We'd like to hear your thoughts on who will win the welterweight championship title fight at UFC 69 on April 7th ... Georges St-Pierre or Matt Serra? We also would like your picks for the rest of the card. The results of the survey and some of the commentary we receive may appear in an upcoming issue of FCF.
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By Christopher Costigan
It was a huge pay day for both the UFC and winner Randy Couture. The UFC walked off with $3 million while Couture earned only a small piece of that, but a nice $250,000 nonetheless. His opponent, Tim Sylvia came away with $100,000.
The more popular Mixed Martial Arts gets, the higher the pay scales, many experts predict.
Already, another entry into this genre, BodogFight, which receives heavy coverage from Sports911.com, claims to pay its fighters more than any other organization within the MMA sector. As such they have been able to pry some top fighters away from other franchises, most notably PRIDE out of Japan.
Fans of the fastest growing sports in the world do not necessarily like the idea of BodogFight waving wads of bills in front of just any player. Many have expressed that the big bucks should only be reserved for the marquee fighters such as Chuck Liddell and certainly Randy Couture.
But with the UFC raking in $3 million at the gate per event (assuming the trend continues), there is certainly plenty of money to go around. BodogFight - like a budget airline - will help keep salaries competitive.
BodogFight is already making inroads in the world of MMA, now seen in more households than any other MMA-related regularly scheduled program (fighters in Playa Tambor, CR)
Ivan Trembow of MMAWeekly.com pointed out over a year ago that "many people have been waiting to see the hugely increased revenue and popularity of the sport pay off for the fighters in the form of increased salaries.
"Over the summer of 2005, this concern grew as more shows took place. As a general trend, the salaries were still not increasing, even with the extremely lucrative contract that Zuffa scored for The Ultimate Fighter 2."
Trembow expressed concern about this and proposed a new minimum salary for UFC fighters (an amount that would still be fairly low: $5,000 to fight and an additional $5,000 to win). According to Trembow, the possibility still existed that Zuffa was just being a little bit slow in the process of making its fighters' salaries more proportionate to the company's own huge increases in revenue. But by year's end, the fighters' salaries had still not increased.
That is probably about to change since the UFC will no longer be able to ignore BodogFight's billionaire owner Calvin Ayre's willingness to pay big bucks to his fighters.
MMA, meanwhile, will do more to make money just for itself and for its fighters. With the overwhelming financial success of UFC 68 (and its 19,000 strong ticket buyers), the UFC has already suggested that more events will take place in Ohio, which in turn will help fuel the economy there.
For fighter Rich Franklin, he never dreamt he'd be fighting in Ohio.
"It's funny because once I started fighting in the UFC, a lot of my friends and family asked when I would be fighting in Ohio again. I always said probably never," Franklin told the Advocate.
"I never dreamed that they would bring this to Ohio. The amazing thing about it is tickets basically sold out in day three, which just goes to show you this thing is national. It's exciting for sure."
According to The Advocate, the previous attendance record at a UFC event was 14,765 for a show May 2006 in Los Angeles, and Saturday's show also is expected to challenge the North American MMA attendance record of 18,265 set last year by the Strikeforce promotion.
The impact in Ohio is huge. Before this weekend's UFC, the largest gate for a boxing/MMA event was just less than $250,000 for a Don King-promoted fight in Cincinnati in 2001. The UFC flew past that amount just hours after tickets went on sale.
(Source)
By Eric Benevides
PAWTUCKET -- Manny Neves' family and friends have a good reason to be proud of him.
That's because the Pawtucket native and owner of Elite Martial Arts on Smithfield Avenue was recently inducted into the U.S.A. Martial Arts of Hall of Fame as an instructor and a competitor - a prestigious honor for anyone associated with martial arts and a significant accomplishment to be enshrined in two categories.
"It's a great honor," added Neves, who was unable to attend last Saturday night's induction ceremony in New York, but recently received his plaque in the mail. "I've always wanted to be on the cover of a fight magazine or a Hall of Famer, so I got one down and one more to go."
And speaking of 'one more to go', most of Neves' family members and friends have also found a good reason to wring his neck and smack him off the side of his head.
That's because Neves, who announced his retirement from mixed martial arts competition after losing his last fight six months ago to Mike Varner for the "Last Man Standing" title, is making a comeback to the fight scene at the age of 42 - in Muay Thai kickboxing.
"My family thinks I'm out of my mind," said Neves. "My father is kind of upset about it, but my uncle (Bert Neves) is my boxing coach and he'll back me in whatever I do. And out of all my friends, maybe five percent are telling me, 'Yeah, go do it,' and the rest of them are saying, 'Forget it.' "
Regardless of what anyone thinks, Neves has circled Saturday, June 30 on his calendar as his return date when ICE (International Combat & Entertainment) is scheduled to host its second event of the year at the West Warwick Civic Center.
Neves is also the promoter of ICE, which is associated with the Professional Kickboxing Federation (PKF), and before he steps into the ring, he plans to host his first event on Saturday, April 21 in West Warwick and showcase 14 bouts in Muay Thai and Vale Tudo competition. Some of his Elite Martial Arts fighters are expected to appear on the card, such as Todd Chattelle, Neil Goulet, Bo Viera, Greg Nemeth, and Jessy Donnelly.
The main difference between Muay Thai boxing and mixed martial arts, reported Neves, is the absence of wrestling in the bouts.
"There's more punishment than MMA," admitted Neves, "In MMA, if you go on the ground, you go into a wrestling match, but in Muay Thai, you're not allowed on the ground. You're forced to stay in the middle of the ring and brawl. You can still do things like clinch and come up with your knee, but you have to stay on your feet."
And because of this, Neves, who expects his comeback fight to be a title bout, predicts that he will emerge a winner.
"I never said this before my last two fights," said Neves, "but because it's a title fight and it's going to be six rounds, I'm going to win by a knockout because I don't want to fight more than three rounds. My strong point is my standup (fighting). I won't have to worry about going on the ground and doing any wrestling, and my opponent is going to be forced to do what I'm good at."
It's a bold prediction to make, especially since Neves has no idea who will oppose him, but that means very little to him.
"I was told there's about 14 guys who are qualified to fight me and I don't ever care to know who they are," added Neves, who will drop his weight from 195 pounds to 184 for the fight. "I don't care how good or how tough they are, how many fights they have had, or who they fought in the past. This is my home state, my backyard, and I guarantee everyone 100 percent that I will win."
The prospect of fighting for a championship belt has Neves psyched, but the chance to redeem himself and heal the sting from his Sept. 24 loss to Varner has certainly motivated him in his comeback.
That fight was a rematch of their Dec. 2005 bout in Fall River - a fight that saw Neves batter Varner for most of the match before losing by submission in the final seconds. But the rematch wasn't even close - Varner knocked Neves down with his first punch and eventually put him away just 50 seconds into the bout.
"Title belt or no belt at all, it doesn't matter," added Neves. "I thought I got everything out of my system in my last fight and I didn't. In my last fight, the guy was better than me that night. He had my number. My boxing, my kicking, and my grappling were good and my conditioning was awesome, but what I lacked that night was right upstairs. My head just wasn't there.
"You heard the saying, 'If a fighter isn't nervous before a match, if he's not in his dressing room stressing out, then something's wrong with him.' Instead of getting ready (for the fight), I was talking on my cell phone to people who couldn't make it (to the fight) and standing behind the curtains waving to people and having conversations with them. I had no stress level and I wasn't nervous. I was just laughing and making jokes. If someone had a monopoly board, I probably would have played a game before the fight."
It was definitely a down moment in the Hall of Famer's career, one that has seen him not only post a 108-12 record and capture several state and regional championships in his 20-plus years as a fighter, but one that has seen him also introduce mixed martial arts to the state in the late '90s, earn two Instructor of the Year awards, and train hundreds of students and title belt holders.
"I can't go out that way," Neves admitted about his last defeat. "and this time, I don't think I'm going to stop. I see guys who are fighting at my age and aren't in as good as shape as I am. But right now, I feel like I'm born again. I'm psyched and I can't wait to get going."
(Source)
Photos by Gustavo Aragao
He is the greatest in submissions nowadays, but that’s well known. What sometimes goes unnoticed are his refined defensive techniques, which provide the base for his Jiu-Jitsu and balance his game. Learn it and enjoy it.
It was Xande Ribeiro who tipped it off. During an informal chat at his black-belt friend Paulo Guillobel’s apartment, in San Clemente, California, Ribeiro talked about the virtues of Roger Gracie, his greatest opponent at the 2006 Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American Championships: “The amazing thing about Gracie is that he is able to recover from positions that you think are stabilized, but he proves them otherwise.” Ribeiro didn’t notice but the remark called the attention of a couple of GRACIE Magazine reporters who happened to be there.
The remarks made by Saulo Ribeiro’s brother immediately related to an exclusive statement given by Marcelo Garcia minutes after being defeated by Gracie at the 2004 World Jiu-Jitsu Championships’ open-class final. Despite being at a disadvantage from the beginning, Garcia had reached his favorite position, an attack from the back that is usually deadly, but Gracie managed to escape. ”His hand was on the same path as mine. I had no chance. Is it because he is heavier and stronger? I didn’t feel that. He is very skilled,” said Garcia.
