. Casey Kapustka and Anton Talamantes combined decision
wins at 184 and 197 as OSU took the 20-14 edge before HWT Tommy
Rowlands notched his third-consecutive win via technical fall,
ending the meet at 25-14 in favor of the Buckeyes.
ROWLANDS
EDGES CLOSER TO CAREER TAKEDOWN MARK
In the midst of his 23-7 technical fall triumph over Aaron Ferrance
of Bloomsburg in the third and final session of the Buckeye Duals
Jan. 3, Tommy Rowlands recorded his 600th career takedown. Rowlands
has since upped his career mark to 620. He is the second Buckeye
in program annals to reach the 600-takedown mark in his career.
Rowlands
will seek to claim the No. 1 slot in career takedowns in 2003-04.
He currently stands 26 shy of Adam DiSabato (1989-1993) after
recording four in his win over Isreal Blevins of Purdue Jan.
30.
ROWLANDS
REACHES 600 PLATEAU IN TEAM POINTS
With his first-round victory via fall in the Oklahoma Gold Classic,
Tommy Rowlands became the first Buckeye to eclipse the 500-team
point plateau in program history. Rowlands, who entered the season
as the all-time leader at OSU with 498.5 team points, now stands
at 624.5 for his career.
KAPLAN
IN MIDST OF CAREER SEASON
This season has proved to be a personal best for senior Blake
Kaplan, who has posted wins in 27 of his 32 matches, including
a 9-3 mark in dual bouts, which has upped his career dual record
to an outstanding 20-5 ledger.
The
27 wins thus far serves as a career-best for Kaplan as he exceeded
his previous high of 22 triumphs from last season. His nine dual
wins also stand as a career high.
Kaplan's
senior campaign also boasts new personal standards in all major
categories except takedowns, which the Cincinnati native could
set this weekend as he enters the bout with 35 takedowns this
season, just five shy of topping the 39 he recorded in 2002-03.
Kaplan,
a business finance major and three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete,
also has set personal-bests in major decisions, technical falls
and falls. The 184-pounder has defeated six opponents via major
decision this season, surmounting his previous record of five.
Kaplan's three falls also top his two posted in 2001-02, while
his three technical falls are just one shy of the four career
technical falls he carried into his final season. In addition,
his 91.5 team points pocketed this season has exceeded the 67.0
obtained in 2002-03 and equals his career total coming into this
season.
RATLIFF
SCORES 100th CAREER WIN
Ohio State senior Jeff Ratliff, who has seen action at both 141
and 149 this season, entered the 2003-04 season with 77 career
wins. The Marion, Ohio native emerged from the Buckeye Duals
on Jan. 3 with a 3-0 mark, upping career record at the time to
100-56.
Ratliff
is the second Buckeye this season to reach the 100-win plateau
as fellow senior John Clark reached the milestone early this
season at the Michigan State Open.
Ratliff
and Clark are the fifth and sixth Buckeyes to win match No. 100
in the last three seasons, joining Rowlands and departed senior
Keaton Anderson, who reached 100 last season and Robert Sessley
and Nick Preston in 2001-02.
HELLICKSON
COACHES 400th DUAL MATCH AT OSU, CLOSES UPON 5OOth CAREER DUAL
Ohio State head coach Russ Hellickson reached his 250th career
dual win at OSU last season and recorded his 325th overall dual
win earlier in 2004. The second match at the Chattanooga tri-meet
vs. Missouri served as the 400th dual Hellickson has coached
in his 18 seasons at Ohio State.
Heading
into Friday, Hellickson is just three dual meets shy of coaching
match No. 500 in his career.
OHIO
STATE RANKED AMONG NATIONAL TOP 25
The Buckeyes, who recorded wins in five of their first six duals
before snapping a five-match losing streak with the win over
Purdue last Friday, are recognized among the Top 25 in the nation
by two amateur wrestling publications as the enters the weekend
series with UM and NU.
The
Buckeyes sit as high at 19th in the latest W.I.N. Magazine poll
and 21st in the last NWCA Coaches rankings. Ohio State fell from
the Top 25 in thewrestlingmall.com poll for the first time this
season in the Feb. 4 poll.
UP
NEXT
The Buckeyes head to Illinois for a bout with the Top 5 ranked
Illini Friday, Feb. 13 before returning back to St. John Arena
to play host to Michigan State at 2 p.m. and Central Michigan
at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15.
PENN
Penn
Heads To Brown and Harvard for Ancient Eight Match-ups
Feb. 5, 2004
Heather A. Palmer
What's
ahead
No. 15 Quakers travel to Providence, R.I. and Boston, Mass. for
two Ancient Eight contests over the weekend.
The
Quakers (5-6) enter the contest against Brown (3-7) with a 10-match
win streak against the Bears, while the Red and Blue have won
the last 13-straight dual meets against the Crimson (0-8).
Penn
has been a force to reckon with in the Ivy League for the past
10 years. During that time the Quakers won eight Ancient Eight
titles including seven straight.
Brown
vs. Penn - The series
The Quakers are 25-19 all-time against the Bears having won the
last 10-straight matches. The two teams met for the first time
in Weightman Gym on Jan. 23, 1926, with Brown taking home a 15-11
victory.
Scouting
the Bears
The Bears are 3-7 on the season with wins over Springfield (26-13),
Drexel (22-14) and Cal State - Fullerton (28-9). Senior David
Dies leads the team in victories with a 21-6 record. Dies, who
is currently ranks 18th at 149 pounds by W.I.N. magazine, finished
sixth at the Las Vegas Open earlier this season and pulled out
a 6-5 decision over Matt Anderson of Lehigh. Nick Ciarcia of
Brown is the only other Bear ranked in the country. The 184 pounder
ranks 19th by W.I.N. magazine with a 12-7 overall record including
winning the Keystone Classic in November.
Harvard
vs. Penn - the series
The Crimson hold a slim 30-29-2 advantage in the all-time series.
Under coach Reina, the Red and Blue are 13-4 against Harvard
having won the last 13-straight contests. Penn won the first
meeting between the two schools on March 2, 1929.
Scouting
the Crimson
Harvard has struggled throughout the 2003-04 season having faced
five ranked opponent thus far. The Crimson are 0-7 on the season.
Senior Jesse Jantzen, ranked No. 1 at 149 pounds, sports an 18-1
record including an unblemished 7-0 at 149 pounds. Jantzen has
also seen success at 157 pounds. At the Cliff Keen Invitational,
Jantzen made it to the semifinal round before falling to No.
1 Alex Tirapelle in the semifinals.
Getting
Back on Track
Junior Richard Ferguson has won his last three matches. His first
win at 165 pounds was a 6-3 decision over Casey Flaherty of Minnesota.
The Beach Haven, N.J. native followed up with a come-from-behind,
4-3, victory against Dan Miracola of Cornell. Against Columbia,
Ferguson defeated Golden Baker, 10-4.
Sophomore
Studs
The Class of 2006 is a talented group of grapplers. As freshman
the group was named the number one recruiting class in the country
by W.I.N. Magazine. The Class of 2006 did not disappoint as rookies
and so far this season have lived up to expectations. Three members
of the sophomore class are mainstays in the starting line-up
- Matt Valenti (125), Matt Eveleth (133) and Matt Herrington
(174). The trio has scored 68 team points so far this season.
Mike Silengo (125) has made two dual meet starts, both wins,
for the Hilltop, Colo. native. Dustin Wiles recently made his
first dual meet start of the season, pinning Sven Havemeister
of Columbia. As a class the sophomores make up 41 percent of
the points scored in dual meets. Wiles and Eveleth currently
rank third on the team in falls with five each.
Ivy
League Honor Roll
The Ivy League has been honoring grapplers throughout the season
for their performances on the mat. Three Quakers have been named
to the honor roll over the last month.
*Senior
Greg Hallahan was named to the honor roll for Feb. 4 after upsetting
No. 13 Tyler Baier of Cornell.
*Junior
Matt Feast earned the distinction on Jan. 21 after going 4-1
at the National Duals and leading his team to an eighth place
finish.
*
Sophomore Matt Herrington was named to the first honor roll of
the season (Jan. 7). He placed fifth at the Midlands (at 174
pounds) as the No. 7 seed, upsetting No. 2 seed Sean Harrington
ARIZONA
STATE
Regular
Season Road Finale Awaits Sun Devil Wrestling
Arizona State takes to the road for the final time until NCAA
meet
February 4, 2004
Alex Ryan
Complete
Release and Stats at:
http://thesundevils.ocsn.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/020404aaa.html
TEMPE,
Ariz. - The No. 16 Arizona State wrestling team (8-6, 4-0 Pac-10)
takes to the road for its last three away duals of the season
as the Sun Devils head to Portland State, No. 25 Cal Poly and
No. 23 Cal State Bakersfield this weekend. The action opens Friday
at 7:30 p.m. with the Sun Devils and Vikings meeting in Portland,
Ore. On Sunday, the Sun Devils face the Mustangs in San Luis
Obispo, Calif., at 1 p.m. before traveling to Bakersfield, Calif.,
for a 7:30 p.m. start with the Roadrunners. All three duals will
count toward the team's Pac-10 record.
SOMETHING
FAMILIAR?
For the fourth time in program history, the Sun Devils will face
both Cal Poly and Cal State Bakersfield on the road either on
the same day or within one day of each other. In the three previous
instances, Arizona State has gone 5-1. Most recently, the Sun
Devils downed the Mustangs, 28-15, in San Luis Obispo, Calif.,
before heading to Bakersfield, Calif., where they won, 40-6,
on Jan. 26, 2002. During the 1984 season, ASU won, 20-19, on
Feb. 1 at CSUB before downing CPU on Feb. 2, 28-14. The only
time the Sun Devils have met defeat in this situation came in
the 1973-74 season. ASU opened the trip with a 25-15 win in Bakersfield
on Feb. 1 before dropping a 36-3 dual at CPU on Feb. 2.
THREE
IN A ROAD
The last time the Sun Devils took a road trip that involved a
trio of duals in the same weekend was the 1994-95 season. Arizona
State opened with a 19-12 win at Fresno State on Feb. 10 before
handing Oregon a 29-9 defeat Feb. 11 in Eugene, Ore. On the third
day of the trip, Feb. 12, the Sun Devils fell in Corvallis, Ore.,
to Oregon State in a 26-20 conference dual.
BIG
WIN
Though the team was unable to avenge an earlier loss to No. 2
Nebraska last week, several individuals were. One in particular
was Ryan Bader at 197. Ranked fourth at the time, Bader went
up against No. 3 B.J. Padden and won the dual on his home mat
in convincing fashion, 10-3. Three weeks earlier, Padden, then
No. 4, handed an 8-2 loss to No. 2 Bader at the Virginia Duals
to halt the Sun Devil wrestler's six-match winning streak. For
the year, Bader is 23-4.
LITTLE
GUYS, BIG BATTLES
The two lightest competitors on the team have the toughest tests
this weekend. Following a dual in Portland with the Vikings,
No. 11 Christian Staylor (125) and No. 10 Mike Simpson (133)
will have to gear up for a tough day as each will face a pair
of foes ranked higher than them in the national lists. For Staylor,
he will have to face No. 6 Vic Moreno of Cal Poly before meeting
No. 5 Efren Ceballos of Cal State Bakersfield in the road finale.
Simpson will first meet No. 7 Darrell Vasquez of CPU before closing
the road trip with No. 8 Matt Sanchez of CSUB.
A
LOOK AT: PORTLAND STATE
The Vikings enter the contest with a 1-8 overall record and 0-4
mark in the Pac-10 Conference under 20th-year head coach Marlin
Grahn. Portland State has dropped four duals in a row and have
lost the last three at home. In their last three duals, the Vikings
have been shutout, dropping a 52-0 decision to CS Bakersfield,
a 49-0 decision to Oregon State and a 45-0 decision to the Cowboys
of Wyoming.
SUN
DEVILS VS. VIKINGS
Arizona State leads the all-time series, 6-1-0 and has won the
last six duals. Overall, the Sun Devils are 2-1 in duals contested
in Portland, including a 33-8 decision in their last trip to
PSU in 1988. The Sun Devils won the last meeting, 36-9, a year
ago in Tempe.
A
LOOK AT: No. 25 CAL POLY
The Mustangs enter the weekend with a 5-6 overall record and
stand 2-2 in the conference. Cal Poly, under the direction of
first-year coach John Azevedo, had lost four duals in a row before
scoring a 22-16 win on the road at Fresno State last weekend.
SUN
DEVILS VS. MUSTANGS
The Sun Devils lead the all-time series, 27-7-0, and have won
19 duals in a row. In duals contested in San Luis Obispo, Arizona
State with 12-4 and has won the last nine duals. In the last
meeting, ASU won, 32-9, in Tempe.
A
LOOK AT: NO. 23 CS BAKERSFIELD
Perhaps the most well-rounded team in the conference with a wrestler
ranked in the Top 8 of the Pac-10 individual rankings, the 11-1
(6-1 Pac-10) Roadrunners have won two in a row since their first
loss of the season, a 22-14 setback at Oregon State. T.J. Kerr,
in his 20th year with the program and 33rd in the profession,
led his team to nine wins in a row before their first stumble
of the season.
SUN
DEVILS VS. ROADRUNNERS
Arizona State is 17-6-1 in the series with Cal State Bakersfield
and has won the last four duals. The Sun Devils also are 6-0-1
in the last seven contests. ASU has won the last four contests
in Bakersfield and holds a 10-2-0 advantage in the series at
the home of the Roadrunners. Last year, the Sun Devils won the
meeting, 28-18, in Tempe.
ARIZONA
STATE IN THE RANKINGS
Arizona State enters the weekend ranked No. 16 by the National
Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and holds rankings of 17th
(The Wrestling Mall) and 19th (InterMat) in the Feb. 3 polls.
INDIVIDUAL
RANKINGS
Six Sun Devils remained in the latest national individual rankings
released by Amateur Wrestling News (Feb. 3) with Ryan Bader (197)
again leading the way after reclaiming the No. 2 position in
the polls. Also in the rankings are No. 8 Cain Velasquez (HWT),
No. 10 Mike Simpson (133), No. 10 Nick Frost (184), No. 11 Christian
Staylor (125) and No. 11 Patrick Williams (149).
PAC-10
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
With the rankings being expanded to a Top 8 poll this week, nine
of the 10 Sun Devil starters have made the list with three holding
the top ranking and another five coming in at No. 2. In first
place are Patrick Williams (149), Ryan Bader (197) and Cain Velasquez
(HWT). The runners-up are Christian Staylor (125), Mike Simpson
(133), Brian Stith (157), Ron Renzi (174) and Nick Frost (184).
NEXT
TIME ON THE MATS
The final weekend of dual competition takes place next week with
a pair of non-conference duals slated for Wells Fargo Arena.
The Sun Devils will face Fresno State at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb.
13, before ending the regular season Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
with No. 19 Northern Iowa. From there, Arizona State will have
a week off from competition before playing host to the 2004 Pac-10
Championships, Feb. 29-March 1, inside WFA.
NC
STATE
NC
State Wrestling Defeats Old Dominion, 27-21
Wolfpack Wins Battle Of Banged-Up Teams
February 4, 2004
Bruce Winkworth
RALEIGH,
N.C. * In a bout that featured two teams wracked by injuries,
three pins, a forfeit and an injury default, NC State won the
first four matches and took five of 10 overall Wednesday night
for a 27-21 dual-match victory over Old Dominion at Reynolds
Coliseum.
The
Wolfpack, which improved to 7-3 with the win, was without 157-pounder
Scott Garren (11-2) and 165-pounder Dustin Kawa (11-3), while
the Monarchs, who dropped to 3-9, were without 133-pounder Chris
Buckner (9-6), 149-pounder Dennis Whitby (13-12), and 197-pounder
John Dolida (4-7), all out with injuries. The Monarchs forfeited
at 197, and the replacements for the other four all lost.
Jeremy
Hartrum got the match started quickly for the Wolfpack, getting
a takedown and near fall in the first minute of the match, then
picked up two more near falls in the first period en route to
a 19-1 technical fall over Jared Smith (3-15) and a 5-0 lead
in the team scoring. Hartrum scored five near falls and 12 back
points in the bout.
Garrett
Cummings (8-5), moving up a weight to 133, got two takedowns,
an escape and riding time to take a 6-2 decision over Billy Hayduk
(4-11), and Alex Hernandez, after recording seven takedowns and
a reversal, pinned Billy Hayduk with seven seconds left in the
bout for a 14-0 lead for NC State.
The
Wolfpack continued to roll at 149 as Jake Giamoni (12-5) notched
10 takedowns and picked up a major decision over Josh Puryear
(0-1), but the Monarchs got on the scoreboard with back-to-back
pins at 157 and 165. Jesse Pearce (17-8) pinned Eric Heath (2-6)
at 1:41 in the 157 match, and John Adams (20-13) pinned Javon
Powell at the 4:32 mark. That cut the NC State lead to 18-12.
At
174, NC State freshman Rick Brownlee (2-6) scored a takedown
and a near fall in the early moments of the match and then held
on for a 5-2 decision over Matt Ulrey (12-12), which gave the
Pack a 21-12 lead in the team scoring and effectively clinched
the team victory because after Adam Wright (20-8) of ODU defeated
Daniel Humphries (11-10) by injury default, the Monarchs forfeited
the 197 match to NC State's Zach Garren (11-9), giving the Wolfpack
a 27-18 lead with only the heavyweight match remaining.
At
heavyweight, ODU's Derrell Lorthridge (26-8) defeated the Pack's
Jainor Palma (7-12) 7-4 to wrap up the match.
NC
State will return to action on Saturday at seventh-ranked Lehigh.
That match will begin at 3 p.m. The Wolfpack's next home match
will be Wednesday, February 11, against North Carolina, beginning
at 7:30 p.m.
NC
State 27, Old Dominion 22
125 * Jeremy Hartrum (NCS) tech fall Jared Smith, 19-1 at 4:06
133 * Garrett Cummings (NCS) dec. Billy Hayduk, 6-2
141 * Alex Hernandez (NCS) pinned Billy Hayduk, at 6:53
149 * Jake Giamoni (NCS) major dec. Josh Puryear, 21-9
157 * Jesse Pearce (ODU) pinned Eric Heath, at 1:41
165 * John Adams (ODU) pinned Javon Powell, at 4:32
174 * Rick Brownlee (NCS) dec. Matt Ulrey, 5-3
184 * Adam Wright (ODU) won by injury default over Daniel Humphries
197 * Zach Garren (NCS) won by forfeit
Hwt * Derrell Lorthridge (ODU) dec. Jainor Palma, 7-4
Source:
ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
"Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature
... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his
action. If you know these things about a person, you can touch
him at the core of his being."
William Bernbach, 1911-1982, American Advertising Executive
|
Super
Brawl Results
Super Brawl 33
Saturday Night, Feb 7th, 2004
Blaisdell Arena
Honolulu, Hawaii
137.5lbs
3x3 min
Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory) 1-7 vs Harvey Nakamoto (Grappling
Unlimited) 2-0
Newalu by unanimous decision after three rounds
175lbs 3x3 min
Ben George (Bull's pen) 0-1 vs. Bryson Monterde (808 Fight Factory)
1-2
Monterde by ref stoppage at 4:55 min in round 1
155lbs
Tournament Semi Final #1 3x3 min
Mike Bauer (HMC) 0-1 vs Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory)
7-7
Sarmiento by unanimous decision after three rounds.
155lb
Tournament Semi Final #2 3x3 min
Paul Laga (Bull's Pen) 2-2 vs Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited)
6-5
Koka by ref stoppage at 2:51 min in round 1
155lb
Exhibition Kick Boxing 5x3 min
Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited) 7-2-1 vs Jens "Little
Evil" Pulver (Team Extreme) 19-5-1
Exhibition bout, doctor stoppage due to cut to Pulver in round
2.
155lb
Tournament Finals
Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) 7-7 vs Kolo Koka (Grappling
Unlimited) 6-5
Sarmiento by unanimous decision after three rounds. Sarmiento
is the 4-man tournament champion, but both Sarmiento and Koka
advance on to the 8-man best "unknown" 155 lb tournament
to be held in a June Super Brawl.
170lbs
3x5 min
Kyle Brees (Team SRJ, Arizona) 9-4 vs. Ronald Jhun (808 Fight
Factory) 20-11
Jhun by ref stop (at the same time corner threw in towel) at
4:59 in round 3.
Heavyweight
3x5 min
Vince Lucero (Phoenix, AZ) 13-6 vs Justin Eilers (Team Extreme,
Davenport, Iowa) 7-3-1
Eilers by doctor stoppage due to injured shoulder in round 1
MAIN
EVENT 185 lbs 3x5 min
Dave Menne (Menne's Combat Academy) 33-10-3 vs Falaniko Vitale
(Grappling Unlimited #1 SB Contender) 15-3
Vitale by unanimous decision after 3 rounds
Incredible Fight! |
Ring
Of Honor Tournament Today!
Submission Grappling Tournament
Campbell High School Gym
February 8, 2004
Weigh-ins 7 am to 9:30 am
Rules Meeting at 10:00 am and tournament starts right after that.
$40 on the day of the event
Source: Promoter
|
VERISSIMO
BREAKS THUMB IN WIN OVER NEWTON
MMAWeekly Radio caught up with Renato Verissimo Thursday from
his home in Hawaii. Renato was on his way to the doctor because
he dislocated and broke his thumb during his dominating victory
over Carlos Newton. He will be out for four to six weeks with
pins put in place but will make a 100% recovery.
Verissimo
said it was tougher than he thought to overcome the awe of fighting
in the UFC. On his way to the octagon he was thinking just to
not freak out and not to let Carlos take control of the fight.
He didn't freak out or let Newton get control. Renato won every
aspect of the fight but gave a lot of credit to Carlos. He said
Carlos is the type of guy who doesn't give up and Verissimo learned
some things in the fight. He added, "I had to give everything
to keep control of the fight."
Verissimo
is BJ Penn's Jui-Jitsu coach and spoke about watching BJ capture
the welterweight title from Matt Hughes while he was warming
up for his match. "When he went to his back, I said oh my
God that's it." stated Renato. You could tell by the sound
of his voice that he was proud of Penn and enjoyed watching him
win maybe even more than winning himself.
Renato
moved to Hawaii from Brazil in 1997 and has been in competition
his entire life. He attributes his success to a lot of good training
and will be fighting in May at "Rumble on the Rock."
As far as his future in the 170lb. weight division in the UFC,
he is up for whatever challenge they present him. A belt is important
to his career but he is in no hurry to get one and hopes BJ stays
the champ for a long time. "I fight for the love of competition,"
he added.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
CARLOS
NEWTON TALKS ABOUT LOSS
Carlos
Newton is coming off a devastating loss at UFC 46 to Renato Churuto
Verissimo in the Octagon. Newton took time to jump on the Underground
at MMA.TV and provided this statement on the Canadian forum.
"Hi
Guys, I have been getting many questions on the fight, mostly,
what the heck happened? First, I would like to apologize not
for losing the fight but for the fight being so boring.
"As
for what happened? well, 1. Charuto happened. A great grappler
with a bright future ahead of him, Congratulations Renato! 2.
I never felt so sluggish and weak in a fight ever before. Perhaps
the late coming in didn't help but I think it had more to do
with weight category and training ethic.
"To
elaborate on the above, I have been weight training over the
last year to keep size up for Pride and I think cutting the weight
is really hurting me. I believe perhaps I have physically outgrown
170lbs. Also in hind sight, if I'm being honest, "you fight
the way you train" and my attentions have been divided.
It's obvious to me now, as I see it with one black eye, I must
make changes to my lifestyle.
"My
academic carreer will be put on hold until I have made much improvement
in my abilities to perform at todays fast improving level of
competition. I probably should have made such a decision long
ago, but it is sometimes hard to let go of some dreams in order
to acheive others; and being in love doesn't help when it comes
to chosing the fight game over your long term future.
"I
would like to thank my supporters, who haven't broken their legs
yet jumping off my band wagon; I have just one thing to say to
you guys, "we'll be back". And I have to thank my consistant
training partners (despite what Joe Rogan says) who are excellent!
If any of you guys on the forum want to help me train for a future
fight just let me know through my new web sight Carlos Newton.com
or at WarriorMAC.com. I am certainly going to need all the help
I can get.
"Thanks
for the time and all of your support in the past,
Carlos
Newton"
Source:
MMA Weekly |
BJ
PENN ON FRONT PAGE OF HAWAIIAN NEWSPAPER
The
following newspaper article is courtesy of the Hawaii Tribune
as BJ Penn was on the front page yesterday. Here is the article...
By
John Burnett/ For the Tribune-Herald
BJ
"The Prodigy" Penn, the new Ultimate Fighting Championships'
welterweight champion, is a shining star under the corona of
bright lights that illuminate the UFC's octagonal cage. But once
the belt that had belonged to Matt Hughes was buckled around
Penn's waist, the obligatory ring interview and post - fight
press conferences had been conducted and the lights and the pay
- per - view cameras were turned off, the new champ left Las
Vegas at his earliest opportunity. You see, Penn is a proud Hilo
boy at heart.
"I
couldn't wait to get home," said the 25 - year - old Penn,
who now must be considered the best mixed martial artist pound
- for - pound in the world, after just his ninth MMA fight.
Penn
ran his MMA record to 7 - 1 - 1 with his first - round submission
victory Saturday night over Hughes (36 - 4), a two - time NCAA
All - American wrestler from Hillsboro, Ill., who entered the
octagon a 3 - 1 fight night favorite. Penn weighed in for the
bout at 169 pounds, one pound under the contract limit. He appeared
to have grown stronger without losing any of the speed he possessed
in the 155 - pound lightweight division, where he was the dominant
figure despite losing a controversial decision to then - champion
Jens Pulver and fighting to a draw with Japan's Caol Uno, a fighter
he had previously knocked out in 11 seconds, in his two previous
title fights.
"I
had already given up on the (title) belt already," Penn
said Monday at his family's Puueo home. "I never thought
it would be happen. It's definitely some closure in my life.
I wanted a belt so bad I couldn't sleep at night. But it had
to be a UFC belt. That's why when I fought (Japan's Takanori)
Gomi, I told them not to make a belt, just a trophy."
Penn
dominated Gomi in Rumble on the Rock 4 in the same manner he
dispatched Hughes, with superior speed, striking skill, and once
the action went to the mat, or "ground" in MMA parlance,
using leverage techniques until the opportunity for the submission
hold, in both cases a s, presented itself.
The
rear naked choke is a hold designed to cut off the flow of blood
to the opponent's brain and render him unconscious if he does
not submit, a "sleeper" hold, if you will. It is taken
from Brazilan jiu - jitsu, a martial arts form in which Penn
is the only non - Brazilian ever to have won a world title belt,
doing so at age 21. Brazilian jiu - jitsu, or BJJ, is a very
technical form of grappling in which combatants win by forcing
their opponents to submit, unlike Greco - Roman and freestyle
wrestling, where the grapplers try to pin the shoulder blades
of their opponents. Brazilian jiu - jitsu athletes, such as Penn,
tend to do well in MMA competitions, shows that are wildly popular
(11,000 - plus packed the arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and
Casino to watch UFC 46: Supernatural, the fight card in which
Penn won his belt) despite being largely ignored by the mainstream
media and televised only on a pay - per - view basis. Some opponents,
including Arizona US Senator John McCain, have portrayed MMA
fights as "human cockfighting."
