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Friday - June 1, 2001 |
By Eduardo Alonso Despite talk that Chute Boxe's Anderson Silva would face Ruas Vale Tudo member, and Pedro Rizzo's student, Alexandre "Baixinho" Barros in the next MECA event, this fight isn't going to happen anymore. "Baixinho" won't be able to make the fight because he was knocked out during his training last week, and now Ruas Vale Tudo Team has offered a replacement for him. Israel Aubuquerque, another rising fighter from RVT will now be facing Chute Boxe's sensation Aderson Silva in what will surely be an exciting fight. FCF was told that Anderson is training harder than ever, and isn't taking Israel lightly. FCF will be there on June 9th to bring you coverage of not only this exciting fight, but of a great night of fights. By Eduardo Alonso
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Saturday - June 2, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: Action-packed, "no-holds-barred" competition Saturday, June 23, 2001 7:00pm Soboba Casino San Jacinto, California KING OF THE CAGE---BACK IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA! Hosted by Eddie Bravo and emceed by "The Voice of the Octagon" Bruce Buffer, "King of the Cage 9" attacks with a fury, presenting yet another incredible fight card in a line of now legendary King of the Cage fight cards. Already renowned for bringing the best domestic and international mixed martial arts competitors into the cage, "King of the Cage" returns to the Soboba Casino to pack the house and show Southern California what mixed martial arts is all about. See 13 total matches including Erik Pele of John Lewis Jiu Jitsu facing Sean Alvarez of Renzo Gracie's Academy...Tim Catalfo of Obake Gym taking on Dave Beneteau, representing Don Frye...Tony Galindo of the Lion's Den versus Reggie Cardiel of Pop's House of Pain in a rematch of a highly contested draw in KOTC 7...and much more... Also scheduled on the card---Pride veteran Shannon "The Cannon" Ritch, the comeback of Jiu Jitsu specialist Javier "Mr. Showtime" Vazquez, KOTC fan-favorite Mike "Rhino" Bourke, stud fighter Brian Foster, Betiss "Super" Mansouri of Combat Grappling, multi-talented Amir Rahnavardi, and Charlie Kohler of the Kampher Club. The originator of the 5-minute round and the best in mixed martial arts competition.
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From the event's promoters Maurice Smith & Kirk Jensen: Will take place tonight June 2nd, at 8:00pm MAIN EVENT - 4 rounds Kickboxing Tristan Wit 4-3-0 (Maurice Smith Kickboxing) VS Jacob Mapes 6-0-0 (Twin Tigers Kickboxing) SEMI MAIN EVENT - Muay Thai John Polakowki (MSK) VS Rick Neeley (Yelm Kickboxing and Muay Thai) Tag Team Submission fight - two 5-minute rounds Team Maurice Smith - Bob Gilstrap, Pat Hawk, Lonnie Canida VS Team AMC - Jeff Monson, Ivan Salavary, Chris Monson KICKBOXING Sonny Ear (MSK) VS Nick Bardoni (Muay Thai Northwest) PANKRATION Zack Mukai (MSK) VS Alan itkin (AMC) Female Kickboxing Deannie Williams (MSK) VS Sara Finneseth (AMC) PANKRATION Jeff Medly (MSK) VS JAson Brosner (Canada) Kickboxing Ryan Aquino (MSK) vs Brad Blackbury (AMC) Kickboxing Greg Atruin (Muay Thai N.W.) vs Joey Guel (AMC) FIGHT LOCATION: MAURICE SMITH KICKBOXING CENTER 2620 - BELLEVUE WAY N.E. BELLEVUE, WA. 98004 TICKETS: $25.00 VIP Ringside - $20.00 General admission FOR FURTHER INFORAMTION CALL (425) 576-5300 |
From the event's promoter Christopher Cordeiro: World Featherweight Title (140-149lbs) Below are the fight results and details From Battlejax last Saturday May 26th in Jacksonville Florida:
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Sunday - June 3, 2001 |
What's on your mind? This month we want to give you the opportunity to express yourself. Let the world read what you have to say. Write about any thing that has to do with MMA/NHB -- future or present. Are you disgusted as we are about the recent incident with fight photographer Susumu Nagao at Pride 14? [See post below dated 5/27] Are you excited about the potential growth the sport is expected to undergo in the coming months? Are you angry with the criticisms and smear jobs made by uninformed and biased news media? Let's hear your thoughts. It's your call, your thoughts, your message...let the world hear your voice! Some of the commentary we receive will appear in the June 2001 issue of FCF |
From the event's promoter: FIGHT NIGHT 14 June 23, 2001 at South Plainfield Middle School In South Plainfield, New Jersey Come join us for an action-packed night of fights June 23rd - Seating begins at 5pm, fights begin at 6pm South Plainfield Middle School 2201 Plainfiled Avenue South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080 For more information call 908-352-0622 or visit http://members.aol.com/shootfyter Full Contact Fighter will be on hand with a great selection of their latest gear and videos. |
From the event's promoter: Weekend Warriors Challenge 5 June 2, 2001 - Stars MMA Training Center Broomfield, Colorado Open weight Champion: Ryan Whiting (285lbs) [pictured] Vice-Champion: Jason Reading (165lbs) Semi-Finalist: Tyrone Lynch (185lbs) This weekend's championship bout was a David and Goliath match between finalist Ryan Whiting (285lbs) and defending WWC 4 Champion Jason "Gumby" Reading (165lbs). Reading made a valiant effort against the huge Whiting, but was forced to submit after sustaining a rib injury (1min, 24 sec.). |
Monday - June 4, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: Showdown In The Meadowlands Lineup UFC 32 Friday, June 29, 2001 Continental Airlines Arena East Rutherford, New Jersey WELTERWEIGHT PRELIM Paul Rodriguez Vs. Tony DeSouza HEAVYWEIGHT PRELIM Andrei Orlovski Vs. Ricco Rodriguez MIDDLEWEIGHT PRELIM Eugene Jackson Vs. Phil Baroni MAIN CARD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT Vladimir Matyushenko Vs. Yuki Kondo LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT Kaoru Uno Vs. Fabiano Iha WELTERWEIGHT BOUT Pat Miletich Vs. Shonie Carter HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT Semmy Schilt Vs. Josh Barnett LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT BJ Penn Vs. Din Thomas LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Tito Ortiz Vs. Elvis Sinosic |
By Eduardo Alonso Rudimar Fedrigo, Chute Boxe's coach and MECA Vale Tudo organizer, isn't only working on helping the growth of the sport of MMA in Brazil, but he is also working hard to promote Muay Thai there as well. That's why he created the Storm Muay Thai World, a huge Muay Thai event that takes place in Curitiba, Brazil, and pulls in some of Brazil's biggest Muay Thai names. The first edition of Storm was held on May 13th, and was a huge success. A sell out crowd, even bigger than most Shooto events, witnessed a great night of Muay Thai action, with many Brazilian fighting celebrities on hand, such as Vanderlei Silva and Pele Landi, Chute Boxe's main stars, who worked as referees for the event. The crowd went crazy with exciting fights, and plenty of knockouts. In the most important fight of the event, Chute Boxe's rising star Anderson Silva knocked out MMA fighter Luiz Azeredo with a huge kick to the head that got the crowd on their feet. The event was such a huge success that the next one is already scheduled for this month. June 30th there'll be a new edition of the brand new Storm Muay Thai World, and this time Rudimar Fedrigo told FCF that it'll be a tournament for fighters who weigh 80kg or less (around 175 lbs or less). To win the tournament, a fighter will have to win three fights in one night! This event promises to be the biggest Muay Thai event ever in Brazil, and FCF wishes the best of luck for the new event, and bring on the fights! from Storm's inaugural show in the upcoming issue. |
Tuesday - June 5, 2001 |
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From John Petrilli (RITC Writer/Statistician): Date: Friday June 22, 2001 Time: Doors Open: 6:00 PM, Fight Time: 8:00 PM Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona RITC moves to Friday this month !!! The fight card for RITC XXIX is currently being developed. It is anticipated that the following fighters will compete in the BIG show: Jimmy Ambriz (307 lbs), Kauai Kupihea (260 lbs), Bill Parker (260 lbs) and Justin Lyon (370 lbs). Also on the card will be Homer "Rock" Moore, Allan "A-Dawg" Sullivan and Edwin "Babyface" Dewees. Ringside tickets: $35 General Admission tickets: $25 (the day of the event) General Admission tickets: $20 (if purchased prior to June 22) Fight Card subject to change. Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For any additional information please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com |
Thursday - June 7, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Sean Sherk continued his dominance in MMA competition Saturday with a convincing TKO victory over Jason Purcell at the Ultimate Minnesota event. Sherk, a UFC veteran with a 17-0 record, got a takedown only seconds into the bout and landed powerful strikes to Purcell's face from inside the guard. Referee Brad Kohler (also a UFC vet) halted the attack at the 1:42 mark as Purcell suffered a badly broken nose. On the horizon for Sherk is an appearance in Pancrase next month. In other bouts, Joe Doerksen of Winnepeg, Manitoba, claimed his 10th straight victory, catching a game Brett Al-Azzawi in a key lock at the 2:58 mark. Al-Azzawi had dropped Doerksen with a kick to the head, but the Canadian managed to gain top position and worked for the submission. Big Tim Sylvia improved to 4-0 with a triumph over local favorite Greg Wikan. The 6-foot-8 Sylvia, who trains out of the Miletich Martial Arts Center, had some good exchanges with Wikan during the round. However, at the end of the first round, it was learned Wikan suffered injured ribs and could not continue. In a very exciting bout, Tim Callahan of Minneapolis made his pro debut a success by locking out an arm-bar on Jake Hutson with 14 seconds left in the second round to end a very even bout. Complete results Amateur bouts Professional bouts |
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From the event's promoter: ALL-NEW ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP Presents UFC 32: Showdown In The Meadowlands UFC World Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz vs. World Light Heavyweight Contender Elvis Sinosic Friday, June 29, 2001, At 9 PM ET/6 PM PT From Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey LAS VEGAS (June 1, 2001) - The all-new Ultimate Fighting Championship is set for UFC 32: Showdown In The Meadowlands, featuring UFC World Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz making his first title defense against highly-regarded Elvis Sinosic on Friday, June 29, 2001, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. Eight special attractions will round out the nine-bout card. Showdown In The Meadowlands will be broadcast live on DirecTV pay per view, Dish On Demand, Bell ExpressVU, Viewers Choice Canada, as well as select cable outlets, including Cox Cable in Las Vegas. The suggested retail price for the UFC event is $29.95. Highlighting the undercard will be a light heavyweight bout featuring Japanese sensation Yuki Kondo (1-1), of Tokyo against Vladimir Matyushenko (UFC Debut) of Los Angeles, as well as two welterweight showdowns pitting former UFC world middleweight champion Pat Miletich (7-1), of Bettendorf, Iowa, against unbeaten Shonie Carter (3-0), of Chicago, and Tony DeSouza (1-0) of Las Vegas, Nev. battling UFC rookie Paul Rodriguez of Orlando, Fla. Also featured at Showdown In The Meadowlands will be two heavyweight battles pitting Josh Barnett (1-1), of Seattle, against undefeated Semmy Schilt (1-0), of Zuidlaren, Holland, and Andrei Arlovski of Minsk, Belarus, taking on Ricco Rodriguez of Phoenix, Ariz., in the UFC debuts for both. Completing the card will be a middleweight special attraction pitting Phil Baroni (1-0), of Long Island, N.Y., against Eugene Jackson (2-2), of East Palo Alto, Calif., as well as two lightweight bouts featuring Caol Uno (1-0), of Kanagawa, Japan, battling Fabiano Iha (3-2), of Huntington Beach, Calif., and B.J. Penn (1-0), of Wainaku, Hilo, Hawaii, against Din Thomas (UFC debut), of