Gracie would later escape from two other extremely uncomfortable positions in the same World Championship: a choke from the back by Fernando Tererê (“I defended Tererê’s second hook with my elbow and with a leg movement while my chin protected my neck”) and a grab from the back (with two hooks locked) from Ronaldo Jacaré, winner of open-class category.
Those three defenses by Gracie were very hard struggles, displays of incredible skill, but the people at Tijuca tennis club, where the championship was being held, didn’t even get very excited about it. It is only natural that fans give more attention to whoever is attacking and don’t care much about who is defending. But to do that when Gracie is fighting is the same as closing one eye. You will only see half of his technique.
Roger is just like Rogério Ceni, best goalkeeper in the history of São Paulo football club, who is not only great in saves but also became an expert on long range penalty kicks, to the point of becoming one of the team’s top scorers. Much in the same way, the black-belt in question is the most efficient in submissions among his generation’s stars, and knows how to defend with the same skill. By the way, Gracie thinks that when you improve your defense techniques you are improving your attack in the same measure and vice-versa.
Below, the current open-class Pan-American champion teaches a lesson on Jiu-Jitsu defense mechanisms. Never before had a news team come so close to the sleeves of Roger Gracie’s gi, where he keeps not only his spells but also his antidotes.
How did you develop such good defense?
By tapping out [laughs]. Since I was a child I trained with black-belts and they never took it easy on me. I was always tapping out so that’s how I began developing ways of escaping the submissions. I never had much muscular power so I relied on technique alone. It would be impossible to escape those attacks based on explosion or strength. There was an incredible team of black-belts at the gym when I was a blue-belt: Nino Schembri, Roberto Roleta… I had to develop escapes for some of the most dangerous Jiu-Jitsu attacks of those days. Of course I had the help of very skilled masters like Carlinhos, my father [Maurição], Renzo and Rillion…
You have finished Jacaré, Saulo, Margarida, Xande, Tererê, Comprido and many more. Don’t you find it odd that we are so interested in your defense despite you being the greatest in submissions nowadays?
Actually, attack is directly linked to defense, and vice-versa. Whenever I’m trying to finish someone I pay attention to the movements my opponent makes to defend himself and analyze those moves that block efficiently my attacks. So I reuse my opponent’s moves when I’m drafting my defense. The same thing happens when I’m defending. I try to perceive which movements are able to break my defense and improve my attack strategy.
You are referring to the balance in Jiu-Jitsu, the balance between attack and defense. We have the impression that there are a lot of black-belts that are good attackers but have extreme difficulties whenever they need to defend themselves from a lock or a choke. They don’t know how to react that well. Do you agree?
What I see is a lot of fighters that rely exclusively on muscular explosion and strength to escape attacks. The problem is when they get tired. Then, there’s no other way than to tap out. There’s another problem related to that. When you are accustomed to using power and explosion to escape, you don’t learn about the mechanism of the move. The trick is to understand the reason of things, to know why the choke is pressuring or not. That way it is easier to find the position that offers the main support point to the opponent’s lever.
Which is the most difficult position to defend oneself from?
I think that the more locked the move is the more difficult the escape is. I believe that maybe the rear-naked choke is the most difficult move to be defended, as it usually presents the most difficult-to-break grip.
Which was the most difficult defense you ever performed?
Well, the tightest move I’ve ever been caught in was Xande Ribeiro’s triangle in the latest Abu Dhabi [ADCC, no gi championship]. Definitely that was the most difficult situation I have ever found myself in but at that given moment Ribeiro lowered one of his arms and I managed to pass my leg and sit, getting free from the pressure.
Your elegant posture makes it looks almost like an English sport, although it’s called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It reveals a lot of coolness and patience during fights, a lot different from the more agitated Jiu-Jitsu that we see a lot these days. Does that posture help you to defend?
Patience is the key to Jiu-Jitsu. I like the metaphor about the guy that is drowning. If he starts to flap his arms and legs, he is going to lose oxygen quicker and won’t think straight. To swim like that will make him sink to the bottom, but if he is calm he can come to surface easily. The same applies to Jiu-Jitsu. If the guy that is being attacked starts to move randomly trying to escape, he may simply be moving to adjust the position for his opponent, to tighten the move.
(Read Part 2)
By Robert Cheshire
“You can bank on the fact that my fights are going to be a war.” – Brad Imes
Little did I know when I called Brad Imes on the afternoon of UFC 68 that he was already here in Texas. We talked about his recovery from an injury a year ago, what he is doing now, and about his fight in Houston on April 7th with Heath “Texas Crazy Horse” Herring.
RC: First, the obvious question is how does it feel to be getting back into the octagon after being off for a year?
BI: It feels good. I’m not really disappointed with myself but it’s hard to fight for a living and not being able to fight. With injuries it’s easy to get down on yourself. It’s nice to get back out there. I’ve had a couple of fights this past month to get the rust off and I feel good.
RC: How has your game improved from, I believed, it was a tumor that was removed from you sinuses?
BI: Yeah, I had a tumor in my sinus, broken elbow, and hurt my knee (laughter). It seems like every month there was something new that popped up. Since I had that surgery I feel like a new person. I can sleep at night. Within about three weeks after the surgery I put on about 20 pounds of muscle because I could sleep at night and my body could rejuvenate itself. My stamina and strength are better and I’m more explosive so I really feel good.
RC: You just said that you did some other fights recently. Have you signed a new contract with the UFC or is it for this one fight?
BI: No, it’s the same contract. They allowed me to fight in some smaller shows since I had just come off some injuries to make sure everything was working right.
RC: You know, with your fight coming up in Houston you kind of have a tough task ahead of you with the experience that Heath Herring brings to the match. What are you doing to prepare to neutralize his game plan?
BI: I train with a couple of the best heavyweights in the world in Ben Rothwell and Tim Sylvia. Being able to train with those guys every day they have a great deal of experience and are both very good on their feet. Having those two at my disposal has really helped me more than anything. There are some other good size guys up there. I have a lot of good size fighters to train with and that is sometimes hard for a heavyweight to find.
RC: Definitely, with Tim being one of the best in the UFC, and Ben being one of the best in the IFL, that’s pretty good company to be keeping.
BI: Yeah, for sure.
RC: What did you think about Heath’s UFC debut when he lost?
BI: It wasn’t what I was expecting out of Heath and I think he was disappointed with himself. I heard he had a knee injury he was struggling with and he probably had some jitters being his first UFC fight. I don’t expect to see that performance when he fights me. I expect to see the Heath of old and that is what I’m training for.
RC: It seems like all the Team Miletich guys are really nice. I was at the IFL Houston fights and all the guys were really friendly, nice and very approachable.
BI: We really are a team. A lot of other fight “teams” don’t really have the team mentality that we do. We all hang out together, train together, we’re always around each other and we’re all friends. We are really like a family. We all pull for each other and it’s a good environment.
RC: Pat really surprised me when we were talking. I live in a small East Texas town and he knew where it was and some of the history of it. It really surprised and impressed me that he knew that.
BI: Did it? I’m actually in Dallas right now, well, Waxahachie actually. I’m filming a movie here.
RC: Yeah, I’m going to ask you about that in a moment. Win or lose against Herring is there anyone else you want to fight?
BI: You know, I get asked this question all the time and I really don’t think about it that much. (laughter) There isn’t anyone I have a grudge against. I just like getting out there and fighting. I like what I do so I’ll fight whoever they tell me I’m going to fight. Win or lose I’m going to go out there and give it everything I’ve got. My fights are always exciting. You can bank on the fact that my fights are going to be a war.
RC: That is something I was looking at when I looked over your past fights. When you fought Rashad you only had about a year of training. Even though it wasn’t the outcome you wanted, you brought excitement to the game. If you fought that well with that little experience it will be great to watch you as you get more experience.
BI: If you watched my fight with Dan [Christison] I was so much better in that fight than I was with Rashad. I got caught at the end of the fight. You can train things over and over again but Dan’s experience came up and bit me in the ass on that one. I feel like I made huge strides in that fight and think people are going to see a new and improved Brad Imes each time I fight.
RC: That’s what frustrates me about some of the people on some of these forums – they don’t look at the whole picture if a fighter is improving or not. Many of them just look at if you win or lose.
BI: (laughter) Yeah, they just judge you on your last fight. That’s why I don’t even get on the internet and look at that. It only frustrates me. (laughter) You know what they say about critics – they are the ones that come down the hill after the war and shoot the wounded.
RC: (laughter) Right! I know you are filming that movie. Can you tell me more about it?
BI: Yeah, sure. The title is “Missionary Man” and the first time I heard it I thought it sounded like a porno (laughter). It’s an action movie that stars Dolph Lundgrun who also wrote and directs it. It’s like a modern day western but instead of horses there are motorcycles. I play a character named “Hoss” which I don’t think is a big shocker. I’m a bad guy in the beginning but end up as a good guy in the end. I never thought of doing anything like this but the opportunity presented itself because they wanted Tim Sylvia at first but he had the fight with Randy so they called me.