"It's
the most technical, scientific sport with an incredible amount
of strategy and ring generalship necessary to be successful,"
Penn said. "It is also an appealing sport. You have both
the excitement of boxing and the spectacle of wrestling. You
have so many opportunities to have so many different kinds of
matches in this sport. You can be really creative as a matchmaker.
You've got wrestlers; you've got jiu - jitsu guys; you've got
boxers; you've got kickboxers; you've got judo guys; you've got
tae kwon do. There are so many styles that you can put up against
one another and so many things as a mixed martial artist that
you can call on. The possibilities are endless."
It
seems the roll call of possible opponents for Penn is endless
as well. Penn says he wants to go back to 155 pounds to settle
an old score with Pulver; a rubber match with Uno or a rematch
with Hughes also loom as possibilities. One other possible opponent
is Renato "Charuto" Verissimo, a Brazilian who lives
in Hilo and who serves as Penn's jiu - jitsu trainer and sparring
partner. Verissimo (4 - 0 MMA with one no decision), made his
own successful debut into the UFC welterweight fray Saturday,
taking an impressive unanimous decision over highly - regarded
former welterweight titleholder Carlos Newton.
"No,"
said Penn when asked about fighting the charismatic Charuto,
who is also his close personal friend. "Never. Never. Never.
I'll let him have the welterweights and I'll go back to lightweight
before I let that happen."
As
for his assessment of his friend's chances in the UFC welterweight
division, Penn said, "I think Charuto can go all the way.
The way he just dominated Newton was really amazing. It was a
great performance."
Penn
says that despite his own impressive showing at welterweight,
he has no problem losing the extra 15 pounds to make the lightweight
limit.
"I
train the same way; I just eat differently," he said. "For
(the Hughes) fight, I ate whatever I wanted. I'd go to all the
fast food places."
Penn,
who is single, does enjoy an occasional adult beverage, but said
he doesn't drink while training for a fight, regardless of weight
class. When it was pointed out that beer tastes better when you're
the champion, a smile crossed his face and he replied, "Yeah."
Penn's
parents, JD Penn and Lorraine Shin, are prominent property owners
in Puueo. The Penn family, which includes brothers Jay, Jaydee,
Regan and Kalani, also runs BJ Penn Enterprises, a blanket organization
that includes BJ Penn Communications, a satellite TV, wireless
phone and internet service provider, and Prodigy Productions,
a promotions company that puts on the Rumble on the Rock series
of MMA fight cards. Penn also has his own mixed martial arts
academy, which recently moved to the old Hilo Macaroni Factory
building on Kinoole Street. Construction is ongoing and Penn
said that he would like to turn the place into a spa as well
as a dojo.
"Something
really nice and clean, something classy like you see in the Vegas
hotels," he said. "Hot tubs, cold plunges, massage
- you name it."
Penn
excused himself to go upstairs and retrieve his title belt. It
is a heavy piece of hardware, a beautifully crafted wide black
leather belt with gold - plated metal lettering reading "UFC"
encrusted with a rhinestone patina. It is the ultimate bling
- bling for an ultimate fighter, one he will almost certainly
have to defend.
"I
was down to the last fight on my (UFC) contract, but now that
I've won the belt, I think there might be a clause in my contract
that I have to fight two more fights for them," he said.
Penn,
who earns a six - figure per bout purse, is now in a position
to do some dictating while negotiating fight terms with the UFC.
As far as the champ's immediate plans go, "I haven't even
considered it in my head yet," he said.
"I
need to talk to the UFC in a couple of months or so. I don't
want to just rush out and fight somebody. I want to relax a little
bit. I want to take at least six months before I fight again.
I don't want to be one of those guys who fights every couple
of months."
Source:
MMA Weekly |
DANA
WHITE TALKS ABOUT WHY
PRELIMS WEREN'T SHOWN
UFC
president Dana White addressed some of the issues of UFC 46 on
MMAWeekly Radio yesterday. The UFC President showed up in the
livefighter chat answering questions from the fans.
Ryan Bennett called White yesterday as he answered some questions
and commented on some future plans of the UFC. Zuffa had every
intention on showing the prelim match up of Hermes Franca and
Josh Thomson on the Pay Per View broadcast but a production mistake
kept that from happening. White said the match was supposed to
be shown, but the production truck misunderstood what fights
they were supposed to show. Another production mistake was the
reading of the celebrity list. This was supposed to be for the
in house crowd only and not the television viewers.
Dana
would like to get BJ Penn to fight at UFC 48 in June but hasn't
talked with Penn since BJ defeated Matt Hughes. A rematch of
Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture is being planned for the same
event in June with the winners of it and the Tito Ortiz vs Chuck
Liddell fight, facing off in September. Ken Shamrock will be
on the 48 card as well. White confirmed that UFC 48 will be held
in Las Vegas making it the third UFC show in a row there.
There
was plenty more discussed. If you get a chance, check out the
radio archives as yesterday's show was one of the better shows
this year. Just click on the radio archive and listen to the
best MMA radio show on the planet at mmaweeklyradio.com
Source:
MMA Weekly |
|
BJ
PENN TALKS ABOUT FUTURE
MMAWeekly
Radio's Wednesday show was jammed backed with Super Brawl promoter,
TJ Thompson, newly crowned UFC welterweight champion BJ Penn,
Frank Mir and the UFC president Dana White. TJ Thompson's Super
Brawl XXXIII is this Saturday with a main event featuring Falaniko
Vitale and Dave Menne.
The
new UFC welterweight champion BJ Penn woke up early to call in
and is enjoying being back home in Hawaii. Penn said he knew
he was the stronger person going in to his fight with Matt Hughes
and wanted to show it. He wanted to "man handle Matt Hughes
in there." BJ has nothing set up as far as future fights
are concerned at 170 pounds. He commented on his Jiu-Jitsu coach
Charuto Verissimo's dominating victory over Carlos Newton, saying
it wasn't even a fight really. Penn stated, "there isn't
enough money in the world" to fight Charuto.
Penn
did say that a fight he has been asking for a long time may finally
happen. Jens Pulver who gave BJ his only MMA loss is asking for
a fight. Penn doesn't care where it happens, he just wants it
to happen. He just wants to take fights that "motivate"
him. Penn said he isn't going to fight within weight divisions.
He
added, "I just want to fight all the best people, I wanna
fight the next BJ Penn." It is tough for BJ to get himself
up for a fight with no belt on the line and the fact that there
is no belt at 155 was a major factor in him moving up a weight
class. BJ wants to be in the fight game for a long time and said
that he may only fight one fight a year for the next ten years
to not get "burned out." When asked if he was now the
pound for pound best fighter in the world, Penn replied, "If
a smaller guy beats the pound for pound number one, what does
that say?"
Source:
MMA Weekly |
Quote
of the Day
"We are not just our behavior, we are the person managing
our behavior."
Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D., American Business Lecturer, Author
|
Super
Brawl Tonight!
Get your tickets and come meet a ton of UFC veterans!
Matt Hughes
Tim Sylvia
Jens Pulver
Dave Menne
Falaniko Vitale
Enson Inoue
BJ Penn
Super
Brawl 33
Saturday Night, Feb 7th, 2004
Blaisdell Arena
Honolulu, Hawaii
7:30 PM
Fight Card
175lbs
1. Ben George (Bull's pen) 0-1 vs. Bryson Monterde (808 Fight
Factory) 1-2
137.5lbs
2. Ed Nawalu (808 Fight Factory) 1-7 vs Harvey Nakamoto (Grappling
Unlimited) 2-0
155lbs
Tournament Semi Final #1
3. Mike Bauer (HMC) 0-1 vs Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory)
7-7
155lb
Tournament Semi Final #2
4. Paul Laga (Bull's Pen) 2-2 vs Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited)
6-5
155lb
Kick Boxing
5. Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited) 7-2-1 vs Jens "Little
Evil" Pulver (Team Extreme) 19-5-1
Intermission
155lb
Tournament Finals
170lbs
7. Kyle Brees (Team SRJ, Arizona) 9-4 vs. Ronald Jhun (808 Fight
Factory) 20-11
Heavyweight
8. Vince Lucero (Phoenix, AZ) 13-6 vs Justin Eilers (Team Extreme,
Davenport, Iowa) 7-3-1
MAIN
EVENT 185 lbs
9. Dave Menne (Menne's Combat Academy) 33-10-3 vs Falaniko Vitale
(Grappling Unlimited #1 SB Contender) 15-3 |
Ring
Of Honor Tournament Tomorrow!
Submission Grappling Tournament
Campbell High School Gym
February 8, 2004
Weigh-ins 7 am to 9:30 am
Rules Meeting at 10:00 am and tournament starts right after that.
$30 pre-registration/$40 on the day of the event
Source: Promoter
|
The
First Maui Invitiational is going to Rock
Our
friend Luis 'Limao' Heredia has been working hard for the maiden
edition of the Maui Invitational. Word is that all the Island
schools are preparing hard to compete in it, including Relson
Gracie Oahu' Maui Jiu-Jitsu, BJ Penn & Charuto's, Egan Inoue
& Bruno Ewald. Additionally many fighters from the mainland
are taking the opportunity for some fighting and some Aloha,
schools like Rickson Gracie, Charles Gracie, Beverly Hills JJ,
Jay Janero's, Cleber Luciano, Rodrigo Medeiros & Megaton's.
The
Onzuka brothers will be there to help run the tournament and
bring some of Relson's team to compete...And get some Krispy
Kreme donuts.
The
event will take place on February 15th at the War Memorial in Kahului, Maui and is being
sponsored by SINISTER CLOTHING,ATAMA KIMONO,MAUI JIM SUNGLASSES,
SAMBAZON ACAI,PAIA FISH MARKET. After the event of course you
can party at the beach, get some waves or catch some rays. Brazil's
Sport TV's Jorge Guimaraes will be covering the vent as well.
For
more info and to sign up contact LFHEREDIA@aol.com
|
'Little
Evil' Jens Pulver will debut in SHOOTO,
March 22nd!
SHOOTO
Japan is known as the best event for the lightweight fighters,
so it seems normal that SHOOTO Japan wants to bring in some of
most respected lightweight fighters around the world to add to
their talent pool. Now, ther eis news that the former UFC lightweight
champion, Jens 'The Little Evil' Pulver. Pulver is booked to
face the SHOOTO veteran, Naoya Uematsu on the March 22nd event
scheduled for Tokyo's Kourakuen Hall.
Besides
their own match, this fight will bring excitement for SHOOTO
fans, since Pulver will be fighting in under 65kg where the Brazilian
Alexandre 'Pequeno' is the champion, and where another Brazilian,
Joao Roque, is hot on his heels, looking for the lightweight
belt. A victory for Pulver over Uematsu may lead to fights such
as 'Pequeno' x Pulver or a UFC re-match - Pulver versus Roque
- in SHOOTO Japan.
One
interesting point regarding this match between Uematsu and Pulver
is their records in each of their last 4 fights. Though both
were once at the top of the game in their weight classes, both
are coming from 2 defeats and 2 victories, and are looking for
their first 2004 win. Word is that Pulver, also has a fight in
SuperBrawl 33 next weekend.
Source: ADCC
|
Boxing:
Lennox Lewis retires
World
heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has confirmed his retirement
from professional boxing. The 38-year-old Briton has not fought
since June last year, when he stopped Vitali Klitschko after
a tough fight.
He
has been under pressure to decide on his future and the World
Boxing Council set him a 1 March deadline to confirm a rematch
with the Ukrainian.
His
decision means that he is the first reigning heavyweight champion
to retire since Rocky Marciano in 1956.
'This
is a special day in my life,' said Lewis. 'I would like to announce
that 21 June 2003 was my last fight as a professional boxer.'
Source:
ADCC
|
BUSHIDO
VOLUME 2 …
“CRO COP” AND SHERK ADDED
From
Dream Stage Entertainment - February 4, 2004
LOS
ANGELES, California – Three more fights have been added
to the PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 fightcard which will take place
on February 15th, 2004 from the Yokohama Arena in Japan and is
scheduled to debut on North American pay per view on March 21st,
2004.
The
first match features Croatia’s Mirko “Cro Cop”
Filipovic against Japanese fighter Yoshihisa Yamamoto (formerly
known as Norihisa Yamamoto). Ever since his devastating title
fight loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at FINAL CONFLICT, “Cro
Cop” has been on a quest to tear down all opponents in his
way to a rematch with Nogueira. At INFERNO on February 1st, “Cro
Cop” earned a TKO victory, taking out UFC veteran and highly
regarded American wrestler, Ron “H2O” Waterman. Yamamoto
was also featured on that card and came away with the biggest
win of his career, defeating “The Smashing Machine”
Mark Kerr via TKO in Round 1.
Also
added … UFC veteran Sean Sherk (18-1) makes his PRIDE FC
debut going head to head with Ryuki Ueyama of the U-File camp.
Sherk fights out of Minneapolis, Minnesota and is known as one
of the strongest fighters in the world at 170 pounds. Ueyama
has fought most of his career in DEEP and will be making his
PRIDE FC debut. In the third match, Wajyutsu fighter Yusin Okami
of Japan brings his 7-1 record to PRIDE FC against Shooto veteran
and Tops Team member, Ryuta Sakurai.
In
addition to these newly added matches, BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 will
feature a three-man team competition, as the Chute Boxe Team
will be taking on Team Japan. Headed by reigning PRIDE FC World
Middleweight Champion and 2003 Grand Prix Champion Wanderlei
Silva, the Chute Boxe Team of Brazil is one of the most successful
fight teams in the world. In his first match since winning the
Middleweight Grand Prix title in November of 2003 (which included
victories over Hidehiko Yoshida and Quinton “Rampage”
Jackson on the same night), Silva will be taking on Ikuhisa “The
Punk” Minowa of Japan. Minowa, now training with the Brazilian
Top Team, is coming off a hard-fought loss to Quinton Jackson
at SHOCKWAVE 2003. In the other team matches, Mauricio “Shogun”
Rua (the younger brother of Murilo “Ninja” Rua) will
be taking on Japanese shoot fighter Akihiro Gono and up and coming
Chute Boxe star Jadson Costa will compete against Takanori Gomi,
who boasts an impressive record of 13-2 and fights out of the
Kiguchi Dojo in Japan.
Other
previously announced matches on the fight card include: Japanese
legend Hayato “Mach” Sakurai against submission expert
and rising star, Rodrigo Gracie … the “Zen Master”
Mario Sperry returns to take on MMA super hero Mike “Batman”
Bencic (representing Mirko “Crop Cop” Filipovic’s
Cro Cop Squad Gym) … American star Chris “The Westside
Strangler” Brennan makes his second BUSHIDO appearance,
this time taking on PRIDE FC veteran Daiju Takase … and
in a battle of veterans from the Rings organization, Yasuhito
Namekawa of Japan faces Egidijus Valabicius of Lithuania.
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 (Fight Card)
Chute Boxe (Brazil) vs. Team Japan
Wanderlei
Silva (Brazil) vs. Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa (Japan)
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Brazil) vs. Akihiro Gono (Japan)
Jadson Costa (Brazil) vs. Takanori Gomi (Japan)
Additional
Matches:
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Croatia) vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto
(Japan)
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai (Japan) vs. Rodrigo Gracie (Brazil)
Mario Sperry (Brazil) vs. Mike 'Batman' Bencic (USA)
Ryuki Ueyama (Japan) vs. Sean Sherk (USA)
Daiju Takase (Japan) vs. Chris Brennan (USA)
Yasuhito Namekawa (Japan) vs. Egidijus Valabicius (Lithuania)
Yusin Okami (Japan) vs. Ryuta Sakurai (Japan)
(Fight
Card Subject to Change)
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 will premiere on North American pay per
view through iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1,
Bell Express Vu, and Viewer’s Choice on Sunday, March 21st,
2004. The premiere time is 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST and the count
down show is at 8:30pm EST, 5:30pm PST. The event will be available
at a reduced rate of $19.95. For additional replay times, please
contact your pay per view provider or pridefc.com.
Source:
ADCC
|
KOTC
preview...Mike Penalber
The
next King of the Cage card features the return of former Welterweight
Champion and UFC vet Romi Aram in a fight against Mike Penalber.
Penalber is one of those fighters that isn’t interested
in chalking up easy wins to pad a record but is more interested
in taking on the best. Most fans probably first heard of him
in the Ultimate Athlete “King of the Mountain” tournament
where he beat Jeff Houghland in the first round before losing
to UFC vet Jeremy Jackson in the second round. In SuperBrawl
he took former KOTC Welterweight Champion and IFC Middleweight
Champion Ronald Jhun to a decision, something that UFC vets Pete
Spratt and Dave Strasser couldn’t do. He even made his debut
in Pancrase in July with a victory over Minoru Suzuki. His record
may show the wear and tear of learning the sport at the hands
of some of the best instead of taking the slow easy way but now
that he has diversified his training this could be the start
of a new segment of his career.
This
fight with Aram is going to be dramatic. Romi left KOTC as their
champion to fight in the UFC, something every fighter wants to
do. Romi’s exit from KOTC wasn’t on the best terms
as covered elsewhere and after his loss to Dave Strasser in April
of last year he had to take a hiatus to concentrate on a dayjob.
In the meantime Penalber left Shark Tank and started to turn
his career around and although he lost his KOTC debut it was
to a very tough Buddy Clinton. The most impressive aspect of
Penalber now is he has learned how to dissect an opponent, usually
a skill for which Romi is known to stand out. Not only will these
two come to the cage looking for redemption but they will come
to the cage knowing how the other fights.
KM:
So your next fight is going to be in KOTC. MP: Right. It’s
going to be against Romi Aram. I’m looking forward to it.
It’s a match I wanted since maybe early last year. He’s
a good fighter but he’s got a weak takedown and he is not
taking me down with that. I believe one of us is going to get
knocked out in the fight. It’s going to be a standup war.
KM:
How much are you preparing specifically for him? MP: I found
out on December 5th I was fighting Romi, so I’ve been training
since about December 10th. This has been the most I’ve ever
trained for a fight because it’s the biggest notice I’ve
ever had for a fight. He’s coming off a UFC loss, I know
he’s going to be hungry to get back there but at the same
time it’s my opportunity to beat someone from the UFC and
hopefully get in there. It’s going to be a good fight.
KM:
Romi does have a reputation for studying his opponents and not
totally changing his style but training specifically for a fighter.
I was wondering if you are going to take a similar approach.
MP: Yeah. The main fight I looked at was against (Dave) Strasser.
He should have been in phenomenal cardio for that fight being
his first UFC fight. I don’t think he was nowhere near.
They kept up a good pace but when I fought Ronald Jhun we kept
up a better pace than that and I never got tired in that fight.
He hits hard but doesn’t hit harder than the guys I’ve
faced. His takedowns are no better than Antonio’s (McGee)
and I fought Antonio. There is nothing he can throw against me
that I haven’t gone against or been better.
KM:
Can you describe how you did against Antonio? MP: Antonio McKee
likes to take you down and just lay on top of you. I slammed
him in that fight, he never slammed me one time in that fight.
He took me down because I was throwing punches at him. We should
have went to an overtime, it didn’t. We fought at the UAGF,
that is his event. You don’t beat Antonio McKee at the UAGF
unless you knock him out. You want to say takedowns win a fight,
well I was going for submissions and I don’t see how that
doesn’t equal up.
KM:
My opinion is if ‘mixed martial arts’ draws techniques
from every style it has to also draw from the judging criteria
of every style. Your submission attempts should count. MP: Exactly.
That’s a big thing. My submissions should have countered
his takedowns so we are even up there. What about my punches
I landed on him. I want a rematch with him, definitely. It won’t
be the same kind of a fight. Like I said, it was my third fight,
I learned from it, I did very good against him, it should have
went to overtime, he got tired but I didn’t get tired.
KM:
That one stood out to me because it could be close to Romi’s
style. Romi has better standup and is more active on the ground.
MP: Yeah, Romi’s got the standup and that’s where…he
hits a lot harder. I studied that tape. He has a nice right hand.
What I noticed about it is he throws it over the jab so we’re
coming up with something for that overhand right. That is really
his money punch. His takedown is like a single to a double and
it’s not a wrestling takedown, it’s a finesse takedown.
It gets to you. I’ve seen it against (Jerry) Bohlander.
He puts you up against the cage and he just takes you down. It’ll
be something to watch out for. I went to college for wrestling,
I’m wrestling right now with guys that are constantly hitting
me with that takedown right there and I’m countering it
and countering the punches. Now in KOTC we have knees on the
ground so he’s going to pay if he tries to hit that takedown.
Source:
ADCC
|
UFC
Fighters hit Paradise!
Jens Pulver makes his Hawaii Fighting Debut and Dave Menne returns
to Super Brawl
by Mike Onzuka
Mike@onzuka.com
Jens Pulver |
Fighters' Club TV's Mark Kurano and his
favorite fighter, Enson Inoue |
UFC Vets Dave Menne (left) and Matt Hughes
(right) |
Tim Sylvia and Justin Eilers of Team Extreme |
It
seems as if the UFC boat has landed in Hawaii. We have more UFC
studs than we know what to do with. Former UFC Champions Jens
Pulver, who makes his Hawaii debut, and Dave Menne, who returns
back to Hawaii after a debut in Super Brawl 13 in September of
1999, will help headline Super Brawl 33. In tow with Pulver and
Menne are Matt Hughes and Tim Sylvia. Menne is matched up with
the talented Falaniko Vitale. Newly crowned UFC welterweight
champ and local boy, BJ Penn is planning on attending Super Brawl
33 and possibly Charuto Verissimo may even show up. Oh yeah,
Enson Inoue is also here for the fight. This would make eight
UFC veterans at one event that is NOT a UFC. That might be some
kind of unofficial record. I could be wrong of course…
Niko
Vitale has an opportunity to jump right back in the UFC title
race for the 185 lb belt if he can beat a workhorse in Dave Menne.
Vitale has been training with local journeyman, Ron "the
Machine Gun" Jhun, who is also on this card and both are
in incredible shape. Jhun has been eyeing the UFC and waiting
for his chance to show the world that he is another Hawaii fighter
that has the skills and toughness to be a force in the ever fluctuating
170 lb division. "Little Evil" is looking to stay busy
and keeping himself sharp by fighting Grappling Unlimited's Eddie
Yagin in a kickboxing match. Unfortunately for both the fighters
and the fans, Jens is sporting a mean gash over his right eye
which could pose a problem for this fight, but more importantly
jeopardize his upcoming Shooto debut against Uematsu on March
22nd which happens to be my birthday (someone buy me a Porsche
911 Turbo please). Both fighters may wear headgear to provide
some kind of protection for the cut and allow the fighters to
throw the heavy leather that they are known for because they
are itching to get it on.
Super
Brawl 33 also is starting the first step to find the best "unknown"
fighter at 155 lbs in another collaboration with Monte Cox's
Extreme Challenge. Four of Hawaii's up and coming fighters will
compete in an old school four-man tournament with the top two
finishers advancing to the finals tentatively scheduled for early
Summer. Extreme Challenge will hold two preliminary four-man
tournaments for four other fighters and two slots will be held
for at-large fighters. This joint venture has been very successful
in showcasing Josh Barnett, Rico Rodriguez, Heath Herring, Bobby
Hoffman, Joe Doerkson, and Dennis Kang among other fighters.
The favorites may be 808 Fight Factory's Harris Sarmiento who
seems to have been fighting almost every week and Grappling Unlimited's
Kolo Koka who is coming down from 170 lbs by the request of UFC's
Dana White. HMC's Mike Bauer had a great showing in his debut
fight at 170 lbs against GU's Keene and Paul Laga from the Bulls
Pen is a hard hitting wrestling that should make this tournament
interesting.
Team
Extreme's Justin Eilers, who gave Cabbage Correira the fight
of his life in a past Super Brawl, returns to action beside his
fellow Iowans. Eilers faces a veteran from Arizona in Vince Lucero
and may be ready to start taking some high profile matches in
the Heavyweight division. Finally, one of the sleepers on the
card should be between two scrappy fighters named Harvey Nakamoto
(Grappling Unlimited) and Ed Newalu (808 Fight Factory). Nakamoto
is coming off of a win of Bozo Palling's son Stephen and Newalu
looked very sharp in his last fight in the Ring of Honor. The
fighters looked ready to go and filed in and out of the Round
Table Pizza where the weigh-ins were held with pizza in hand.
Now that's my kind of fight diet. I just need some ice cream
and chocolate chip cookies to go with that and I'm all set for
Super Brawl 33.
Super
Brawl 33
Saturday Night, Feb 7th, 2004
Blaisdell Arena
Honolulu, Hawaii
7:30 PM
Fight Card
175lbs
1. Ben George (Bull's pen) 0-1 vs. Bryson Monterde (808 Fight
Factory) 1-2
137.5lbs
2. Ed Nawalu (808 Fight Factory) 1-7 vs Harvey Nakamoto (Grappling
Unlimited) 2-0
155lbs
Tournament Semi Final #1
3. Mike Bauer (HMC) 0-1 vs Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory)
7-7
155lb
Tournament Semi Final #2
4. Paul Laga (Bull's Pen) 2-2 vs Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited)
6-5
155lb
Kick Boxing
5. Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited) 7-2-1 vs Jens "Little
Evil" Pulver (Team Extreme) 19-5-1
Intermission
155lb
Tournament Finals
170lbs
7. Kyle Brees (Team SRJ, Arizona) 9-4 vs. Ronald Jhun (808 Fight
Factory) 20-11
Heavyweight
8. Vince Lucero (Phoenix, AZ) 13-6 vs Justin Eilers (Team Extreme,
Davenport, Iowa) 7-3-1
MAIN
EVENT 185 lbs
9. Dave Menne (Menne's Combat Academy) 33-10-3 vs Falaniko Vitale
(Grappling Unlimited #1 SB Contender) 15-3
|
Quote
of the Day
"Successful people begin where failures leave off. Never
settle for 'just getting the job done.' Excel!"
Tom Hopkins, American Sales Trainer, Speaker, Author
|
Super
Brawl 33 Weigh-Ins Today!
The weigh-ins will be held at Round Table Pizza in Waikiki at
1:00 PM sharp. If you want to meet the fighters and take pictures
come down and see a room full of UFC champs as well as our local
fighters. Scheduled fighters to appear are former UFC champs
Jens Pulver, Dave Menne, Matt Hughes, and Tim Sylvia. Where else
will you be able to see 4 UFC champs in one place without actually
going to the UFC?
Make
sure you get your tickets now!