Orlando. Tito Ortiz is one of the UFC's most recognizable athletes. The 6'2", 200-pound "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" progressed through the ranks as a junior college wrestler and has overcome many obstacles, including getting hit by a bus while riding a moped on his honeymoon. A two-time California State wrestling champion in junior college, Ortiz got his first taste of the UFC thanks to his high school wrestling coach, Paul Herrera. Herrera introduced Ortiz to Tank Abbott, who needed a sparring partner. The rest is history. On April 14, 2000, in Tokyo, Japan, Ortiz faced the highly regarded Brazilian fighter, Vanderlei Silva, for the vacant UFC world middleweight championship. The UFC 25: Ultimate Fighting Japan 3 match featured several heated exchanges. Ortiz's takedown and ground control earned him a unanimous decision and the middleweight title after 25 minutes of intense action. In his most recent fight at UFC 30: The Battle On The Boardwalk on Feb. 23, 2001, Ortiz battled Evan Tanner at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J. The two combatants tied up immediately in the biggest fight of the evening. Ortiz got inside on Tanner, wrapped him up, elevated him and slammed him to the floor. The impact was enough to knock Tanner out, but Ortiz made sure his opponent was finished. He landed two solid punches to the head before referee Joe McCarthy flew in and stopped the fight just 30 seconds in. Ortiz remained the UFC middleweight champion. Tanner went from undefeated to unconscious. Following UFC 30, Ortiz became the UFC light heavyweight champion due to the institution of new weight divisions. Known as "The King of Rock 'n' Rumble," Sinosic's only UFC appearance came at UFC 30 against highly-ranked Miletich Martial Arts fighter Jeremy Horn. In an impressive display, Sinosic dispatched Horn quickly and forced his opponent to tap out at 2:59 of the first round due to armbar. "Horn is a great fighter," Sinosic said. "It was an honor to fight him. Beating him was a fantastic feeling." Sinosic says that fighting in the UFC is fulfilling a dream. "My motto is to live life each day, so one day you can live your dream. I am living my dream now." The Sydney, Australia, resident knows that the UFC is the pinnacle of the MMA and realizes the impact a championship can have on his career. "The UFC title is the MMA championship everyone wants. It has both the prestige and name fans and fighters respect." The UFC's Jeff Blatnick and Mike Goldberg will call the action from the Octagon. Blatnick, who has commentated NCAA and Olympic wrestling events since he won Olympic wrestling gold in the super heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, has been with the organization since UFC 4 in December 1994. Goldberg, whose primary occupation is television play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League, has been with UFC since Ultimate Japan in December 1997. Continental Airlines Arena will be hosting its first UFC event. Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $60, $30 and $15, can be purchased at TicketMaster.com, all TicketMaster outlets, or by calling 201-507-8900 (CALL-FOR-TIX). For more information, please visit the official UFC website at www.ufc.tv. The web site will web cast the press conference (June 28) and weigh-in (June 29) for UFC 32: "Showdown In The Meadowlands," on a delayed basis. |
Friday - June 8, 2001 |
By Eduardo Alonso Today I arrived here in Curitiba to cover the 5th edition of the MECA World Vale Tudo. The MECA official weigh-in and the rules conference were held today. A large number of Brazilian MMA stars were in attendance. Brazilian Top Team Members Allan Goes, and Murilo Bustamente are here to coach their students Marcelo "Bocão" and Fabio Mello. All the Chute Boxe guys such as Vanderlei Silva and Rafael Cordeiro are here, with the exception of Pelé, who couldn't attend to the conference because of personal problems. Roberto Leitão, from Ruas Vale Tudo, is also here, to coach his student Israel Albuquerque. The show promises to be great, and have some surprises. Long-time MMA Fighter and Brazilian Top Team member Amaury Bitetti will be the referee for the exciting night of fights. All the major MMA press from Brazil is here, and Jorge "Jóinha" Guimarães is no exception. The rules meeting went smoothly, and there were no complaints about it. The weigh-ins showed fighters in great shape and ready to battle. All the fighters are ready, and of course FCF had to be here to bring you extensive coverage of the biggest MMA event in Brazil. Here are the official weights for tomorrow's card:
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From DSE USA: Thursday, June. 7, 2001 From TOKYO, JAPAN Dream Stage Entertainment announces PRIDE 15 and 2 match-ups as follows: PRIDE 15 DATE: July 29, 2001 GATE OPEN 2:00 PM FIGHTS START 4:00 PM PLACE: Saitama Super Arena (Ohmiya, Saitama Pref., Japan) Announced Match-ups:
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Saturday - June 9, 2001 |
By Eduardo Alonso, Pictures by Eduardo Oliveira Things are very exciting here in Curitiba. All the fighters seem very well prepared and ready to do business. Murilo Bustamante and Allan Goes are very confident in the skills of their students, Fabio Mello and Marcelo Bocão. Murilo told FCF that both fighters are ready, and with very sharp skills, but this will be their MMA debut, so no one really knows how they'll react. The Ruas Vale Tudo team seems very tranquil and confident, and they can expect nothing but a very hard fight against current Chute Boxe sensation and hometown fighter, Anderson Silva. Anderson is soft spoken as always, and seems very relaxed before fight time. All the fighters are already in "fight-mode", and can't wait to get to the event. Another Chute Boxe rising star, Murilo Ninja is also more than ready. The "Axe Murderer", Vanderlei Silva, told FCF that Ninja is the real deal and he will make some noise later tonight. We will continue to bring more updates from MECA 5, straight from Curitiba, Brazil, so check back for the event's results right after the event! |
Sunday - June 10, 2001 |
MMA Gains Respect on the East Coast By Cal Cooper In what has been a banner year for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, Georgia has become the latest source for good news. On 4-26-01 Governor Roy Barnes signed into law a bill (HB 538) which, in part, makes provisions for legitimate, legally operated MMA events. Georgia has previously been a back-and-forth battleground state for the acceptance of the misunderstood sport, and in fact this bill as it was originally introduced would have banned MMA altogether. Fortunately, due to the efforts of MMA supporters in the state, legislators were contacted and changes were made to HB 538 which will allow legitimate events to proceed if they are sanctioned by the International Sport Combat Federation (ISCF), a mixed martial arts sanctioning body. ISCF is also a "sister organization" of the reputable kickboxing sanctioning body, International Kickboxing Federation (IKF). Effectively, this will allow Mixed Martial Arts promotions to operate in Georgia legally, as long as they are sanctioned or co-sanctioned with the ISCF. This is great news for Georgia and the entire sport of MMA. Georgia's war over MMA fighting dates back to UFC XIII, which was held in Augusta, Georgia in 1997. At that time a published Georgia Attorney General's Opinion took the position that "ultimate fighting" would fall under the state Boxing Commission's authority, though this was not expressly enumerated in Georgia law. When UFC's parent company SEG did not apply for a license from the state Boxing Commission to promote UFC XIII, the A.G.'s office tried to enjoin the event, and prevent it completely, just days before the broadcast was set to begin. Balancing the relative harm to the two parties and determining that it would be inequitable to stop the event, the Superior Court in Augusta ruled that the event could go forward as scheduled. That ruling let UFC XIII come off as promised, but the issue of whether the Georgia Boxing Commission could exert authority over MMA in the Peach State, was still unresolved. Click here to continue the article... |
By Eduardo Alonso The 5th edition of the MECA World Vale Tudo couldn't have been better. With a close to sell out crowd, and plenty of action, MECA 5 lived up to the hype. All the fights were exciting, with knockouts, submissions and ref. stoppages. It was an event designed to please the fighting fan, and it sure did. Chute Boxe rising star Anderson Silva once again showed why he is making a name for himself in Japan, with another solid win against Israel Albuquerque. Murilo Ninja and Assuério, also from Chute Boxe, showed that they know how to deal with tough situations, and fought back to win in great fashion. One of the biggest surprises of the night was Brazilian Top Team member Fabio Mello. Fabio showed a lot of composure for a newcomer, and won a very tough fight, doing a good job in both, the stand-up and the ground game. Overall it was a great event, with some exciting fights, and we will bring full coverage of MECA 5 in the July issue of FCF! Don't miss it! Here are the complete results from the event:
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Monday - June 11, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: Action-packed, "no-holds-barred" competition Saturday, June 23, 2001 7:00pm Soboba Casino San Jacinto, California KING OF THE CAGE 9 Card Update
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Tuesday - June 12, 2001 |
From John Petrilli (RITC Writer/Statistician): Date: Friday June 22, 2001 Time: Doors Open: 6:00 PM, Fight Time: 8:00 PM Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona RITC XXIX is heating up with fighters from all over the state of Arizona stepping up to compete on Friday evening June 22 at Celebrity Theatre. Todd Medina is once again bringing his Freestyle Fight Team to go head to head against the RITC best!!! The showdown Main Event will feature 6'3" 260 lbs Kauai Kupihea against 6'2" 307 lbs Jimmy Ambriz and in a Super Fight, that will rock the state, 6'3" 255 lbs Bill Parker will face Homer Moore. Arizona star David Harris will again enter the Octagon and popular Allan "A-Dawg" Sullivan will return to RITC after a four month absence. Advanced tickets, purchased prior to the day of the event, are discounted $5. Fight Card subject to change. Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For any additional information please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com |
Wednesday - June 13, 2001 |
Baroni/Jackson Cancelled Due to Injuries Due to injuries to both fighters, the Eugene Jackson (separated rib) Vs. Phil Baroni (separated shoulder) match has been cancelled. There will now be two preliminary fights and six main card fights at UFC 32 Showdown In The Meadowlands. Joe Silva Vice President of Talent Relations UFC/Zuffa |
From the event's promoter: Extreme Challenge 40 SPRINGFIELD, Ill -- Sometime this month, Matt Hughes is expecting to get word from Japanese officials at Pride that he will soon be competing in their mega-events. In the meantime, the UFC, WEF and RINGS veteran is staying in fighting shape, making sure he is ready to go when the call comes. On Saturday, Hughes will face Scott Bills in the feature bout at Extreme Challenge 40. "I'm not taking this fight lightly... at this level, you do that and you lose," Hughes said. "Bills is a tough guy... he's gone the distance with Sean Sherk and has fought some quality opponents. And he trains with great fighters. I expect a tough fight and have been training hard for it." Hughes, who is from nearby Hillsboro, Ill., trains out of the Miletich Martial Arts Center and at one time was considered by many to be the best 170-pound fighter in the world. Back-to-back losses to Dennis Hallman (UFC) and Pele Landi (Kuwait) have slowed his career some, but he is still ranked in the top 5 in most polls. Bills trains with Team Rival and works out with Din Thomas and Paul Rodriguez, two accomplished fighters who will be making their UFC debuts this month. Bills is no stranger to the Extreme Challenge and two years ago went the distance with Sherk (a UFC and KOTC vet with a 17-0 record) in EX 28 in Utah. Since the two losses, Hughes has put together five straight wins in other events, including RINGS USA, to bring his overall mark to 27-3. His resume includes wins over Dave Menne, LaVerne Clark, Chris Haseman, Alexander Barros, Marcello Aguilar, Jorge Perriera and Val Ignatov. Extreme Challenge 40 will be held at the Multi-Pupose Facility at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. Gates will open at 5 p.m. and the first bout will start at 6 p.m. Lineup:
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Thursday - June 14, 2001 |
Vanderlei Silva By Eduardo Alonso Originally published in the May 2001 issue of Full Contact Fighter March 25th, at the Saitama Super Arena. That night in Japan, Vanderlei Silva stunned the world with an impressive quick win over the Japanese sensation and Pride poster boy Kazushi Sakuraba. With merciless knees and punches, Vanderlei gave Sakuraba all he could handle for the first time in the Japanese hero's career. That wild and unforgettable fight will surely leave a mark on the mixed martial arts world forever, but more than that, it will give birth a new era for the fighting game-mainly a new style of fighting. At least that's what Vanderlei Silva expects. After his impressive win over Sakuraba, Vanderlei is now right at the top of the middleweight division, next to some great fighters like UFC champion Tito Ortiz. Things didn't come easily for Vanderlei; he has trained long and hard to get to this point in his career. Vanderlei started his career very early, and fought in all sorts of events, starting with his Muay Thai background, and continuing in small NHB events in Brazil. Knockouts was always part of Vanderlei's fighting style, since he was 13 years of age, when he got his first knockout in a local Muay Thai competition. From his NHB debut, at the Brazilian Vale Tudo Championships, going on through his IVC fights and culminating with his win at the last Pride, Vanderlei has come a long way in his career, and is now ready to go even further. With an already great fighting record that includes wins all over the world in events such as the UFC, Pride and the old Brazilian IVC events, Vanderlei doesn't pick opponents and he truly fears no one. In this long conversation, the "Axe murderer", as he is known in the USA, talks about all kinds of subjects, from his childhood to his fighting days at Pride, and of course his amazing win over Sakuraba. Learn now a bit more about this amazing fighter, who is not only aggressive and fearless, but also very soft-spoken and very kind to his fans. Ladies and Gentleman, FCF presents to you, Vanderlei Silva! FCF: You have been winning an ever-increasing number of fans in the USA. Do you believe that this is happening because of your aggressive style of fighting? VS: I think that this is what the people want to see, an action-packed fight, not just the usual ground fight, people want to see aggression on the ground too! And people enjoy the fights especially when there's a lot of trading, so I believe that the USA is a very big market, the American fans are very loyal, and I'm very happy that people are liking my work there too. FCF: People who know you well know that you are a family man, fans who have seen you at work in the ring might not have any indication this. Who do you live with nowadays? Are you single? Tell us a bit about yourself so the American public can get to know you a bit better. VS: I lived with a woman for a while, I have a 4-year-old daughter, Rafaela. I have some girlfriends here in Curitiba...It goes that way, because you know that fighters like woman a lot! I was married and I have one daughter. Nowadays I live with my Mom and Dad here, and even yesterday someone told me that I'm one person inside the ring, and a completely different person outside of it! I have lots of friends, and I'm a very friendly person. So if anybody that likes my work comes to talk to me, it'll be a pleasure for me to talk to him. I get very happy when somebody comes to talk to me, recognizes me. FCF: Everybody already knows you from your NHB fights, but in fact you started in Muay Thai. How did your interest in martial arts start? VS: I started training Muay Thai here in Curitiba. For a long time the Chute Boxe academy has a very strong academy here in Curitiba. It's been running for more than 25 years! So I'm the continuity of the work, the academy already had a lot of fighters. I'm standing out now because now there are better fights, better events. The martial arts evolved, and that's why I have been standing out more. One day I was just walking by the front of the academy, and I liked the academy's style, did a class, I liked it and since then I never practiced another sport, just Muay Thai. FCF: Were you an active kid in your childhood? Did you use to fight a lot? VS: No, not really. I always played with my friends, I had lots of friends, and I was always hanging out with my friends. Well, I was a bit chubby, I wasn't the main guy in our group of friends you know, [Laughs] but I was always with the group. I played soccer, sometimes I took some beatings [Laughs], but I learned how to deal with things alone; I was raised on my own, making my own decisions, I always decided the path that I should follow. FCF: Muay Thai is considered one of the most sacrificing martial arts in terms of training. Was it difficult to keep on training in the beginning? When did you really start to take Muay Thai seriously? VS: I never cared about taking punches and kicks you know, because this really happens. Sometimes I got a little scared, when I fought the more advanced people. That's normal isn't it? But I started to prepare, I started to fight inside the academy, I always prepared myself, I ran, I started to lift weights...it was a bit gradual, and suddenly I was already fighting in the Brazilian Championships, I was already fighting in the Inter-State championships, and I was obligated to train even more! Then I really started to take it seriously. Now is total dedication! |
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Friday - June 15, 2001 |
By Eduardo Alonso After some years off of the fight circuit, due to some knee problems, it seems that Brazilian MMA legend Marco Ruas will finally be back in the ring very soon! Roberto Leitão, Marco's training partner and Ruas Vale Tudo Team coach, talked briefly with FCF and shared some thoughts on Marco's comeback. According to him Ruas will be back sooner than most expected: "He already told me that he wants to come back this year. Of course, due to the birth of his daughter, this was postponed a bit, but he is ready to start training again. He has been training with some students in Los Angeles, and we're arranging some things to send a team there, to train for some time with him, and see how he'll react to some intense NHB training, and I know that very soon we will have some good news, with Marco Ruas' return to the ring!" So there you have it! We wish the very best for Marco Ruas and his newborn daughter. |
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Vanderlei Silva By Eduardo Alonso Originally published in the May 2001 issue of Full Contact Fighter FCF: At the IVC events you fought under the basic NHB rules. Most events modified their rules over the time, and now Pride is getting closer to the old NHB rules of the IVC. In your opinion, what is the future of the NHB rules? VS: I believe it is to get as closest of a real fight as possible. I think that this is what the hardcore NHB fan want to see. People say, "oh, but It's too violent" and stuff, but this is what the public wants to see! People wants to see trading, knees to the face; they want to see blood and that's why I don't care when I bleed, I believe that you have to take some bombs too, it's part of the show, It makes the fight exciting. I don't mind taking punches, I don't mind cutting my face, I believe the tendency is to become more real, to win an even bigger public. Whoever can't take it this way, just leave it. I'm here! I train everything! If I have to headbutt, I'll do it. If I have to kick the guy on the ground, I'll do it. I don't have mercy, I only stop when the referee tells me to do it or when the guy sleeps, then I stop! Otherwise not. FCF: After your fight in UFC Brazil, you fought again twice in the UFC, winning against Tony Petarra, and fighting for the title against Tito Ortiz in Japan. Is this fight still on your mind? Do you intend to fight Tito again in a rematch in the near future? VS: Of course. I believe that nowadays I'm another fighter; I'm training a lot more. I believe that what happened in that fight won't happen again. It was an ugly fight, a stalled fight. If all of a sudden he learned how to punch, how to kick, he would become an even better fighter. He is a good fighter, but people don't want to see that style of fighting anymore, because to take a guy down and keep pounding…we have to agree that the people have invested millions in an event, and for the guy to do that in the main event is really a shame. And with all that size that he has, he managed to hold me down, and he did a safe fight to win, you know? He didn't do a fight that the public wants to see. I think that if he accepted to trade punches with me, then I would respect him, I would think that he is man enough to trade punches with me. A guy who trades punches with me must be a real man, 'cause most of the guys don't have the guts to trade punches with me. And for a guy bigger than me, who has all that size, good at wrestling, to do that style of fighting…it's easy, you know? And anyway I took the fight till the end. I knocked him down, I was knocked down, and those were the highlights of the fight. I believe that if he really accepted to trade with me and didn't just keep holding me, we would have everything that it takes to make a great spectacle next time. FCF: Pride was really the event that made you famous. Your first fights in Pride attracted everybody's attention, with wins over Carl Malenko, Daijiro Matsui and Bob Schrijber. Was there any difficulty adapting to Pride in the beginning? VS: I think the only thing was that stuff of the guy being on all fours and you couldn't knee or kick him. But the rest was cool, I'm a clean fighter, I fight under the rules, and I try not to break the rules, 'cause the rules are there to be respected. I'm a professional athlete. I adapt myself to every type of rules, it doesn't matter the type. FCF: After your initial victories in Pride, your fights earned more attention from everybody, facing very famous names such as Guy Mezger and Gilbert Yvel. Do you consider your knockout over Guy Mezger as one of the most notable moments of your career? VS: Yeah, it was really a very nice knockout! I liked because it was on a trading, the guy really surprised me because he was a real man. He had the guts to trade with me. 