RC: Is acting something you’d like to pursue after fighting or while fighting?
BI: It is something I’d like to do. It has been a lot of fun. I’ve been really lucky to find things to do without really having to have a job. Which is kind of nice. I do like to work and work hard though. Acting has been hard work with long days but it has been fun. I’m meeting a lot of good people and it has been fun. I think I would like to do some more movies when this one is done. They say that they like me but I don’t know if they are saying that because they think I’ll beat them up (laughter).
RC: I know you said you don’t go online much. Are there any forums that you do go to?
BI: No, I really don’t. I did post on The Ultimate Fighter Forum right after the reality show. I spoke with a lot of the fans but now I try to stay away from it. I do that because most things people are going to say about you is either trying to boost your ego or make you feel bad about yourself.
RC: These are supposed to be fan sites.
BI: No kidding. I try to be real good to the fans when I meet them and have them walk away with a good perception of me. However, there are some people that are upset because they never did anything with their life and it’s easier to tear someone down who is taking risk with theirs.
RC: I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the show Pros versus Joes. I liked the episode this season where they had Randy Couture. It was nice how the image of MMA is changing because they talked smack about the other pros but wouldn’t against Randy.
BI: I saw that! They wouldn’t talk smack about Randy and were like “I hope Randy doesn’t kill me!”
RC: Do you have any predictions for any of the other fights that night in Houston?
BI: I think “Rush” is going to handle Serra pretty easily. Matt is a tough guy but he is fighting out of his weight class and is fighting the number one at that weight class. I think Diego and Koscheck is going to be a good fight. I give the edge to Koscheck due to his wrestling and I think his stand up his better that Diego’s. I like Luke Cummo in his fight. We have the same attitude and he is pretty tough.
RC: Is there anything that inspires or motivates you before or during a fight?
BI: Before a fight I look at it like a job and I go in there and train and just do it. I think in a fight survival just kicks in. Sometimes I don’t know how I do the things I do. I don’t really feel any pain and just keep coming ahead.
RC: I know you said you might be interested in doing some movies. Are there any other plans for what you want to do after fighting?
BI: I don’t know. One of the things my sister is always giving me shit about because I don’t plan things much and fly by the seat of my pants. Fighting is going well and it looks like this acting thing might work out. If I get to a point where I can’t do either I’ll have to figure something else out.
RC: What would you do if you weren’t a fighter?
BI: I think I would go to firefighter school and be a firefighter.
RC: Do you train full time?
BI: Yes – probably about 5 or 6 days a week.
RC: Do you want to take this opportunity to thank any sponsors?
BI: Warrior Wear has been my sponsor since the reality show and Nathan has been real good to me and I want to thank him for that. You can go to www.bradimes.com to see my other sponsors.
RC: The last question I have is if there is anything you would like to say to the fans?
BI: I want to thank all of them. I still get a ton of mail asking how I’m doing and if I’m fighting and it means a lot since I’ve been off for about a year. I just want to thank them for their continuing support.
(Source)
Saturday, March 17th TKO Major League MMA will unveil its new series dubbed “TKOMMA Tourney 2007” at the Colisee Desjardins in Victoriaville, Quebec.
The card will feature UFC veteran Jonathan “The Road Warrior” Goulet as he takes on fellow Canadian Jesse “Water” Bongfeldt. Bongfeldt sports a professional MMA record of 11-2 with the majority of his victories coming by submission. Bongfeldt will be in tough when he faces Jonathan Goulet (17-7) in his hometown of Victoriaville, Quebec. Goulet is coming off of a controversial TKO victory over Thomas Schulte.
TKOMMA Tourney 2007
Saturday, March 17th, 7:30 PM
Colisee Desjardins, Victoriaville
Fight Card
Jesse Bongfeldt (11-2-0) vs. Jonathan Goulet (16-7-0)
Jacob MacDonald (2-5-0) vs. Stephane Dube (4-1-0)
Jason St. Louis (11-9-0) vs. Dave Pariseau (5-3-1)
Chester Post (5-7-1) vs. Sean Pierson (4-3-0)
Ray Penny (1-1-0) vs. Yan Pellerin (8-9-0)
Bob Landry (1-0-0) vs. Sebastien Gauthier (1-1-0)
Behrous Nemati (0-0-0) vs. Jean-Francois Bedard (1-0-0)
Adam Kastner (0-0-0) vs. Tommy Pariseau (0-0-0)
Stjepan Vujnovic (1-0-0) vs. Marco Picotte (0-0-0)
Adrian Wooley (0-0-0) vs. TBA 
The Combat Sports Challenge 19, MMA and Muay Thai Fight Show at the Showplace in Richmond, VA will feature Chris Ngimbi of Holland vs Shawn Campbell of Canada for the World Kickboxing Association’s (WKA) WORLD PROFESSIONAL THAIBOXING TITLE (Super Welterweight -70kg/-154lb) on March 24, 2007. Chris “The African Warrior” Ngimbi hails from Team Calmaro in Holland and boasts over 30 professional career wins. He won WKA Intercontinental Title by beating Thailand’s Khunpon in Guilty Boxing’s Pride and Glory MMA and Boxing event in Atlanta, GA.
Ngimbi has continued to mount win after win in Holland and throughout Europe. Most wins come in a most devastating fashion, via head kicks and flying knees. His opponent Shane “Shaolin” Campbell from Iron Tiger Muay Thai in Canada has had a prolific career fighting North America and Thailand. Campbell holds multiple titles in various organizations including the WKA North American Title which he captured by knocking the incumbent champion to the canvas three times in the first round causing the referee to step in and stop the match. Both fighters have an exciting, hold-nothing-back fighting style, which features lots of head kicks and knees. This main event promises plenty of action from opening to closing bell.
The Main MMA matches pit top East Coast Lightweight contenders against Utah’s Ultimate Combat Experience (UCE) fighters. Philly’s Anthony Morris (Joe Diamond Gym) will face off against Utah’s own Travis “Darth” Worencroft (UCTC) . Morris will surely seek to keep it standing as Worencroft will work to take the fight to the mat and utilize his ‘ground-n-pound’ style. In other MMA action, Richmonder Dwayne “Diesel” Shelton (Team Combat) will continue his quest toward the UFC by taking on UCE fighter “Super” Steve Siler (West Side Jui Jitsu). This CSC will be the first to feature MMA fighters from Utah, although fans may remember the Muay Thai fighters from famed Sakasem “The Punisher” Kanthawong’s gym in Utah were brought in for a CSC event last year
CSC fans will see two additional Muay Thai match’s with international flair. Sean Douglas from Chalong Chi Fight Team in Thailand by way of Ohio will face Rami Ibrahim (PA) from Sitan Gym in New York for the vacant WKA US PROFESSIONAL THAIBOXING TITLE (Super lightweight -63.5kg/-139.7lb). Women’s Muay Thai will be showcased as New York’s two time WKA US Champion Emily Bearden (Five Points Fitness) will step up to represent the US against Holland’s very strong Petra Janssen van Doorn (Team Calmaro). The card will also feature other rising professionals, top amateurs in both MMA and Muay Thai, plus the exhibition “grudge match” between local radio celebrities “Special Ed” vs. “Rizzo” of Richmond’s New Rock Y101, a Cox radio station. The talent on the show stretches across the US and abroad. The CSC promoters are promising that this March 24th event will be over the top! US Grappling will have the US Grappling’ Junior National Championships in both Gi and No Gi elimination tournament style action. This event will run during the morning of the event so make sure you come out early to cheer on the future of our sport!
The Showplace at 3000 Mechanicsville Turnpike in Richmond, VA will be the venue for the 19th installment of the most exciting Combat Sports event on the East Coast. Sponsored by: Patrick Kia, Hooters, Epperly and Follis, P.C., Primetime Gear, Hometown Realty, and Combat Sports Center.
By E.Goldman
On behalf of everyone at the International Fight League, we wanted to thank you for all of your support and give you a brief update. It is quite amazing to think that our first event was less than a year ago, and tonight, through the work of many, especially our world champion coaches and our world class athletes, we will be able to bring you a preview of “IFL Battleground,” the first-ever opportunity for fans to view MMA on broadcast television and in prime time. Tonight’s show will be seen at 8:00 EST and PST and 7:00 CST in over 100 million homes, and will give both the casual fan and the MMA enthusiast a special look into what we know will be a very compelling weekly show on MyNetworkTV.
The regular showing of “IFL Battleground” will begin this Monday night, March 12, from 8-10 Eastern and Pacific, 7:00 Central, with a rebroadcast in the same time period on Saturday nights. The shows will have lots of original and highlight ring action, interspersed with some of the backstories and the training activities of all our IFL coaches and athletes. It will follow the teams through the season and help you get accustomed to these new stars of MMA and even closer to their very well known coaches, shot in a format that has never been used in this sport before. It will truly be a breakthrough for MMA as the sport continues to break down barriers and enter the mainstream. Go to www.mynetworktv.com/local_stations.html to find the MyNetworkTV station in your local area.