Super Brawl
33:
Saturday Night, Feb 7th
Blaisdell Arena
Honolulu, Hawaii
Fight
Card
145lbs
1. Ben George (Bull's pen) 0-1 vs. Bryson Monterde (808 Fight
Factory) 0-2
137.5lbs
2. Ed Nawalu (808 Fight Factory) 1-7 vs Harvey Nakamoto (Grappling
Unlimited) 2-0
155lbs
Tournament Semi Final #1
3. Mike Bauer (HMC) 0-1 vs Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory)
7-7
155lb
Tournament Semi Final #2
4. Paul Laga (Bull's Pen) 2-2 vs Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited)
6-5
155lb
Kick Boxing
5. Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited) 7-2-1 vs Jens "Little
Evil" Pulver (Team Extreme) 19-5-1
Intermission
155lb
Tournament Finals
170lbs
7. Kyle Brees (Team SRJ, Arizona) 9-4 vs. Ronald Jhun (808 Fight
Factory) 20-11
Heavyweight
8. Vince Lucero (Phoenix, AZ) 13-6 vs Justin Eilers (Team Extreme,
Davenport, Iowa) 7-3-1
MAIN
EVENT 185 lbs
9. Dave Menne (Menne's Combat Academy) 33-10-3 vs Falaniko Vitale
(Grappling Unlimited #1 SB Contender) 15-3
|
Ring
Of Honor Tournament This Sunday!
Submission Grappling Tournament
Campbell High School Gym
February 8, 2004
Weigh-ins 7 am to 9:30 am
Rules Meeting at 10:00 am and tournament starts right after that.
$30 pre-registration/$40 on the day of the event
If
you would like to get an registration form emailed to you so
you can submit it early and drop it off at the 808 Fight Factory
Gym in Waipahu or mail it to the gym, email us by clicking
here.
It is a Microsoft Word document so you need that program to open
it up. You can mail your registration to:
808
Fight Factory
94-143 Leokane St. Bay 202
Waipahu HI 96797
671-4140 (Call the gym if you need directions or more information)
Scoring:
Pass
the guard 2 points
Takedowns
2 Points
(Jumping Guard will be awarded as a takedown)
Reversal
2 points
Knee
to belly 3 Points
(Controlled for 3 seconds count to be awarded)
Mount
4 points
Back
with hooks in 4 points
Fouls:
Slamming
an opponent to avoid a submission
Spiking
an opponent into the mat
No
heel hooks, knee bars and foot locks in the Novice division
Running
off the mat to avoid a takedown (1 Caution, 1 point awarded to
opponent)
Small
joint manipulations
Time:
Novice 4 Minutes
Intermediate
5 Minutes
Advance
5 Minutes
Absolute
6 Minutes
Source: Promoter
|
COUTURE
ARTICLE IN PORTLAND NEWSPAPER
The
following came from the Portland Tribune Newspaper:
It
takes years to train for a championship, and 48 seconds to lose
Local hero By JASON VONDERSMITH
LAS
VEGAS, Nev. -- It's 1:51 a.m. Sunday, and two empty beer bottles
sit in front of Randy Couture, as he relaxes with family and
friends. A partyer only in days gone by, Couture had promised
to have one beer after his Ultimate Fighting Championship title
bout against Vitor Belfort at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Well,
one Heineken turned into two, which anyone could understand after
the turn of events a few hours before. One eyeball oozes disappointment.
A patch on the other eye says it all.
"It's
not about the title," a forlorn Couture says. "It's
about how it happened. It was a fluke thing. It's like sinking
a 500-foot putt. It never happens." All the hours training,
all the days thinking about Belfort, all the buildup, all for
naught. A punch by Belfort 48 seconds into the fight grazed Couture
on the left eye, scratching the cornea and cutting the lower
eyelid. The fight started at 9:08 p.m. Saturday, and two minutes
later Dr. Margaret Goodman stopped it.
At
that point, boo's cascade down from many of the 11,405 in attendance.
One senses the collective curse of the estimated 150,000 who
purchased the UFC pay-per-view. And how many gamblers saw their
thousands disappear in 48 agonizing seconds?
Angst
crosses Couture's face, but not for long. He approaches the exuberant
Belfort, hugs him and raises the hand of the new UFC light heavyweight
champion. Bad luck, yes. Gracious warrior, always. Couture trains
in Portland and lives in Clackamas County with his wife, Tricia,
and young son, Caden. A nicer, more respectful and classier athlete
you might never meet.
It's
2 p.m. Friday, the day before the fight in Vegas, and the 16
fighters who will compete on the UFC card attend the weigh-in
at the Luxor Hotel. The predominately macho and bodacious fans
ogle their stars. Off go the sweats, and up to the scale steps
the sculpted Couture, the 40-year-old marvel fresh off losing
8 pounds in 50 minutes to make weight, under 205 pounds. No kidding.
A UFC veteran and world-class wrestler, he knows how to do it
properly.
Couture,
with matted hair, stares straight ahead, and the penetrating,
gladiator look does not escape you. He flexes muscles for effect,
titillating the fans. Couture doesn't get into the showmanship,
the hype or the Vegas scene, but he plays along.
"He's
such a pro," says Matt Lindland, his friend and training
partner. "Nothing throws him off."
Friends
gather for action
A
pilgrimage of well-wishers visit Room 7334 at Mandalay Bay on
Friday afternoon, and phones ring about every five minutes. Couture
loves the company. He had spent all week training and doing interviews.
On "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the host teased him about his
cauliflower ears, saying, "Looks like there's some broccoli
in there, too."
Jeff
Lind, one of several friends who grew up with Couture in suburban
Seattle, came from McCarran Airport, where he ran into Belfort
fans. Lind good-naturedly jawed with them, and talked about when
Couture beat Belfort, then 19, six years ago. "They said
Vitor's a lot more mature now," Lind says. "And I said,
'Yeah, but it's not like Randy's at home eating Cheetos.'"
Indeed,
Couture twice won the UFC heavyweight title after that. And he
pretty much immortalized himself in the fight game by besting
favored light heavies Chuck Lidell and Tito Ortiz after going
down in weight class in 2003.
Still,
buddy Rob Anderson reminds him of their youth. "You know
the only thing I can kick Randy's ass in?" he says. "Back
then, if there were 20 guys in a race and I finished 19th, he'd
be 20th."
Couture,
an All-American wrestler at Oklahoma State and four-time Olympic
alternate wrestler, erupts in laughter. Good therapy, laughter
is.
The
affable athlete
His
cell phone rings, and Couture answers it. "Hey, Dustin,
what's going on?" he says. He chats, and then hangs up.
"I have no idea who that was," he says.
It
was a fan. Couture did not lip off. Didn't hang up. Just chatted.
"Best part of the business is getting to meet people,"
he says. It's Saturday, fight day, and Couture munches on spinach
leaves, downs a supplement drink and gets a massage from longtime
friend and chiropractor Ryan Parsons. He got massages every day,
sometimes two a day, for two weeks leading up to the fight.
"I'll
go home Sunday and go through withdrawals," he says. Parsons
says Couture's body and conditioning haven't changed in the eight
years he has known him. "He's a freak," Parsons says,
echoing what most people say about Couture. "He's the way
every man should be, but most athletes don't take care of themselves."
Tricia
Couture watched her husband go from poor amateur wrestler to
somebody who made more than $500,000 in his most recent UFC contract.
His next, three-fight contract -- two guaranteed -- could pay
him $675,000. He will fight again; his eye injury should be better
by week's end.
Couture
made $120,000 for Saturday's fight and would have earned another
$80,000 by winning. He jokes that he wouldn't fight for free,
after wrestling for free for years.
His
wife shakes her head when talking about his calm demeanor, in
and around fights. "He's been in so many big matches,"
she says. "It's not that he doesn't take it seriously ...
but he takes the emotional element out of it. You can't rattle
his cage."
Couture
doesn't let the title "champ" go to his head. "His
perspectives haven't changed at all," Tricia says. "He's
one of the gentlest souls I've ever met. He just loves to compete.
That's all it is."
Odds
meet with equanimity
Couture
and his crew make their way to the dressing room. He thanks the
elevator operator, he thanks people for opening doors for him,
he greets strangers.
Moments
before, one of his entourage, lets loose a secret. "I put
four grand down on Randy," he says. In the gambling Mecca,
Couture hardly pays attention to odds and wagers, but he does
hear an oddsmaker on television pick the much younger Belfort,
25, to win, despite 2-1 house odds on Couture.
"Damn
it," Couture says, mockingly heartbroken. "They've
never said that before." His buddies laugh. For 3 1/2 hours
before fight time, Couture watches other bouts on in-house TV
and rarely speaks. His eyes are piercing, sometimes soft, as
when Kyle Maynard enters the room. He's in a wheelchair, with
deformed legs and no arms below his elbows.
"Randy's
my hero," the Atlanta teenager and prep wrestler says. "There's
nobody in the world who has more intensity and heart."
'Freakiest
thing'
It's
9 p.m., and Couture struts down the aisle, followed by Lindland,
Dan Henderson, Robert Follis and Nate Quarry. He waves to the
crowd and smiles -- just having fun, as always. Belfort enters
the ring, wearing a T-shirt memorializing his sister, Priscila,
who has been missing since Jan. 8 in their native Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil -- feared kidnapped. Belfort will fight in her honor.
The
fighters meet with referee John McCarthy. Couture winks at his
combatant. Chuck Norris, among the Hollywood stars in attendance,
looks on. A frenzy builds. The crowd favors Couture, the grizzled
old pro. The bell rings. The fight, scheduled for five rounds
at five minutes per, is under way. Most anything goes, other
than head butts, eye gouges, biting, spitting and a few other
acts.
Couture
punches and kicks to attempt to set up a hard right hand, but
Belfort quickly counters. His left hook clips Couture in the
left eye, and he pushes Couture against the cage.
Couture
hangs on to avoid any other punishment, wincing and trying to
blink. Something's wrong. His left eyelid stops working. McCarthy
notices the injury and halts the action. In an instant Goodman
stops the fight.
"Freakiest thing I've seen happen in our sport," McCarthy
says.
Belfort
accepts the championship belt and then says: "I feel bad.
Wasn't his fault, wasn't my fault. Randy's a champion and will
always be a champion." Couture hustles back to the dressing
room, and pandemonium ensues as his people get him prepared to
go to the hospital for stitches. A seam on Belfort's glove did
the damage. "He got me right in the fold of the eye, a critical
place," Couture says later. "If it wasn't stitched
up properly, it would damage the eyelid and it wouldn't close
properly."
Because
Belfort struck with a punch, the bout could not be ruled a no-contest,
Couture says. But everybody conceded the fluke factor involved.
The UFC already has talked about a rematch, probably in June.
"You
train that hard and feel you're prepared, and then something
silly happens," Couture says, showing rare frustration.
"But the fact that I'm getting a rematch. ... I'll start
thinking about that right away."
Before
he leaves the Mandalay Bay, Couture gets another visit from Belfort.
"I don't feel like I deserve this. I don't feel like I'm
winning," he tells Couture. "It's all part of the game,"
Couture tells him. "Anything can happen. Best of luck."
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
LEE
MURRAY INTERVIEW
Before
last Saturday's fight against Jorge Rivera, Lee Murray talked
with MMAWeekly about his UFC debut, his future, and Tito Ortiz.
Who's next for Lee and who does he want to fight? We break it
down with Lee Murray in our interview of the week.
Ryan
Bennett: How are you doing Lee?
Lee
Murray: Good.
RB:
Let me ask you, how tough is it to get your body adjusted to
the United States from England?
LM:
Usually, I find it easy adjusting to the time, but we had such
a horrible journey. It took me a few days to adjust to the time.
I'm OK to fight.
RB:
Yeah, that's got to be tough. I remember going out to UFC 38
in London with the UFC and I just remember how tough it is to
just get my body adjusted. I can't imagine fighting like that.
LM:
I usually find it difficult to adjust on the way back, when I
go home.
RB:
So, you are not too worried about it right now|?
LM:
I'm ready to fight.
RB:
Let's talk a little bit about your career. It's been interesting,
you burst on to the scene. I know a lot of people in London,
England knew how good you were, now we're finding out here in
the States. especially after your win over Pele. Was the win
over Pele the highlight of your career?
LM:
Yes. Because he's been around a long time. He's fought like nearly
everybody ya know. He's never been stopped. He's never been knocked
out and so for me to knock him out, that was a big thing.
RB:
Lee you have been the talk of the town with your training sessions.
I am not lying. I've followed this fight game for a long time.
I haven't had people brag about hearing one hit the pads before
man.
LM:
(Laughs)
RB:
Everybody's like, dude, you gotta see this guy hit the pads,
it's unbelievable.
LM:
Yeah, I've got a good boxing trainer. He's one of the best ya
know, and every time I train with him, I learn more things every
time ya know. He's the guy that makes me hit so hard.
RB:
I got guys telling me it sounds like a machine gun going off
in the training room man. I'm telling you. Are you nervous, your
first time in the UFC?
LM:
I don't feel no more nervous than I usually feel for any other
fight ya know. I'm used to doing things that are a lot of pressure
on me. I'm Ok. I'm nervous yeah, I'm nervous but not no more
nervous than any other fight.
RB:
You're going up against tough guy Jorge Rivera, what do you see
on tape when you see Jorge?
LM:
Umm, he's a tough guy, yeah he's a tough guy. He comes to fight.
He ain't gonna give up for nothing, he's gonna fight til the
end. They say how good his chin is. They say he's got a good
chin but he's never been hit by someone like me. He's never been
hit with something like I'm gonna hit him. I think when he feels
the power, he ain't gonna get up.
RB:
Let me ask you about that. Do you think with that said, he's
probably seen tape on you, do you think he is gonna take this
fight to the ground?
LM:
He hasn't seen tape on me. The only tape he could have seen of
me is in my early career. That would be stand-up fighting. If
you watched tapes of me when I first started fighting, I was
just a rugged street fighting brawler but now I'm a good boxer.
If he looks at the early tapes of me and judges by that, he'll
probably stand with me and get knocked the fuck out.
RB:
How much weight do you have to cut?
LM:
People think that I cut a lot of weight, I don't cut weight.
I walk around at 185, I fight at 185. I don't cut weight. I'm
not a big guy, I look big for the weight but I'm not one of these
200lb. guys who cut to 185. I don't do that. I haven't been 205
for about three years. I walk around at 190, 190 to 185, I'm
always in between that weight.
RB:
You're about six feet tall?
LM:
6'2 or 6'2 and a half.
RB:
6'2, that's a big frame for 185. How long have you been training
with the Militech Fighting System?
LM:
I think I've been training with them for three or four years.
I've always gone down every year and train with them.
RB:
Do you come out early to train with them or how does that work?
LM:
I had trouble with my Visa so I had to wait awhile. I was suppose
to be here a couple of weeks before the fight so I left quite
late because I had to wait on my Visa to come through. I got
here with Pat for that weekend, just for three days.
RB:
Hey Lee, you know the talk about Tito Ortiz has challenged you,
you him as well. Let me ask you this. If you're only weighing
185 or 190 walking around, can you go up in weight to fight Tito?
LM:
If he comes down a piece of weight, I'll give away ten or fifteen
pounds.
RB:
So, you would weigh 190 and he could weigh 205?
LM:
If he cuts to 205 or 200 and weighed in on the day, I'd weigh
185 for that fight.
RB:
So, if Tito weighs in the day of the fight at 200, you'll fight
him?
LM:
Yes.
RB:
Tell me about that bad blood man. You guys hate each other don't
you?
LM:
(Laughs). He's not even a man. He can't even admit to what happened.
He has to come up with all this bullshit lies, saying, I had
slippery shoes on. Hey, next time he comes to fight me, make
sure he doesn't wear dress shoes. He ain't even man enough to
say what happened. He said he got jumped by five guys or ten
guys. The guy comes running at me, the guy come at me. Must have
thought I was an idiot and come running at me throwing punches
and thought I wasn't going to do nothing about it. What did he
think, I was gonna run away? On the street, I got two, three,
four hundred street fights, I've been street fighting all my
life and this guy's got ten or twenty fights in the octagon and
thinks he's gonna scare me off.
RB:
Lee, what happened, when you two met, what happened?
LM:
I was speaking to him at fight, in the club, we was chattin.
Pat and a few other guys were talking. We went outside and there
was some commotion. I couldn't really see what was going on.
Me and my friend were trying to break it with Pat and a few others
and it kicked off. One guy tried to hit my friend and I jumped
in and that's when Tito jumped in on me. I think the guy I stepped
in on was one of his friends. Then he is coming to me. Pat and
three other guys stepped between us. Then, his friend got knocked
out cold. I was laughing, he seen me and took his jacket off.
I took my jacket off, my watch off and put it in my pocket. He
come running at me throwing punches and I smacked him up.
RB:
Let me ask you, where you drinking, I know Tito was drinking,
were you both in your opinion?
LM:
We was both drinking. Tito was drunk, what about me? I was drinking
vodkas and champagne all night. I was drunk as well. What does
he think, I was sober and just finished a couple of rounds of
shadow boxing and was ready? I was drinking all night and had
dress shoes on as well. Dress shoes, what kind of excuse is that?
If he was half a man, he'd come up with a better excuse than
that. If that was me, you know what I'd have said? I'd have said,
ah yeah, I was drunk, I scraped with a fighter and got a whaping.
I wouldn't say I had dress shoes on and got rushed by ten guys.
RB:
Another guy who I think wants to maybe fight, what do you think
about fighting Phil Baroni?
LM:
That would be a good fight yeah. That would be a good money fight.
We both bring something to the table ya know. We both like to
bang. Both got the stand up. Both are strong. Yeah, it would
be a good fight.
RB:
Give me a prediction to this fight, you against Jorge Rivera,
what's gonna happen, what round?
LM:
Have you seen the film "Gone in Sixty Seconds?"
RB:
Yeah.
LM:
That's your prediction.
RB:
Thanks Lee.
LM:
Thanks for having me.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
2004
Pan-Ams
A
reminder, as if anyone needed to be reminded that the 2004 Pan-Ams
are just around the corner. The event will be held on April 3
& 4 at the Cal State Domingues Hills University in Carlson,
Ca. The IBJJF will again be using the same weigh in procedure
as in the Nationals and the Worlds with athletes weighing in
just prior to their division starting!
For
more info check out http://www.cbjj.com.br/english/pan2004.htm
Source:
ADCC
|
BUSHIDO
VOLUME 2: CHUTE BOXE VS JAPAN!
BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 … FULL FIGHT CARD
From
Dream Stage Entertainment
LOS
ANGELES, California – The fight card for PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO
VOLUME 2 is complete and headlining the event will be a team
competition, pitting the Chute Boxe Team of Brazil (led by Wanderlei
Silva) against Team Japan! BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 will take place on
February 15th, 2004 from the Yokohama Arena in Japan and is scheduled
to debut on North American pay per view on March 21st, 2004.
BUSHIDO
VOLUME 2 will feature a three-man team competition, as the Chute
Boxe Team will be taking on Team Japan. Headed by reigning PRIDE
FC World Middleweight Champion and 2003 Grand Prix Champion Wanderlei
Silva, the Chute Boxe Team of Brazil is one of the most successful
fight teams in the world.
In
his first match since winning the Middleweight Grand Prix title
in November of 2003 (which included victories over Hidehiko Yoshida
and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson on the same night), Silva
will be taking on Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa of Japan.
Minowa, now training with the Brazilian Top Team, is coming off
a hard-fought loss to Quinton Jackson at SHOCKWAVE 2003. In the
other team matches, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (the younger
brother of Murilo “Ninja” Rua) will be taking on Japanese
shoot fighter Akihiro Gono and up and coming Chute Boxe star
Jadson Costa will compete against Takanori Gomi, who boasts an
impressive record of 13-2 and fights out of the Kiguchi Dojo
in Japan.
Additional
matches on the fight card include: Japanese legend Hayato “Mach”
Sakurai against submission expert and rising star, Rodrigo Gracie
… the “Zen Master” Mario Sperry returns to take
on a tough opponent in Mike “Batman” Bencic (representing
Mirko “Crop Cop” Filipovic’s Cro Cop Squad Gym)
… American star Chris “The Westside Strangler”
Brennan makes his second BUSHIDO appearance, this time taking
on PRIDE FC veteran Daiju Takase … in a battle of veterans
from the Rings organization, Yasuhito Namekawa of Japan faces
Egidijus Valabicius of Lithuania … and finally Ryuki Ueyama
of the U-File camp will take on a yet to be announced opponent.
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 2
Fight
Card
Chute
Boxe (Brazil) vs. Team Japan
Wanderlei
Silva (Brazil) vs. Ikuhisa “The Punk” Minowa (Japan)
Mauricio
“Shogun” Rua (Brazil) vs. Akihiro Gono (Japan)
Jadson
Costa (Brazil) vs. Takanori Gomi (Japan)
Additional
Matches:
Hayato
“Mach” Sakurai (Japan) vs. Rodrigo Gracie (Brazil)
Mario
Sperry (Brazil) vs. Mike "Batman" Bencic (USA)
Daiju
Takase (Japan) vs. Chris Brennan (USA)
Yasuhito
Namekawa (Japan) vs. Egidijus Valabicius (Lithuania)
Ryuki
Ueyama (Japan) vs. TBA
(Fight
Card Subject to Change)
PRIDE
FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 will premiere on North American pay per
view through iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1,
Bell Express Vu, and Viewer’s Choice on Sunday, March 21st,
2004. The premiere time is 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST and the count
down show is at 8:30pm EST, 5:30pm PST. The event will be available
at a reduced rate of $19.95. For additional replay times, please
contact your pay per view provider or pridefc.com.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"The essence of greatness is the ability to choose personal
fulfillment in the circumstances where others choose madness."
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, 1940-, American Psychotherapist, Author, Lecturer
|
Super
Brawl 33 Fight Card
Saturday Night, Feb 7th
Blaisdell Arena
Honolulu, Hawaii
Fight
Card
145lbs
1.
Ben George (Bull’s pen) Bryson Monterde (808 Fight Factory)
Two
young amateur fighters who are eager to break into the professional
ranks. A win tonight will likely do that. Pick ‘em Even
Odds
137.5lbs
2. Ed Nawalu Harvey Nakamoto
(808Fight
Factory) 1-0 (Grappling Unlimited 2-0)
Nawalu
is a young, aggressive fighter who is not afraid to bang. Nakamoto
has shown great striking in his first two fights as well as solid
ground game. Nakamoto 2-1 Favorite
155lb
Tournament Semi Final #1
3. Mike Bauer (HMC 1-1) Harris Sarmiento (808ff, 7-7)
Bauer
trains at HMC in Kalihi with top level instruction. He is a young
fighter who will look to take the fight to his opponent and make
waves tonight in Super Brawl. Sarmiento has been improving rapidly
and has great kicking and punching combinations. Sarmiento 3-2
Odds
155lb
Tournament Semi Final #2
4. Paul Laga (Bull’s Pen) Kolo Koka (GU 6-4)
Laga
is an aggressive fighter from the Bull’s pen who will be
stepping up in competion tonight. Koka had a disappointing showing
in his last Super Brawl and will look to redeem himself tonight.
His ground is improving and his striking is superb. Koka 2-1
Odds
155lb
Kick Boxing
5. Eddie Yagin (GU) Jens Pulver (Davenport, IA)
Yagin
is one of Hawaii’s most exciting fighters who loves to throw
big right hands. Pulver is one of the world’s most exciting
fighters who throws big left hands. The winner of this fight
will be the fans!
Intermission
6.
Tournament Finals
Winner Fight #2 v Winner Fight #3
170lbs
7.
Kyle Brees (Arizona, 8-4) Ronald Jhun (808ff, 20-11)
Potentially
a very exciting fight. Brees is young and aggressive and out
to prove he belongs in the ring with the “elite”. Jhun
has not been in a boring fight in his 30+ fight career. He is
always in amazing cardiovascular shape, his ground is solid and
he hits like a truck. Look for Jhun to try and punish Brees late.
jhun 3-1 Favorite
Heavyweight
8.
Vince Lucero Justin Eilers
(Phoenix,
AZ, 13-5) (Davenport, IA, 5-2-1)
Lucero
is being touted as one of the west coast’s premier young
heavyweights. He will need all his weapons to find a victory
tonight. Eilers last visit to Hawaii was a slugfest with Cabbage.
Many thought Eilers wound up on the wrong end of a hometown decision.
He plans on showing Super Brawl fans his first exciting performance
was no fluke. Eilers 2-1 Favorite
MAIN
EVENT
9.
Dave Menne 185lbs Falaniko Vitale
(Minn,
MN 32-9-2) (#1 Contender, 15-3)
Former
UFC Champion of the World, Menne will be Vitale’s toughest
fight in the Super Brawl ring. He has fought the best in the
world and has not been submitted in over 5 years! He will attempt
to use his superior wrestling and control skills to win this
fight. Vitale specifically asked to be put in the ring with the
best. He has trained hard and is in the best fighting shape of
his career. He will have to stay aggressive to negate Menne’s
methodical style. Niko is counting on the hometown crowd to give
him that “extra” edge. Menne 2-1 Favorite
Source:
Promoter |
Interview:
Ronald 'Machine Gun' Jhun
On
February 7th SuperBrawl hits Hawaii with it's 33rd installment.
This is great timing for the Hawaiian fighters, not only because
the card features former UFC champions Dave Menne and Jens Pulver
but also because Hawaii native BJ Penn just won the UFC Welterweight
title by beating the seemingly unstoppable Matt Hughes. Other
Hawaiian fighters to watch, who recently cross over to the international
stage include Wesley “Cabbage” Correira and Falaniko
Vitale in the UFC, Harris Sarmiento and Adrienna Jenkins in IFC,
and of course Ronald Jhun, the former KOTC Welterweight Champion.
Jhun is also the IFC US Middleweight Champion and even ranked
currently on the SuperBrawl website as #1 Middleweight although
he dropped to Welterweight over a year ago. Since his drop to
Welterweight his landmark fights include a win and a draw over
WEC Welterweight Champion Shonie Carter, a draw to UFC vet Dennis
Hallman who beat Matt Hughes twice, a loss to current KOTC champion
John Alessio when Jhun was the champion, and a loss to UFC vet
Tiki Ghosen, one fight many people were surprised he took in
the first place considering it was just two weeks after the Alessio
fight.
The
last time we caught up with Jhun was right before his title shot
in KOTC last September. After losing that fight by decision surprisingly
he took a fight against UFC vet Tiki Ghosen just two weeks later.
He lost that one by decision also. Since then Jhun has pulled
his career back together again with two wins in Hawaii against
Sean Taylor in October and Andrew Chappelle in January. This
next SuperBrawl pits Jhun against Kyle Brees, a fighter known
for his early submissions.
KM:
Tell me about the Tiki fight.
RJ: I just took it because I wasn’t excited by my performance
with John Alessio. I didn’t do what I needed to do. I just
took it on the spur of the moment to ease my mind I could do
better. I think it was a bad fight for me to take. It could have
gone either way. I definitely would like to rematch Tiki.