'Cause my master told me, "Well, he will try to take you to the ground"...Because I train wrestling too, now it's much more difficult to take me down. But he is really an athlete, I take my hat off to him, he's a guy that I respect a lot. He really deserves a lot of credit; he got two knockouts after he fought me. And he had the guts to trade with me, he had the guts to accept the trading, and the result was that he could knock me out as well as be knocked out. The same way that I knocked him out, if he connected a good punch on me, he would have knocked me out too. So I think that this is what the public wants to see, if more athletes accepted this type of game-not only against me, but between them-if more guys accepted to do what he did with me, I think everybody would benefit from that, all the NHB fighters would benefit from that, I guess that NHB could easily reach the purses of boxing this way. FCF: Recently Mezger gave some interviews saying that he would like to face you again, now more prepared to your style of fighting and prepared for a war. Some people say that you headbutted him in the fight, which hindered him. What do you think about those statements, and do you intend to face him again in the future? VS: For sure! I'll fight him anytime that he wants, there's no problem. I'll fight with Sakuraba and with whoever they want me to fight again, I'll fight. I'll fight him, I'll fight with Tito, against Vitor, I'll fight anyone, there's no problem. I accept to fight without a problem, and if he thinks that it'll be a war, it'll really be a war! Every fight for me is a war; I get in there to kill! That's the way with me! If the guy makes a mistake, I kick his face; I kick his mouth! And as he made some mistakes the last time and I knocked him out, the next time if he does that again, I'll knock him out again. Hey Guy Mezger, if you make any mistakes I'll knock you out again! Did you get it? Did I headbutt him? I did because I'm a brawler, 'cause I'm a fighter and I was brawling. Now the guy comes to say that the headbutt hindered him! It did? I don't know, I only know that I'm a brawler! It wasn't on purpose, it's instinct! In the same way that if I hit him with a solid punch now and he falls in front of me, I'll stick my foot in his mouth on the ground! I don't care! If he was hurt that time, the next time he will come out a lot worst! FCF: Against Gilbert Yvel, there's a big controversy about a new fight between you two. How do you rate Yvel as a Muay Thai fighter, and does Pride still have interest in promoting this fight in the future? VS: It's his problem! It's like I said; I'll fight anyone. Back then he was 105kg and I was only 89kg. And even then I was going right at him, I was very confident, I was looking to trade with him. But now I think that it is he who has to climb his way to the top. Thank God, I'm on top now, and I think it'll be difficult for him to fight me; he will have to fight a lot. FCF: At Pride 12, you put on the best fight of the event, facing the (then) undefeated fighter, Dan Henderson. You showed an impressive will to win during the whole fight, fighting through most of the fight with an eye almost closed! How was your vision during the fight, due to the cut above your eye? VS: To tell you the truth I wasn't seeing anything with that eye! I was with my eye completely closed. When the first round was over my eye was completely closed, but I was willing to fight, I was willing to fight him. Because he wouldn't stop! I hit the guy with a big punch, I got a knockdown on him and he wouldn't stop. Gee, I took a yellow card, and it was getting really hard for me there…at the times that he shot on my legs, I couldn't see properly and I would just throw some punches. Thankfully the punches were hitting him, I got some knockdowns on him, and he really surprised me. He has the skin of a lizard, he doesn't bleed, and he stays clean! I threw everything with lots of power, with all I got and the guy...he really deserved to be undefeated till then! So much that he came back and knocked out Renzo, he's a tough guy. There's a guy that I don't know if I want to fight again, he is really a tough guy. Now I want to see if I can put in my contracts that the referee can't stop the fights because of bleeding, cuts and stuff. I don't know if I'll be able to, but for me it's cool, let it continue, let it continue cause I can take the punishment! |
Saturday - June 16, 2001 |
Vanderlei Silva By Eduardo Alonso Originally published in the May 2001 issue of Full Contact Fighter FCF: After facing Sakuraba, how do you analyze him as a fighter? VS: I analyze him by the way he fought me, 'cause I want to say that he really has guts and he fights like a man! Because he is a lighter guy than myself, everybody knows that what he does best is to kick the legs, kick the face, but he doesn't have the posture of a Muay Thai fighter, with his guard up...he doesn't know how to really punch, and anyway he accepted to trade and came right at me, he knocked me down! So I really see him as a great guy, he is really a top fighter! Analyzing his fight against me, I think that he was a real man to come after me and accept the trading. And seeing his other fights, the guy is really a monster you know! FCF: What do you think about the supposed Sakuraba comments after the fight, saying that the fight was stopped a bit too early, and despite the fact that you were dominating him, you weren't hurting him? VS: I don't know...he stayed on the hospital for two weeks! I think that if the fight would have lasted two minutes more I could have killed him! [Laughs] Because he suffered major damage on his facial bones, he broke his nose, opened the mouth…I think that if they had given the fight two minutes more, gee! I don't know if I wouldn't be in jail in Japan now. [Laughs] FCF: After your historical victory over Sakuraba, everybody will train to beat you, and you are now at the center of attentions on the NHB scene. Are you already back to your training? Can your opponents expect even harder training from the Chute Boxe team now? VS: Much harder! We are training Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling! I'm training boxing, I'm doing lots of weight training, and I'm swimming, running. I think that whoever is going to fight me better come well prepared, because in this next fight I'll be unrecognizable! I'll be in great shape, whoever wants to fight me better be well prepared, otherwise he will take a real beating! The next guy that I face I'll spank! I'll spank him till I can't hit anymore. FCF: Everybody is very curious to know who is your next opponent in Pride. Any name decided yet? VS: No, I'm also curious! I'm waiting and I'm preparing to fight anyone right now. FCF: Tito Ortiz was in the audience at the latest Pride, watching your fight against Sakuraba. A lot of people still consider him the best middleweight fighter nowadays. What do you think about facing him again, under the new rules of Pride? |
From the event's promoter:
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From the event's promoter: Action-packed, "no-holds-barred" competition Saturday, June 23, 2001 7:00pm Soboba Casino San Jacinto, California KING OF THE CAGE World Heavyweight Championship On The Line! In an addition to an already stellar fight card, the vacated King of the Cage World Heavyweight Championship is now up for grabs at "King of the Cage 9." It'll be a heavyweight collision course as Bobby Hoffman, one of the biggest, baddest fighters around, finally gets his shot at the title. His opponent---the "Hawaiian Assassin" and reigning "Rage in the Cage" Heavyweight Champion---Brausa Academy's Kauia Kupihea. The big boys mean business and only one will leave the Soboba Casino with NHB's most prestigious heavyweight belt. Come see mixed martial arts history in the making only at "King of the Cage." For ticket info call Soboba Casino at 909-654-2883.
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Sunday - June 17, 2001 |
Monday - June 18, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: Victory in Extreme Challenge 40 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- When Matt Hughes emerged as one of the world's top lightweights, it was his trademark body slams that drew the attention of fighters and fans alike. One of Hughes' biggest fans has been Florida fighter Scott Johnson, who admits "Matt is my favorite guy to watch." Johnson got an up-close view of Hughes in action Saturday at Extreme Challenge 40 as he replaced Scott Bills as Hughes' opponent in the main event. Bills withdrew due to illness a day before the show, but Johnson jumped at the chance to compete against the fighter he most admires. "I got the call on Friday and said yes right away," Johnson said. "It was too good a chance to pass up." Johnson, an extremely muscular fighter who has competed against the likes of Din Thomas, got to be on the receiving end of the Hughes slam and spent the first couple minutes under the former All-American wrestler. With just under two minutes left in the first round, Hughes landed a knee, then a big right hand that dropped Johnson to the mat. Johnson tried to get up, but said he couldn't see out of his right eye and stayed down. Referee Bart Guyer halted the bout at 3:24. "He's a really strong guy... no doubt about that," Hughes said. "I was pleased with my performance. I've been working a lot on my standup and I'm feeling more comfortable there." The event was held outside at the Multi-Purpose Arena at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The next Extreme Challenge is July 13 in Davenport, Iowa. Complete results Bob Petitt def. Wayne Pittman, 1:41 Round 1 by rear choke Jason Autry def. Dave Boosinger, 3:32 Round 1 by knockout Gabe Lemley def. Justin Wieman, :48 Round 2 by arm bar Jason Medina def. Houston Alexander, :47 Round 2 by side choke Jason Reinhardt def. Ben Carlson, 1:36 Round 1 by rear choke Curt Bee def. Brett Al-Azzawi, 1:23 Round 1 by knockout Jason Rigsby def. Erik Petitt, 1:15 Round 1 by triangle choke Rick Gravesen-Brad Lynde, ruled a no-contest Cedric Stewart def. Jim Bruketta, 2:27 Round 2 by keylock Matt Hughes def. Scott Johnson, 3:24 Round 1 by knockout |
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From the event's promoter: Fighting Network Rings 10th Anniversary World Title Series 2000.6.15 (Fri) Yokohama Bunka Taiikukan Spectators : 4,480 (Full) [Official Match 5 Min. 3r] Volk Ataev def. Maynard Marcum 1r 1 Min. 08 Sec. K.O. Yasuhito Namekawa def. Masutatsu Yan 2r 0 Min. 22 Sec. Neck Lock [Tournament Rule 5 Min. 2r Extra R 5 Min.] Christopher Haseman def. Alexandre Cacarec 1r 1 Min. 56 Sec. Neck Lock Ilioukhine Mikhail def. Borislav Jeliazkov 2r 2 Min. 06 Sec. Arm Bar Renato Babalu def. Tsuyoshi Kosaka 2r Decision (0-2) Ricardo Arona def. Hiromitsu Kanehara 2r 0 Min. 53 Sec. Knee Bar |
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Tuesday - June 19, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: Tickets available now online at ticketmaster.com Reality Sports and The Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort are proud to announce Power Attack At The Track, no-holds-barred mixed martial arts fights to be held Saturday evening June 23 at the Mountaineer Racetrack an Gaming Resort in Chester, WV (Weirton area). The card will showcase hard hitting talent with Dan "The Beast" Severn matched up against Wes Sims as the main event and West Virginia superstar Branden Lee Hinkle defending his title against Jorge Revaria. The fights will be a featured event in The Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort's Sports Expo. This is sure to be an action packed weekend which will include The Mountaineer Cup Powerlifting Contest and a Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Contest. FIGHT CARD Reality Sports and Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort Present Power Attack at the Track: The Ultimate Cage Fighting Event Of Its Kind June 23, 2001 Bouts Fight 1: George Randoph vs Bob Stines Fight 2: Keith Rockell vs Jeff Wales Fight 3: Scott Johnson vs Mike Nelson Fight 4: Craig Oxley vs Jon Weidler Fight 5: Cris Custer vs Tony Frickland Fight 6: Muhsin Corbbrey vs Jerry Hackney Fight 7: Todd Carney vs Chris Myers Fight 8: Don Kaecher vs John Wehbey Women's Match Gwen Wood vs Glennville Toughwoman Champion Co Main Event: Brandon Hinkle vs Jorge Revaria Main Event: Wes Sims vs Dan "The Beast" Severn Referee: Din "The Dominator" Thomas Fight card subject to change. DIRECTIONS TO MOUNTAINEER Racetrack And Gaming Resort From Pittsburgh: take the Parkway toward the airport. Get off at RT 22/30 to Weirton. When you get to Weirton follow RT 2 North for 15 miles to The Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort in Chester, WV. Once you get to the facility go to "THE HARV" auditorium. From Wheeling: follow RT 2 North to Chester. Once you get to the Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort go to "THE HARV" auditorium. |
Wednesday - June 20, 2001 |
Make money in the sport that you love! |