Secondly, we have been very pleased with the success that our weekly fights have had on FSN. As we have said in the past, our goal is to establish a set time and place where the fans can tune-in to watch original in-ring action. By having the Friday night time slot at 11 p.m. (although this week the show will air in most places on Saturday night at 11 due to the Pac-10 basketball tournament previously scheduled) we now have a destination for fans to tune in to, and a time slot which has been very well received thus far. We are also very excited that we will have our first-ever same-night broadcast, when Renzo Gracie’s Pitbulls, led by Jamal Patterson and Brian Vetell, take on Matt Lindland’s Wolfpack, led by Matt Horwich and Ryan Schultz from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Friday, April 13. The show will air on a one-hour tape delay at 11 p.m. and will be shown unedited.
Lastly, we wanted to talk about the rising quality of our fights and our event presentation. As those of you who have seen our early events this year in new markets like Atlanta, Houston and Oakland, the quality of the teams put together by our world-class coaches is rising very quickly, especially as these athletes train together more consistently. The skepticism of the team format has abated and the quality of the individual matches improves each event. Many insiders feel that the match between Bart Palaszewski and Chris Horodecki may already be the match of the year, especially among lightweight athletes, and we are excited to bring that fight to you on FSN next week. Our other rising stars are also quickly gaining popularity, and the growth of television coverage will only help make them more familiar to you as we go along.
We are looking forward to our next live event at the Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 17, our first event in Southern California, and we are looking forward to see all of you there to witness the IFL and its rising stars first hand.
It’s been a great first 10 months in existence, and with the growing TV audience on FSN and starting with the preview tonight and then every Monday night starting March 12 on MyNetworkTV, it's only going to get better.
Thanks for your support and as always please visit www.IFL.tv and tell us how you think we can improve all that we are doing for the sport of MMA and for you the fans.
Regards,
Gareb Shamus, Co-founder, CEO, International Fight League
Kurt Otto, Co-founder, Commissioner, International Fight League
Esch, Siciliano combine for 731 lbs...
The scale utilized by the other fighters could only measure up to 350 pounds, so an industrial sized scale was brought in for Eric "Butterbean" Esch at today's weigh-in at Union Station in Worcester, Massachusetts. Butterbean weighed in at a career-high 417.5 pounds for Friday's clash with Joe Siciliano, who scaled in at a hefty 313.5 pounds. It will be a combined 731 pounds of flesh in a specially reinforced ring at the Palladium, which is believed to be the all-time record for a boxing match.
Eric "Butterbean" Esch 417.5 vs Joe Siciliano 313.5
Brandon Esch 289 vs Matt Eckerle 225
Luis Viramontes 150 vs Olade Thomas 150
John Scalzi 160 vs Joe Rea (Had Not Arrived)
Chris Traetti 175 vs Israel Figueroa 172
Montez Wilson 165 vs Andre Newsky 165
Chuck Shearns 160 vs Patrick Bozeman 169
By FCF Staff
Pride welterweight contender Denis Kang (28-8-1) is scheduled to fight in South Korea this Sunday, March 11th, at the Spirit MC’s Interleague 5 event. The American Top Team fighter will face Chae Jung Kyu, whom Kang described to FCF as a “tough Korean with an iron chin and good cardio.” Kang will be looking to rebound this weekend after losing to Kazuo Misaki in the welterweight Grand Prix Finals last November at Pride Bushido’s Survival event. Kang injured his right arm defeating Akihiro Gono that same evening, and as a result, has not competed since that night.
Kang is virtually a “household name” in South Korea in, and is featured prominently in an Everlast advertising campaign throughout the country. The 29-year-old fighter’s Father is Korean, and as a result, fans in that country have embraced Kang as one of their own. Kang is 8-0 with one no contest competing for the Spirit MC promotion in South Korea, and in his most recent fight there, he defeated Albert Basconcelles by KO in just 12 seconds at Spirit MC 8 last April.
Prior to the finals of the welterweight Grand Prix last November, Kang had gone 5-0 competing in Pride, a streak that included wins over Murilo Rua, Amar Suloev and Andrei Semenov.
By Peter Parsons
Three new champions will be crowned and first female MMA fight to hit the Maritimes
Halifax, Nova Scotia - March 7 – Combat Productions held a press conference today at the Palace Night Club in downtown Halifax to announce their Extreme Cage Combat 5 card, taking place on Saturday, March 31st, at the Halifax Forum. ECC 5 “Night of Champions” will boast three ECC Canadian title fights as well as the first ever female MMA fight in Atlantic Canada.
Peter Martell, promoter of the ECC, Hubert Earle, director of combat sport for the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority, along with several local ECC fighters, were on hand to field questions from the local media. Much of the interest was placed on the first female MMA fight in the Maritimes, featuring Tannaya Hantelman of Team Titans who will be taking on Debbie Richards of Hamilton, Ontario . When questioned about the safety and skill level of female fighters, promoter Peter Martell responded, “There’s no reason why females shouldn’t fight in mixed martial arts, she has the skills that any mixed martial artist has and she will represent the sport very well.”
Having anticipated the interest, Martell quickly put Hantelman to work showing off her skills as she hit the pads with Titans teammate Jason McKay, who will be fighting for the lightweight title on the 31st.
Also on display was one of the three new championship belts that will be awarded at ECC 5. In the main event, the ECC light-heavyweight title will be up for grabs as local favorite Roger Hollett (4-0) of Team Titans will fight Team Nestor’s Ricardeau Francois (12-7) of Montreal . The ECC Canadian lightweight title will be on the line in a battle of 4-0 lightweights as Pictou County, Nova Scotia native Jason McKay will battle fellow ECC and Apex veteran Sean Krysa of the Boreland Combat Team in Georgetown, Ontario . Apex Canadian Welterweight Champion Rowan Cunningham (4-1), fighting out of Abhaya MMA in Kentville, Nova Scotia, looks to add the ECC Canadian welterweight title to his collection as he takes on Cory MacDonald (4-1) of Team Nestor.
ECC 5 “Night of Champions” Full Card:
205 lbs: Roger Hollett vs. Ricardeau Francois
155 lbs: Jason MacKay vs. Sean Krysa
170 lbs: Rowan Cunningham vs. Cory MacDonald
135 lbs: Tannaya Hantelman vs. Debbie Richards
220 lbs: Ryan Jimmo vs. Robert Haynes
185 lbs: Travis Axworthy vs. Chester Post
170 lbs: Matt Dutkoski vs. Matt Hamilton
145 lbs: Mike Skutter vs. Chris Barbeau
175 lbs: Adam MacDonald vs. Michael Waugh
185 lbs: Aaron Jollimore vs. Andrew Belyea
185 lbs: Craig Skinner vs. Curtis Fiander
150 lbs: Peter McGrath vs. Kristian Ndur
185 lbs: Tim Kelly vs. Tim Skidmore
By FCF Staff
Manny Tapia has confirmed to FCF that he will not be defending his King of the Cage Flyweight Championship (135lbs.) against Ryan Diaz this weekend, due to the fact it appears he will be signing with World Extreme Cagefighting. According to Tapia, his imminent signing with the WEC will allow him to still compete for KOTC, but due to the fact he will be fighting primarily for the Zuffa owned promotion, he will be unable to carry on his responsibilities as KOTC flyweight champion.
“It was kinda getting bad, lawyers were coming into it, but we finally came to an agreement,” says Tapia in regards to his contract negotiations and his wish to sign with the WEC. “They were just offering so much on the table; they seem to think I’m a marketable guy. It looks like it’s going to be a 4 fight deal and I might be fighting Antonio Banuelos in May or June. I’ll still fight for KOTC a couple times a year, but I told them to strip me of my title because I’ll be fighting mostly for the WEC. Terry [Trebilcock] and everybody at KOTC have treated me so well, so I’m glad we worked something out.”
KOTC Canada’s Bantamweight Champion Diaz (12-10) will now face Ed Newalu (12-9-1), and is looking forward to the title fight despite the change in opponent. KOTC “Chaos” is set to take place at the Avi Casino, in Laughlin, Nevada , Saturday, March 10th.
“Of course I’m disappointed I’m not fighting Manny.” Diaz tells FCF. “I’m still happy that I’m fighting for the title, I guess Manny got a deal somewhere else, that’s just the way it goes sometimes. I’m hoping that I’ll be the next KOTC world champion.”
Newalu has faced Tapia twice before, losing both fights by unanimous decision at KOTC 63 and KOTC 41 respectively. The Hawaiian fighter is undefeated in his last three fights, and most recently he defeated David Moreno at Extreme Wars Battlegrounds 5 in October. Over the year that intervened between his two fights with Tapia from September, 2004, until December, 2005, Newalu won 6 fights in a row. Diaz is keenly aware of Newalu’s abilities, and knows he’s in for a challenge Saturday night.