KM:
Didn’t you have another fight since then?
RJ: I just fought last week. (Note: Ring Of Honor 2, Jhun beat
Andrew Chappell by unanimous decision).
KM:
You were talking before about the short notice between Alessio
and Tiki fights and wishing you had more time and then here you
are again taking two fights two weeks apart. How is this different
than September?
RJ: I think the difference was mentally I wasn’t prepared.
That was a key right there. I went to that fight just one track
mind. Kind of just wanted to go out there and just brawl, take
Tiki’s head off instead of fighting my game. I started fighting
early in my career in 4-man tournaments, fighting once a month,
so fighting back-to-back is not a problem to me.
KM:
Okay, you are used to this and this isn’t something for
us to be concerned about.
RJ: Yeah.
KM:
You are still training with 808 Fight Factory?
RJ: Yeah.
KM:
How many others from 808 are on this card?
RJ: There is me, Harris Sarmiento, Bryson Monterde, and Ed Newalu.
The four of us.
KM:
How much training are you able to do to prepare for this fight?
RJ: We’ve been training actually this past month and a half
like crazy. Falaniko Vitale is in our gym working out so I’ve
been working out with him. We’ve got a wholew bunch of new
guys that came over from other camps. Boxers, wrestlers…the
intensity in the gym has been really high this past month and
a half. Cardio and everything, everybody has gotten in better
shape. We have a lot more talented fighters. This year is a big
year, not only for me but for my team.
KM:
Do you feel the spotlight is on Hawaii right now or has it been
there all along and is just crossing to the big stage now?
RJ: I think its now starting to take shape. We’ve started
to get recognition due to the domination of the local boys last
night (UFC 46). Its going to open up some eyes and they are going
to be focusing more on the local fighters. In Hawaii we got a
lot more talented local fighters and noone gives us the respect
we deserve. I think this is going to take some eyes off the mainland
and look towards the islands now.
KM:
Those of us on the mainland are starting to hear about Rumble
On the Rock. What was that like? RJ: Its actually put on by the
Penn brothers, the Penn family. It was like a UFC setting. They
had an octagon, laser light show…it was a pretty good show,
I think the best we’ve had in Hawaii.
KM:
I’m wondering if you’d have to chose between SuperBrawl
and Rumble On the Rock. Will we see you in Rumble On the Rock
again?
RJ: Most definite.
KM:
Your last fight was in Ring Of Honor. What can you tell us about
that show?
RJ: Its more of an up-and-coming show for showcasing the younger
fighters, getting them more experience. I was the headliner.
KM:
Can you describe how tat fight went?
RJ: The fighter I fought, Andrew Chappelle, is an up-and-coming
fighter. Really good on the ground, shifty, well-conditioned.
From what I heard he’s a gymnast, has flexibility. It was
really tough. Seems like nobody with credibility wants to give
any of these guys a chance to fight and showcase their skills.
I guess I’m nominated. I’m always fighting everybody
so I guess I’m the gatekeeper for these shows. I think everybody
I fought has fought in the UFC except me. It is crazy.
KM:
You usually fight every two months or so. You won the KOTC belt
and didn’t fight for four months. In my opinion the KOTC
belt doesn’t mean as much right now as the SuperBrawl belt
and KOTC has isolated their champions in the past. In that sense
any regrets about losing the KOTC belt to Alessio?
RJ: Yeah, there was. I think I see it the same way you feel.
At one time KOTC was producing and getting a lot of top fighters
on the show like Dennis Hallman and Shonie Carter. I think it
was an organization that was on the rise and putting on some
good fights. As of late they have put on some low-budget fighters
on the card and having name fighters fighting nobodys. It was
kind of disappointing but I felt things happen for a reason and
I was kind of moving in a different direction. My main goal now
ultimately is to compete in the UFC at least once. If I do compete
in the UFC I’d like to work my way up and fight for the
title.
KM:
Anything else to get across to the fans?
RJ: The same thing. I want to keep representing the islands and
let everybody know the island boys have what it takes to be the
best. BJ (Penn) proved it last night. That speaks volumes in
itself. I just hope the people give the local boys a fair shot.
I hope and pray this will open the doors for a lot of us guys
who have been trying to get in the UFC for years. I’ve been
fighting now for six or seven years. I got calls from the UFC
to do last-minute replacements but everything fell through. Then
again things happen in life. You grow from it and I’m glad
I’m in a position I am now. I think if I went into the UFC
years back I wouldn’t have been ready like I am now. I’m
looking to go out there and put on a good show and display some
of the skills and talents God has blessed me with. Its all timing,
my time is coming soon.
KM:
You are going to continue to fight at 170? RJ: Yeah.
KM:
So who knows, you might be eventually facing Penn. Hawaii vs.
Hawaii for the World title. (Both laugh).
RJ: I’m excited for BJ. Who knows…only time will tell.
For
more information on the next SuperBrawl card including ticket
information check out http://www.superbrawl.tv/.
Source:
ADCC
|
'Couture
Was The Lucky One' - Vitor Belfort!
After
spending two days in Miami before returning to Rio, new UFC Champion
Vitor Belfort called Team Tatame from a friends house to celebrate
the most important win of his life.
Vitor
remains very depressed over the disappearence of his sister Priscila.
The new champ did speak about the fight, and started with a statement
to the fans who believe He got the title by luck. 'Just like
I did, most people thought this fight would go until the end.
But that is what an 'action sport' is all about. My Boxing trainer
said a very interesting thing and I have to agree with him. 'Randy
was the lucky one for escaping from your straight punch. Imagine
if you hit him right in the chin instead of the eye graze. Certainly
he would have been knocked out.'
Belfort
continued 'Actually I did not want to win this way. I prepared
myself so much for this fight, on the ground, in the stand up
game - I did not want to win this way'.
Vitor
was still moved with Couture´s attitude after the fight.
'I went to talk to him to say that I did not deserve the title.
He proved once again why he is a champion. He showed excellent
character, answering that I deserved to win because I trained
hard. He even acknowledged passing thru this difficult moment
with my sister, and that I stepped into the octagon for this
fight'.
Belfort
assured that sooner or later he will give a rematch to Couture.
'First of all, I would like to face Wanderlei for the unification
of the belts, just like Couture was planing to do. I hope Pride
and UFC can come to an agreement. It would be a landmark in the
sport. But for sure it will be an honour for me to give Couture
a rematch, because he is a truly legend in our sport'. recognized
the brazilian fighter.
During
the conversation Belfort explained why He did not postpone the
match of his life after his sister's disapearence. 'My sister´s
biggest dream was always to see me winning against Couture and
conquering UFC belt. This fight was a way for me to make her
dream come true, so I decided to put all my energy into that
and dedicate this title to her'. Belfort expressed a lot of thanks
to all his teammates and to the brazilian friends who live in
the US, such as Marcus Vinícius (Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu
Club) and Ricardo Pires who has an academy in Las Vegas.
On
Thursday Belfort and his wife Joana Prado will be back to Rio
de Janeiro to continue the most dificult battle of his life,
the search for his sister Priscilla who disappeared one month
ago.
Source:
ADCC
|
Ricardo
Arona says
'I want Yuki Kondo to avenge BTT'
It
is summertime in Brazil and the beaches are full of people enjoying
the surf and sun. Obviously, Sundays are the busiest day of all
on the beaches, because
everyone is off of work. On this particular Sunday however, the
WFC academy was having an uncharacteristic Sunday training session.
The guys were going hard non-stop as BTT's Ricardo Arona was
sharpening his stand-up game with SHOOTO Brazil president, Toniko
'Junior'.
'If
you want to be Pride Champion, you have to train hard everyday.
I do not know when Pride will put me again on its card, I hoped
it would be the next one,
but it did not work out. So I am training to take on anyone they
put in front of me for Pride 28 or 29.' states Arona.
Arona
has always been known as a grappling specialist, but, after three
Pride fights and no submissions, might he try to surprise his
future opponents? 'I have always train my stand-up but, when
I fight in Pride I go with my strong suit, and that is my grappling
game. The reason for my stand-up training is not necessarily
to exchange blows with my opponents, because the stand-up game
is not easy to learn. With an improved stand-up game, I can relax
and impose my ground game even more. BTT has a great Muay Thai
coach in Paulo Nikolai, who trains almost the entire team. Other
Top Team members have their own Boxing and Thai coaches.
When
asked about his current choice, Toniko Junior, Arona responded
'I have known him since I was 10 years old. He is a friend of
mine. He is a very tchnical coach and has trained with some of
the best Thai fighters in the world.
Toniko Junior has traveled to Thailand five times to update his
techniques
and was the first Brazilian to fight there as a professional.'
praises Arona.
Toniko
Junior was grinning from ear to ear upon hearing Arona's praise.
Toniko also gave his impression of Arona's training. 'We tried
to teach him about all of the dangers a Thai fighter can face
in the ring. Arona absorbed all of the instruction well, and
his dedication is unmatched.'
'What
part of Ricardo's training surprised you the most?' this reporter
asked Toniko. 'His knees are heavy and he can control the fight
with his clinches, where the knees can be his main weapon. But,
you can expect a lot more from him, Arona will handle his next
opponent.' states Toniko.
Arona
steps in and challenges: 'I want to fight Yuki Kondo for two
reasons. The first is that he beat Mario Sperry in the last Pride,
and the second is that he was rumored to face Wanderlei Silva
next for the middleweight belt. I think Kondo should face me
first, and the winner should get the opportunity to fight Silva
for the Pride middleweight belt. On other hand, Ikuhisa Minowa
will be fighting Silva in the next Pride, so let see where the
cards fall.'
Note:
Besides Arona and Toniko Junior, Arona's sparring partner 'Liso',
who endured Arona's punishment, appears in the pics. It was a
beating for 'Liso', but he kept the training at a high level.
Source:
ADCC |
ROWLANDS
GETS REVENGE AT NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC
The
results may not officially count on a college wrestler's career
record, or even be taken into account when the seeding is done
for the NCAA national championships. Officially this was sort
of an exhibition. But the results at the NWCA All-Star Classic,
whose 2004 edition was held Monday night at the University of
Northern Iowa's UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, will certainly be remembered
by the wrestlers, the fans, and even us media types.
Heavyweight
Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State, a 2002 NCAA champion, avenged a
loss last week to Pat Cummins of Penn State, defeating him Monday
night, 3-1 in overtime. So far this season, these are the two
top heavyweights in college wrestling. Their trading wins just
adds drama to their probable rematches at the Big Ten Championships
and then the NCAA championships, perhaps in the finals.
Of
the two current returning NCAA Div. I national champions competing
in the All-Star Classic, one won, and one lost.
Cornell's
Travis Lee, who got the honors last season at 125, is now wrestling
at 133. He defeated Mark Jayne of Illinois, 9-4. Something tells
me that these two might just meet up again on the mat at the
NCAA's.
Defending
NCAA champion Teyon Ware of Oklahoma was not as fortunate. He
dropped an 11-7 overtime decision to Scott Moore of Virginia.
The
other two NCAA Div. I champions from the previous season both
won. Besides Rowlands, West Virginia's Greg Jones, also a 2002
NCAA champion, took an 10-6 decision from Ben Heizer of Northern
Illinois.
I
can't help but comment that scouring all these results has intensified
my attention towards the coming 2004 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.
They will be held March 18-20 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis,
Missouri. Apparently there are even still a few tickets floating
around!
For
more information on the 2004 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships,
go to the official event web site at:
http://www.stlouissports.org/wrestling/
Here
are the results of the 2004 NWCA All-Star Classic and numerous
team reports on this event, plus the latest rankings from the
Pac-10 and the NCWA, all compiled from press releases.
2004
NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC RESULTS
Weight Wrestler over Wrestler: Result
125 Luke Eustice (Iowa) decision Mark Moos (Michigan): 9-8
133 Travis
Lee (Cornell) decision Mark Jayne (Illinois): 9-4
141 Scott Moore (Virginia) decision Teyon Ware (Oklahoma): 11-7
OT
141 Dylan Long (UNI) decision Andy Simmons (Michigan State):
8-2
149 Jeremy Spates (Missouri) decision Dustin Manotti (Cornell):
3-2
157 Matt Gentry (Stanford) decision Jake Percival (Ohio): 13-10
165 Tyrone Lewis (Oklahoma State) decision Matt King (Edinboro):
3-2
174 Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State) decision Ryan Lange (Purdue):
3-1 OT
174 Eric Hauan (UNI) decision Brad Dillon (Lehigh): 11-5
184 Greg Jones (West Virginia) Decision Ben Heizer (Northern
Illinois): 10-6
197 Emmett Willson (Montana State-Northern) decision Sean Stender
(UNI): 7-3
HWT Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State) decision Pat Cummins (Penn State):
3-1 OT
NWCA
RECAP
ERIC BRALEY
University of Northern Iowa
Athletic Media Relations
http://www.unipanthers.com
CEDAR
FALLS, IA -- The 38th annual All-Star Classic proved to be as
competitive as expected with no match being decided by more than
six points and a total of four overtimes on the evening. The
University of Northern Iowa went 2-1 on the evening with victories
from Dylan Long and Eric Hauan before Sean Stender fell to the
Division II top-rated wrestler 10-6.
The
first match of the night featured No. 2 ranked Luke Eustice of
the University of Iowa against No. 3 ranked Mark Moos of the
University of Michigan at 125 pounds. The two battled back and
forth and were tied at eight apiece after the third period, but
thanks to over 1-minute of riding time, Eustice was able to come
away with the 9-8 decision.
At
133 pounds No. 1 Travis Lee of Cornell University was able to
improve on his 26-1 record with an 8-4 decision over No. 3 Mark
Jayne of the University of Illinois.
The
first match at 141 pounds paired the top two wrestlers in the
nation, Teyon Ware of the University of Oklahoma and Scott Moore
of the University of Virginia. Ware, the defending champion and
No. 1 ranked wrestler, trailed 5-2 going into the final period
before picking up a takedown and taking advantage of a stalling
penalty with 10 seconds left to force overtime. Because of new
rules implemented this year each wrestler had the chance to start
on top in the second overtime. Moore scored a reverse and a 3-point
near-fall to secure the 11-7 upset victory.
In
the first match of the evening that featured a UNI wrestler,
Dylan Long was able to avenge a 5:08 fall from the Midlands tournament
against Andy Simmons of Michigan State with a 7-2 decision. Long
scored a two point near-fall in the first period to take the
4-0 lead before closing the door on Simmons with a reversal in
the third period.
At
149 pounds the No. 5 Dustin Manotti of Cornell University was
upset by No. 6 Jeremy Spates of the University of Missouri. The
two grapplers were knotted up at two apiece heading into the
third period. Spates used a minute of riding time to edge out
Manotti, 3-2 for the decision.
The
157 pound match paired No. 3 Jake Percival of Ohio University
against No. 4 Matt Gentry of the University of Stanford. Both
wrestlers stood at 30-0 coming into the match but Gentry controlled
the match and was able to fend off a late rally by Percival to
get the 13-10 decision.
Oklahoma
State's No. 2 rated Tyrone Lewis improved to 25-0 on the season
with a 3-2 decision over No. 4 Matt King of Edinboro at 165 pounds.
The
first of two matches at 174 pounds featured the top rated wrestler
in the country, Chris Pendleton of Oklahoma State, against No.
3 Ryan Lange of Purdue. Pendleton led 1-0 after the first two
rounds, but Lange was able to score on an escape with 1:38 left
in the third period to force the match into overtime. In overtime
Pendleton scored a takedown with 19 seconds remaining to get
the victory 3-1.
Also
at 174, Eric Hauan, the second UNI wrestler of the night, came
away with an 11-5 upset victory over Brad Dillon of Lehigh. Hauan
came in ranked 5th while Dillon was ranked 2nd with a 19-0 record.
Hauan jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the first period with
two takedowns and a 3-point near fall. Hauan never looked back
controlling the match as he gave Dillon his first loss of the
year.
The
top two wrestlers went head to head at 184 pounds. No. 1 Greg
Jones of West Virginia rode No. 2 Ben Heizer of Northern Illinois
to a 10-6 decision.
The
third and final UNI wrestler to compete on the evening was Sean
Stender at 197 pounds. Stender was paired against the Division
II top wrestler, Emmett Willson of Montana-Northern who came
into the match undefeated. Willson scored a takedown in the first
period to go up 2-0 and added another point with an escape in
the second. Stender made a valiant effort to score a takedown
in the third period but Willson had an answer and secured the
7-3 decision.
In
the final match of the night the two heavyweights, No. 1 Tommy
Rowlands of Ohio State was able to narrowly defeat No. 2 Pat
Cummins of Penn State in overtimes. Rowlands entered the match
with a 29-1 record while Cummins was a perfect 30-0. The two
grapplers were knotted up at one apiece to force an overtime.
In overtime, Rowlands scored a takedown in the waning seconds
to overcome Cummins, 3-1.
125
- Luke Eustice (Iowa) dec. Mark Moos (Michigan) 9-8
1P:TD Eustice 2:06, ESC Moos 2:01, REV Eustice 1:27, Stalling
Moos 1:27, REV Moos :12, 2NF Moos :02, Moos 5-4
2P: Moos Chose down, ESC Moos 1:58, TD Eustice :56, ESC Moos
:47, Moos 7-6
3P: Eustice chose Neutral, TD Eustice 1:20, ESC Moos 1:04, Eustice
riding time, Eustice 9-8
133
- Travis Lee (Lehigh) dec. Mark Jayne (Illinois) 8-4
1P: TD Lee 1:16, ESC Jayne 1:02, Lee 2-1
2P: Lee Chose down, ESC Lee 1:51, Stalling Jayne 1:15, TD Lee
:50, ESC Jayne :30, Lee 5-2
3P: Jayne Chose down, ESC Jayne 1:30, TD Lee :30, ESC Jayne :18,
Lee Riding time, Lee 8-4
141
- Scott Moore (Virginia) dec. Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) 11-7 OT
1P: TD Moore :20, REV Ware :04, tie 2-2
2P: Moore chose down, ESC Moore 1:39, TD Moore :54, Stalling
Warning Moore :38, Moore 5-2
3P: Ware chose down, ESC Ware 1:35, TD Ware 1:10, ESC Moore :53,
Stalling warning Moore, 1 point Ware, tie 6-6
OT: tie 6-6,
OT2: Moore chose down, REV Moore :15, 3NF Moore :01, Moore 11-6
-Ware Chose down, Ware ESC :17, Moore 11-7
*141
- Dylan Long (UNI) dec. Andy Simmons (Michigan State) 7-2
1P: TD Long :20, 2NF Long :00, Long 4-0
2P: Simmons chose down, ESC Simmons 1:10, Long 4-1
3P: Long chose down, REV Long 1:40, ESC Simmons :12, Long 1 point
riding time, Long 7-2
149
- Jeremey Spates (Missouri) dec. Dustin Monotti (Cornell) 3-2
1P: TD Monotti 1:12, ESC Spates :59, Monotti 2-1
2P: Spates chose down, ESC Spates 1:48, tie 2-2
3P: Monotti chose down, Stalling warning Spates :46, Spates 1
point riding time, Spates 3-2
157
- Matt Gentry (Stanford) dec. Jake Percival (Ohio) 13-10
1P: TD Gentry 2:24, Illegal hold Percival, 1 point Gentry, 2NF
Gentry :54, Gentry 5-0
2P: Percival chose neutral, TD Gentry 1:25, Gentry 7-0
3P: Gentry chose down, ESC Gentry 1:42, TD Percival 1:32, ESC
Gentry 1:28, TD Percival 1:20, ESC Gentry 1:00, TD Percival :51,
ESC Gentry :44, TD Percival :45, ESC Gentry :32, TD Percival
:06, Gentry 1 point riding time, Gentry 13-10
165
- Tyrone Lewis (Oklahoma State) dec. Matt King (Edinboro) 3-2
1P: TD Lewis 2:25, ESC King 2:16, Lewis 2-1
2P: Lewis chose down, ESC Lewis 1:54, Lewis 3-1
3P: King chose down, ESC King 1:57, Stalling warning Lewis, Lewis
3-2
174
- Chris Pendelton (Oklahoma State) dec. Ryan Lange (Purdue) 3-1
OT
1P: tie 0-0
2P: Pendelton chose down, ESC Lange 1:59, Pendelton 1-0
3P: Lange chose down, ESC Lange 1:38, tie 1-1
OT: TD Pendelton :19, Pendelton 3-1
*174
- Eric Hauan (UNI) dec. Brad Dillion (Lehigh) 11-5
1P: TD Hauan 2:46, ESC Dillion 2:26, TD Hauan 1:16, 3NF Hauan
1:10, ESC Dillion :40, Hauan 7-2
2P: Dillion chose down, ESC Dillion 1:50, Hauan 7-3
3P: Hauan chose down, ESC Hauan 1:53, TD Dillion 1:25, ESC Hauan
1:18, Stalling warning Hauan :25, TD Hauan :01, Hauan 11-5
184
- Greg Jones (West Virginia) dec. Ben Heizer (Northern Illinois)
10-6
1P: TD Jones 2:06, ESC Heizer 1:42, Warning Stalling Jones :34,
TD Jones :17, Jones 4-1
2P: Heizer chose down, ESC Heizer 1:57, TD Jones :10, Jones 6-2
3P: Jones chose down, REV Jones 1:33, ESC Heizer 1:26, TD Jones
:33, ESC Heizer :28, TD Hiezer :16, Jones 10-6
197
- Emmett Willson (Montana-Northern) dec. Sean Stender (UNI) 7-3
1P: TD Willson :34, Willson 2-0
2P: Wilson chose down, ESC Willson 1:45, Willson 3-0
3P: Stender chose down, ESC Stender 1:02, TD Stender :14, ESC
Willson, TD :12, Willson :10, Riding time Willson, Willson 7-3
HWT
- Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State) dec. Pat Cummins (Penn State) 3-1
1P: tie 0-0
2P: Rowlands chose down, ESC Rowlands 1:50, Stalling warning
Cummings :52, Rowlands 1-0
3P: Cummings chose down, ESC Cummings 1:42, tie 1-1
OT: TD Rowlands :00
*Local
Feature Matches
OFFICIAL - Chuck Yagla and Bill Roths
ATTENDANCE - 1,142
OHIO
STATE
No.
2 Rowlands Avenges Earlier Loss to No. 1 Cummins in NWCA All-Star
Classic HWT Bout
Three-time Buckeye All-American scores thrilling 3-1 decision
at buzzer in overtime over top-ranked Penn State HWT
Feb. 3, 2004
Pat Kindig
ohiostatebuckeyes.com
Columbus,
Ohio. - Three-time All-American HWT Tommy Rowlands (Sr., Hilliard,
Ohio/ Bishop Ready) represented Ohio State at the 2004 National
Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic at Northern Iowa
University in Cedar Falls, Iowa Monday evening. Rowlands, who
was selected to the event last year at the University of Delaware
but was forced to withdraw because of injury, met top-ranked
HWT Pat Cummins of Penn State in the final bout of the evening.
Rowlands, who fell to Cummins via a 3-2 decision Jan. 25 in a
dual bout between the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes, avenged the
earlier loss with a last-second 3-1 decision win in overtime
over Cummins Monday night.
The
pair wrestled through a scoreless first period with Rowlands
missing on several scoring opportunities. In the second stanza,
Rowlands put the first point on the board with an escape to gain
a slight 1-0 edge. He once again missed on a scoring chance and
carried the one-point advantage into the third period. Cummins
answered with an escape of his own to knot the bout at 1-1 early
in the third session and narrowly missed on a takedown attempt
of his own on the brink of the circle as the match extended to
overtime in a 1-1 stalemate.
In
the overtime period, Rowlands fought off a Cummins scoring attempt
and notched the first takedown of the match on the edge of the
mat moments before the final buzzer to claim the 3-1 win.
With
the win, Rowlands sent Cummins to his first defeat of the 2004
season and upped his all-time record against Cummins to 5-2.
OKLAHOMA
STATE
Pendleton,
Lewis notch victories at All-Star match
Ryan Teubner
Oklahoma
State's Tyrone Lewis and Chris Pendleton each recorded a pair
of victories at the 38th annual NWCA All-Star match in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, at the University of Northern Iowa.
Lewis,
who is ranked second at 165 pounds, avenged a loss in last year's
NCAA tournament to Edinboro's third-ranked Matt King. The El
Reno, Okla., native scored the only takedown of the match in
the first period, and held off to win 3-2.
Top-ranked
Pendleton squared off with Purdue's Ryan Lange at 174 pounds.
The two traded escapes in the second and third period to send
it into overtime. Lange went in deep on a shot but Pendleton
countered to score the takedown, and lock the victory.
The
Cowboys return to action Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. against second-ranked
Nebraska.
MISSOURI
Jeremy
Spates Takes Win at All-Star Classic
'Knocks Off Third-Ranked Wrestler'
Monday, Feb. 2, 2004
Emily Gatewood
www.mutigers.com
Cedar
Falls, Iowa. - Senior Missouri wrestler Jeremy Spates (149 pounds)
took win number 99 against third-ranked Dustin Manotti of Cornell
at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star
Classic at Northern Iowa.
Entering
the dual ranked fourth in the nation, Spates took the 3-2 decision,
earning the final deciding point with a full two minutes of riding
time in the third period.
'I
was a little tired toward the end of the match,' Spates said.
'But, I knew going into this dual, that I could wear Dustin down
and take the win. I knew that I needed to not let him get ahead
in the first period and hold onto whatever I could through the
third.'
With
Manotti scoring the first takedown off of an escape, Spates managed
an escape of his own, cutting the lead to 2-1, following with
a second escape to tie the match at two. With one point awarded
for riding time, Spates took the 149 pound All-Star Classic title.
One
of only four Big 12 wrestlers selected to compete at the annual
event, the All-Star competition was not a first for Spates, who
competed in an exhibition match two years ago on the campus of
Hofstra.
'The
exhibition match was a good experience,' Spates said. 'At the
time, it was really nice to be in New York and have lots of family
around cheering me on. But, this match meant a lot more. It was
somewhat strange to not have all of my teammates around cheering
me on, but between Coach (Brian) Smith, Coach (Lee) Pritts and
my Dad I had a lot of support.'
Wrestling
against Hofstra's Jason DeBruin during the 2000-01 season, Spates
took a 6-0 decision.
With
tonight's victory at the UNI Dome, Spates is one win away from
becoming the 10th Tiger in Missouri wrestling history to break
into the 100-win club. Spates holds a 99-34 career-record and
21-4, 2003-04 season record.
THE
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
EUSTICE
WINS AT NWCA ALL-STAR DUAL
February 2, 2004
Traci Wagner
CEDAR
FALLS, IA -- Hawkeye senior Luke Eustice defeated Michigan freshman
Mark Moos, 9-8, in the first match of the 38th annual NWCA All-Star
Dual in Cedar Falls Monday night. Eustice, who is now 2-0 against
Moos after winning a 13-3 major decision in Ann Arbor on Jan.