By Chris Onzuka - chris@onzuka.com SupurBrawl's 5th Anniversary Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii July 21, 2001 T. Jay Thompson has been busy recovering from his recent back injury and...putting together some spectacular matches for the event that will mark SuperBrazwl/FutureBrawl's 5th Anniversary. It is scheduled for July 21st and Thompson let out a little taste of what is to come. He informed me that Vincius "Draculino" Magalhaes, a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is making his NHB debut against submission grappling phenom from Hawaii, Baret "The Baretcuda" Yoshida. Draculino is a Pan American BJJ Champion and has placed 3rd twice in the World BJJ Championships [Mundial] has been looking to enter NHB and previously requested to fight Yoshida. Yoshida, also a BJJ black belt, recently took 2nd place at the Combat Wrestling Championships in Japan, and came in 2nd [to Royler Gracie] in the 2001 Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships. A couple of weeks ago, Yoshida won the lightweight tournament in The Contenders in Japan. I can already hear the buzz starting from this match. Thompson promises to release more matches for his 5th Anniversary event shortly. Warriors Quest 2: "Battle of the Champions" Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii September 1, 2001 Brennan Kamaka has just inked two outstanding main events for Warriors Quest 2, which will be the first mixed martial arts event ever held in the newly-built Hawaii Convention Center. There is a hell of a lot of glass in that building and I hope it stands up to these two fights. Jesus Is Lord's Ray Cooper, fresh off his arm-bar victory of Antonio McKee in the first Warriors Quest, looks to defend his new title for the first time and stop Sean Sherk's total domination in the sport. Sherk is a giant packed into a small package, but if you ever saw him, he is bursting at the seams. This guy is a specimen. There hasn't been this much buzz about a fighter since Matt Hughes and rightfully so, since Sherk comes out of the same camp. The other main event released is Niko Fitale, who destroyed Todd Medina on his way to the Warriors Quest Light-Heavyweight Championship, taking on another Miletich camp member in Joe Doerkson. Doerkson, like his teammate Sherk, has been on a roll, racking up 10 consecutive victories. We will see if Doerkson can stop Vitale. Kamaka has put together some great matches, even though he is a new to the "promoting game." More matches will be released as the event gets closer. Lightweight Championship Match Ray "Bradda" Cooper (Jesus Is Lord): Warriors Quest Lightweight Champion 4x SuperBrawl Champion, 5th Ranked in Shooto vs. Sean Sherk (Team Extreme, 17-0) King of the Cage Superfight Champion, UFC veteran Light-Heavyweight Championship Match Falaniko Vitale (Grappling Unlimited, 9-1): Warriors Quest Light-Heavyweight Champion Rage in the Cage Hawaii Champion, KOTC debut Winner vs. Joe Doerkson (Team Extreme, 15-2) |
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From the event's promoter: FIGHT NIGHT 14 June 23, 2001 at South Plainfield Middle School In South Plainfield, New Jersey Come join us for an action-packed night of fights June 23rd - Seating begins at 5pm, fights begin at 6pm South Plainfield Middle School 2201 Plainfiled Avenue South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080 For more information call 908-352-0622 or visit http://members.aol.com/shootfyter Full Contact Fighter will be on hand with a great selection of their latest gear and videos. |
Thursday - June 21, 2001 |
Supermodel Carmen Electra to Headline UFC's Aggressive New Ad Campaign By Aaron Crecy LOS ANGELES--The ritzy Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills was the unlikely gathering spot for Ultimate Fighting Championship belt holders Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Carlos Newton and Jens Pulver last week as Zuffa continued its efforts to introduce the mixed martial arts event to a more diverse audience. In town for a whirlwind week of photo shoots and appearances, the four champions logged long hours under the bright lights of Hollywood, highlighted by a photo shoot with supermodel Carmen Electra. The pictures will be used for a print advertising campaign that will run in a variety of mainstream magazines, including Sports Illustrated and Maxim. Electra will serve as the new UFC spokesperson and is scheduled to appear with Ortiz on New York's top-rated afternoon drive radio show, Opie & Anthony, which was recently syndicated into the Philadelphia, Chicago and Dallas markets. In order to help increase ticket sales for its June 29th event, "Showdown in the Meadowlands," the UFC is currently running advertisements on Howard Stern's morning radio show as well as Opie & Anthony. The UFC has also secured outdoor advertising in two of most well-trafficked thoroughfares between New York and New Jersey. One huge billboard stands above the Lincoln Tunnel on the way into New York, while the other is outside the Holland Tunnel on the way to New Jersey. According to the New York/New Jersey Port Authority, approximately 112,000 vehicles pass these signs every weekday. UFC Billboard seen when entering New Jersey via the Holland Tunnel |
From the event's promoter: Neo Blood Tournament - Day Event Sunday, July 29, 2001 Doors Open; 12:30pm - Fights Start; 1:30pm Korakuen Hall(Tokyo, Japan) Red Corner(Left) Vs Blue Corner(Right) Main Event - 3 5-Min Rounds - Light Heavyweight Match Light Heavyweight 4th Ranked Ikuhisa Minowa Vs Kenji Akiyama Pancrase Yokohama Zendokai Semifinal 3 5-Min Rounds - Light Heavyweight Match Jason Delucia Vs Yuki Sasaki (U.S.A./ Pancrase Hybrid Budokan) (Pancrase Grabaka) Fight#6 - 3 5-Min Rounds - Middleweight Match Daiju Takase Vs LaVerne Clark (Wajutsu Keishukai Tokyo Hombu) (U.S.A./ Miletich Martial Arts Center) 10-Min Intermission Fight#5 - 1 5 Min Round - Catch Wrestling Match Takafumi Ito Vs Shunsuke Hayashi (Pancrase Yokohama) (SK. Absolute) Fight#4 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Neo Blood Tournament 1st Rounds - 4th Match Seiki Ryo Vs Yohei Ota Power Of Dream A3 Fight#3 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Neo Blood Tournament 1st Rounds - 3rd Match Hikaru Sato Vs Kazuo Misaki Pancrase Yokohama Grabaka Fight#2 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Neo Blood Tournament 1st Rounds - 2nd Match Sen Nakadai Vs Hideaki Iwasaki Pancrase Tokyo Striple Fight#1 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Neo Blood Tournament 1st Rounds - 1st Match Shinya Sato Vs Hiroki Nagaoka P's Lab Tokyo Rodeo Style "Pancrase 2001 Proof Tour" Lineup Neo Blood Tournament - Night Event Sunday, July 29, 2001 Doors Open; 5:30pm - Fights Start; 6:30pm Korakuen Hall(Tokyo, Japan) Red Corner(Left) Blue Corner(Right) Main Event - 3 5-Min Rounds - Neo Blood Tournament Final Round Winner Of Semifinal 1st Match Vs Winner Of Semifinal 2nd Match Semifinal - 3 5-Min Rounds - Open-Weight Match Openweight 6th Ranked Osami Shibuya Vs Tim Lajcik (Pancrase Yokohama) (U.S.A./ Gladiators Training Academy) Fight#6 - 3 5-Min Rounds - Light Heavyweight Match Light Heavyweight 5th Ranked Light Heavyweight 7th Ranked Omar Bouiche Vs Mitsuyoshi Sato (Sweden/ Mixed Martial Arts Stockholm) (Pancrase Grabaka) 10-Min Intermission Fight#5 - 1 5 Min Round - Catch Wrestling Match Minoru Suzuki Vs Eiji Ishikawa (Pancrase Yokohama) (Pancrase Grabaka) Fight#4 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Light Heavyweight Match Kei Yamamiya Vs Yoshinori Kawasaki Pancrase Tokyo RJW/ Central Fight#3 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Middleweight Match TBA Vs Sean Sherk U.S.A./ Minesota Martial Arts Center Fight#2 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Neo Blood Tournament Semifinals - 2nd Match Winner Of 1st Round 3rd Match Vs Winner Of 1st Round 4th Match Fight#1 - 2 5-Min Rounds - Neo Blood Tournament Semifinals - 1st Match Winner Of 1st Round 1st Match Vs Winner Of 1st Round 2nd Match |
Friday - June 22, 2001 |
Performance Quest Teammates Could Face Off at Greco-Roman World Team Trials By Aaron Crecy
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From the event's promoter: Reality Super Fighting and Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort Present Attack at the Track: The Ultimate Cage Fighting Event Of Its Kind June 23, 2001 1: George Randoph vs Bob Stines 2: Scott Johnson vs Mike Nelson 3: Gwen Wood vs Roxanne Ward 4: Craig Oxley vs Jon Weidler 5: Muhsin Corbbrey vs Jerry Hackney 6: Cris Custer vs Tony Frykland 7: Todd Carney vs Chris Myers 8: Don Kaecher vs John Wehbey 9: Branden Lee Hinkle vs Jorge Rivaria 10: "BIG" Wes Sims vs Dan "THE BEAST" Severn Referee: Din "The Dominator" Thomas ### Fight card subject to change. |
From the event's promoter: SuperBrawl 5th Anniversary
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Saturday - June 23, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: After a sold out fight the K-1 returns to Las Vegas on Saturday, August 11th, where eight of the top fighters from United States, Japan, Holland, Germany, Brazil, Europe, Belarus and Croatia will battle it out at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino to determine who will go on to the K-1 Tokyo Dome on December 8th for the K-1 Grand Prix in Japan. Ticket prices range from $30.00 to $250.00. The doors open at 4:00 pm, the preliminary fights begin at 4:10 pm. The K-1 World Semi-finals kicks off at 6:00pm. To purchase tickets, call the Bellagio ticket office at 1-888-488-7111. The tournament will be covered by E!, ESPN2, Canadian Pay Per View, and Live Fuji Television. Confirmed K-1 fighters with more to come: Peter Aerts from Holland, 3 Time grand prix World Champion, K-1 Superstar Stefan Leko from Germany, K-1 North American Champion Maurice Smith, and Brazilian Superstar Francisco Filho. |
From John Petrilli (RITC Writer/Statistician): Rage in the Cage XXIX A boisterous Friday night fight crowd at Celebrity Theatre enjoyed 10 action packed bouts at RITC XXIX. Highlights included a 26-second win in the Main Event by Jesus "The Mexican Menace" Valdez, a Super Fight win by Brian "Big Sexy" Ryan in a "war" that went back and forth for three rounds and had only 15 seconds left in the fight when the bout was stopped, and an impressive submission win by Arizona favorite Edwin Dewees. Rick Reyes, the emcee for the evening, polled the audience of over 1,000 fans to determine their preference for either Friday night or Saturday night RITC events. By an overwhelming margin the fan preference was for Saturday nights. Next month's event has already been booked for Friday, July 20. Promoter Roland Sarria promised the fans that the monthly RITC events in August through November would all take place on the more popular Saturday evenings. Starting July 1, the Arizona State Boxing Commission will have jurisdiction over all mixed martial arts events, both professional and amateur. RITC officials have been working diligently with the Commission over the past several months. In early July, the Commission will advise RITC of their sanctioning status. Starting with RITC XXX, the current plan is to have 1 to 3 pro level fights, with NHB rules, at each monthly event and the balance of the card to be amateur fights using current rules. Any developments regarding sanctioning or changes to the existing plan will be posted on the RITC web site. Back Alley Camp posted a 2 - 0 record for the evening and JKD Jiu-Jitsu also posted a 2 - 0 record. Results: John Levenson def. Carlos Ortega - sub. (neck crank) :24 Rd 2 Michael Barney def. John Rayborn - sub. (arm bar) :27 Rd 1 Rob Woodin def. Karl Bear - sub. (strikes) 1:04 Rd 1 Eddie Sanchez def. John Upton - sub. (choke) 2:18 Rd 1 James Upshur def. Curtis Martin - sub. (arm bar) 2:15 Rd 1 Jerry Parsons def. Thomas Stalder - decision (3 - 0) Edwin Dewees def. George Lockhart - sub. (choke) 1:40 Rd 1 Pat Larson def. Chris Corona - sub. (arm bar) :58 Rd 1 Brian Ryan def. Ryan Roath - ref stoppage 2:45 Rd 3 Jesus Valdez def. Andy Siivola - sub. (strikes) :26 Rd 1 Next Event: Rage in the Cage XXX Friday July 20, 2001 Tickets are available at all TicketMaster locations (480-784-4444) or at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office. For more information, visit www.rageinthe cage.com or call 480-446-8127. |
Sunday - June 24, 2001 |
By Josh Gross Full coverage in the next issue of Full Contact Fighter