“He’s going to be a tough fight,” Diaz says. “He’s got a really good overhand right and he’s a good wrestler. I saw him fight when I was fighting in Hawaii once, so he’s probably seen me as well and knows to expect a real tough fight from me. I also saw one of his fights with Manny and it was really close, he was giving Manny a lot of trouble.”
In Diaz’s last fight he lost by unanimous decision to Nam Phan at KOTC “Rapid Fire” last August, the Canadian fighter went up to 155 lbs from 145 for that bout, a division above where he has typically fought at throughout his seven-year career. Over his last ten fights, Diaz has gone 7-3, with his only losses coming to Mark Hominick twice, and the aforementioned Phan.
Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter reality show was certainly unique in its own right. It brought together veterans of the sport who have graced the UFC cage before, but could never break through as a legitimate contender despite dominating the MMA game in other organizations.
After all the fire and brimstone was settled, Matt “Terror” Serra came out on top among his welterweight peers. Season 4 was the strongest overall talent the TUF series had ever seen, and with that comes certain benefits such as an immediate title shot for the winners. Therefore, Matt Serra is set to fight the king of the 170-lbs division, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre.
Matt Serra Fighting Style Analysis – Strengths
If you have scoured the internet for videos of Abu Dhabi Championships (World Cup of Grappling), one classic highlight is when Matt Serra Rear-Naked Chokes current Pride Lightweight Champion, Takanori Gomi, which eventually gives Serra the gold medal for the weight class. Strictly grappling speaking, Matt Serra is brilliant. His clinic of submissions and ground control is one to be envied, or if you’re an opponent, one to be feared. Matt Serra is a Renzo Gracie Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt and one of his star pupils to graduate out of his academy. His ability to not only produce submission clinics but escaping impossible submission holds shows the absolute poetry of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and how it applies to MMA. Serra is also tough as nails when it comes to MMA and bears his absolute heart and soul when he fights. He has never been submitted and only KO’d once in his whole MMA career. Regardless who Serra’s competitor is, Matt Serra is no walk in the park.
Matt Serra Fighting Style Analysis – Weaknesses
Despite showing much improvement over the years, Serra’s major weakness still lies in his stand-up game. For Serra, who’s about to face quite a formidable stand-up, he will need to come to the cage with a thoroughly planned strategy in order to compensate his striking deficiency. However, fighters with proficient striking have posed problems for him in the past with the likes of Shonie Carter, Din Thomas, and BJ Penn. Now that he is facing GSP, the past might certainly repeat itself. Furthermore, Matt Serra, for the majority of his fighting career, has been fighting in the Lightweight division. His recent move up to Welterweight seems make him more explosive since he doesn’t have to cut as much weight, but comparatively speaking, Serra is very small for a Welterweight fighter. Fighters like George St. Pierre cut a significant amount of weight for weigh-ins, but by the time they enter the Octagon the next day, they have regained approximately ten to fifteen pounds of water weight, whereas Serra practically doesn’t need to cut at all. All-in-all, the weight difference can pose another obstacle in terms of both strength and reach disadvantage.
Match-up Against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 69
If the same Georges St. Pierre that entered the Octagon to face Matt Hughes comes out to face Matt Serra, Serra will have “The Terror” turn on himself. Georges St. Pierre is simply at the top of his game and could very well dominate his division a la Chuck Liddell is doing in his division. In order for Matt Serra to really be dangerous and neutralize George St. Pierre, is to take this fight to the mat and take top position. GSP is very good on the ground, but off his back has shown a level of weakness and has a tendency to get caught in the most simple of submissions. However, GSP is so hard to take down that Matt Hughes was having fits with engaging. Serra needs to try and work on taking low singles against GSP and do anything in his power to get GSP on his back and hold him there. Otherwise, Serra might need a lot of stitches and rest to heal the damage he will undergo in this fight.
- Bardia Mehrabian BuddyTV Staff Columnist
The Ultimate Fighter returns for a fifth season on April 5 at 10 p.m.
This season of The Ultimate Fighter brings at least one change: only one weight class as all of the fighters will be lightweights (145-155 lb). The sixteen competitors, who began shooting this season last January, include Gray Maynard, Matt Wiman, Cole Miller, Alan Berubie, Joe Lauzon, Wayne Weems. and Nathan Diaz ( younger brother of UFC vet Nick Diaz)
Former UFC Lightweight Champ Jens Pulver and former UFC Welterweight Champion B.J. Penn (now a lightweight contender) will be coaching over the season, and the end of which Pulver and Penn will face off in the Octagon. MMA fight card The Ultimate Finale will air live as The Ultimate Fighter season finale.
-Mel, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Las Vegas Sun photographer Sam Morris received a first place award in the sports feature category of the Pictures of the Year International competition for his shot of Mark Coleman and his two daughters after his fight against Fedor at PRIDE.32 "THE REAL DEAL."
Photographers from around the world send in their works every year for entry in the highly esteemed Pictures of the Year International. It is the first time for the Las Vegas Sun to receive an award from this prestigious competition.
The winning photograph captures a beat-up Mark Coleman reassuring his daughters that "Daddy's OK." PRIDE fans from throughout the world were touched by this scene.
(Source)
Photo by Marcelo Alonso
He is a former fighter, professor of important academies as BTT and Nova União, he is half Brazilian and half American and already faced great fighters as Randy Couture and Dan Henderson, current champions of UFC and Pride, respectivelly. In exclusive conversation with site TATAME, Darrel Gohlar, one of the most respectfull wrestlers of United States, analysed the victories of Randy, who he faced for six times with six victories, and of Dan Henderson, who he already defeated three times of the total four bouts against him.
- Hendeson is a light fighter but he still faces heavy guys and he is also pretty cleve. His biggest qualiy is the discipline. But Randy is real tough athlete and he is also pretty experienced and has too muh control under his bouts -, said Darrel, who also pointed possible winners against both of them: “Ithink Muril Bustamante and Ricardo Arona has conditios to defeat Randy, they are both pretty good. But I think against Dan Henderson, Paulão will be able to win. He is tough and brave”, said him.
(Source)
By Luis Cruz
The following is part two of our multi-part exclusive interview with PRIDE Vice President Jerry Millen. The interview was conducted by Luis Cruz of MMANews.com on March 7, 2007.
For those who missed part one or want to read it again, click here.
Luis Cruz of MMANews.com: Now let's talk real quick about the upcoming Lightweight Grand Prix.
Jerry Millen: Yeah.
MMANews.com: I believe that's May 20th.
Jerry Millen: Mm hm. Correct. It'll be live in Japan.
MMANews.com: Right. Now, Gilbert Melendez I know is one of the participants. Is there anybody else in at this point?
Jerry Millen: Yeah, there's a bunch of guys. I can't say who yet because, you know, they're still negotiating and trying to get some things taken care of, but I know some other organizations are doing some things with Lightweight fighters right now [laughs] that I'll tell ya ...if you wanna see Lightweight fighters, if you wanna see the best of the Lightweight fighters - they're going to be in that tournament on May 20th. That's where you'll see the best Lightweight fighters.
MMANews.com: So would it be possible for other organizations to bring fighters in?
Jerry Millen: Oh, you know what? We're always open. Especially the UFC, man. Anytime they want to step up and bring a fighter, you know, whether it's their champion, non-champion, we're open - you know? We've always been accused of not wanting to give fighters [to the UFC], but that's a bunch of bull.
MMANews.com: Has PRIDE actually approached UFC about this tournament?
Jerry Millen: I'm not sure if we've approached them about this specific tournament. I know we've approached them about other fights that they've declined. So, I'm not sure we could approach them about this one.
MMANews.com: Alright. Now, get into the matchmaking of PRIDE. Who exactly decides who's going to fight who?
Jerry Millen: You know, Sakikibara makes most of the decisions, but he takes input. We have a huge Japanese staff and a lot of people on the inside of MMA in PRIDE. We all give our input. It was my idea to bring [Frank] Trigg in to fight because I went to Hawaii and watched him beat Jason "Mayhem" Miller. I thought Trigg's our commentator and he can still fight - why not have Trigg fight? He did and he won. Nick Diaz, I wanted to bring Nick Diaz in. We brought him in and Nick won. Dan Henderson wanted Vanderlei Silva. You know, Dan and I talked and he said, "Jerry, I really want that fight against Vanderlei Silva." So, you know, I through that into the ring, you know?
MMANews.com: Why wasn't it [Antonio Rogerio] Nogueira and Vanderlei Silva fighting [on that show] for the Middleweight title?
Jerry Millen: Umm, not sure man. They just decided on Henderson and Vanderlei, you know? Not sure.
MMANews.com: Now honestly, how many people - I don't know if it was a board meeting or whatever, but how many people expected ...I don't even want to try and pronounce his name, Sokoudjou. How many people actually thought he was going to win that fight?
Jerry Millen: I don't know. According to the odds in Vegas, not many I guess. [laughs].
MMANews.com: They were well against him [laughs].