23, improves to 19-1 overall and 18-1 in collegiate competition
at 125 pounds.
Eustice
scored two takedowns in the first period, but an escape by Moos
as well as a reversal and two nearfall points at the buzzer made
the score 5-4 in Moos' favor. Moos chose down to start the second
period and quickly escaped to take a 6-4 lead. Eustice tied the
match at 6-6 with a takedown halfway through the period, but
Moos escaped to take a 7-6 lead. Eustice chose neutral to start
the third period, scoring a takedown with 1:05 left to take an
8-7 lead. Moos escaped to tie the score at 8-8, but Eustice's
riding time earned him the 9-8 win.
Eustice
and the Iowa Hawkeyes are idle the rest of this week, resuming
competition with a Big Ten road trip to Wisconsin (Feb. 13) and
Minnesota (Feb. 15).
OKLAHOMA
Defending
National Champion Ware Struggles In All-Star Classic
Ware loses to second ranked wrestler in overtime
Monday, Feb. 2, 2004
Jeff Chill
NORMAN,
Okla. - Sophomore Teyon Ware wrestled in the 2004 NWCA All-Star
Classic presented by United States Marines Corps at the University
of Northern Iowa tonight. The All-Star Classic puts the nation's
top wrestlers against each other in matches that are often a
preview of the upcoming NCAA championships.
Ware
was matched up against second ranked Scott Moore of Virginia
in the 141 pound weight class. Moore got on the board first with
a takedown with ten seconds to go in the first period. Ware scored
a reversal in the last five seconds to tie the match after one
period at 2-2.
After
choosing down, Moore escaped in the second period earning one
point. Moore extended his lead with another takedown. Ware got
the escape making the score 5-3. Ware tied the match with a takedown
of his own, but Moore took the lead back with an escape with
under a minute to go in the third period. Moore was called for
stalling with ten seconds to go to tie match at 6-6.
The
first overtime was entertaining, but no points were scored, forcing
30 second periods. Moore reverses Ware and locks up a cradle
to lead 11-6. Ware started down and got an escape only to lose,
11-7.
The
loss puts Ware's record at 16-2.
Scott
Moore (Virginia) Dec. Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) 11-7 ot
UNIVERSITY
OF NORTHERN IOWA
UNI
WRESTLERS HAVE GREAT SHOWING AT NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC
Eric Braley
University of Northern Iowa
Athletic Media Relations
http://www.unipanthers.com
Three
UNI Wrestlers stepped up and delivered phenomenal performances
at the 38th annual NWCA All-Star Classic at the UNI-Dome on Feb.
2.
The
Panthers went 2-1 on the evening with victories from Dylan Long
and Eric Hauan before Sean Stender fell to the NAIA top-rated
wrestler 10-6. UNI head coach Brad Penrith also served as one
of four honorary coaches for the event.
'All
three guys wrestled extremely well,' Coach Penrith said. 'I couldn't
have been more happy and proud of my kids. They didn't hold anything
back against this tough competition.'
In
the first match of the evening that featured a UNI wrestler,
Dylan Long was able to avenge a 5:08 fall from the Midlands tournament
against Andy Simmons of Michigan State with a 7-2 decision.
Long
scored a two point near-fall in the first period and just missed
getting a pin as he took the 4-0 lead going into the second period.
With the 4-1 lead heading into the third period, Long was able
close the door on Simmons scoring a reversal with 1:40 remaining
to pick up the 7-2 victory.
'Dylan
was just aggressive right from the start,' Penrith said. 'He
looked like the Dylan from last year and I think he made some
huge gains overall as he just looked sharper and extremely good.'
At
174, Eric Hauan came away with an 11-5 upset victory over Brad
Dillon of Lehigh. Hauan came in ranked 5th while Dillon was ranked
2nd with a 19-0 record. Hauan jumped out to an early 7-2 lead
in the first period with two takedowns and a 3-point near fall.
Hauan never looked like the underdog in the match as he scored
on three takedowns and a 3-point nearfall, controlling the match
as he gave Dillon his first
loss of the year.
'Hauan
wrestled 2 phenomenal periods and was very aggressive throughout
the match,' Penrith said. 'If he continues to wrestle like that
you could see him contending for the title.'
The
third and final UNI wrestler to compete on the evening was Sean
Stender at 197 pounds. Stender was paired against the NAIA top
wrestler, Emmett Willson of Montana-Northern who came into the
match undefeated. The two proved to be the most exciting match
of the night as the winner wasn't decided until the final 10
seconds. Willson, who won the Midlands tournament and is viewed
by many as one of the best wrestlers at this weight scored a
takedown in the first period to go up 2-0 and added another point
with an escape in the second. Stender made a valiant effort as
he scored a takedown in the third period with 14 seconds remaining
to make the score even at 3-3. But Willson had an answer as he
secured the 7-3 decision with a takedown with 10 seconds remaining
in the match.
'Because
Stender had to miss the first couple of months he isn't clicking
on all cylinders yet,' Penrith said. 'He missed a couple of opportunities
but he still gave himself a chance to get the win. These next
10 days are crucial for Stender to make sure he's back in top
shape to make things happen.'
The
Panthers will next be in action when they travel to Arizona State
on Feb. 15th for a 7:00 dual.
Source:
ADCC
|
Quote
of the Day
"A hammer breaks glass, but forges steel."
old Russian proverb
|
RANDY
COUTURE - Update on the Eye!
We received the following note on Team QUEST star Randy Couture
from one of his teammates.
Just
thought I'd let you know how Randy is doing. He went to the emergency
room last night to get his eye lids stitched up. apparently,
the glancing blow cut through Randy's eyelid and scratched his
cornea. The stitches will be out in about 9 days and he should
be completely healed and ready for a rematch in 2 weeks. But
it looks like we'll have to wait until June.
Thought
you'd like to know.
Nate
Source:
ADCC
He's
Okay:
Couture Checks in With FCF
By Loretta Hunt
From
Las Vegas this afternoon, recently unseated light-heavyweight
champion Randy Couture called into FCF to let everyone know that
he's okay. In a slightly somber tone, Couture says his injury
last night at UFC 46 was caused by a seam on the outside of the
commission issued gloves that grazed his left eye. (Couture says
he didn't feel any impact from the actual punch). The damage
required three stitches to his lower eyelid and five to his upper
lid. Couture says there was also some retinal abrasion, as well
as some irregularity with his pupil dilation that he was given
eye drops for. Patched up and back in his Mandalay Bay hotel
room, Couture says he has been resting with his wife and family
members.
On
the positive side, Couture was told all his optical maladies
are expected to heal completely and with his stitches out in
a few days, "the Natural" hopes to be back to training
in less than two weeks. According to Couture, Zuffa has already
started discussing the inevitable rematch with newly crowned
champion Vitor Belfort and he let the promotion know that he'll
be ready to fight again as early as April (although he realistically
anticipates a June date at the earliest.)
FCF
wishes Couture, as well as the other injured UFC 46 participants,
the speediest of recoveries.
Source:
FCF |
Pre-UFC
Interview: Renato Charuto
By André
Araújo
Charuto
training hard for Newton
After
winning three bouts at Rumble of the Rock (the last one against
Gil Castilho), Renato Veríssimo Charuto received an invitation
from Dana White and he will be at Ultimate Fighting Championship
46 facing the tough Canadian fighter Carlos Newton on January
31st. 30 years old and living in Hawaii since 1997, Charuto is
aware of the major challenge. Well, he seems ready: "I do
have to be careful and I will not allow him to increase during
the fight. I will attack him on the feet and on the ground. I
want the victory!," said Charuto. Check out bellow the full
interview.
How
is your training to face Carlos Newton?
I've
trained a lot of ground technique, Muay Thai. I went to Big Island
and trained with BJ Penn. I also had a chance to train with several
members of Team Quest (wrestling) and it was great. Hawaii kicks
ass and its the best place here in US. The weather seems like
Rio de Janeiro...
Newton
has a good experience at MMA including victories over José
Pelé Landy and Renzo Gracie. What's your strategy to fight
him?
He
was knocked out by Anderson Silva and Renzo just got defeated
because he got tired. Newton is young, experienced and he believes
in his game. I have a training baggage he doesn't have. Newton
fought the best ones, but he doesn't have the same training level
I did. Its not gonna be easy, but I ready for it. I do have to
be careful and I will not allow him to increase during the fight.
I will attack him on the feet and on the ground. I just want
the victory!
How
does it happened... your debut at Ultimate?
I
have been fighting at Rumble on the Rock (held by BJ's brother,
Jay Dee Penn, my manager). I fought twice and I had a chance
to face Gil Castilho. I fought him in front of Dana White. I
won and I learned a lot with this fight. Then he invited me at
UFC. I am happy with the opportunity and I will do my best. I
already have been at UFC but as a corner. Now I am so excited
to fight.
André
Pederneiras is travelling to check out your fight and he will
be at your corner. How does it fells?
Its
gonna be damn important. He knows how I am. Dedé has been
training me since I was 19 (white belt) and now his is my friend
and my mentor. Its a honor to represent him and show him what
I have learned. I also fell stronger just to know is coming.
What
is your guess for Vítor vs Couture?
I
am sure Vítor will win. He is more mature and technical
I have no doubt that he will kick Randy's ass. My guess: Vítor
will apply a good combination of punches and bam! TKO.
Talk
a little bit of your career at Hawaii. Why did you leave Brazil
to live there?
In
1997 I came to Las Vegas to train at John Lewis's academy. It
was there I met Jay Dee (BJ's brother). After ADCC 98, he invited
me to spend 20 days at his house to train his brother (Reagan
Penn) and teach. It was love at first sight. Hawaii is a real
paradise. I just came back to Las Vegas five days later to visit.
I love Hawaii and I don't have plans to leave it. I surf a little
bit and the weather is amazing.
Why
your nickname in Brazil is "Charuto" (Cuban cigar)?
It
came from Water polo. I was 16 years old, 1,73m , 60kg and I
used to live on the beach. So, my water polo gave me that nick
name: "black, thin and tall, you look like a cigar."
This is in 1987.
Source:
Tatame
|
SUPERBRAWL
33 Preview!
Hawaiian
fighters sure are deservedly getting attention right now. First
huge news has been breaking out of both SuperBrawl and Rumble
On the Rock for the last year. Now with BJ Penn the new UFC Welterweight
Champion, Wesley “Cabbage” Correira becoming a fan
favorite, and Renato Verissimo triumphing over Carlos Newton
eyes are starting to focus past Vegas and L.A. and into the Pacific.
Now SuperBrawl 33 looks to keep the momentum going with their
February 7th card.
So
far the card looks like:
Falaniko
Vitale vs. Dave Menne
Jens Pulver vs. Eddie Yagin
Justin Eilers vs. Harry Moskowitz
Ronald Jhun vs. Kyle Brees
Brees
is starting to become a household name, having fought nine times
to finish 7-2 in 2003. His total internet verifiable record is
9-4 stretching all the way back to June 2002. Yes, that is thirteen
fights in a year and a half. Of his 2003 fights five victories
have been by armbar, one by ankle lock, and one by triangle choke.
Only one of his non-decision fights went past the first round
with both of his two losses in ’03 being by decision. His
opponent Jhun was making good progress since dropping to Welterweight
until September where in the course of one month he lost the
KOTC Welterweight belt to John Alessio and followed it up just
two weeks later with a loss to UFC vet Tiki Ghosen in SuperBrawl.
Since then he picked up a win in October in Rumble On the Rock
4 and one in January in Ring Of Honor 2. Since dropping to Welterweight
six of Jhun’s eight fights have gone to the judges while
the other two were TKO and submission to strikes. This match-up
pairs an early submission whiz against a striker so seasoned
it would be unfair to call his style ground and pound. Look for
this one to be a fast and furious first round at least.
Most
fans should be familiar with Team Extreme’s Dave Menne and
Jens Pulver, both former UFC Champions in their weight classes.
Eilers is the third Team Extreme fighter so far. Eilers is the
IFC US Heavyweight Champion whose only loss in his six fights
last year was to UFC vet Wesley “Cabbage” Correira.
Moskowitz has three inches and ten years on Eilers.
Eddie
Yagin vs. Jens Pulver may be the one to keep an eye on. Unconfirmed
reports list this as being at 145, the weight at which Jens is
tentatively to enter Shooto. Yagin lost to Vitor ‘Shaolin”
Ribeiro in WFA 3 back in November 2002 but he put on a hell of
a show, at one point cartwheeling over Ribeiro in an effort to
pass the guard. At the time he was 7-0 when he took that fight
on a couple days’ notice. Since then he has picked up a
loss and a draw. A win over Pulver could make up for his loss
to Shaolin while a loss to Pulver could make his slump look almost
too hard to get out of. Pulver has successfully pulled out of
his early ’03 2-fight slump which drew a close to his 155
career by coming back in the later half of the year with two
wins at 145. A third win could get Jens into Shooto as a top
name at 145 while a loss could jeopardize his chances. This fight
by far has the most drama and anticipation and could very well
turn out to be the headline news over Menne/Vitale.
Menne/Vitale
is the battle of the UFC vets, with Vitale having a win and a
loss in the UFC against Matt Lindland while Dave Menne is former
UFC Middleweight Champion. Menne has had mixed results against
top level fighters with losses to Phil Baroni, Hayato Sakurai,
and Murilo Bustamante but at the same time having wins over Chris
Lytle, Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons, and Carlos Newton.
The
rest of the card is yet to be announced but these four fights
alone are worth the price. For more information including tickets
check out http://www.superbrawl.tv/.
Source:
ADCC |
PENN
SURPRISES MOST AND ENDS HUGHES REIGN
Royce Gracie amazed UFC fans in the beginning with his amazing
wins over "giants" like Remco Pardoel, Dan Severn and
many others as a small 170 pound man would make short work of
bigger fighters. That was then and this is now. The sport has
evolved so quickly that there had to be weight classes because
the "smaller" fighter could not stand up to the bigger
fighters of today.
Fast
forward to January 31st, when BJ Penn, who was one of the best
fighters at 155, took the challenge to Matt Hughes, the 170 UFC
Champion. The same Matt Hughes who cleaned out an entire division
single handedly. The same Matt Hughes who was thinking of moving
up a weight class to 185 just to get a challenge.
Remember
this is basically a 155 pound fighter who could not beat Hughes
teammate Jens Pulver for the UFC title back at UFC 37. The MMA
Media dismissed this as many worried for the health of Penn.
It
took just one round for "The Prodigy" to make the ultimate
statement as a huge right hand, and the rear naked choke, took
out the most dominant champion of the past couple of years. Penn
shocked the world by choking out Hughes in the first round to
become the new UFC champion at 170.
Now
there are plenty of things that are left unanswered and the UFC
will have some new challenges that lie ahead. BJ Penn now will
face plenty of new faces as champion at 170. But what is the
future of Matt Hughes and what is the future of the 155 pound
weight class?
The
155 weight class is in further disaray as the number one guy
is now the champion of 170. Hermes Franca's loss to Josh Thomson
now put's further questions on who the top dog is in the 155
division. Will Thomson face Yves Edwards for a vacant title?
Will the UFC focus on getting champions in the 155 division any
time soon? How about a tournament in both 155 and 185 to crown
new champions?
The
other big question is with Matt Hughes himself. While understandably
upset at losing his title, will Hughes move up to 185? Hughes
has already cleared out the weight class and it took BJ Penn
moving up in weight to give him the challenge he was looking
for.
Is
there really anyone else, other than Penn, still in the division
for Hughes to fight? His decision of which weight class he wants
to fight at will be very interesting because who else is there
for Hughes to fight at 170 besides Penn? So while we saw many
amazing things happen, it appears the future of Hughes and the
155 division just got that much cloudier in a wild night of upsets
and for BJ Penn he gets ready to write a new chapter in his career
as the new 170 pound champion.
Source: MMA Weekly |
Mission
Accomplished: Bono and Williams qualify the U.S. for the 2004
Olympic Games at their weight classes
from
USOC PressBox http://www.usocpressbox.org/
Bratislava,
Slovakia - The United States sent two wrestlers to Slovakia hoping
to qualify the final two men's freestyle weight classes for the
2004 Olympic Games. Early Sunday morning, Chris Bono (Gilbert,
Iowa/Sunkist Kids) and Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist
Kids) were able to accomplish that goal with thrilling quarterfinal
wins at the first Olympic qualifier.
'We
are pleased with this performance,' stated USA Wrestling National
Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson. 'We came here to get a job done
- qualify our final two weight classes for the Olympics. We did
that. Now we can go home and begin preparations for Nationals,
Trials and the Olympics.'
'We
had a lot of help from your support staff, Dr. Robert Heinz,
Jamill Kelly and Ramico Blackmon. We want to thank them for their
help,' Jackson added.
Bono
went on to place third and Williams won a gold medal at the event,
which wrapped up on Sunday morning.
Bono
defeated 2000 Olympic gold medalist and four-time World medalist
Ali Reza Dabir of Iran, 2-2 in overtime in a 66 kg/145.5 lbs
quarterfinal match.
Dabir
shot out to a 2-0 lead after scoring a point in the clinch to
start the second period and then another point on a takedown.
In overtime, Bono battled back, scoring a point in the clinch
after Dabir refused to lock. Jackson argued for a caution and
two points for Bono, but only one point was awarded.
Bono
then scored a takedown to tie the score at 2-2. Bono was awarded
the win based on having the least amount of cautions in the match.
'He
got the last takedown with 10 seconds left in regulation. I knew
I had to win the clinch going into the overtime,' Bono said.
Bono
then lost to Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan in the semifinals,
6-2. Spiridonov won a University World gold medal in 2000.
Bono
won by injury default over Jin-Kuk Baek of Korea in the bronze-medal
match.
'I
wrestled awful for two minutes in the semifinal match and it
cost me,' Bono said. 'It was the second match up after the Dabir
match, and it was one of those things where I wasn't mentally
prepared going in. That was my fault. I feel like I could have
won this tournament.'
At
74 kg/163 lbs., Williams won the gold medal with a 3-0 win over
2003 Pan American Championships gold medalist Ivan Fundora of
Cuba.
Williams,
a 2001 World bronze medalist, posted a thrilling 4-3 quarterfinal
win over Krystian Brzozowski of Poland before defeating Armenia's
Arayik Gevorgyan 9-4 in the semifinals.
Against
Brzozowski, Williams fell behind 3-0 on points scored off of
Williams' throw attempt. Williams fired back with four second-period
points to earn the win and qualify the United States for the
2004 Olympic Games at his weight class.
'I
am glad I qualified the weight class. Now I can focus on making
the Olympic team and realizing my lifelong dream,' Williams said.
In
order to qualify the weight class for the 2004 Olympic Games,
wrestlers must place in the top five at their respective weight
class.
Wrestlers
qualifying for the Olympic Games only qualify their weight class
for their nation. Olympic Team athlete selection varies by country.
Positions on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Teams will be determined at
the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Wrestling in Indianapolis,
Ind., May 21-23.
Men's
Freestyle Olympic Qualification Tournament
at Bratislava, Slovakia
Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2004
U.S. Results
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Sergei Demtchenko (Belarus), 4-1
WIN Ahto Raska (Estonia), 5-3
WIN Ali Reza Dabir (Iran), 2-2, ot, 9:00
LOSS Leonid Spiridonov (Kazakhstan), 6-2
WIN Jin-Kuk Baek (Korea), by inj. default
74
kg/163 lbs. - Joe Williams, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
WIN Habib Mohmed (Qatar), 3-2
WIN Eugen Preda (Romania), 5-0
WIN Krystian Brzozowski (Poland), 4-3
WIN Arayik Gevorgyan (Armenia), 9-4
WIN Ivan Fundora (Cuba), 3-0
Source: ADCC |
KING
OF THE CAGE 'After Shock' Announced!
Friday February 20th, 2004
Soboba Casino
Doors open 6:30PM
1st fight at 8:00PM
Live
from Soboba Casino in San Jacinto Friday February 20th. King
of the Cage, presents ' After Shock '. Gates Open at 6:30 PM
1st fight at 8:00PM. For the 1st time ever legendary Cage Fighter
Dan 'The Beast' Severn, will fight in Southern California taking
on 'Scary' Jerry Verbonivic in a huge heavyweight showdown. 155lbs
world Champion Joe 'Daddy' Stevenson was set to fight ATT's Marcus
Aurellio. However, Aurellio will not be able to fight as he injured
his hand on route to winning the ZST 16-man tournament in Japan.
His replacement is KOTC up and comer Joe Camacho, who is fresh
of a KO victory of Brazilian Ju-Jitsu Black Belt Juliano Prado
in his last KOTC PayPerView performance. Look for sparks to fly
As not only is this a long awaited rematch for Camacho who lost
to Stevenson Via triangle choke in their 1st fight over 5 years
ago. Both fighters have matured into world class combatants.
Stevenson is also coming off an impressive KO victory of Thomas
Shulte. Many are saying that Joe 'Daddy' Stevenson is the next
big thing at 155lbs as his is the current KOTC and Gladiator
Challenge 155lbs Champion with an undefeated record at 155lbs.
Joe Camacho is looking for revenge and the opportunity to have
the Championship belt around his waist.
In
the 145lbs division we have a rematch for the vacant 145lbs title.
Bobby Gamboa vs David Rivas. There 1st match was a war that took
place at KOTC 'Sin City' at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas last
year. Bobby Gamboa walked away with a judges decision victory.
Rivas looks to avenge the loss but both are hungry to be crowned
145lbs Champion of the World. Also on the card an unofficial
title is on the line for who will be known as King of the Streets.
The bad boy of the west coast Shad Smith of San Bernardino, California
takes on Ocala, Florida's Charles 'Krazy Horse' Bennett. 'Krazy
Horse' who is know for KO'ing his opponents with unconventional
slams will have to watch out for the hard hitting hand power
of Shad Smith. 'The Wildman' Thomas Denny squares off against
Jake Gomez. Also on this card is the return of Romi Aram. Other
fighters on the card are: Wander Braga, Mike Seal, Bryan Pardoe,
Brian Sesma, Logan Layton, Dale Breese, Michael Penalber, Chad
Davis, Randy Velarde, Richard Solis, Matt Stansell, Chad Washburn,
Manny Tapia, and Jorge Periera.
This
card will air on a one week delayed Pay-Per-View February 29th
2004, Available on Dish Network, Direct TV, TVN and Bell Express
VU. Look for an upgraded production level also an exciting new
pre-show to air before the event. Featuring all of the main event
fighters.
Tickets
to this event are available by calling 1-866-4-SOBOBA / 1-866-476-2622.
Source: ADCC |
Quote
of the Day
"All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being
self-evident."
Arthur Schopenhauer, 1788-1860, German Philosopher
|
Midweek
Features Female Kickboxer and Vitale & Yagin!
 
Yesterday's Midweek featured an article on Grappling Unlimited's
Falaniko Vitale and Eddie Yagin. It also shows the sport of MMA
in a great light by a previous "non-believer." It also
helps to hype up Super Brawl, which is this weekend.
Last weeks Midweek they featured a female kickboxer originally
from Hawaii, now living in California that is beginning to make
a name for herself.
If you have the time, contact Midweek and compliment them on
those stories and ask for more. That way Hawaii martial artists
will receive the recognition they deserve!
|
'Minotauro'
Trains With The
Brazilian Olympic Boxing Team
PRIDE
Champion Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira was seen training last
week with the Brazilian National Boxing Team, that is in ethe
middle of serious training for a selective for the Olympic Games.
'Minotauro' was invited to train with the team in São
Paulo by trainer Luis Dória, who was his trainer in Bahia
and currently is one of the coachs of the olimpyc team.
'Minotauro'
came back to Rio De Janeiro, but he is scheduled to return to
São Paulo. He will train over one week in Brazil's capital,
and after that will follow the olympic team to Cuba, where he
will stay for 15 days.
The
champ commented 'Luis Dória was my boxing coach some time
ago and he invited me to train with the Brazilian olympic team.
I think that it will be really good, therefore I will improve
my boxing skills. It will be an excellent experience for me,
I will improve a lot my stand up game.'
Source:
Tatame
|
UFC
Shocker: Couture and Hughes Go Down
LAS
VEGAS -- If tonight’s Ultimate Fighting Championship’s
doesn’t convince the critics that mixed martial arts is,
at its core, sport, nothing will. The willingness by participants
to put themselves on the line. The understanding that in competition
lies the uncertain. These are the conditions under which today’s
mixed martial artist compete. It was with this realization that
champions -- men considered to be great -- Randy Couture and
Matt Hughes stepped into the Octagon.
Couture,
who’d turned a career that was stellar into one that will
place him among the all-time athletes in the sport, smiled across
the ring at his opponent, Vitor Belfort, prior to referee John
McCarthy’s instructions in the center of the ring. It was
the same smile that he’d shared with fight fans following
consecutive wins over Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. And, it was
the same smile he planned to share later -- after.
Belfort,
however, had a distinctly different vision. Married just last
month with the big fight looming, Belfort’s life had focus.
And then his sister disappeared. Chaos -- a theme in the Brazilian’s
life that plagued him at different points in his still-young
career -- entered into the mix.
It
was under this veneer that Couture-Belfort II was delivered to
fight fans.
As
Couture moved forward to begin the bout, he pawed in Belfort’s
direction, missing a kick and looping punch. The Brazilian challenger
unleashed a counter left that, at first viewing, appeared to
miss. Seconds later, however, it was obvious that the punch had
effected the champ.
Clinched
with Belfort against the fence, Couture was squinting noticeably.
Immediately, John McCarthy moved in for closer inspection and
called time when it was apparent something was wrong with Couture’s
left eye.
Nevada
State Athletic Commission ringside physician Margaret Goodman
checked Couture and, subsequently, called the contest as boos
cascaded from many of the 11,405 fans in attendance.
“I
had never seen a cut like that before,” said Goodman afterwards.
Belfort
rejoiced, jumping atop the cage fencing. Despite the chaos; despite
the unknown; despite it all; fighting and a pious attitude, he
said, strengthened him.
In
training Couture talked about waiting for that fleeting moment
when Belfort paused, ready to strike. And he did: But it took
just 49 seconds for sport to rear its beautiful -- if not totally
confounding -- head.
The
punch was glancing, but very dangerous. Belfort’s glove
acted as a scalpel, slicing Couture’s lower left eyelid
in a vertical fashion. The injury, said Goodman, was incredibly
dangerous and required Couture to have a procedure done tonight
at a hospital specializing in eye-related maladies.
In
spite of the way the fight finished, Belfort seemed content in
victory; he was resolute, explaining his efforts in the gym and
the trials and tribulations outside of it gave the win all the
validation it needs.
At
the post-fight press conference he broke down as he described
the ordeal leading up to tonight’s contest and how he needed
this fight to remain sane: “I was two weeks over here [in
Las Vegas], and I did what I was supposed to do -- what God told
me to do. I prayed every day. He told me to come here and do
my job.”