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Team Quest Fighters to Battle for Spot on Greco Roman World Team By Aaron Crecy CINCINNATI--With two recent Pride victories and the 2000 RINGS King of Kings Championship on his impressive resume, Dan Henderson presently commands a far higher paycheck than fellow Team Quest fighter Matt Lindland. But Lindland has something that no amount of money can buy-a world medal in Greco Roman wrestling. On Sunday, Henderson and Lindland will square off on Sunday in the Greco Roman World Team Trials at Xavier University to determine which man will represent the United States at 85 kilos (187.25 lbs.) in the World Championships on September 25 - 29, 2001. Henderson earned the right to face Lindland-the reigning National Champion-when he defeated Ethan Bosch in Saturday's Challenge Tournament Finals, 8-0. A win for Henderson means an opportunity to finally earn a medal in what would likely be his final wrestling competition. Henderson previously competed in the 1994 World Championships and the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games but did not place. For Lindland, it is a chance to better his performance at the 2000 Olympics, where he won the silver medal at 76 kilos (167.5 lbs.). And the fact the World Championship tournament will be held on American soil in front of family, friends and countrymen at Madison Square Garden in New York City makes it a particularly meaningful competition for both wrestlers. Henderson and Lindland will square off in a best-of-three series, with each match consisting of two three-minute rounds, and if needed, a three-minute overtime. World Team Trials Results |
From the event's promoter: in Extreme Challenge 41 Chatt Lavender is looking for a challenge. "I want to fight the best guys I can... to see where I stand," said the undefeated fighter from Dayton, Tenn. Lavender (8-0) will get his wish on July 13 as he takes on hometown hero Matt Hughes (26-3) in the main event of Extreme Challenge 41. Hughes, a UFC, WEF, RINGS and Extreme Challenge veteran, is among the top 5 rated welterweights (170-under) in the world. He is trying to stay busy while negotiations to get him into Pride continue in Japan. "Well, Hughes is definitely among the best out there," Lavender said. "I look at this as a great opportunity... a chance to see what level I'm at and where I need to improve." Lavender is no stranger to tough fights. He owns wins over WEF star Karl Schmidt and UFC veteran LaVerne Clark. "I'm looking forward to the fight," Hughes said. "I've been training hard and it's good to test yourself... and Lavender is certainly a quality opponent." Extreme Challenge 41 will take place at Stars & Stripes nightclub in Davenport, Iowa. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. Also on the card are two high-level feature bouts. In the first, Jason Black (11-0) and Koji Lehman (4-0) square off in a battle of unbeatens. In the second, Rich Franklin (13-0) takes on Chris Seifert (17-2-2) in a heavyweight battle. Also fighting are a pair of up-and-coming young fighters in 19-year-old Robbie Lawler (3-0) and 20-year-old Maorco Macera (3-1). Extreme Challenge 41 lineup Single bouts
Feature bouts
Super bout
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From the event's promoter: BAMA Fight Night 14 Results By Dan Quinones Shootfighting Single Matches Muay Thai MMA Shootfighting Belt Tournament (165-180 lbs.) "Shaolin" wins 165-180 lb. championship belt Shootfighting Belt Tournament (181-195 lbs.) Stephano wins 181-195 lb. championship belt Shootfighting Belt Tournament (196-210 lbs.) Villalobos wins 196-210 lb. championship belt (Damian O'Hara was unable to continue on to the finals due to injury received in his first bout) Full coverage in the next issue of Full Contact Fighter
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Monday - June 25, 2001 |
at U.S. World Team Trials Team Quest Fighters Engage in Hotly Contested Greco Roman Battle By Aaron Crecy CINCINNATI--On the third and final day of the United States World Team Trials, Dan Henderson's bid to qualify for a fourth and final World Championships came crashing to a halt. The cause of the accident? Try friend and Team Quest stablemate Matt Lindland, who defeated Dan Henderson in two straight matches for the right to represent America at 85 kilos (187.25 lbs.) in the 2001 World Championships. It was a battle that lived up to its billing, with Lindland scoring an overtime takedown from the clinch position to squeak out a 3-2 victory in the first meeting. Then, in what proved to be the deciding bout, Lindland countered two Henderson throws to secure a 3-1 win. Winners of a two-day Challenge Tournament squared off with the reigning national champions in Sunday's World Team Trials Finals at Xavier University. The World Championships will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City from September 25 - 29, 2001. Divisions include men's freestyle and Greco Roman, as well as women's freestyle. Final World Team Trials Results at 85 Kilos Lindland def. Henderson 3-2 OT Lindland def. Henderson 3-1 |
From RSF Web Admin Roberto Martinez: Attack at the Track Quick Results
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All week FCF presents UFC 32 coverage with pre-fight interviews, results, and more! Keep checking back! Today we start off with pre-fight interviews with BJ Penn & Tony DeSouza... |
BJ "The Prodigy" Penn By Michael Onzuka - Mike@onzuka.com It has been a while since a fighter came out of relative obscurity and has huge hype around him. With the excellent promotion of the fighters that the new UFC management is implementing, this has fueled the reputation of BJJ black belt World Champion, BJ Penn. People in the submission grappling and BJJ world knew that BJ is one of the top grapplers in the world. There has been talk on many Internet forums that BJ can also throw some mean leather as well. Many people were eagerly awaiting his entrance into mixed martial arts. BJ got the chance of a lifetime and made his professional fight debut in the last UFC as a preliminary fight against Chicago native, Joey Gilbert. Although, the main UFC audience on pay-per-view did not get see his match except for a quick clip showing utter dominance, the UFC left the fans thirsting for more from this youngster. While in San Francisco, I spun down to Santa Clara where BJ, along with his other brothers (all three were there, one was visiting from Hilo), live and train. BJ has seemed to find a good location to live and more importantly, train in order to reach his goal of obtaining a UFC Bantamweight Championship belt. After the interview, I watched a training session at the American Kickboxing Academy under the watchful eye of owner and world champion kickboxer, Javier Mendez, who is responsible for the excellent stand-up skills of Frank Shamrock. Other fighters were also there…Tony DeSouza, "Crazy" Bob Cook, Dave Velasquez, Brian Johnston and Ishizawa (who fought Ryan Gracie and is training for a rematch), all stopped in while I watched BJ’s session. It was literally a who’s who of fighters just coming there to train and sharpen their skills. Following the training session, I was also treated to one of the best BBQs that I have ever had at BJ’s home before I had to make my long one hour voyage back to my hotel (Remember, I live in Hawaii, everything is just 30 minutes away). Full Contact Fighter: How is your preparation going? BJ Penn: My preparation is going great. For the fight, I’ve been training three times a day and trying to get a lot of rest and eat a lot of the right foods. I’m starting to slow down now and just taper off before the fight. FCF: Do you find it hard to keep your intensity and drive when the preparation is so long for an upcoming event? BP: Yeah, definitely. I get burned out mentally and physically and that’s when I have to take a break and lay off and let my mind get focused again and get away from the whole scene, the mats, the rings, and stuff. FCF: So, you are taking a break to relax prior to your fight. Do you feel that you will be too relaxed or inactive for too long or is this something that you did for the last UFC and are comfortable with? BP: Yeah, I usually try to set a peak for myself. I try to rest a few days before and then train a little before the fight to wake my muscles back up because I don’t want to rest a day before the fight or I’ll be sluggish so I always try to get one or two days before a competition to work out, two days before the competition at least. FCF: Is it a controlled sparring session or just drills? BP: A lot of drills and a little sparring, but making sure that I’m not going to get hurt at all. FCF: I understand that you have been working out at American Kickboxing Academy. What does that school offer you? BP: It’s just a great place to work out. A lot of different fighters are in and out of there all the time. You got boxers, kickboxers, good striking coach, Javier Mendez, Frank Shamrock works out there. FCF: Do you have opportunities to train with these other guys like Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock and actually grapple and train with these guys? |
Tony "The Savage" DeSouza By Michael Onzuka - Mike@onzuka.com Tony DeSouza made an exciting debut in the UFC against the Midwest terror, Steve Berger. DeSouza showed excellent wrestling skills and good defense against the submission attempts of Berger. Apparently, the UFC was equally impressed with Tony enough to invite him back to face "the spoiler" Paul Rodriguez. Rodriguez brings in a lot of experience and major wins against the best in the 170-pound division. For those who have not seen "The Savage" yet, he is probably best described as a talented wrestler with some submission skills and he will bang a bit standing. I bumped into Tony while meeting with BJ Penn at the American Kickboxing Academy on June 20, 2001. He is in full swing with his preparation for the UFC. FCF: I'm here with Tony DeSouza prior to his second fight in the UFC. How did your first fight against Steve Berger go in your opinion? Tony DeSouza: It was a good experience you know. I went in there and tried my best. By the end of the third round, I was disappointed with my showing, but I've been training a lot harder this time. I'm a lot more prepared. I'm not as nervous. I just feel very confident about this next time going in the octagon. FCF: What did you know of Steve Berger prior to the fight? TD: I saw a few of his fights. I studied them. I did my homework. I knew exactly what he was going to do. I trained exactly to get the takedown, to keep the jab out there, etcetera so I had him pretty figured out before I went in there. FCF: You pretty much dominated the stand up early in the match. Was this a primary objective of yours knowing that his stand up is part of his bread and butter? TD: Exactly, I wanted to take all the confidence out of him. Show him that I could fight with him wherever and I could take it wherever I wanted it to go. FCF: How have you modified your training to perform better in your next fight coming up against Paul Rodriguez? |