Jerry Millen: Right. You know, it's just like I said man: any given day anything can happen and you've seen it. I mean right there - typical example. Nobody in the world thought that was gonna happen. We're talking Rogerio man. This guy trains with the Cuban boxing team. Who thought that was gonna happen? Nobody! But it did and that's what makes this sport so great man. You can be banging a guy up and then he takes you down and chokes you out, or vice-versa. A guy could be smoked and then all of a sudden chokes somebody out. That's what makes this fight-game so exciting is anything can happen at anytime.
MMANews.com: Now outside of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, most people thought Nogueira was the number one contender to Vanderlei's title. Now how much did that fight put a damper on PRIDE's future plan for that?
Jerry Millen: For the Middleweight title?
MMANews.com: Right.
Jerry Millen: Umm, you know - none. I don't think ...why would it put a damper on it? I mean nobody thought Dan was gonna win. Well, not no one. A lot of people didn't think Dan would win this fight and Dan came out there and surprised everybody. Umm, where do we go from here? Who knows? I do know Dan is going to be busy defending two belts, which I think is great. Dan deserves it. Dan's a great guy and a great fighter and he beat Vanderlei Silva on that day.
MMANews.com: But as far as Nogueira is concerned, does that drop him down the rankings in PRIDE or does it mean...
Jerry Millen: ...you know, we don't have "rankings" I don't think. Rogerio is a great fighter. The Nogueira's are just phenomenal, so I don't think that fight - in my opinion, I don't think that fight hurts him at all. I mean, you know, that's how a fight goes. Sometimes you have a bad day man.
MMANews.com: I know, I'm just saying...
Jerry Millen: ...not taking anything away from him at all. Not to take anything away from Sokoudjou either - he came out like a monster. Good for him. He's a good guy man, he's from Africa and this is only his fourth professional fight. He's a real humble kid who trains down there with Dan Henderson. Really good guy man, he's a really good guy and I think he's got a great future in PRIDE. He's straight up from African, I mean he lived in a village in Africa. He was in your typical African scenerio you would assume - he lived that. So you know, I think he'll do great things for us. Especially after a few more fights.
MMANews.com: Now honestly what's more likely for Dan Henderson - a Silva rematch or Shogun getting a title shot?
Jerry Millen: You know, I don't know. I don't play a part in that, you know? What do I wanna see? Hmm, I don't know man, either one of those fights would be great. You know, Vanderlei Silva was sick the night before the [Dan Henderson] fight, so ...but there's no excuses. Henderson won that fight, hands down and Vanderlei won't make any excuses and Vanderlei wouldn't cancel that fight because Vanderlei's a warrior. And he knew how important that fight was to Vanderlei Silva, how important that fight was to PRIDE and more importantly how important that fight was for the fans.
MMANews.com: I couldn't tell he was sick personally, he didn't seem to be to me. But I think that punch would have knocked him out regardless.
Jerry Millen: Yeah but he was gassing and he was definitely not the Vanderlei Silva I know. I saw him two days before the press conference and I could tell that he was sick. I could tell that he wasn't well. I could tell that. But Vanderlei Silva is a warrior man. He's not gonna not fight, so you know? He'll just live to fight another day. And Dan Henderson came out ready man. Dan was ready. Dan wanted that fight, he told me he wanted it and I tried to help him get that fight. He got it and he took full advantage of it. So, kudos to Dan.
MMANews.com: Absolutely. First multiple-division champion in a big organization like that.
Jerry Millen: Yeah [laughs].
MMANews.com: Now...[laughs], go ahead and talk about Dana White. You guys are always tight.
Jerry Millen: Oh, there's nothing to say about ...I mean Dana White, I mean, honestly he's the president of a great MMA company, you know? I think he's childesh and I think sometimes he acts like a bitch. Umm, I don't think he's well educated, you know? But what do you expect from a guy who used to be a bell boy and an aerobics instructor? My thing with him is, you know, he wants to talk about me, but he has nothing to say. He has, I mean ...I'd love to debate Dana White all day.
MMANews.com: Now he recently was just on Sirius Satellite and he said something about you not having a job soon.
Jerry Millen: Yeah [laughs]. You know normally I wouldn't even talk about him because it's just so stupid. I mean, if you wanna talk about Dana White, he was on my friend Ferrell on Howard 101. I've been friends with Ferrell for twelve years and he was on that radio show and he said a lot of things that showed how childesh he was. And Dana White now thinks he's a rock star and it's not about that. Dana signs autographs and has bodyguards. It's not about Dana White. It's not about a television show. It's about the fighters. That's what this sport is about. When it comes down to it - it's about the fighters. Dana White did not put MMA where it is today, he didn't put UFC where it is today. The fighters put MMA and UFC and PRIDE where it is today. So, he wants to be a rock star - he was an aerobics instructor five years ago. He's got a little bit of fame now, you know? He's got a little bit of money and he's the nerd that you knew in high school that like, you know, invented the white out and now he's got some money and he's trying to play the role of the rock star. And that's cool, you know? More power to him. But if he ever wants to sit down and debate with me about the fight game, I'd love to. Because he's the one that doesn't make the fights happen that the fans wants to see and if you watch him in his interviews, he even says "oh, I can't believe they had Dan Henderson fight Vanderlei Silva, they don't protect their champions." Man, PRIDE lets the fighters fight. That's what we're here for. We're here to find out who is the world's best fighter in each weight division. We don't protect anybody because we're here to fight. This isn't the playground this is the fight, and he admitted that he protects his fighters. So he protects them - why? Why do you think Dana White protects his fighters?
MMANews.com: I don't know. I wouldn't say he "protects" his fighters, I mean he...
Jerry Millen: ...he does that. If you go back to the interview that's what he says. He says "you gotta protect your champions. PRIDE doesn't protect their champions." So, when he says PRIDE doesn't protect their champions, what is he saying?
MMANews.com: I don't know but from what I see, their guys that for the most part get the title shots - deserve to get the title shots. I did say for the most part. There are times when...
Jerry Millen: ...ok, tell me. In the UFC. In the UFC, who would you like to see Chuck Liddell fight next - Tito Ortiz for the fifth, seventh, eighteenth time? I mean, who?
MMANews.com: Well Rampage is coming up. He's [Chuck Liddell] worked on his division man. There's not much left for him.
Jerry Millen: But I mean, two or three fights and he's talking about Tommy Morrison? Who wants to see that? I mean, who wants to see Chuck fight Tommy Morrison?
MMANews.com: I think that was Chuck that actually said that. I don't think he was being serious because...
Jerry Millen: ...well the rumors are out there. I'm just saying, you know? I mean, Dana he protects the champions and that's why they don't want Vanderlei Silva to fight Chuck Liddell because they wanna protect themselves. And you know what? Chuck Liddell is a friend of mine. Chuck Liddell is a personal friend of mine. Chuck is a great guy and a great fighter, and I know Chuck Liddell wants that fight. He wanted that fight with Vanderlei Silva - bad.
MMANews.com: Oh yeah, definitely.
Jerry Millen: Very bad. Dana White doesn't want it - why? Because he doesn't want to take a chance. Win or lose, he doesn't want to expose the American public to a better product, which is PRIDE. I mean, come on man - ask any true, hardcore MMA fan which is a better product. And I'm not saying that because I work for the company. PRIDE is just a better product. It is. It's a better product hands down.
MMANews.com: Now they both have their...
Jerry Millen: ...you know, we're willing. We're willing to take any of their guys, give them some guys - we'll give them some champions. We'll have Fedor [Emelianenko] fight anybody.
MMANews.com: Now you guys made it clear about the best on best in a big pay-per view spectacular, but...
Jerry Millen: ...yeah, Dana won't do it. Dana is the kid that you went to school with. He was the bully on the playground that would talk shit and then run. Oh yeah! Isn't it convenient that after the fight he says, "they just blew the biggest PPV that we could have ever had. I wanted Chuck to fight Vanderlei." That's so convenient to say after the fight is over. But for like the past six months all he was saying was, I don't know if you heard the interview - him and I on Sirius Satellite radio a couple of months ago, six-months back.
MMANews.com: No, I just read a couple tidbits from it.
Jerry Millen: Yeah, there's no ...he never gives you an answer. First it was because [Mirko] CroCop beat Vanderlei. What does that have to do with anything? You already said you were gonna fight us if Chuck beat [Renato] Babalu. Then he said Vanderlei doesn't deserve it and the fight wouldn't happen. I tried to set up a meeting with Dana White, myself, Chuck Liddell and Sakikibara. Dana wouldn't take it because Chuck wanted to know why the fight wasn't happening. Dana doesn't want it to happen, but people need to understand is I do what I do, because I love this sport, ok? I don't need a mansion and a yacht. Dana White has two houses now. I don't need that. I don't need a big Escalade with spinners - that's not what I'm here for. I truly love this sport, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I don't do things I don't care about. I love the sport. I know the guys, I've been with these fighters for five years. Their camps, I've been with them and there's a lot of great guys in this sport that are trying to make a living and this sport needs to go to the next level and that's what I want to do. I want to help take this sport to the next level. Dana White wants to make money.