Talk
of a rematch surfaced immediately. UFC president Dana White said
that all options would be looked into. If Couture doesn’t
have any long-lasting effects from the cut, a rematch should
me made as soon as possible.
Hughes
faced BJ
Penn, the
young Hawaiian who, in only the tenth fight of his career found
himself in his third title fight. Both times he’d come up
short: a decision loss to Jens Pulver as well as a draw versus
Caol Uno. While those bouts came at 155 pounds, it seemed like
a risk in not only stepping up 15 pounds in weight, but doing
it against the world’s best, too.
Mental
lapses were cited as the reason for hiccups in Penn’s career.
Physically, he’s extremely gifted, yet he lacked the ring
experience and strategic know-how to seize a championship moment.
Coming
into tonight’s bout, few pundits gave him a shot, saying
he was biting off more than he could chew. It took just under
one round for those same detractors to start working on hefty
portions of crow.
Penn
opened extremely strong, reacting well from an early Hughes punch,
by throwing the champion to the mat in a way fans had never seen.
Sidestepping and tossing, Penn showed the positive effects of
training with the likes of Matt Lindland and Couture in the weeks
leading up to the welterweight showdown.
The
champion fell back and worked to gain the guard position. From
there he struck with several heavy elbows that formed welts on
the Hawaiian’s face. Hughes, who looked larger and stronger,
seemed to weather Penn’s early advances. But the reprieve
was just momentary.
Taking
several minutes to pass Hughes’ guard, Penn finally attained
the mount position and seconds later back control. Hughes was
in Penn’s world and had an awfully difficult time dealing
with the adversities coming his way. With mere seconds remaining,
Penn snaked an arm around Hughes’ thick neck and tightened
the hold, forcing Hughes to tap for the third time in his career.
“I
never got things going and BJ did,” Hughes said. “He
came in with a game plan and he beat me. The best man won. There’s
no doubt about it. I’ve got no excuses whatsoever.
“I’m
not a striker. I’m not a submission man. I’m a grappler.
I’m a wrestler that’s got a lot of strength. I can’t
go out there and I can’t strike. I don’t want to play
the submission role. I just gotta beat people up. I learned a
lot.”
The
new champion seemed more relieved that excited in the moments
after his victory: “I don’t even know what I did today,”
he said on the UFC broadcast.
What
he did was dominate the most dominant champion in the sport.
Messers Newton, Sakurai, Castillo Sherk and Trigg were unable
to staunch the Hughes’ tide; it’s fitting -- and at
the same time amazing -- that the Island boy was the one to do
it.
Newton,
meanwhile, faced UFC newcomer Renato Verissimo, who earned his way into the show
-- despite having only four fights -- by taking apart veteran
Gil Castillo. Arriving yesterday due to visa problems, Newton
realized he’d have a difficult time making 170 pounds and
asked to have the weigh-in limit moved to 175.
The
sluggishness was obvious. Verissimo impressed by controlling
and systematically picking apart Newton over the course of the
three-round contest.
Frank
Mir did not meet Wes Sims’ size 16 this time. The Las Vegan
Brazilian jiu-jitsu stylist controlled Sims during the duration
of their contest until scoring a knockout 4:21 of the second
period.
Mir
opened strong, planting Sims on his back with a high-elevation
double-leg takedown. Immediately he mounted Sims. Unlike their
first contest, however, Mir avoided going for an early submission,
opting to strike and bloody his rival.
Sims
scored with knees in the second round, but he never hurt Mir.
Following a standup by McCarthy, Mir blasted away with two knees
to the face followed by a left straight-right hook combo that
dropped Sims on the spot. Mir jumped in for one final blow but
McCarthy jumped in to protect him.
Lee
Murray is no stranger to close followers of the UFC. Notorious
for an alleged confrontation with then UFC light-heavyweight
champion on the streets of London, England following UFC 38,
Murray now had a chance to introduce himself to American fans
with a fight they could see.
Jorge
Rivera, meanwhile, returned to the UFC after an impressive victory
over David Loiseau at UFC 44. In Murray, Rivera had an opponent
more than happy to stand and trade. The question coming in was
would he?
His
body language as the bell sounded told it all. After the two
clinched, Rivera did as game planned and put Murray to the mat.
However, like Mark Weir, a fellow British striker who was known
for his striking and not his grappling skills, had done in his
UFC debut, Murray surprised, showing proficiency for submissions
that few had ever seen from him.
From
the guard, Murray secured an armbar. While Rivera defended, Murray
switched to a triangle and immediately Rivera was in trouble.
The ending came as Murray countered to armbar, pulled down on
Rivera’s endangered limb and cranked. Rivera tapped 1:45
into the fight.
Grappling
stalwarts Karo Parisyan and George St. Pierre rounded out the
night’s prelim action. St. Pierre, who looked like a larger
version of Matt Serra, survived an early Parisyan kimura attempt
and fought the rest of the round inside the guard of the dangerous
judo player. Round two was even stronger for the Canadian fighter
who earned his way into the UFC by submitting Pete Spratt last
month.
Bloodying
Parisyan with multiple elbows and punches while he lay on his
back, St. Pierre asserted his will for the duration of the five-minute
period. Knowing he needed a stoppage of some sort to walk out
of the Octagon victorious, Parisyan worked diligently for a fight-finishing
kimura in the opening moments of round three.
He
managed to put St. Pierre in a grimace-resulting position, but
that was all. The Canadian reversed and pounded on the Los Angeles-based
fighter until the final horn sounded. Judges had it 30-27 for
the UFC rookie.
One
year ago, a Josh Thomson-Hermes Franca fight might have taken
place on television, and it might have been for the 155-pound
championship. But, tonight, it was undeservedly relegated to
a preliminary contest due, in large part, to an absence of the
lightweight division’s championship. Flanked by his comrades
from the American Kickboxing Academy, Thomson appeared extremely
confident as he strode into the ring. Franca looked calm and
at ease.
In
the first period both fighters were measured, with Thomson surprisingly
bringing the fight to the ground. Franca nearly capitalized with
an armbar, but Thomson was unrelenting and freed himself. Thomson
opened up in the second, scoring with knees before, again, taking
down the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Instead
of playing it smart and forcing Franca to work for takedowns
of his own, he allowed the Florida-based fighter to fight in
his comfort zone. The dangerous game caught up to him when Franca
reversed Thomson to his back.
When
the two fighters stood up the first exchange of the contest went
Thomson’s way before the end of the period, though the crowd
cheered wildly as he slipped following a well-placed knee to
Franca’s face.
As
the final round started, so to did a change in Franca’s
fortunes. With Thomson attempting a single-leg takedown, Franca
delivered an unsuspecting right hook. Stunned on the spot, Thomson
released the leg and stood motionless before his legs failed
him. Franca pounced, delivering a salvo of unanswered strikes
that had referee Larry Landless poised to halt the bout.
Thomson,
however, continued his struggle to remain conscious, bobbing
and weaving, grabbing and holding. As the crowd roared in the
background, Thomson slowly regained his faculties as Franca was
forced to slow his pace as exhaustion loomed.
With
an apparent 10-8 round (and possible draw) in his future, Franca
stood with Thomson as the final seconds counted down. Back on
the feet -- the place he should have attempted to fight from
during the 15-minute contest -- Thomson scored with a final knee
to Franca’s midsection that, perhaps, prevented a draw.
All three judges had it 29-28 in Thomson’s favor.
Considering
that native New Yorker Matt Serra was forced to deal with three
potential opponents -- Javier Vazquez, Gerald Strebrendt, and
Ivan Menjivar -- a brutal Arctic winter that had swept across
the North Eastern U.S., and the hazards that come with a day-in,
day-out training regimen, the weeks leading up to UFC 46 could
easily be classified as tumultuous for a fighter looking to even
his UFC ledger at 3-3.
Last-minute
replacement Jeff Curran, on the other hand, was simply happy
to earn a slot in the star-studded card. Racking up the majority
of his wins at 145 pounds, Curran weighed the risks of fighting
on short notice against an opponent who walks around at 170 pounds.
Unfortunately
for the Chicago-based Curran, Serra’s strengths were his
own -- and the prospect of competing at a higher weight didn’t
help his chances any. Serra asserted his advantages early, controlling
Curran from the top. Curran, however, refused to give an inch,
frustrating Serra at every turn with Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills
cultivated under the tutelage of Pedro Sauer.
In
round two, Serra landed the first high-impact takedown of the
match, suplexing Curran backwards. From side control Serra landed
two heavy-fisted right hands, but Curran continued to stay active
from the bottom, squirming his way back into the guard or to
his feet at any available opening.
Clearly
up two rounds to none, Serra cruised in the third, though Curran
fought to the end. All three judges at ringside scored the contest
30-27 for Serra.
Source:
Maxfighting
|
Interview:
Marvin 'The Beastman' Eastman
Marvin
“The Beastman” Eastman is exactly what the bigger shows
are looking for in a Light Heavyweight. He is very strong at
the standup game with his muay thai training, bringing a kicking
dimension to the standup many of the boxing-based fighters dont
utilize. He is also very experienced on the ground, training
out of John Lewis’ J-Sect Jiu-Jitsu in Las Vegas and as
we will hear below has had help from legendary ground-and-pounders
Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman.
So
far Eastman is best remembered for three periods in his career;
his time in KOTC, WFA, and his UFC debut. He made his KOTC debut
three and a half years ago by beating Pride vet Quinton Jackson,
went on to beat Ioka Tianuu and Floyd Sword, and finally lost
a controversial decision to Vernon White.
His
WFA experience started off with a second loss in a row to UFC
vet Rich Franklin before beating Tom Sauer and finally Alex Stiebling
for the Light Heavyweight belt in November ‘02. Unfortunately
WFA experienced financial difficulties and have not held a show
since, although co-promoter John Lewis states it is not dead
and to keep an eye out for another WFA.
The
third phase of his career began when he entered the UFC and therefore
the eyes of every fan in July ’03 to face Vitor Belfort.
Although Eastman lost due to a TKO at 1:10 of the first round,
it was to a man who has had more title shots or opportunities
at title shots than Eastman has had fights. Word started getting
around Eastman was concentrating on K-1 and muay thai and might
never return to the cage. When news of Eastman fighting a rematch
against White was announced fans familiar with Eastman were wondering
would this be a continuation of the third phase of his career
or the beginning of yet another.
His
most recent fight was in King Of the Cage on January 24th. Eastman
took full advantage of White not responding to his corner by
scoring with leg kicks, knees, and punches as well as several
takedowns. Eastman was also the aggressor in the fight and showed
phenomenal conditioning by not relenting on his way to a unanimous
judges’ decision. With this redemption over White it looks
like Eastman is bouncing back from his UFC loss and is once again
a fighter to fear in the upper levels of the Light Heavyweight
division.
KM:
Congratulations on your win. How are you feeling now? ME: I feel
good. Besides a little split lip I’m cool.
KM:
Just a couple stitches there? ME: Yeah, they stitched me up good.
That is part of the fight game. Give me some lumps, I give him
some lumps.
KM:
That was a rematch against Vernon. Do you feel vindicated? ME:
Yeah, I think people that have seen the first fight knew that
I won the fight. It took a long time but we got to fight again
and I’m happy about the outcome. Obviously I’d lie
not to have a split lip but he’s got a bruised leg.
KM:
It seemed like you were the more aggressive throughout the entire
fight. ME: You know what, I didn’t want to leave any doubt.
I knew they were real sticklers about being timid so I tried
to press the fight, make it happen so it wouldn’t be any
question about who won the fight. If I lose the fight then I
lost the fight going 100% but I wasn’t going to lose the
fight because I wasn’t trying to go hard.
KM:
How much notice did you have on this? ME: About two weeks.
KM:
Okay. About two weeks ago I was told it would be Vernon against
Pat Smith and it wasn’t until the final card came out we
saw you on it. Did that notice have any effect? ME: Yeah, it
does because I like to be in a lot better shape. I usually train
about six rounds hard in a cage for a three round (fight). For
this fight I trained with Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, and
some other buddies from my gym, they helped me out with my wrestling.
I felt good, real aggressive and stuff. I just wanted to come
out hard and try to make a statement. Let these folks know I’m
still one of the top contenders in Light Heavyweight. The last
one I had I got caught with a lucky shot. I lost fair and square
but I feel I’m still one of the top ten Light Heavyweights
in the division. I just haven’t been able to showcase myself
because some of the shows I’ve been fighting on. People
that train with me know what I can do. I’m just as skilled
on the ground as I am standing up. Not to sound big-headed or
nothing like that, I just feel I’m one of the better fighters
out there. I want to expose myself to the people out there so
they know. I don’t want to be doing this for fifty years
but I want to get in, do the best I can, and get out.
KM:
You are the champion of WFA. Any disappointment you haven’t
been able to continue in WFA and defend that belt? ME: Yeah,
it is and right now its still tentative. They have some financial
stuff going on so its not 100% over with right now. My trainer
and teacher has that on stand-by right now but I still would
love to defend it because that is a six thousand dollar belt.
You can win a championship but you’re not really a champion
until you defend it and that is something I would have liked
to have done. Hopefully everything will work out and I’ll
get to do that.
KM:
As far as training with J-Sect both you and Eric Pele won tonight.
ME: Yeah. We have some good trainers, we have good students there
help out, some of the guys behind the scenes…Kevin Randleman
came down, Mark Coleman helps, Wes Simms helps me and Eric out…plus
now I’m back training muay thai again which I had a two-year
gap in there. It shows. If you look at the fights I’ve had
I didn’t do a lot of standup. I did work my hands but no
leg kicks. The thing that makes me different is my standup. People
are scared of those leg kicks. Once I start to try to put them
down…they might take them right now but later on you’re
going to feel them. When you don’t train those its like
a dull knife, I’m sharpening them back up and that is when
I’m going to start chopping people down with those leg kicks.
When you can’t stand up it changes the whole direction of
the fight.
KM:
Didn’t I see something about you having a muay thai or kickboxing
fight lately? ME: I was supposed to fight in December but the
guy didn’t pass his test, he had hepatitis or something.
I’m still tentatively fighting in K-1 in April. I didn’t
do it last year because I fought (Vitor) Belfort and you couldn’t
have two events thirty days back to back. I feel great. Glad
to get this monkey off my back. The loss to Belfort was a big
deal and you re-evaluate yourself to see if you got what it takes
but that was a one in a million shot and he got it. I accept
that like a man but you start to question yourself. Nobody knows
all the stuff I had on my plate. I shouldn’t have took the
fight at all. I had all kinds of stuff going on; two uncles died,
I got cut a week before the fight and week before that my eye
was patched up because it got infected….a whole bunch of
stuff going on. When you have all that stuff going on in your
life fighting with the old lady at home, its not a good thing.
That is why professional boxers go up to Big Bear and get away
from everybody. Unfortunately for some fighters we got to work
jobs. I’m an officer so I got to work forty hours a week
to and then train five hours a day…you work a ten hour day
and then train five hours you tell me how many hours that leaves
in a twenty-four hour day. I accept that because I am the one
who chooses to do the fighting. Once upon a time when I’m
a six figure fighter maybe I won’t have to work. I feel
I’m there, I just haven’t been exposed to the world.
A lot of the die-hards know who I am but a lot of people don’t.
KM:
Sponsors to thank. ME: I want to thank beatdown.com, J-Sect Jiu-Jitsu,
and I want to say ‘what’s up’ to my boys at Sinister
for representing
Source:
ADCC
|
Joe
Stevenson on his upcoming KOTC title defense
Joe
Stevenson won the King Of the Cage 155 belt from Thomas Schulte
in November. Now he is training to defend the belt on the next
KOTC card. His opponent is now veteran Joe Camacho. Both these
fighters are known for having similar styles based in boxing
and wrestling, although both have won by submissions before.
Feedback from various insiders is both have also been improving
dramatically in the last couple of months and fans should look
for an explosive title defense for the Lightweight class.
KM:
Your next fight is in King Of the Cage at Saboba Casino in California.
JS: February 20th on pay-per-view. It will be against Joe Camacho.
Marcus Aurelio was the opponent, he had to step down due to some
things that couldn’t be helped.
KM:
Is that in any way a disappointment? He was a high-profile name.
JS: Yeah. At 155 it’s a different story whoever I fight
and I wanted to get some really good competition. It just makes
you better. Marcus Aurelio would have been a great fight. Joe
Camacho is going to be a great fight too. He’s really hungry.
We fought a long long time ago, about five years ago. He’s
a friend of mine; he’s walked up to me like ‘hey Joe,
you don’t mind if I ask for a rematch against you’.
I said ‘no, I understand this is a business’. He’s
been hungry for about two years. He used to tell me he would
train for his fights and to get pumped up he’d watch our
fight. I’m ready, I’m turning it up for him.
KM:
Is this the closest friend you have ever fought before? JS: No,
actually Romi (Aram) was a friend. I never really knew him too
well but their gym and our gym really affiliates and that was
really strange. After that I kind of had an awakening friend
or foe you go out there and this is just a job. We’ll go
out, do our work, entertain the people watching, and take care
of business.
KM:
So this isn’t that unusual, to fight a friend… JS:
No, not anymore.
KM:
What do you think of him as a fighter? JS: He’s improved
leaps and bounds. He’s picked up his standing game which
a lot of people have done but he’s just knocked out Juliano
Prado (note: KOTC 9/5/03) so I’m ready for that.
KM:
How would you describe your winning of the KOTC 155 belt? JS:
The fight really didn’t go back and forth. I pushed the
pace on my feet and the rule had just be reinstated we can use
knees to the head on the ground. He had shot in and stayed because
I had a good sprawl, he had stayed on his knees up at me which
is a common thing we had gotten accustomed to. It felt like forever
but I watched the fight and it was a second. I just kneed him
right there and the fight was over. I caught him the right time,
the right spot.
KM:
What do you think of the knees to the head in KOTC? It seems
to play right into your style. JS: Yeah, I like it. Short and
simple.
KM:
So this is your first title defense? JS: Yeah, my first title
defense. I did fight recently in Gladiator Challenge which was
a warm-up fight for Marcus. This will be the first title defense,
it will be on pay-per-view…I’m excited.
KM:
Many fighters have said they don’t feel they own a belt
until the first time they successfully defend it. Does that come
into play at all with you? JS: No! This is my belt, I’m
going to keep this belt, I’m going to hoard it, no-one will
ever be allowed to touch it. I sleep with it.
KM:
So we have the 145 belt, then Joe’s belt, then the 170…
JS: That is what it’s going to be for a while in every organization.
KM:
I’ve seen Aurelio several times on the East Coast and he
just won the ZST tournament. On the other hand most West Coast
fans are only familiar with his performance in KOTC in August
against Antonio McKee. I disagree but the perception I’ve
heard is this guy wasn’t going to be much of a challenge
to you. JS: They were wrong!
KM:
The level of competition you are facing now I think proves the
naysayers wrong that the KOTC champions are protected. How do
you feel about the ‘protected’ perception? JS: I’ll
fight anyone they put in front of me. As far as KOTC protecting
they don’t protect, the fighters tend to get bigger offers
and do this or that. I’m down for the get down so whoever
they put in front, they’re going to have to battle me just
as hard as if I was getting paid a million dollars every fight
sacrificing time with my kids now which is really rare. All that
is a sacrifice so I’m getting paid a million dollars in
my head.
KM:
How is training going? JS: Training just now started picking
up. We’re going to peak our level, so pretty soon now everything
is balls to the wall. Right before the fight is just cardio.
KM:
You are training down in Temecula? JS: I’m training with
Team Quest members like Dan Henderson. I was up here for two
weeks with Randy Couture just to sharpen my skills. You want
to be a millionaire you go find a millionaire and copy exactly
what they did. Want to be the best in fighting you fid someone
who is the best at fighting and copy exactly what they do. Luckily
these guys are my friends so it works out really well.
KM:
Team Quest isn’t really known for their 155s. JS: They will
be.
KM:
What is it like training there? JS: Its great because I’m
training with professionals. Rolling with Randy, there is no
bully tactics…its all professional. I could roll with someone
205 that is just freak strong and doesn’t know what he’s
doing and get hurt. I roll with Randy every day and didn’t
really get hurt at all. Learned a bunch, sharpened myself…it
was great.
KM:
Anything else to get across? JS: Watch me February 20th defend
my belt.
KM:
Sponsors to thank? JS: Octagon.com, Vicefighter, submitonline.com,
Team Quest, and Unlimited Fitness.
Source:
ADCC |
Bruce
Buffer: "It's Time To Begin"
We
all know Bruce Buffer from his appearances inside the Octagon
for the Ultimate Fighting Championship events. Bruce has worked
on promoting the sport of mixed martial arts for over eight years
as well as his other ventures. MaxFighting gets up close and
personal with Mr. Buffer to show a different side of the man
behind the microphone.
MaxFighting:
How do you prepare for an event such as the UFC?
Bruce
Buffer: The first thing I do is get information on every single
fighter participating in the event. About 80-percent of the time,
I’m already familiar with their backgrounds, how they fight,
the type of fighter they are, etc. I also make sure I have the
pronunciation of the names correct. One day before I leave for
the event, whether it be in Las Vegas, Connecticut, Atlantic
City, etc., it takes me a couple of hours to prepare the fighters
cards. I go through the bios, prepare the cards, and for the
championship bouts, I put together some exciting points, because
I’m limited on time as to how long I can talk. At the same
time, I’m required by the UFC and by the Commission to make
announcements that I have to make, such as the Commissioners’
names, judges, etc. This is a traditional format when announcing
a fight, and I have to follow a certain regimented design.
MF:
You’ve been involved with the UFC for many years. What are
some of the biggest changes you’ve seen since the earlier
broadcasts?
Buffer:
The standard line that everyone is used to these days is “from
spectacle to sport.” The first UFC I ever went to was UFC
6 in Casper, Wyoming, which Tank Abbott was introduced at. He
had that tournament where he ended up fighting Oleg Taktarov
in the final event, which was an amazing event. At that time,
I had my brother, Michael Buffer, signed to a three-show contract
deal to announce the UFC. I had to negate that contract after
the third show due to a contract that we had with the WCW wrestling
league. With the tournament format, we still had the spectacle.
The tournaments that we had back then are probably the greatest
single man achievement in the fighting sport world that anyone
can have. To fight three times in one night is unheard of these
days. Back then they were just great fights to watch. Would I
want tournaments to still be in existence? From a fan’s
standpoint, yes. From legitimizing the sport and bringing the
sport mainstream, no. So, right now, we are in a legitimized
sport with rules. The bottom line is we need the rules, we need
this to be a legitimate sport, and everyone involved, including
major celebrities attending, such as the ones coming to UFC 46,
like Sylvester Stallone, James Caan and Chuck Norris, are demonstrative
of the echelon of support, including the growing fan base along
with sportswriters taking note of the UFC and MMA. We are not
going to get this type of attention unless we maintain ourselves
as a sport and personally I feel the UFC is now more exciting
than ever.
MF:
Can you describe one of your most memorable moments as an announcer?
Buffer:
The most memorable moment for me was at UFC 40, when Tito Ortiz
fought Ken Shamrock. To be inside the MGM, with over 13,000 excited
fans, throwing so much verbal energy into the ring -- when I
was announcing, it felt as if I was getting hit by sound waves
on every part of my body. I fed off that energy. There was this
hugely anticipated fight between this young gun champion and
the experienced legendary warrior -- it had all the drama you
could possibly ask for in a UFC fight. That was probably, up
to date, the greatest moment of my announcing in the UFC. I can’t
remember when I’ve been so excited to that pinnacle. There
have been some close calls, such as when Tito fought Randy Couture.
I’m sure in the future there will be a next great one more
than once!
MF:
What is your trademark phrase?
Buffer:
Up to this point, it’s been “It’s Time… To
Begin....” The reason for that is because, all my life,
no matter what I did yesterday, to me, it’s all about today.
Every day I wake up, that’s what I say to myself -- “It’
Time… To Begin...” I don’t live on my laurels.
MF:
So what is a typical day like for Bruce Buffer?
Buffer:
I usually get up around 7:00 a.m., earlier if there are international
calls involved. I check my e-mails, then I usually go to the
gym, where I train from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. My training varies,
including Muay Thai kickboxing and circuit training with Pro
Camp which includes working out with professional NHL players
during their off-season, such as Chris Chelios and Rob Blake,
or having fun working out with an actor such as James Caan. Other
great athletes are a part of this program, such as Willy McGinest,
who plays for the New England Patriots and Fernando Vargas. It’s
really great to be 46 years old and to work out with these professional
athletes, and be able to maintain the pace -- it’s very
motivating to me. When I get back, obviously a shower is in store,
then I check with Kristen, who is the Vice President of my company,
who informs me of incoming calls, etc. I may have appointments
concerning appearances, promotions, licensing, etc. There are
so many projects in the works, that any given day is never boring
I work on a number of different projects in all forms of sports
and entertainment and I’m basically 24/7, but I love what
I do.
MF:
How do you like the venue for the next UFC?
Buffer:
Mandalay Bay is the best. The MGM is up there, but the Mandalay
Bay, although it seats a little less, does not have a bad seat
in the house. It’s great for the fans. For me, the sound
system is excellent, and I love the hotel itself.
MF:
Las Vegas is certainly a hotbed of excitement this weekend, especially
with the UFC and the Super Bowl events. Would you like to share
some of the activities that you will be involved with?
Buffer:
I’ll travel to Las Vegas on Thursday. On Friday is media
day, which includes weigh-ins, production meetings and interviews.
This is always exciting, because the die-hard fans are there,
and I really love the fans of the UFC. I really had a great experience
with Japan’s MMA fans on New Year’s Eve at Inoki’s
event, where I was announcing. There were about 40,000 fans in
attendance, and there wasn’t a single boo out of the audience.
So, those of you reading this interview, please take note --
I don’t like booing at events! Anyway, back to media day
-- I really spend my time trying to prepare. I stay away from
my favorite gin and tonics at the blackjack table, get plenty
of rest, and a good steam. It’s really a lot more than putting
on a tuxedo and looking my best for the event -- it’s a
mindset. When you watch when I’m working in the Octagon,
I’m just as excited as the fans sitting in the seats. It’s
the greatest event that I can possibly think of, and I’ve
been to every major event you can think of, including the NBA
Championships and the Super Bowl. For me, my favorite thing in
the world is Ultimate Fighting Championship. Then after the show
it’s time to party with the fans and others plus Vegas is
always full of beautiful girls. Then on Sunday it’s time
for the Super Bowl and I’m going to hang with Jimmy Caan
and other friends and party up plus the Patriots are going to
win me a lot of cash.
MF:
So it’s safe to say that the Octagon is your other office?
Buffer:
Yes, the Octagon is my office, and Tank Abbott, don’t ever
try to take my microphone away from me again!
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
Quote
of the Day
"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting
for our wits to grow sharper."