From the event's promoter: UCC 5: HEATWAVE 2001 On the eve of the first anniversary of the first Universal Combat Challenge event, the UCC is back with yet another trens setting show. UCC 5: HEATWAVE 2001 will be a first for the UCC, Mixed Martial Arts and Canadian sports as the debut of thi annual series is part of an even larger entity called EXTREME DRAGFEST 2001. The extreme event is one of the largest gathering for extreme sports enthusiasts in Canada and will play host to over 100,000 people. The organizers of this event have witnessed the growth of Mixed Martial Arts and are pleased to have enlisted Canada's premiere fight promotion to bring its exciting brand of combat action to Extreme sports fans. Some of the most exciting UCC fighters will explode in the RING OF FURY on June 30, 2001. HEATWAVE 2001 is bringing a multi main event card topped off with a World Lightweight Championship Superfight between Brazilian phenom, CLAUDIONOR "Demolition Man" FONTINELLE and UCC World Lightweight Champion SEAN "Pimp Daddy" PIERSON. When these modern warriors clash, its sure to be fast and furious! Also on the card is a Canadian Super-Lightweight title fight between UCC Canadian Super-Lightweight champion RICHARD "Monkey" NANCOO and challenger YVES "Tiger" JABOUIN. This will be a classic grappler vs. striker match for UCC gold and the right to be called the best under 155 pound fighter in Canada. DAVID "The Crow" LOISEAU will also return to action against undefeated powerhouse MIKE KITCHEN! Canadian Middleweight Champion and local sensation STEVE "Coeur de Lion" VIGNEAULT is set for his first Light Heavyweight challenge against "Trouble" JODY BURKE... this will be Vigneault's first time fighting a 200 pounds opponent! June 30 will also see the return of "PAIN"... PAIN PETERS returns to his battleground to face Muay Thai fighter DIRK WAARDENBURG who is looking to avenge the massive beating that PAIN dealt out to DIRK's training partner Charles Ali Nestor at UCC 4!!! In some Light Heavyweight action, UCC fans will see former UCC Canadian Light Heavyweight champion JEROMIE SILLS go toe to toe with undefeated amateur fighter JEAN-PHILLIPE CANTIN. SILLS will be looking to climb back into the title picture. UCC vet YAN PELLERIN returns for another win as he squares off with newcomer RICARDEAU FRANÇOIS. UCC 5 will also see the pro debut of STEPHANE "Simba" VIGNEAULT...the younger brother of Canadian MW title holder Steve Vigneault. The younger Vigneault will have his hands full with UCC vet and Kickboxing superstar SCOTT CLAY as he returns to add another win to the list. Don't miss it, June 30th 2001 at the Sanair International Speedway. Directions to Sanair: - Highway 20 EAST towards Quebec city, take EXIT 123 and continue all the way to SANAIR. Directions to the Quality Inn & Suites Hotel: - Coming from 401 (Toronto) - Take Highway 20 EAST towards Montreal - Take the Champlain bridge (Pont Champlain), cross the bridge, - Take first exit to the left (TASCHEREAU EAST), and the Hotel will be a bit further on the left side right besides a Burger King. See you there!!!!!! Stephane Patry, President/CEO Universal Combat Challenge visit us at: http://www.universalcombat.com/ |
Tuesday - June 26, 2001 |
Mixed Martial Arts into the Mainstream? By Josh Gross Huntington Beach, Calif. native Tito Ortiz defends his Light-Heavyweight Title for the third time Friday night, June 29th, in the Continental Airlines Arena against upstart Elvis Sinosic. It's possible that his toughest opponent that evening will not be the dangerous Australian, rather Ortiz has to come to terms with being the "man" in the UFC and the pressure that accompanies it. He'll walk down the aisle to the Octagon with all eyes in the mixed martial arts world upon him knowing a win presents the chance for millions of Americans to have his image ingrained in their minds much like Royce Gracie's was. "Yes I do," he said when asked if he looks forward to being the marquee fighter in MMA. "I believe I have a lot of people to uphold and show that this sport has come a long way. We're going to take over when we go mainstream. The people from Zuffa have done a good job of promoting the sport and the fighters. I'm here to set an example, and that is to be the best in the world." It was obvious from Zuffa's first effort at UFC 30 that Ortiz would be the man they hitched their wagon to. With lasers beaming, music screaming and fireworks blasting, Ortiz explosively dispatched challenger Evan Tanner in 30 seconds with a slam that signaled the beginning of a new era. The devastating win, combined with his first title defense against Yuki Kondo, meant Ortiz had spent a total of 2 minutes 22 seconds in the ring as UFC champion. His performances have been so dominant that his name is now being mentioned among the top fighters in the sport for pound-for-pound honors. It is hard to ignore how impressive his last two fights have been, ironically winning isn't what caused Ortiz to realize how good he could become. "When I lost to Frank Shamrock," said Ortiz when asked when he came to the realization he could become the best in the world. "It wasn't serious to me; it was more recreational. It wasn't even considered a professional job for me. Once I lost to Frank Shamrock, knowing that I lost because I got tired, that's when the desire was burning in my body. I told myself, 'you're never going to lose again, ever, ever, ever.' There are going to be a few people coming up that are better than me and I just have to work hard, hope for the best, and expect the worst." I witnessed Ortiz' effort and hard work firsthand as he trained two sessions for nearly five hours last Wednesday. While others broke training for water, oxygen or to vomit, Ortiz was unrelenting in his training and attitude. As fatigue sank into his muscles, the 25-year-old picked up the pace and, like a scene out of "Rocky," bellowed, "Elvis, you want some, come get some" over and over. The angst he felt after losing to Shamrock has turned into pure motivation. While some athletes fight for the paycheck, Ortiz truly relishes what does as a fighter. "I refuse to lose," he says. "Losing is probably the worst feeling you could get in your body. Watching Tank [Abbott] lose and John Lober lose, because they weren't ready for the athlete they were fighting, automatically triggered in my mind, 'well you can be the best in the world as long as you set your mind to it and just go out there trying to achieve stuff.' Every single time I fight, I train as hard as I can. I'm trying to make it a scientific routine putting everything together and picking people's brains. That's what I do when I go around training with people; I pick their brains and get the best out of what they have to show to me." His fight with Sinosic was not set up devoid of controversy. Many speculated as to why Sinosic -- a man with one fight in the UFC, a win over Jeremy Horn, and a close decision loss to Frank Shamrock -- deserved a shot at the UFC Light-Heavyweight Title. The world will find out Friday whether or not the match up was truly worthy, but don't ask Ortiz if he thinks Sinosic is a tough opponent because all you need to do is watch him train for 15 minutes to figure that out. "His grounds skills are really, really good," said Ortiz about the rugged Aussie. "I think this will be the guy with the best ground skills that I've faced so far, so I'm just going to have to put a game plan together and make it Tito Ortiz's match right off the bat. A lot of these guys at light-heavyweight are skilled at one particular thing; I have an average skill at everything, not a lot of skill in any particular one. Elvis has a lot to gain and nothing to lose for this fight. I hope he comes at me because I'm ready for him" The fight is intriguing because no one knows how good Sinosic really is. The same can be said for Ortiz, but as champion he goes in a favorite -- a role he's still unsure of. "It worries me a little bit, but not that much," says Ortiz regarding the underdog status of Sinosic. "When it's time to train I push my body harder, but when it's time to fight I know that I'm mentally and physically ready. I'm just going to walk right through him. He's going to be a super-tough match. All the other guys I've fought have been real tough matches, but I've just come out prepared and been ahead of everyone of their steps." One thing he had not confronted in any of his opponents thus far was a man of equal size. Ortiz, a huge light-heavyweight, won't have the advantage he has used so successfully in other fights when he faces Sinosic. "I think it will be better for me," he said about Sinosic's size. "I have a lot of problems with smaller guys because they are quicker, but guys that are longer, I can use my quickness. I believe he's a little heavier than me -- around 212 -- and I'm only 206, so weight is not a factor for me anymore. I like longer and taller guys so I can get on the inside of them, and I know he wants to get on the inside and pull it to the ground, but we'll see. I'm going to put a show on for all my fans. I see myself as a gladiator to show the spectators the sport, and that's what I'm here to do." While this self-proclaimed "gladiator" had been relegated to fighting in front of no more than 5,000 people in the past, he'll have the opportunity to show his wares in front of the largest potential crowd to ever witness mixed martial arts competition on U.S. soil. The Continental Airlines Arena, home to the NHL's New Jersey Devils and NBA's New Jersey Nets, will trim down to 13,000 seats for the UFC, and Ortiz realizes how important it is to put on a good show. Will the pressure of headlining the largest MMA show in U.S. history effect him? "Each and every one of these fights is so much pressure for me, but usually the last week before a fight I get good sleep," he said. "I lose a lot of sleep a month or three weeks before. I know the UFC has a lot of good plans for the future, and they want to invest a lot of money in me." He'll have to win in order to be included in the UFC's immediate plans, which, if all goes well, will include a show in Las Vegas this September. Which fighters in his division would Ortiz want to face if he gets the opportunity? "I don't think anyone poses a threat, but people like Vitor Belfort, Vanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell -- who I think is the toughest guy I'd have to face," he said. "Chuck and I talked about fighting and if the money is right we'll fight each other, but until then we'll sit back and pick apart every one of these light-heavyweights. The person I want to shoot for now is Vitor Belfort. He's someone everyone looks up to and they say how big a phenom he is. I want to prove them wrong; he's just a boxer with light jiu-jitsu skills. He's a super-tough fighter, but Tito Ortiz will destroy him." First things first for Ortiz, he must stay focused on Sinosic. While he's physically gifted, in incredible condition and intent on being the "man" in MMA, Ortiz feels the intangibles he takes into the ring on Friday may prove to be the difference in the fight. "My best weapon is taking my opponent's soul right off the bat," Ortiz said. "I look into his eyes and make sure he knows this is my match. I like setting the tempo right away and showing my presence. I fight off of pure emotions, and my heart and my mind never stop. A lot of fighters don't want to fight me and I feel sorry for them, but this is a professional sport and each and every guy goes out there to fight. Hopefully they'll give me the best matches to show this sport is for real." |
From the event's promoter: Present: W A R R I O R' S R E V E N G E UFCF & Washington State sanctioned Professional Kickboxing & Pankration Date: July 21, 2001 Place: Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, WA Time: 7:00PM ========================= Quick Line up ========================= Pankration match #1 (3 5-min rounds Pankration) Chris Monson vs. Dan Corpstein Muay Thai match #2 (5 rounds Muay Thai) Scott Schaefer vs Alberto Ramirez Pankration match #3 (3 5-min rounds Pankration) Dennis Hallman vs Dan Shank Kickboxing match #4 (5 rounds Kickboxing) John Gerking vs Danny Bennett Pankration match #5 (3 5-min rounds Pankration for U.S. #1 ranking) Jeff Monson vs Roman Roytberg Kickboxing match #6 (5 rounds Kickboxing for U.S. #1 ranking) Josh Barnett vs Chauncy Wellington Pankration match #7 (5 5-min rounds Pankration North America Championship) Charles Pearson vs Ryan Diaz ========================= FIGHTER BIO'S ========================= Ryan "the Lion" Diaz (Vancouver BC, Canada) -Canadian Muay Thai champion -Pacific Northwest Pankration Champion -Professional Japanese Shooto competitor -#2 Ranked UFCF Charlie "Mr. Perfect" Pearson (Everett, WA) -Pacific Northwest Pankration Champion -Hawaiian Superbrawl champion -Professional Japanese Shooto competitor -#1 Ranked UFCF Josh "The Baby Faced Assassin" Barnett (Seattle, WA) -U.S. Pankration Champion -Superbrawl Champion -Ultimate fighting championships competitor -#1 ranked UFCF Chauncy Welliver (Spokane, WA) -Toughman tournament Champion -Rough boxing tournament champion -Undefeated kickboxer -UFCF #4 ranked Roman "The Russian Assassin" Roytberg (Bellevue, WA) -K-1 USA veteran -U.S. Kickboxing Champion -WEF veteran -#2 Ranked UFCF Pankration Jeff "The Rhino" Monson (Olympia, WA) -Pacific Northwest Pankration Champion -Submission wrestling world champion -Ultimate fighting championships competitor -#1 ranked UFCF -Undefeated kickboxer Scott Schaefer (Bellevue, WA) -Pacific Northwest welterweight #1 Alberto Ramirez -Pacific Northwest Muay Thai Champion Dennis "Superman" Hallman -North American Pankration Champion -Ultimate fighting #1 Bantamweight -Pacific Northwest Pankration champion -Extreme challenge tournament champion -U.S. submission wrestling champion -Ranked Japanese Shooto veteran -Undefeated Kickboxer Dan Shank (Prince George, Canada) -Undefeated Pankration fighter -Canada's toughest champion -Canadian Vale Tudo Champion -UFCF #4 Ranked John Gerking (Burien, WA) -Pacific Northwest kickboxingchampion -Canadian Muay Thai Champion -UFCF #3 Ranked Danny "Boy" Bennett (Federal Way, WA) -Common Wealth Muay Thai champion -U.S. Kickboxing champion -2X Superbrawl superfight champion -UFCF #2 ranked Chris "The Mauler" Monson (Everett, WA) -North American Pankration champion -Superbrawl champion -#3 ranked UFCF -Rings USA veteran Dan "The Crusher" Corpstein (Bend, Oregon) -#4 ranked UFCF -All American Collegiate division 1 wrestler -Submission wrestling tournament champion * * * Tickets Available at: Lucky Eagle Casino 800-720-1788 www.luckyeagle.com Rochester, WA |