MMANews.com: I think Dana's main thing is it'd be helping PRIDE get exposure. I can't speak for Dana, it's just my opinion but I think he thinks it'd be helping PRIDE get exposure throughout the whole thing, all the while the UFC...
Jerry Millen: ...ok, but if you wanna say you got the best fighters in the world man...
MMANews.com: ...I agree.
Jerry Millen: You either put up or shut up, am I right or wrong? I mean either don't talk about the other organization at all - don't say anything about them. But don't say you have the best fighters if people truly know that there are others fighters out there that are just as good or better than yours, and they call you out. Because see, Dana White doesn't like to be called out. I'm calling out Dana White right now man. Bring some UFC fighters, you know? Bring 'em. You know you want one of our top guys, let's do this, but he won't do it. And he'll say, "oh the Japanese don't want it to happen. They this, they that." Dana White is full of shit. Point blank. Dana White is full of shit.
MMANews.com: Now real quick, you actually didn't wanna talk about this, but a lot of the fans wanted to know - Bas [Rutten], Stephen [Quadros] and Mauro [Ranallo], they all pointed the finger at you of why they left [PRIDE]
Jerry Millen: [laughs]
MMANews.com: What's that all about?
(Source)
It's been reported in multiple outlets that Tito Ortiz will fight Keith Jardine at UFC 71 in May. I believe Tito may have even confirmed the bout himself. However, while interviewing Dana White for CBS Sportsline yesterday Dana indicated Tito's opponent at UFC 71 will be Rashad Evans so I'm not so sure he'll be fighting Jardine.
Look for my exclusive interview with Dana to appear on Sportsline in the next couple of days.
(Source)
ICON Sport has announced the complete card for ICON Sport: "Epic". Schedualed for March 31st 2007.
Fight Card
Frank Trigg vs Robbie Lawler - Icon Sport Middleweight Title
Jason Miller vs Hector Urbina
Renato Verissimo vs Lars Haven
Po’ai Suganuma vs Nathan Carey
Marshall Harvest vs Justin Bucholz
Kala Kolohe Hose vs Ron Verdadero
Kimo Woelfel vs Dereck Keasley
PJ Dean vs Derek Stadler
Thomas Ferguson vs Carvin Mafatau
Devon Damo vs Dwayne Haney
Jay Bolos vs Ryan Lee
Isaiah Cobb-Adams vs Vinny Delos Santos
(Source)
By Ben Fowlkes
Frank Shamrock did everything he could to downplay the significance of his team's International Fight League loss to his brother's Nevada Lions. While Ken Shamrock freely admitted how much the contest meant to him, Frank, the younger of the two adopted siblings, tried to shrug it off.
"Who cares?" he said in the ring after the loss, flashing his Hollywood smile and effecting the nonchalant swagger he seems to have perfected in recent years.
But in the weeks that followed, Shamrock answered his own question. A wave of roster cuts thinned the herd, and a highly publicized open tryout drew the interest of some established fighters.
Now the San Jose Razorclaws -- who looked outmatched in almost every way back in January -- have a roster of dedicated, experienced fighters heading into their March 17 match against the Anacondas in Los Angeles.
The Claw-master: Frank Shamrock has restocked his IFL team. (IFL)
The Claw-master: Frank Shamrock has restocked his IFL team. (IFL)
Who cares? Frank Shamrock does, whether he'll admit it or not. Hopefully for his team, the change of attitude and personnel isn't too little, too late.
Of the fighters who were starters for the Razorclaws in January, only lightweight Josh Odom (4-2) and middleweight Brian Foster (8-10) remain, with lightweight Clint Coronel still in his alternate spot.
Shamrock opted to drop heavyweight Vince Lucero almost immediately after his dismal performance against the Lions' Roy Nelson.
"He sucks," said the always-blunt Shamrock on his decision to replace Lucero. "He's just too old and set in his ways. It wasn't a good fit."
In his place, the Razorclaws have secured former The Ultimate Fighter TV standout and 6-foot-8 juggernaut Dan Christison (8-4), from the famed Greg Jackson Submission Academy in New Mexico.
Christison is a vast improvement on Lucero, without question, but he hasn't fought since July when he was submitted by Frank Mir at UFC 61. He won't get much of a chance to ease his way back into competition; he's scheduled to take on ever-improving Anacondas heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski.
Though Soszynski will provide a tough test for Christison, what really has fans excited is the prospect of seeing him in a rematch against the Silverbacks' Ben Rothwell, who Christison defeated via submission two years ago.
Rothwell is undefeated in the IFL, but Christison is no ordinary heavyweight. His sheer size and bulk aside, he has legitimate skills and surprising athleticism for a big man. If the Razorclaws are going to salvage their season, they'll need him to be a consistent performer throughout 2007.
Other additions to the lineup include light heavyweight Brian Ebersole (27-12). Ebersole was recently suspended indefinitely by the California State Athletic Commission after they accused him of "working" his bout with Shannon Ritch in 2006, a charge Ebersole vehemently denied.
He must have made some valid points to the CSAC, because Ebersole is once again licensed to fight in California, which is good news for the Razorclaws. With nearly 40 fights to his credit, Ebersole brings the kind of experience that the team has lacked. Shamrock likely hopes Ebersole can be a positive influence in the gym, as well as a tough competitor in the ring.
But roster improvements aside, the Razorclaws still have a difficult task ahead.
Bas Rutten's L.A. Anacondas were the talk of the league when they stunned the Silverbacks in Houston. They seem to have jelled as a team, something the Razorclaws can't say for their newly reformed lineup.
To say that the Los Angeles event is a must-win for the Razorclaws is something of an understatement. A loss against the Anacondas would make them the league's only 0-2 team, and who knows what Frank Shamrock might do then.
One thing is for sure: if the Razorclaws don't get the win in L.A., Shamrock will find it a lot harder to shrug this one off.
(Source)
By Elias Cepeda
His music hit the arena air waves, his image went up onto the big over head screens, and as he made his way to the cage door and into the Octagon, the Columbus, Ohio crowd’s ovation built into a crescendo that erupted upon his formal introduction by name by UFC announcer Bruce Buffer. Sitting there, live in the arena, it was the loudest this writer had ever heard a fight audience get, period.
And guess what, I’m not talking about Randy Couture’s entrance later that night either. Hours before Couture’s successful return to action whipped the Columbus crowd into a frenzy, on the last fight on the prelim under card, Matt Hamill brought out something wonderful in the over 19,000 UFC fans in attendance March 3rd at UFC 68.
Hamill, who is deaf, was a former division III NCAA wrestler, made the third season of the UFC’s reality show fighting competition, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and was one of the favorites to win the 205-lb portion of the contest before being forced out by an injury. Just as he didn’t let being deaf stop him from becoming an elite amateur athlete, Hamill overcame that injury and fought and won on the season three finale in June of 2006.
Despite only having months of MMA training this supposedly “disabled” man impressed top UFC light heavyweight and TUF season three coach Tito Ortiz with his raw talent and physical strength, and he had inspired the millions who had watched him on the reality show.
Its true that exposure through a national cable television network show can help a fighter’s profile among fans, so can the types of perseverance, strength of character and sincerity that Hamill had shown. So as Hamill made his walk to the UFC cage for his first pay per view fight last Saturday night the fans were ready to give back.
Hamill had shown them that he didn’t believe anything was impossible. Not wrestling though deaf, not fighting for the UFC with no MMA experience, not overcoming career threatening injuries, nothing. And with anything being possible, the sell-out Nationwide Arena crowd wanted to make Matt Hamill “hear” them.
By the time Hamill had entered the Octagon to fight fellow Ohioan Rex Holman he had a full standing ovation from the largest North American MMA crowd in history, with all of them whooping, cheering, clapping, stomping, whatever it took to let him know exactly how much he had spoken to them through his life’s example.
And it worked. During the post event press conference, after he had beaten Holman by TKO in the first round, Hamill said that it was “the first time I felt the vibrations from a crowd”. During his in-ring post-fight comments Hamill was nearly overcome with emotion.
“I’m so thrilled to be here with all my family my friends and fans. I’m so motivated! Matt ‘The Hammer’ Hamill will be here for a long, long time! Whoo!”
Hamill is straightforward about where he is in his development as a fighter. Also during his post-fight comments the former wrestler said that he had been “focusing on…striking and boxing” and is “so far very happy” with his progress. He should be. Most people with the amount of MMA training he’s had are not yet ready to fight at the UFC level. But like always, Hamill has some how managed to make good anyway.
Hamill was still excited after the fight and post presser when InsideFighting spoke with him briefly to congratulate him on his win. Echoing Randy Couture’s earlier posed rhetorical question of “Not bad for an old man huh?” the charismatic Hamill had his own in reverse.
“Not bad for a year and a half huh?” Hamill asked.
A year and a half of training, three UFC wins and a special place in the hearts of fans. No Matt, not bad at all.