Eden Phillpotts 1862-1960, Indian-born British Novelist
|
Penn
Is Super Natural, 49-Second Doctor Stoppage Delivers Belfort
UFC 46 Gold
By Loretta Hunt
It's
hard to judge UFC 46's merits on its main event, because despite
an abrupt and unfortunate occurrence that saw the UFC light-heavyweight
belt change hands in the final moments, the night was an extremely
entertaining one for the 11,405 in attendance. The fans were
game, the stars turned out, and the night seemed to buzz along
with one shocking outcome after another. From brawler Lee Murray's
submission to jiu-jitsu guru Frank Mir's knockout of relentless
juggernaut Wes Sims, unpredictability was the way of the day.
But, jumping up from the lightweight division, Penn pulled off
the upset of them all with a first round choke over champion
Matt Hughes.
Here's
the rundown:
Not
much can be said for Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort's 49-second
rematch. With a missed kick and a punch by Couture, Belfort returned
fire with a lightening-fast left hook. The punch (and more substantially,
Belfort's glove) grazed the eye of light-heavyweight champion
Randy Couture, who quickly clinched and pushed his aggressor
against the fence. But, something was very wrong as Couture squinted
and tried to stabilize for a takedown that never came. The fight
was halted for medical officials, but the monitors told it all.
With a ripped eyelid, Couture could not continue, forfeiting
the match as well as the belt to Belfort in one fell swoop. Couture
had to be rushed to the hospital for stitches.
Tonight, BJ
Penn did
what Carlos Newton, Hayato Sakurai, Gil Castillo, and Frank Trigg
couldn't. He choked out reigning champion Matt Hughes, putting
to an end a successful run seen rarely in this unpredictable
sport. Initially, both competitors were willing to tie up for
some knees and punches, but when Hughes went in for his first
takedown, Penn sunk in a single underhook to throw the usually
unstoppable champ down and into his guard. Taking Hughes' back
in the struggle and then moving back to guard and then to side
control, Penn seemed too shifty to slow down. Landing a few shots
before securing Hughes' back a final time, Penn sunk in the rear-naked
choke in the final 30 seconds.
Nestled
between the two title bouts, Renato "Charuto" Verissimo secured a slot in
the welterweight division with an impressive display of skill
over seasoned-vet Carlos Newton. Although Newton secured the
initial takedown with a swift throw into his foe's guard, Verissimo
quickly turned the tables with a reversal into mount. To avoid
Verissimo's onslaught, Newton gave his back, which Charuto held
steadfastly to run out the first round clock. In round two, Newton
miscalculated his second throw and Charuto capitalized by taking
half mount. From there, Verissimo punished a trapped Newton with
shots before the men were stood by referee Larry Landless. Charuto
missed with a high kick but landed a knee and Newton once again
went for the throw that came up short. In half guard again, Verissimo
continued his positional dominance, again outscoring the round.
With a knee and swing, Verissimo landed his cleanest shots in
the third, virtually sealing the deal for a most dominating debut.
The judges unanimously scored it 30-27 for the Andre Pederneiras
black belt and BJ Penn instructor.
The heavyweight rematch between jiu-jitsu stylist Frank Mir and
Wes Sims seemed almost a carbon copy of their first foray back
at UFC 43. With a quick kick and a punch, Mir easily secured
the double-leg in the opening seconds and moved to the mount.
But from an armbar attempt back to mount, Mir could not finish
the 6'10" giant with seemingly limitless strength and fortitude.
Sims again gave up his back, but this time Mir opted to strike
to the sides of Sims' head before he rolled back over into mount.
A tight arm triangle only created the opportunity for Sims to
play the audience with a thumbs-up and a point and a "fuck
you" salute to Mir, much to the delight of the electric
crowd. At the outset of round two, it quickly became clear that
Mir had expended a lot of juice, judging from the sloppy stand-up
exchange and scramble that had Sims on top for just a second
before the men got to their feet. Pushing Sims against the fence,
Mir had to work a lot harder for his second takedown, but he
finally got it. Inaction ensued and the fighters were stood.
It looked like Sims almost had Mir in this next sequence with
some heavy knees from the clinch and Mir's sheer exhaustion,
but Mir dug deep and got the takedown. Again, the men were stood,
but this time Mir finished the job with two knees into a right
and then left hook, and Sims fell to his back like a tree. Mir
hit the nail on the head in the end when he proclaimed, "That's
one tough motherfucker." Indeed.
It
was not quite the finish Lee Murray had probably imagined, but
he'll certainly take it. Surrounded by the speculation of what
happened with Tito Ortiz in a dark alley one London night back
in July 2002, Murray made his way to America and the UFC to bust
some heads. His "Silence of the Lambs" entrance was
a fitting one (nice touch with the black belt on the bright orange
prison get-up, the belt was a friend's) and with no known ground
game to speak of, you can't blame Massachusetts' Team Elite member
Jorge Rivera for taking this one-punch powerhouse down. But,
Rivera couldn't imagine just how fast Murray was able to slap
on the armbar before quickly maneuvering to the triangle choke
and then the armbar once more. Rivera tapped out a mere 1:54
into the round. Afterwards, Murray played his part in keeping
the crowd enticed by his rivalry with bystander Ortiz by getting
him to his feet. Zuffa has another interesting storyline on its
hands. Let's see what they do with it.
Disappointment
is the first word that comes to mind for the third bout of the
evening. Judo-infused welterweight Karo Parisyan had made quite
a splash at UFC 44, which put a great amount of pressure on him
tonight to deliver once again. Unfortunately, he came up short
against Canadian newcomer Georges St. Pierre. Parisyan started
off nicely when he quickly secured an arm and performed a succession
of rolls to try and lay out a textbook armbar. Pierre kept his
cool and powered out, maneuvering into Parisyan's guard. From
here, Parisyan stayed in control by wrapping up St. Pierre's
arms enough to stay out of any eminent danger, but the inaction
greatly slowed the pace of the fight. For rounds two and three,
St. Pierre seemed too strong for a waning Parisyan, getting the
takedown and landing some crucial elbows that opened a cut from
the corner of the Armenian's eye. Parisyan did manage to secure
an appendage one more time in the third, but again Pierre was
there to answer the throw into the Kimura attempt. St. Pierre
moves on in the welterweight division with a solid victory.
God bless the lightweights, for they continue to deliver the
type of performances any other UFC division would envy. Even
if some fans doubted that Hermes Franca and Josh Thomson would
ever get it going after a slow first round, those "in the
know" knew that both fighters had the tools to explode at
any time, and that they did in rounds two and three. In round
two, Franca's first shoot was not nearly fast enough for Thomson,
but a second attempt got the AKA fighter down to the mat. Some
mutually impressive scrambles followed as these two got cooking,
but Thomson did just enough to eke out the round in his favor.
Just when you thought Franca couldn't do it, the feisty Brazilian
landed the blow he needed to daze Thomson and get him down. Franca
poured on the shots in a tense few seconds that teetered on a
comeback win, but Thomson got it together enough for the referee
to back off and ride out the round. Although all three judges
gave Franca this final round, what cost the American Top Team
fighter the win in the end was round one, as Thomson measured
kick after kick while Franca did little to answer. Regardless,
this writer expects to see the victor, as well as tonight's loser,
back in the Octagon in no time.
As
anticipated, weight seemed to be a factor early out for last-minute
entry Jeff Curran (usually a 145-pounder) in a decently-paced
opening bout to the evening. Lightweight opponent Mat Serra came
out strong with strikes before he tied Curran up along the fence
on route to a double-leg takedown into his opponent's guard.
It was the first of many takedowns that would keep Curran on
the defensive for the majority of the fifteen minutes. Although
both men are black belts under their respective Brazilian masters
Renzo Gracie and Pedro Sauer, jiu-jitsu wasn't the deciding factor
tonight. It was Serra's relentless attack on the ground, as he
scored with punch after punch to Curran's head and body. Curran
had his moments with an inspiring reversal in round two and a
muster of strength to push Serra off of him with a succinct thrust
of both his legs in round three. With much-improved striking,
wrestling and all-around hustle, Serra kept coming and captured
the unanimous decision in the end.
UFC
46 Super Natural Results:
Matt
Serra def. Jeff Curran - Unanimous decision (30-27 all)
Josh Thomson def. Hermes Franca - Unanimous decision (29-28 all)
Georges St. Pierre def. Karo Parisyan - Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)
Lee Murray def. Jorge Rivera - Tap out to armbar 1:54 R1
Frank Mir def. Wes Sims - TKO via Referee stoppage 4:21 R2
Renato "Charuto" Verissimo def. Carlos Newton - Unanimous
decision (30-27 all)
Welterweight
Championship Title Bout
BJ Penn def. Matt Hughes -
Tap out
to rear-naked Choke 4:39 R1
Light-Heavyweight
Championship Title Bout
Vitor Belfort def. Randy Couture - Doctor stoppage 0:49 R1
Source:
FCF
|
PRIDE
27 is on Sunday!
PRIDE 27 (THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN)
Place: Osaka Castle Hall
Date: February 1st, 2004
Start: 15:00
PRIDE
27 is scheduled for this Sunday in Osaka, Japan. This is DSE/Pride's
first event since the New Year's eve events, and it is headlined
by Mirko 'Cro Cop' vs Ron Waterman. Also featured are 4 Heavyweight
PRIDE GP SURVIVAL MATCHES. Winners of these bouts will advance
in this year's Heavyweight GP.
COMPLETE
CARD (Subject To Change):
7th
Match:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' vs Ron Waterman
6th
Match / PRIDE GP SURVIVAL MATCH
Heath Herring vs Gan McGee
5th
Match / PRIDE GP SURVIVAL MATCH
Mark Kerr vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto
4th
Match
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs Dos Caras Jr.
3th
Match
Murilo Ninja vs Alexander Otsuka
2nd
Match / PRIDE GP SURVIVAL MATCH
Kharitonov Sergey vs LA Giant (prowrestler , 210cm, 180kg)
1st
Match / PRIDE GP SURVIVAL MATCH
Igor Vovchanchyn vs Dan Bobish
PPV
Details
Pay Per
View Premiere date: Sunday, February 8, 2004
Oceanic Digital Cable Channel 701
Premiere time: 4:00pm Hawaii Time
Venue : Osaka Castle Hall, Japan
Pay Per View price: US $29.95
Run time: approximately 3 hours
Source:
ADCC
|
UFC
47 Heavyweight Fight: Wiezorek vs. Shipp
It’s
East vs. West when heavyweights Jonathan “Lock n’ Load”
Wiezorek and Wade “Nightmare” Shipp meet in the octagon
at UFC 47. Both fighters will make their UFC debut in Las Vegas,
Nevada, in what will probably be a preliminary fight on the April
2 card. Both fighters were discussed as opponents for Frank Mir
at “UFC 45: Revolution,” but neither fight occurred.
The
24-year-old Wiezorek fights out of Valdosta Martial Arts Academy
in Valdosta, Georgia. Undefeated in professional MMA, his April
2001, win over Dan “The Beast” Severn started an influx
of challenges. Wiezorek is coming off a quick 1st round 0:40
submission win over Johnathan Ivey at “ISCF: Trauma”
in October 2003. One goal in MMA for the graduate student is
to get more famous by fighting on TV. Admittedly relatively unknown
outside of Georgia, “the only way to go from now is up,”
he says, with fighting in the UFC as the first step on the ladder.
The
28-year-old Shipp fights out of the San Diego Fight Club in San
Diego, California. The former Lion’s Den fighter is a KOTC
and Gladiator Challenge veteran who has also competed in Japan.
Shipp is coming off a 1st round TKO win over Kengo Watanabe at
“KOTC 30: The Pinnacle” in November 2003. His original
goal was to fight in the UFC. Now his goal is to win his first
UFC fight. Admittedly relatively unknown off the west coast,
Shipp looks for an early ending to this fight “it will not
go to a draw,” he says, [laughing] “I see it ending
early by submission or KO with me being the winner.”
These
heavyweights are similar in manner aspects. Neither fighter grew
up planning to fight professionally. For Wiezorek, it came rather
nonchalantly while wrestling. For Shipp, it came after seeing
the first UFC. The gentle giants are quiet in demeanor, leaving
it in the cage. None of their fights have gone the distance.
These two choose not to leave it up to the Judges. In separate
interviews, each fighter described themselves as “tough.”
Wiezorek elaborated by saying, “I had a rough time growing
up and it wasn’t the best home life situation for me and
the adversity and when I’d get into a fight the unwillingness
to tap, is the way to describe me.” Shipp states, “you’re
not going to beat me easily. Even if you’re more of an athlete
or higher skilled then me, I’m a tough guy and I am going
to take a lot. I’m a hard guy to make quit.” Each fighter
holds their share of championship titles. Wiezorek holds the
ISCF East Coast Super Heavyweight Championship and the ISCF United
States Super Heavyweight Championship. Shipp holds the Hitman
Heavyweight Championship and Fite Night Heavyweight Championship.
Although
the outcome of this fight is difficult for me to predict, it’s
easy to say that “Lock n’ Load” and “Nightmare”
will be prepared for their UFC debut on April 2, and the other
heavyweights should watch this one.
Souce:
ADCC
|
U-Style
- Tamura's Event Getting Attention in Japan
2004
has the potential to be a good year for Japanese star Kiyoshi
Tamura. In the early part of the year 2003, he launched U-STYLE,
an organization that mimmicks the old RINGS style of fighting,
with more of a pro wrestling type of direction. Ever since it's
inaugural show, the event has done very well, and several of
it's events have been sell outs, with Tamura being the organization's
biggest star. Heading into it's 1st anniversary event that is
scheduled for February the 4th in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall word
is that the event is close to a sellout as well.
Tamura's
starpower saw him return to MMA in 2003, and his match with current
Japanese idol Hidehiko Yoshida did not hurt his appeal despite
a loss. He returned with a redemption win in the New Year's PRIDE
event.
The
main event of the U-Style show features Tamura taking on fellow
RINGS alumni Tuyoshi Kosaka. In Japan, where a fighters appeal
can benefit from pro wrestling's exposure, there is potential
for this match to be followed by Tamura returning to MMA. Tamura
has spoken to members of the Japanese press about a potential
match with Royce Gracie.
Tamura
has long been one of Japan's top fighters, though as RINGS died
a slow death and he was rushed into PRIDE's top echelon, he experienced
a 5 match loss streak in MMA, losing to the likes of Antonio
Rodrigo Nogueira, Renato Sobral, Gustavo Machado, Wanderlei Silva,
& Bob Sapp. He has MMA wins over Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn,
Dave Menne, Renzo Gracie and Japanese stars Ikuhisa Minowa &
Nobuhiko Takada. Look for Tamura to continue in MMA for 2004.
NOTE:
Some data is sourced from our friends at http://www.puroresupower.com/ a phenomenal site
featuring Zach Arnold, with an intense focus on the Japanese
MMA and pro wrestling scene.
Source: ADCC
|
Mahler's
Aggressive Strength Newsletter #13
by: Mike Mahler
1.)
Aggressive Strength Quote Of the Week
“There
is one thing in this world, which you must never forget to do.
Human beings come into this world to do particular work. That
work is their purpose, and each is specific to the person. If
you forget everything else and not this, there's nothing to worry
about. If you remember everything else and forget your true work,
then you will have done nothing in your life.” Rumi
This
week’s quote was sent to me by my friend and client Bob
Beckman. Bob is also a big fan of the Sufi Poet Rumi and incidentally
this is one of my favorite Rumi quotes. We all have a path that
we were sent to this world to carve. I just got back from my
Great Grandma’s funeral in Arlee, Montana yesterday. I had
the honor of doing the eulogy. As I recalled my memories about
what an incredible woman she was and what a profound effect she
had on my life. I think that her mission was to show people that
they should be excited about life. Life is too short to simply
exist and endure each day. We have to be better than that and
let out natural passions illuminate the world around us. My Great
Grandmother enjoyed the simple things in life and whatever she
did, she did it with excitement, whether it was watching an episode
of “Dynasty” talking for hours about the town gossip,
or buying gifts for someone.
I
realized what my true work was a few years ago and took the plunge.
I feel that everything in my life; every experience has prepared
me for what I do now. Just as everything that I do now will prepare
me for the person that I will eventually become. We all need
to hear your story and experience your true work.
2.)
Aggressive Strength Tip Of The Week
Training
going nowhere? Time to keep a journal
One
of the biggest mistakes that many trainees make is failing to
keep a training journal. If you do not keep track of what is
working and what is not working, how do you expect to learn from
your experiences? Would you start a business and not keep track
of revenue and expenses? I actually was not very good with accounting
when I first started my business. As a result, I did not have
a focus and of course did not make too much money. However, once
I started keeping track of everything, I realized how much I
was making and the innate human drive to beat that number kicked
in. As a result, my business took off and 2003 was an excellent
year for me. Training your body is really not much different
than building a business.
Keeping
a training journal will help you get organized, save time, and
hold you accountable. It is pretty depressing to look at the
same training numbers for several months, and you will want to
beat that number. Now instead of simply recording your workouts
in a journal, keep track of your mental state, energy, what you
ate before and after, when you worked out, and how much sleep
you got the night before. The more detailed you can be, the more
you will learn about how to improve your workouts.
Several
years ago, I realized that whenever I have a peanut butter sandwich
two hours before training, I have a great workout. However, if
I have a bowl of fruit, or something without fat and protein,
my workouts are horrible. Thus, I always have some kind of fat
and protein before training and for the most part have great
workouts.
No
need to buy any fancy software to track your workouts. Get a
spiral notebook to take with you to the gym and use Microsoft
word as a back up to keep track of all of your workout.
3.)
Special New Years Deals On All Mike Mahler products
--'Mahler's
Aggressive Strength For The Mixed Martial Arts” DVD will
be on sale for only $39.95 until January 31. After January 31,
the price will be $44.95
--The
Kettlebell Manual in print format will be available for only
$24.97 until February 1
To
order, go to: http://www.mikemahler.com/store/
Here
is what George Hynec in Australia said about my DVD:
“I
would like to congratulate you on an excellent piece of work.
One always searches for new exercises particularly those specific
to a given sport and Aggressive Strength certainly delivers.
There is no martial artist out there that would not benefit from
your program. Not only that, I think it is pretty good value
for money considering it is packed with so much material. I also
liked the attachment document you sent with the purchase of the
dvd. This is a good idea that others should follow. I usually
spend hours going through new tapes writing down the name of
the exercises and how they are done.”
Need
help with program design? Click here for more info on my personalized
programs: http://www.mikemahler.com/services.html/
4.)
Aggressive Living Tip Of The Week
Follow
Your Bliss!
In
the sci-fi classic Star Trek III, Captain Kirk puts everything
on the line to save his friend Spock. In the process, Captain
Kirk loses his ship and his son. When asked if the price was
worth it, Kirk replies, “What I did I had to do….if
I never tried, the price would have been my soul.” Doing
what you want in life in not always going to be easy. Unless,
your goal is to sit around and do nothing! There will always
be “dream stealers” and “Threshold Guardians”
that you meet along the way. However, the person that you become
in overcoming those obstacles is worth the price that must be
paid. The price for never trying is far greater.
5.)
Recommended Aggressive Strength Reading For The Week
“Dune”
by Frank Herbert
This
is a sci-fi classic that any intelligent person will enjoy. It
is about a young man named Paul Atreides that must face his fear
and accept his calling as a messiah that will lead an oppressed
people to victory and justice. Mr. Herbert was an exceptional
writer and the back-story that he created for this masterpiece
is amazing. He really got into the world that he created and
all of his characters. While being entertained with the action
romance, and drama, you will learn a lot about yourself and maybe
discover what you need to do with your life. Pick it up today
at your local bookstore.
6.)
Upcoming Mike Mahler Workshops
ATTENTION:
Are you interested in a Mahler Kettlebell Workshop in Texas?
Denver? Email me a.s.a.p at mahler25@yahoo.com
If
there is enough interest I will be there!
--February
8, 2004: Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop in Santa Monica, Ca (Only
2 spaces left)
--March 20, 2004: Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop In Alexandria,
VA (2 spaces left)
--April 3, 2004: Level 2 Kettlebell Workshop In Alexandria, VA
(Experienced kettlebell trainees only)
--March 27, 2004: Mike Mahler-Dylan Thomas Workshop in Long Island,
NY (open to all levels) (only 2 spaces left!)
--April 10, 2004: Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop in Phoenix, AZ
--May 15th, 2004: Mike Mahler, Russell Baillie Kb workshop (All
levels) in London, England. Space is limited to 25 people, so
email me now to register.
--July 24, 2004: Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop in San Jose, CA
--August 14: Level 1 Workshop in Boston area at the Punch Gym
NEW--September
19, 2004: Level 1 Kettlebell Workshop In Dayton, Ohio
For
more info, email me at mahler25@yahoo.com
Source:
ADCC
|
Marcelo
Garcia
The King of the Submission
After being the man at ADCC 2003, conquering the up-to-77kg,
once again Marcelo Garcia (22y, 1,70m and 81kg) rocked in a Submission
tournament, last weekend, at the 3rd Submission Wrestling from
Campos (Rio de Janeiro). The Alliance black belt terrified all
his opponents with his taking the back game and took the weight
and the open category. In an exclusive to TATAME.com, Marcelinho
talks about this wins, his famous position and his desire to
debut fighting MMA.
Who
was the toughest opponent?
Gabriel
Napão. He has such long legs and it's hard to put him
on the ground. There was a time that I tried to sweep him, but
nothing happened! That's why I had to accelerate the rhythm of
the fight. The only problem is that I couldn't save me for the
finals.
Almost
all the fighters had some problems with this position. Why do
you think it happened?
I'm
sure that this position is too simple, there's nothing unusual.
But the thing is that I don't stop trying this during the combat.
My only problem is getting tired first...
During
ADCC 2003, you lost to Márcio Pé-de-Pano at the
open weight, but this time you defeated much heaviers opponents.
What changed on your game to beat them?
Nothing
has changed... My problem is not their weight, but their leg
size. Pé-de-Pano physical characteristics are similar
than Napão's, what made the things worst for me. With
fighters like them, I can't stop inside their positions, because
they also use their weights to difficult my game. Pé-de-Pano
did this and beat me.
What's
easier for you: to face fighters in your weight or athletes heavier
than you?
Fighting
in a no gi tournament, I prefer facing guys heavier than me,
because I can use my agility. But wearing the gi, I prefer the
light ones, because the heaviers holds mostly the gi. That's
what (Fernando) Tererê did with me during the last Worlds
and in the Summer Combat.
Where
do you feel more comfortable: fighting with the gi or without
it?
After
this two victories, at 2003 ADCC and at this time in Campos,
I'm feeling more comfortable fighting without the gi.
And
what about that blow in the end of the fight against Renato Babalú
Sobral?
It's
very tied... But I was very calm because I don't tap out for
it. Soluço always takes me with that key. I only got worried
when my leg cracked... But I've trained and I didn't feel nothing.
Have
you ever thought to fight in MMA?
I
started doing BJJ thinking on MMA. Nowadays, I am just training
Submission and Jiu-Jitsu, because I need to teach BJJ class to
make some money. But when I receive a good proposal to fight,
I will reduce the classes and start doing Boxing and Muay Thai.
What
does your trainer, Fábio Gurgel, think about it?
Fábio
says I have to wait, because there're a lot win fighting without
the gi.
Did
you receive any proposal to debut fighting in the ring?
There
was nothing yet, but there's a lot of people that believes in
me. Some times ago, Eddie Bravo stated in the internet that I
would be one of the guys who could beat Matt Hughes (UFC Welterweight
champ).
Source:
Tatame
|
Quote
of the Day
"I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they
think it's hell."
Harry Truman, 1884-1972, Thirty-third President of the USA
|
Shock
Da World!
“UFC 46: Super Natural” Results
The Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada,
Saturday, January 31, 2004
BJ
Penn has done the impossible! He has beat the man who everyone
called the most dominating pound for pound fighter ever in MMA.
Everyone except for a select few (most of them was probably based
in Hawaii and will always be BJ supporters) thought that BJ was
making a huge mistake by taking on Hughes. Penn proved the world
wrong. Hawaii's Penn, after a brief exchange, landed on top and
kept the top for the entire fight. After passing Hughes guard,
BJ got Hughes' back and choked him out with only seconds left
in the first round. After being the number one fighter at 155
lbs, now everyone has to say that BJ Penn is the number one fighter
at 170 lbs as well and will possibly be called the best pound
for pound ever in MMA since he has gone up in weight class and
immediately claimed a world title. Randy Couture who suffered
a harsh slash in his eye in the same event, is the only other
fighter that has equaled that type of domination in two different
weight classes.
Also,
Hawaii's Renato "Charuto" Verrissimo controlled all
aspects of the three rounds with the former UFC welterweight
champion Carlos Newton to gain an unanimous decision. Charuto's
sharp stand up game can only be matched by his technical and
punishing ground attack. Newton was left clueless and just took
a beating for three long rounds. Even with a couple of early
stand ups and a sprained thumb early in the fight, Charuto, a
UFC rookie, kept his composure and looked like he was the wiley
veteran.
Congratulations
to both of Hawaii's fighters on excellent performance and huge
wins!
COMPLETE
RESULTS:
Lightweights:
- Matt Serra VS Jeff Curran: Serra By Judges Decision.
- Hemes Franca VS Josh Thompson: Thompson By Judges Decision.
Welterweight:
- Karo Parisyan VS Georges St. Pierre: St. Pierre By Judges Decision.
-
Carlos Newton VS Renato
Verissimo: Verissimo By Judges Decision.
Middleweight:
- Jorge Rivera VS Lee Murray: Murray by Arm Bar, RD 1.
Heavyweight:
- Frank Mir VS Wes Sims: Mir by KO (left hook) RD 2.
Welterweight
Championship:
- Matt Hughes v BJ
Penn: Penn by rear naked choke, RD 1.
Light
Heavyweight Championship:
- Randy Couture v Vitor Belfort: belfort by Doctor's Stoppage,
(eye cut in first exchange), RD 1.
Source: Mike
Here's
a Fight Description by Maxfighting
Matt
Hughes vs. BJ Penn
UFC welterweight championship
Round 1
They trade jabs and clinch. Hguhes scores a good knee and they
break. Nice left from BJ. Hughes goes for takedown and falls
on his back. BJ is in his guard. Hughes reverses and is trying
for a footlock. Bj is throwing punches and misses from the ground.
Hughes is on his back and BJ is enjoying the jiu-jitsu top position.
BJ in Hughes’ guard. Elbow from BJ. BJ is standing in Hughes’
guard and Hughes lands a couple elbows. Hughes lands a couple
punches from in his guard. Nice right from BJ. Hughes is trying
to slide out from his back and BJ is doing well to stay on top.
Nice cross from BJ. BJ is trying to pass! He is moving a leg
over and trying to spin over into mount! Hughes is denying him
the pass but now BJ is in half guard. Hughes slides back into
a half-guard kneeblock combo. Penn is doing very well. Big right
from BJ and Hughes is hit clean. Bj gets mount and has the hooks
in! Hughes is getting rear naked choked! Hughes is in the choke!
Hughes taps out from a rear naked choke!
BJ Penn wins by submission!