(Source)
By Lee Whitehead
It appears that MMA is well and truly on the upswing in the UK and UFC madness is taking over… You literally can’t move anywhere in the UK at the moment without seeing UFC due to extensive advertising posters on the bus shelters proudly announcing their UK show in Manchester on the 21st of April.
The figures themselves define how serious the UFC is in attaining its goal of a sellout crowd at the MEN at 13,700 tickets. At the moment it is near impossible to secure the cheap seats and anything less than £100 tickets is becoming an issue for many people. With regards to spending budget, we're talking a cool £1,000,000 on billboard advertising spent alone… they are literally throwing money at the event and everyone is talking about it! From the rumblings I have heard, the UFC is considering expanding to the full MEN capacity of 18,000.
The UFC 70 card looks pretty good so far with a clear bias towards the heavyweights with guys like Assuerio Silva, Gabriel Gonzaga, Andre Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum and of course the Croatian Soldier Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. I think they could have done with more British guys on the card in addition to Bisping (obvious), Jess Llaudin (great matchup vs. Denis Silver) and Terry Etim vs. Matt Grice. I look forward to seeing the remainder of the card take shape over the coming weeks.
I have to say that the UFC has played a masterstroke in dealing with the press (or lack of dealings) as they have made us all salivate and clambour for information. They have appointed UK PR agents and are really in full swing at the moment. I think that those who think the UFC won’t have staying power in the UK will be crying into their pints pretty soon!
So what of the rest of the UK MMA scene? Its alive and well actually, with a host of good shows coming up. The first of which will be FX3 this Saturday with main-card level fighters such as FX3 and Cage Rage Welterweight Champ Paul “Semtex” Daley and Daniel Weichel going head-to head on the main card, as well as the always exciting Andre Winner, Alex Owen, Nigel Whitear, Jason Barrett to name a few. The FX3 boys have had a rough time keeping the card in one piece due to three pullouts from Storm-Gym, First Roman Webber (due to contract signing against Epstein), Amir Subasic (food poisoning and a broken hand) and finally Andrew Tate (injury). Shame about Subasic because he was scheduled to face Ze Marcello, BTT UK head-honcho… of the three quashed fights only one continues with Azran Quasad stepping up on 3 days notice to replace Tate.
Without stopping, we whiz through to the Angrrr Management/Wired card featuring Mark Goddard, Danny Batten, Matt Ewin, Paul Jenkins and Ross Mason. Angrrr Management still has a good card with solid matches on it, you can see that the smaller established shows are really working well with the talent pool available and this is no exception, though why Batten is fighting on all the shows except Cage Rage against Pickett or Remedios remains a mystery to me.
Then we have the big one, or two, on April 21st, this is a bad day for UK MMA fans with Cage Rage 21 and UFC 70 going head to head. Cage Rage are really responding to the threat of the UFC by signing Bob Sapp (unfortunately miss-matched against Buzz Berry), Vitor Belfort who faces heavy handed 5-0 Italian wrestler Ivan Serati, Cyborg against cage absentee James Zikic, Matsui vs. Weir and Epstein vs. Roman Webber. Late changes to the card have seen the rematch between Pokem and Reid split and become Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Tom Watson and Reid vs Murilo “Ninja” Rua. A surprise addition to the card is Abdul Mohammed stepping up to Welterweight to face Ross Pointon. Yes, you read it right, Ross is out of the UFC and back in the UK rebuilding his career under the guidance of Warrior Promotions.
I have a funny feeling we will be seeing a lot of Ross in the coming months on the UK scene. He is 1-8 in his last 9 fights, a statistic that doesn’t really speak wonders for his warrior spirit and I think that with the right guidance the team behind Warrior Promotions will be smart enough to rebuild his career and make sure he takes the sensible fights. Although the fight against Abdul Mohammed is a good step in the right direction, it’s a tough fight, his signing is a two fight deal with the second part coming in June against Dean Bray.
To top all of this, Cage Rage has scored a march by landing a free live to air UK TV deal with Sky Sports 3 whereas the UFC are going down the PPV route with Setanta Sports. From a fan level you’re left with the conundrum of which show to go to… UFC up in Manchester or Cage Rage in London, I actually know a very well respected member of the UK MMA scene who is considering ordering the UFC PPV and watching SKY TV at home with a box of popcorn to see it all unfold… you know who you are!
Mind you, Cage Rage and the UFC will likely be going hammer on tongs before then as the UFC is slapping a law-suit on Cage Rage for their use of the term “Ultimate Fighting.” We shall see how this one resolves as many organizations within the UK use this term to define the sport of MMA.
And so onto Cage Warriors, no they haven’t been forgotten or disappeared. Of all the promotions in the UK, Cage Warriors have had the rough end of the deal of late with idiots in local councils booking their events then canceling after the wheels are in motion because they didn’t know that a “combat event” was. Well, “combat events” obviously don’t include the kickboxing events they used to have at the same places… muppets! Anyway, they are working hard on the April 28th “Enter the Rough House” show in Nottingham. The bill looks good with guys such as Ian Butlin, Gregory Bouchelaghem and Jimmy Wallhead highlighting a night of solid match-making. My only sadness is that it appears Dan Hardy won’t be on the bill.
If you can’t get to the UK to see our boys perform, why not tune into PRIDE in May where you will see UK veteran and our very own Turkish Wolverine Sami Berik lock horns with Hayato Mach Sakurai – originally promised Gomi, he will have to settle with Sakurai who, in my opinion, is a harder fight style-wise.
So, if all this activity didn’t float your boat, you could always go to 10K Challenge on March 11th to see Jeff Monson, Braulio, Lagarto, Ze Marcello, and Mario “Sukata” Neto roll around on the floor in devastating submission wrestling style. (ahem, Jeff to bag it in my opinion!)
Card Summaries:
UFC 70
Mirko ‘Crocop’ Filipovic vs Gabriel Gonzaga
Assuerio Silva vs Cheich Congo
Andre Arlovski vs Fabricio Werdum
Michael Bisping vs Elvis Sinosic
Terry Etim vs Matt Grice
Jess Llaudin vs Denis Silver
Alessio Sakara vs. Victor Valimaki
Ryoto Machida vs. Forrest Griffin
Cage Rage 21
Bob Sapp vs Buzz Berry
Vitor Belfort vs Ivan Serati
Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua vs Alex Reid
Ross Pointon vs Abdul Mohammed
Cyborg vs James Zikic
Brad Picket vs Alex Owen
Daijiro Matsui vs Mark Weir
Mark Epstein vs Roman Webber
Paul Daley vs Paul Kelly
Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs Pierre Guillet
Cyrille Diabate vs Ryan Robinson
James Nicholl vs Matt Ewin
20 Fighters - 6 Countries - 1 World Champion
DALLAS, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 08, 2007 -- SUN Sports & Entertainment Inc. (PINKSHEETS: SSPE), www.sunorganization.com, announced today the lineup of its "Art of War" -- Undisputed World Championship MMA Fight in Dallas, TX for March 9th, 2007 at the American Airlines Center.
MAINE EVENT - WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
PEDRO RIZZO VS. JUSTIN EILERS
CARLO PRATER VS. ANTHONY LAPSLEY
ALEX ANDRADE VS. KLAS AKESSON
JASON MAXWELL VS. YUKI INOUE
DAMIEN STELLY VS. MIKE SHEPPARD
ERIC SCHAMBARI VS. CHRISTIAN SMITH
ANTHONY NJOKUANI VS. KENNETH ROSFORT
JUSTIN WREN VS. JUSTIN HOWARD
SONNY NEILSON VS. ARMONDO VALADEZ
BRIAN RUSSEL VS TOM EAST
This line up by many MMA professionals and fans is considered to be an excellent match up "pound4pound" look at some of the toughest and most gifted athletes in the world. MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) stems from the combination of Boxing, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu, and Judo to become the Big Five in terms of martial arts in which to cross train.
About SUN:
SUN is a Professional Sports & Entertainment Marketing Company. SUN Production Group is a Certified Texas Combat Sports Promoter and produces World Class Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. The properties of SUN (www.sunorganization.com), Art of War (www.artofwarlive.com) and International Fighters Association (www.ifapro.com) are pending trademarks.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains certain "forward-looking" statements, involving risks and uncertainties, which are covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Sun Organization Inc. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to or implied by such statements. In addition, actual or future results may differ materially from those anticipated depending on a variety of factors, including continued maintenance of favorable license arrangements, success of market research identifying new product opportunities, successful introduction of new products, continued product innovation, sales and earnings growth, ability to attract and retain key personnel, and general economic conditions affecting consumer spending, Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Sun Organization Inc. do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law.
Safe Harbor: This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approvals for anticipated actions.
Contact:
CJ Comu
Chairman/CEO
SUN Sports & Entertainment Inc.
15851 Dallas Parkway, Suite 225
Addison, TX, 75001 USA
Tel: 972.392.1414 EXT 114
Fax: 972.392.1429
cj@sunorganization.com
www.sunorganization.com
SOURCE: SUN Sports & Entertainment Inc.