Randy
Couture vs. Vitor Belfort
UFC light heavyweight championship
Round 1
Kick and missed right from Randy and they clinch along the cage
and Randy is seemilyg hur tin the eye. He may have been tweaked
inth eeye. Vitor hit him with a left as he rushed in for the
clinch and the fight is stopped! Belfort is the winner and new
light heavyweight champion!
Source:
Maxfighting
|
HUGHES
HAS FIGHTING WORDS FOR BJ
Today
is where fight fans really feel the hype. The UFC Weigh-In's
take place from Mandalay Bay this afternoon from Las Vegas. We
will have pictures from the weigh-in's up later today on the
Soundoff Forum.
For
those of you with the Premium Package you can check out MMAWeekly
Radio and listen to the weigh-in's LIVE on MMAWeekly Radio.
The
UFC Champ, Matt Hughes is pretty upset about BJ Penn these days.
It seems the champ is insulted that Penn thought he could go
up in weight class to take away his title.
They
are taping a piece for DirecTV and MMAWeekly had a sneak peek
into the interview where at one point Hughes says "When
BJ Penn walks back to his corner after the first round, he will
know he made the worst mistake of his life. I will hurt him and
he will know it after the first round."
Hughes
was on the live fighter chat at MMAWeekly.com yesterday and when
asked how he was going to finish the fight Hughes simply said
"With a high kick....I will knock him out." Needless
to say Hughes is very confident. We look forward to seeing you
guys live on the radio with us this afternoon as part of our
MMAWeekly Premium package.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
EXPERTS
PICK THE FIGHTS
See how these "experts" ended up!
MMAWeekly
Staff Picks
Scott
Petersen - MMAWeekly Editor
Couture-
Because he's the best
Hughes-
Too much to handle
Mir-
groundmaster tames the beastmaster
Rivera-
he has heart
Newton-
Nobody can beat him except for Hughes
Parisyan-
sick skills
Serra-
technician and experience
Thomson-
intensity, fight of the night
Ryan
Bennett - MMAWeekly Radio
Vitor
Belfort - I picked against Couture vs Liddell and Ortiz and I
know better, BUT the emotion for Vitor with family will bring
a title back to Brazil.
Matt
Hughes - I fear for BJ's health in this fight. I hope BJ is o.k.
after the fight.
Lee
Murray - If Jorge Rivera takes this fight to the ground he will
win. I just think he wants to stand and bang and that will be
his downfall.
Wes
Sims - He has already fought Frank Mir in practice...a.k.a. Ricco
Rodriguez. That will help him BIG for this fight.
Carlos
Newton - Expierence is a factor and Newton finds a way to win.
Matt
Serra - Curran is very tough, but he is a 145 pound fighter.
Karo
Parisyan - St.Pierre can win, but the first time in the Octagon
makes him gas in the fight.
Hermes
Franca - After SURVIVING the first round from a Josh beatdown,
Franca settles into his game and gets a sub win.
Jeff
Cain - MMAWeekly Writer
Lee
Murray, Hermes Franca, Matt Hughes, Vitor Belfort (2nd rd. Tko
ref stoppage), Matt Serra, Georges St. Pierre, Wes Sims, Carlos
Newton
John
Hartnett - MMAWeekly
Hermes
Franca, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture, Matt Serra, Georges St. Pierre,
Wes Sims, Carlos Newton, Lee Murray
Other
MMA Writers Picks:
Jeff
Sherwood - Sherdog
Karo
Parisyan, Jeff Curran, Josh Thomson, Carlos Newton, Lee Murray,
Wes Sims, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture
Loretta
Hunt - Full Contact Fighter
Karo
Parisyan, Matt Serra, Josh Thomson, Carlos Newton, Lee Murray,
Frank Mir, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture
Mike
DiSanto - Inside Fighting
Karo
Parisyan, Matt Serra, Josh Thomson, Carlos Newton, Lee Murray,
Frank Mir, BJ Penn, Vitor Belfort
Jake
Rossen - Maxfighting
Karo
Parisyan, Matt Serra, Josh Thomson, Carlos Newton, Jorge Rivera,
Frank Mir, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture
Jeff
Osborne - Fightworld
Karo
Parisyan, Matt Serra, Hermes Franca, Carlos Newton, Jorge Rivera,
Frank Mir, Matt Hughes, Randy Couture.
Source:
MMA Weekly |
RANDLEMAN'S
SERIOUS INJURY
Many people were surprised when Kevin Randleman went to Japan
and ended up losing to Sakuraba in the Pride Grand Prix. The
one thing that may come as a suprise to most fight fans is the
serious damage, Randleman's arm went through.
As
you can see from the pictures above, Randleman had to go through
hours and hours of surgery to repair his arm that was crunched
by Sakuraba due to an armbar. Randleman hasn't been able to train
like he usually does because of the injury.
It's
unknown how long Randleman will be out, as he continues to rehab
it daily. These pictures were taken yesterday by John Hartnett
in Las Vegas.
Source:
MMA Weekly
|
RANDY
COUTURE TRAINING FROM LAS VEGAS AND PROFILE
If
there is one man in this sport that you can say has “done
it all” it would have to be Randy ‘The Natural’
Couture. He is the only two time UFC heavyweight champion, the
only man in MMA to win UFC titles in two different weight classes,
he has fought all over the country and even in Japan and god
knows how many times he has overcame adversity and defied the
odds. Did I mention he’s 40 years old?
They
said he was washed up after he lost the heavyweight title to
Ricco Rodriguez and the world set him up for failure against
the heavy hands of ‘The Iceman.’ Randy didn’t
have a shot in the world right? Wrong, Randy scored a TKO victory
in RD 3 to become the interim light heavyweight champion.
Time
came to unify the titles against Tito Ortiz, the UFC poster boy
and Randy was once again the underdog. Randy was too old and
not as well conditioned as the young Ortiz right? Wrong again!
Randy pummeled Tito relentlessly from bell to bell and took the
unanimous decision to become the undisputed UFC light heavyweight
champion.
Now
the first challenger for Randy’s undisputed title is a similar
face from the past in Vitor Belfort. The first time these two
met was for the UFC heavyweight title where to no surprise Randy
was again the underdog and Randy was no different then, he loved
to defy the odds. And he did, by scoring a dominant TKO victory
over the highly favored Belfort. This time Belfort is out for
revenge and is looking to unload those fast, explosive hands
he has put so many other fighters away with. Randy will go toe
to toe with Belfort again, and will try to pound out another
victory.
Source: MMA Weekly
|
A
busy 2004 starts with the UFC for Jeff “Sapao” Curran
Jeff
Curran is going to be a busy man in 2004. Already confirmed to
compete in amateur boxing, professional MMA and submission grappling,
the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is also promoting and co-promoting
amateur and professional MMA, holding seminars, and teaching
at his 2 Crystal Lakes, Illinois, academies, as he continues
to train, while wrapping up the first half of the year with his
wedding to fiance, Sarah, in July.
“I
am on a mission from God,” says Curran, “since God
is my true Master, I am on a mission from him. Lets just say
that I am in a sprint to have certain things ready or obtained
by the time I am married.” One thing Curran wanted to obtain
was his shot in the UFC. Managed by Monte Cox, Curran gets his
shot this Saturday, January 31, at “UFC 46: Super Natural,”
as he faces Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Matt
Serra in a preliminary lightweight fight. Curran will be cornered
by team mate Bart Palaszewski, Jiu-Jitsu instructor Pedro Sauer,
and boxing coach Doug Mango.
Curran
once said to me “I am the person who loves to compete and
put it all on the line” in an effort to “help myself
grow in knowledge and experience.” Curran will put it on
the line and take full advantage of all opportunities to grow
in 2004.
2004
Curran Schedule:
January
31: UFC Las Vegas, Nevada
February 4: Boxing in Lombard, Illinois (amateur)
February 21: XFO, Lakemoor, Illinois www.x-fighting.tv
February 22-29: Utah for training with Pedro Sauer
March 5-9: ZST Tourney, Japan (March 9th actual day)
March 19-20: Seminar in Kaukauna, Wisconsin (teaching)
March 27: XFO 2, Promoting, not fighting (8 man 155lb tourney)
April 1-2: T.A.P.P. Ground Tactics course for Police, Rockford,
Illinois
April 24: IFC, Greenbay, Wisconsin
May 8: Extreme Challenge Chicago, Illinois
June 5: IHC, Hammond, Indiana
June 26: XFO 3 (finals for 155lb tourney, begin Rd 1 and 2 of
185 lb tourney)
July 17: Wedding Bells to fiance Sarah
You
may keep up to date with Curran at www.JeffCurran.tv.
Source:
ADCC
|
Fans
Come Out In "Supernatural" Force For UFC 46 Weigh-Ins
By Loretta Hunt
Fans,
fans, and more fans came out of the woodwork today to witness
the official UFC 46 weigh-ins held at the RA Nightclub in the
Luxor Hotel & Casino. By the time the doors opened to the
public at 1 pm, the line of UFC supporters had reached a most
impressive size, so large that some hopefuls had to be turned
away. No fighter was immune to the unending requests for snapshots
and autographs, and all of tomorrow night's combatants handled
the extra attention wholeheartedly. By the time the fighters
made it to the stage, the room was positively packed to the gills.
Under the microscope due to recent personal events in his homeland
of Brazil, Vitor Belfort put on a brave face for the happenings,
even smiling from time to time as he sported Scooby Doo boxers
on the scales. Belfort weighed in on the dot at 205 pounds. He'll
challenge light-heavyweight champion Randy Couture tomorrow night,
who sneaked in just under the requisite weight at 204 pounds.
"The Natural" received both the loudest and warmest
ovation of any other fighter for his efforts.
Weight division jumper BJ Penn must have gotten the same memo
as Belfort regarding weigh-in apparel. But, his colorful SpongeBob
SquarePants were in direct opposition to the Hawaiian's mood
-- sober and focused, with almost a twinge of anger. Coming in
at 169 pounds, fans will notice a less-sculpted competitor than
what they've seen in Penn's lightweight fights. 5-Time defending
welterweight champ Matt Hughes has had no quarrels in expressing
his disdain for Penn's move up to his division. His face told
that story as he jumped onto the scales to weigh in at 170 even.
The only discrepancy for today came with the proposed swing match
between welterweights Carlos Newton and Renato "Charuto"
Verissimo. It seems that Canadian Newton had some visa problems
this week, delaying his deliverance to Sin City till late last
night. Due to these circumstances, the UFC suggested Newton and
Verissimo re-sign bout agreements to fight at 175 pounds. According
to Zuffa officials, Verissimo was made aware of the situation
last night, and agreed upon the new weight. Subsequently, the
6"1' BJ Penn teammate weighed in at 174.5 pounds. Always-cheery
Newton was the very last competitor to make it to the scales,
coming in at 175 pounds.
Heavyweight showboater Wes Sims seemed to bask in all the hoopla
today. The 6'10" giant stands out wherever he goes, and
has really blossomed as a character for the promotion. On the
scales, the extrovert weighed in at 239 pounds. At the polar
end of the spectrum, opponent Mir sat unobtrusively in the very
last row till called to the stage, where he came in at 249 pounds.
When the two squared-off for their staredown, Mir tried not to
play into Sim's game, turning away from the Hammer House protégé
at the first possible opportunity before Sims was ready to separate.
This caused a small fit of laughter from the crowd. Since their
first clash at UFC 43, speculation has surrounded this bout from
numerous angles. Was Mir in trouble before Sims performed the
illegal slam that cost him the match? Was it just a matter of
time before Sim's resilience petered out and Mir could secure
the bout-ending submission? Hopefully, all answers will be made
clear tomorrow night.
To start off tomorrow night's live pay-per-view broadcast, Zuffa
must be hoping for middleweights Jorge Rivera and Lee Murray
to come out banging, as has been their respective histories in
the past. Murray, an import from the mean streets of London,
has reached almost legendary status in the States for his run-in
with a certain former light-heavyweight champion following UFC
38's infamous after-party. (For the record, Tito Ortiz was in
attendance today, but the two men never came into contact.) Murray
came in a slightly lighter 182.5 pounds to Massachusetts's native
Jorge Rivera's 185 pounds.
Another East Coaster hoping to make a good showing tomorrow night
is New Yawker Matt "The Terror" Serra. A former welterweight
entry, Serra tipped the scales at 154.5 pounds. Expect Serra
to be a least ten to fifteen pounds heavier when he makes the
walk down the ramp tomorrow night. This might stack the cards
in favor for the Terror, for last-minute replacement opponent
Jeff Curran usually fights at 145 pounds. Curran came in at 154
pounds today, respectively, and boasts a Pedro Sauer Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu black belt to match Serra's Renzo Gracie top ranking.
It's a shame that the impending match-up between lightweights
Josh "the Punk" Thomson and Hermes Franca is not slated
to be televised this Saturday. This writer has predicted it the
fight of the night for a plethora of reasons. Thomson is a monster
in all aspects of the game and Franca has enough heart to fill
two fighters. This bout should have plenty of steak and sizzle.
Thomson and Franca both weighed in at 155 pounds.
Judo-infused welterweight Karo Parisyan says he cut an extra
three ounces to allow for his hair gel. His calculations paid
off as he came in at 169 pounds. Canadian newcomer George St.
Pierre surprisingly came in at 167.5 pounds, for he is known
to be one of the "heavier" welterweights out there.
He'll need all the strength (and finesse) he can muster tomorrow
night to not succumb to one of Parisyan's unconventional transitions.
Fans are hoping Parisyan delivers the same kind of magic that
made him such a hit at UFC 44.
Source:
FCF |
Just
Say Go:
Jeff Curran Takes A Chance At UFC 46
When
you find out you'll be fighting one of the biggest fights of
your life in ten days, just what do you do? For UFC 46's last-minute
entry Jeff Curran, it's not so much what you do, but how much
you can fit in before you have to board that plane for Las Vegas.
Welcome to the glamorous side of professional fighting. There's
the physical examinations; the hepatitis and HIV tests; the most
convenient optical once-over, complete with its dilation testing
that can blind you for hours; not to mention the endless calls
from your out-of-state manager to make sure you've faxed off
the requisite papers necessary to fight within the Nevada State
Athletic Commission's jurisdiction. "When you're in a hurry,"
Curran relates, "you gotta take any appointment you can
get and everything has to fall around it."
With the clock ticking away, so has been the way of Curran's
life these last five days, with the paperwork a necessary evil
that seems to keep him further and further away from the gym
and his training. "I still got my training in," when
asked if he's actually had a moment to even dwell on his impending
battle with lightweight Matt "the Terror" Serra. "
I'm not saying I didn't. It just wasn't a smooth ride."
Bumpy journeys seem to be the norm among most professional fighters,
but Curran has never been one to dwell on the negative. Even
when his mother pulled him out of the local karate program after
his older brother didn't want to go anymore, Curran still found
a way to express his innate love for the combat arts. He snuck
private boxing lessons with his grandfather, a pugilist in his
military days, until his mother found out and quickly put that
to an end as well.
Mommy eventually acquiesced, though, letting her son join the
high school wrestling team with the compromise that he wouldn't
get hit in the face. Curran also took up karate again in a church
basement, before transitioning over to the world of ground fighting
when he happened upon a class. Like a game of telephone, the
Gracie techniques were passed down to the future fighter through
teachers that had attended the Gracie seminars. Curran didn't
look back and today, those teachers are now his students.
With the death of his father at the early age of 40, the 18-year
old immersed himself in training. A thirst for knowledge eventually
led the eager student to Professor Pedro Sauer, a man who would
become Curran's mentor and inspiration. As Curran accelerated
through Sauer's system, local interest began to grow in the little
warehouse where Curran had set up shop. With no one around to
tell Curran that a 19-year old can't open his own gym and start
schooling others, the affable Illinois native did just that.
The Linxx Academy of Martial Arts was born.
Assessing his skills in amateur competition, Curran quickly graduated
to the professional ranks, but taking every fight available only
seemed to be moving the upward-aspiring fighter in circles. "I
was fighting in a bunch of random shows, but at the same time
I was making no money, no progress, and not getting any fights
that were worthwhile." With his newly-acquired boxing coach
Doug Mango in agreement, Curran made the decision to go after
the very best in career advice. With 35 active clients throughout
his seasoned tenure, Monte Cox was the Rolls Royce of MMA management,
and in the end, it was a simple letter that persuaded the Iowa
godfather to take Curran under his wing.
Now, before grabbing pen and paper to serenade Mr. Cox with all
the reasons why he should make you his 36th patron, it should
be noted that Curran already had a working history with the management
king. In fact, Curran had gotten his start in Cox's amateur Extreme
Challenge events, but on an ex-trainer's ill-fated advice, had
later pulled out of a scheduled title fight which had created
a drifting between the two.
That which hurts us, only makes us stronger, and hopefully a
little bit wiser. Realizing he had made some poor choices up
to this point, Curran went on to make the smartest choice of
them all. "I contacted Monte to clear the air and say that
I was willing to do whatever it takes and follow his lead and
put everything in his hands."
"At the time, I had more guys than I needed, and really
wasn't looking to add anybody," says Cox of Curran's proposal.
"But there was something about the email... he seemed really
sincere and I just had a feeling that it might work out."
And work out it did.
If clothes make the man, managers must make the fighter, as Cox
proved Curran's one-way ticket into the fast lane. Key victories
over Next Generation standout Bao Quach and Hawaii's homegrown
Baret Yoshida put Curran on the map seemingly overnight. A productive
year was capped off with another win over Todd Lally at WFA 3
in Las Vegas. Despite being on the lighter side of lightweight
( the 145-pounder sometimes gave up weight with the prospect
of a higher-profile adversary) Curran's star was on the rise.
It's funny how God likes to test the strong ones.
2003 was a terrible year for Jeff Curran the fighter. Coming
off the highs of 2002, which ranked him in the media top ten
for the first time in his career, a meniscus injury in January
required immediate surgery. The affable Illnois native bounced
back fairly quickly, resuming his grappling after only a few
weeks of recovery, just in time to accept his most high-profile
fight to date versus the always-crafty Norifumi "Kid"
Yamamoto at Superbrawl 29. But, after years of doing what others
could only dream of, self-doubt finally found a crack in Curran's
armor to infiltrate.
"Something came over me right before the fight and I thought,
I'm gonna lose this fight, Curran admits. "When I went out
there, I kind of snapped out of it a little bit, but I was on
the defense the whole time. It was a rough fight."
Curran chalked up the loss as a learning experience, and left
only eight days later to compete in a tag team match in Japan's
ZST event with fellow Team Extreme member Rich Clementi. However,
less than a minute into their match against Japan's Kotani brothers,
Curran caught a wild kick that broke the ulna bone in his forearm
clearly in half. Clementi tagged in, but soon needed his teammate's
aid. "I went back out to fight knowing my arm was broke,
but no one else knew it. I tried to tell people it was broken,
but I didn't want to end up being the guy that quit a fight because
his arm hurt, and then have it turn out just to be bruised real
bad." With one arm to defend, Curran eventually tapped to
a footlock.
A 13-hour plane ride back from Japan without a broken appendage
is not an appetizing prospect, but Curran hung in there. Back
stateside, it was too late to set the bone properly, so Curran
went under the knife for a second time in six months. Doctors
implanted a titanium plate, as well as six screws right into
the bone, leaving a sizable souvenir the length of Curran's wrist
to elbow. Always a fan of tattoos, the scar is now covered by
a custom-drawn dragon hissing down his arm.
The "terminator" of the featherweights, Curran was
back before the rest of the world knew it, easing into competition
with a few amateur boxing bouts around town. Two surgeries and
four losses later, Curran notes that it's time to get back on
track...which leads us to UFC 46, and the fight that no in-shape,
injury-free fighter should ever turn down.
"I like taking fights on shorter notice, Curran coos confidently.
"It doesn't give me time to second guess myself. It doesn't
give me time to sit around and think too much. Am I doing things
right? Am I doing things wrong? I just kind of go forward and
get it over with."
In his last few days before battle, Curran admits he'll be holed
up with his coaches somewhere in the Mandalay Bay resort, with
his trusty portable DVD player in hand. Friends are bringing
the Serra fights that Sauer and company haven't already combed
for clues to the Renzo Gracie black belt's potential demise,
and it might be in some wacky hour of the morning that a final
plan will start to mentally formulate for the fighter. But, will
his body be able to assimilate it in enough time?
"It's not like I can change my whole style and approach
just from watching a tape," Curran confides, " but
you're out there for so many days with nothing else to do. You
wanna try to eat, sleep, and breathe your opponent, just so you
know what to do and he should hopefully be doing the same thing
on me. You want to make sure you've done everything possible
to understand the person, especially when you're pressed for
time."
With visions of flawless transitions dancing through his head,
Curran will venture to guess how this preliminary bout may go.
"I've got a few different visions on how this fight will
go. I'm sure he knows," referring to 5-time UFC vet Serra,
who has seen his competition change a mere four times in the
last few weeks. "It all depends on him. I have mixed feelings.
Being a Jiu-jitsu black belt, I feel like just going out and
touching gloves and start wrestling with him to see how we both
fair against each other. I'm not gonna run from the ground. I'm
supposed to be very good on the ground too. Being a jiu-jitsu
guy, you don't want to run away from that. It might look like
you're afraid to test this guy out."
Then there's scenario number two.... "He might be working
his standup now, " Curran contemplates. "I think he
might be working with some boxers and kickboxers. He's probably
gonna want to test himself out. If he does, then we can have
a fight."
Regardless of where the match goes, experts confide that Curran
is at a sheer disadvantage in the weight category, and might
be giving up as much as twenty pounds once Serra has jumped off
the scales Friday and satiated his appetite at the local buffet.
But, does it matter what the experts think?
"To me, saying I have a disadvantage ahead of time makes
it feel like I'm making excuses," Curran scoffs. "I've
already promised myself and everybody that there's just no excuse
for losing. I took the fight and everyone's trying to make excuses
for me. 'Well, you know, you are lighter and he's stronger and
he's been a black belt longer.' I say, you know guys, then why
take the fight if I've got three big things working against me?"
In the end, Curran knows it only matters what one man thinks,
and that man has climbed far more treacherous mountains in his
day. "There's no excuses," he pragmatically states
one more time for emphasis. "I think I have a good chance."
And it's a good enough chance that Jeff Curran is willing to
take.
Source:
FCF |
Super
Brawl 33 This Saturday!
As rumored, here are the talent filled card for the next Super
Brawl at the Neil Blaisdell Arena on Saturday, February 7.
Niko
Vitale (Grappling Unlimited) vs Dave Menne (former UFC Champion)
Eddie
"The Filipino Phenom" Yagin (Grappling Unlimited) vs
Jens Pulver (former UFC Champion)
Ronald
"The Machine Gun" Jhun (808 Fight Factory) v Kyle Brees
Heavy hitter Justin Eilers that gave Cabbage Correira the fight
of his life is back in the Super Brawl ring.
A
4-Man Lightweight (155 lbs) Old School Tournament
Rumored fighters include:
Harris
Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory)
Kaynan Kaku (BJ Penn's MMA)
Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited)
Santino Defranco (Arizona Combat Sports)
Meet
UFC Champions!
Two thirds of all current UFC Champions will be on hand Feb 7th.
Former Welterweight Champion of the World, Matt Hughes and former
Heavyweight Champ, Tim Sylvia will be flying directly from Las
Vegas (where Matt against Hawaii's own BJ Penn and Tim will defend
his title against Andre Orlovski in the April 4 UFC 47) to support
their teamates, Jens Pulver and Justin Eilers.
More
match ups coming soon!
|
Ring
Of Honor Tournament Rules and Points
Grappling Tournament
Campbell High School
February 8, 2004
If
you would like to get an registration form emailed to you so
you can submit it early and drop it off at the 808 Fight Factory
Gym in Waipahu or mail it to the gym, email us by clicking
here.
It is a Microsoft Word document so you need that program to open
it up. You can mail your registration to:
808
Fight Factory
94-143 Leokane St. Bay 202
Waipahu HI 96797
671-4140 (Call the gym if you need directions or more information)
Scoring:
Pass
the guard 2 points
Takedowns
2 Points
(Jumping Guard will be awarded as a takedown)
Reversal
2 points
Knee
to belly 3 Points
(Controlled for 3 seconds count to be awarded)
Mount
4 points
Back
with hooks in 4 points
Fouls:
Slamming
an opponent to avoid a submission
Spiking
an opponent into the mat
No
heel hooks, knee bars and foot locks in the Novice division
Running
off the mat to avoid a takedown (1 Caution, 1 point awarded to
opponent)
Small
joint manipulations
Time:
Novice 4 Minutes
Intermediate
5 Minutes
Advance
5 Minutes
Absolute
6 Minutes
Source: Promoter
|
AFC5
Info
Friday, Feb 13, 2004 7:00 PM
Campbell High School
FIGHTER'S
WANTED
160
& UNDER - 4 MAN (LIGHTWEIGHT) $500.00
161
- 200 - 8 MAN (MIDDLEWEIGHT) $1,000.00
201
& OVER - 4 MAN (HEAVYWEIGHT) $500.00
Spots
will be filled on a first come first serve basis. Remember, this
is a modified toughman type of competition, not MMA so if you
are a boxer or want to to try out an event with boxing, this
is the event for you. There is only one takedown allowed per
round so most of the action will be standing. This is a perfect
opportunity for someone who is a recreational boxer to get his
feet wet and fight in front of a live audience. Best of all,
you have the chance to win $500.00 or $1,000.00 (in cash or keep
your amatuer status and receive a gift certificate to compete
again). Now there is more weight classes so fighters smaller
fighters will be fighting guys their weight.
Don't
wait, contact the promoters today to sign up at 808-479-8183
or email them at linebredllc@hawaii.rr.com.
Source:
Promoter
|
Punishment
in Paradise 2 Poster!
Source: Event Promoter |
Shooto
Hawaii
COMING FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2004
Campbell High School
There
will be something new, AMATUER SHOOTO. Linebred, LLC will be
introducing a new twist to things. Amateur Shooto consists of
2 X 3 minute rounds with a full head gear, Shin guards and NO
punching when fight goes to the ground.
Currently,
we are recruiting fighters for this new endeavor. If you ever
wanted to try MMA and did not want to be thrown to the wolves,
this is the event for you. Full safety equipment is required
and no punching on the ground so you can try out shorter and
fewer rounds and don't have to worry when you get to the ground.
Amatuer Shooto is designed to ease fighters in to professional
MMA action and allow the fighters to build their skill and experience
safely.
Fighters
to appear so far are...
PJ
Dean (Freelance)Amatuer Shooto 154 VS. TBA
12.15.03
- AMATEUR SHOOTO BOUTS ADDED TO CARD
Steven
Boy Paling III (JIL) VS. TBA Amateur Shooto Bantamweight 123.5
Brandon Antonio (JIL) vs. TBA Amateur Shooto Lightweight 143.3
Contact
the promoters today to sign up at 808-479-8183 or email them
at linebredllc@hawaii.rr.com. |
|