Wednesday - June 27, 2001 |
a Cast of MMA Stars in Sao Paulo! By Eduardo Alonso The city of Sao Paulo, in Brazil, is holding a huge Sportwear fair, with several companies promoting their products. From Surf and Skatewear companies, to the biggest fightwear brand in Brazil, Bad Boy; every big company is there, and FCF stopped by to check what is going on at the fair. A number of big names in the fight game were at the fair, Vanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort and Fernando Margarida were all in attendance today! The "Phenom" Vitor Belfort was signing autographs at the Bad Boy (his sponsor) stand, and he told FCF that he is still in negotiations with DSE, and still isn't sure if he will fight or not at PRIDE 15 next month. On the other hand, Vanderlei Silva said that he is already training very hard to fight at the upcoming Pride event, but he is still training "in the dark", as he said, without knowing who his opponent will be. Despite the fact that he doesn't know his opponent yet, Vanderlei told FCF that he is in great shape, and ready to fight anyone right now. The presence of all those top MMA Athletes at the EXPO, in addition to a large number of other Brazilian celebrities, demonstrates that the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is growing in Brazil, and FCF hopes that our sport will finally also reach mainstream in several other countries. |
From the event's promoter: Will not Compete in July 21st Super Brawl Just recieved word that Draculino suffered serious ligament damage to his knee while training Muay Thai in Brazil and will not be able to fight Baret Yoshida on July 21st in Hawaii. We are extremely disappointed and are currently looking for a suitable opponent for Baret. Aloha, T.Jay |
Fabiano Iha vs. Kaoru Uno A Pre-Fight Interview with Fabiano Iha by Chris Onzuka Chris@Onzuka.com Zuffa is definitely going with a ground up approach to revitalizing the UFC. Start with a great card, get the word out and "they will come." One of the anticipated matches (not that I am not anxious to see every fight) is the "Master of the Arm-Bar" Fabiano Iha versus the artist formerly known as Kaoru/Caol "Uno Shoten" Uno. These are two elite grapplers who have added striking skills to their arsenals. If this fight goes to the ground, we will either see a quick submission or an incredible display of grappling skills. I had to catch up with Fabiano to get his thoughts on this up coming fight. FCF: Let's go back a bit and talk about you revenging your loss against LaVerne Clark. Tell us how this fight was different from the first? Fabiano Iha: I was definitely more prepared for this fight. I also knew his style a little better and also I was much more prepared to enter the Octagon. FCF: As far as being better prepared, do you mean your conditioning or your skills? FI: I can't say conditioning because my first fight with him was so quick. The second fight was quick too, but condition-wise, I was prepared for both fights. I think that my stand-up for the second fight was much better because I have been working my stand-up a lot. For almost a year, I worked on my stand-up, so I was a little more prepared, even though I didn't even use it. I was mentally more ready the second time. FCF: Uno is one of the most technical Japanese fighters around. How do you see the two of you matching up? FI: I think it is going to be a lot of technique out there. It's going to be cool. If the fight is standing, you are going to see a lot of action and if the fight goes to the ground, you are going to see something that never happened in the UFC before, basically two black belts in Jiu-Jitsu fighting each other. I think there is going to be a lot of technique for people who understand the ground game to enjoy. And I am ready for it. FCF: Do you see this fight as being a short, quick fight or a long, drawn out war? FI: I plan on taking this fight into the second round, but I don't think this fight is going to a decision. I think it is going to be either a submission or a knock out and can go either way. Either I get the submission or knock out or he does. FCF: If it is by submission, do you plan on taking him out with your infamous arm-bar? FI: At this point, I am ready for anything. If the fight stays on our feet, I'm okay. If the fight goes to the ground, I am going to try my best to catch him in an arm lock, that's for sure. If I catch him in an arm lock it is going to be so good for me because I am billing myself as the "King of Arm-Bars," so if I end it that way than I will definitely be the king. [laughs] FCF: How do you feel at this lower weight? FI: Good, for me it is great because I have always been fighting heavier guys. So this time, I am going to be the heavy guy, so it is good, very good for me. FCF: How has training with Tito Ortiz, Couture and the rest of the gang helped you? FI: These guys showed me a lot of things that I had no idea about. They showed me a lot of takedowns and wrestling submissions. These guys are real cool, they showed me a lot of things. Not only that, me and Tito push each other. Every time we train we push each other, so it is very nice. We know each other very well. It helps a lot, to train with the best guys in the world and survive. Mentally, it strengthens you. FCF: Why do you feel that you have the edge in this match? FI: I think my ground work is better than his and I think that I am much stronger than he is, definitely more stronger. I think our cardio is the about the same, we both have good cardio. Maybe his stand-up is a little better than mine. FCF: How far is the winner of this fight away from a shot at Pulver? FI: I just spoke and had dinner with a guy at the UFC. I spoke with Joe Silva and it looks like if I beat Uno on Friday, I am going to have a shot at Pulver in September. It is not official, the conversation was basically, do well on Friday against Uno and you will definitely have a shot at the belt. That was basically the whole conversation. FCF: What do you say to critics that say you had more opportunities than many others in the UFC? FI: I do not think this is true. I think that I did a lot of things to come back into the UFC. I lost two times in a row in the UFC, to LaVerne Clark and to Dave Menne. At that time, Bob [Meyrowitz] promised me to have a rematch with LaVerne Clark because the first fight was bullshit. The whole UFC organization at that time, promised me a rematch with LaVerne Clark. Also, the whole time, one guy always believed in me and my potential and that was John Perretti. Even after my fight with Menne, he told me, "You are one of the best guys in this weight division and I believe in you." He also said "I am going to do everything that I can for you to get recognized." And he helped me by putting me back in against LaVerne, so I could prove myself against LaVerne and after that I fought in Japan. I knocked the guy out and I fought again against Phil Johns and I was able to get him in a submission, so I think that after this whole thing, I never did disappoint my fans. It also has to do with the way that I fight. I always enter the ring either trying to knock out the guy or to submit him. To walk in and win by points is not my game. I'm looking for a knock out or referee stoppage this Friday. FCF: Good luck this Friday. FI: Thank you. I appreciate it. |
Thursday - June 28, 2001 |
UFC 32 Press Conference Features New Cable Deal Announcement, Carmen Electra Appearance By Aaron Crecy NEW YORK--When Zuffa LLC acquired the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 10, 2001, one of its top priorities was to return the event to the national cable pay-per-view status it had once enjoyed. Another of its goals was to re-package the UFC as a high level athletic competition rather than the barbaric spectacle that it had become. Now, just six months later, that is exactly what has transpired. Thursday's UFC 32 press conference at the ESPN Zone restaurant in New York City's fabled Times Square brought a wealth of exciting news for the sport of mixed martial arts fighting. First, Zuffa CEO Lorenzo Fertitta officially introduced Carmen Electra as the UFC's official spokesperson. "When me and my brother [Frank Fertitta III] bought the UFC in January, we said, 'We are committed to making a lot of changes to try and elevate the sport and get it accepted as a mainstream sport,'" said Fertitta. "We decided that we wanted to re-brand the UFC-we wanted to roll it out in a whole new package. And in order to do that, we picked one of the most exciting, beautiful, lovely, nice ladies to be the cornerstone of that campaign, and that's Carmen Electra." "I'm sure everyone here is wondering, 'What the hell does Carmen Electra have to do with the UFC?,'" she quipped. "Well, basically, absolutely nothing-I am just a huge fan. My entire family studies martial arts, my mom is a third degree black belt, I've always been interested in fighting and this is just about as real as you can get. These guys really get out there and fight, and so I'm excited to actually watch this go down in person. That's why I'm here-I'm a fan." Electra became a household name while starring on MTV and in the Baywatch television series, as well as through her short-lived marriage to basketball star and egoist Dennis Rodman. The model/actress will accompany the current UFC title holders in a print advertising campaign in such mainstream publications as Sports Illustrated, Maxim, FHM, GQ, Stuff, Rolling Stone and others. Together, Fertitta and Electra unveiled one of the ads, featuring the headline, "Get ready for a lesson in submission." "Come September, you're going to see the Ultimate Fighting Championship everywhere," claimed Fertitta. "Every magazine you pick up, you're going to see our branding campaign. Our branding campaign has been put together to catch the attention of young males all across America--I think we're definitely going to do that." But what created the greatest buzz was Fertitta's announcement that the UFC has partnered with iN DEMAND, one of the largest and most expansive providers of in-home entertainment programming such as sporting events, concerts, first run movies and out-of-market NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL subscription packages. "In the last couple of weeks we were able to come to an agreement with our friends at Zuffa to bring the UFC back to cable television," said Dan York [pictured at left], vice president of Programming for iN DEMAND. "The September 28th event for the first time will be available on iN DEMAND. And that means 2,000 cable systems around the United States delivering to about 60 million basic cable homes and about 30 million pay-per-view homes will have UFC available to them for the first time in three years. That will more than double the distribution of UFC in one event and provide a true national platform for this franchise to really take off." Of course, there was ample discussion of Friday night's event, Showdown in the Meadowlands. The UFC 32 lineup boasts a total of eight fights-two preliminary match-ups, four bouts on the main card and two main events. The co-main events include a light heavyweight title bout between Tito Ortiz and Elvis Sinosic, and a lightweight match between Din Thomas and BJ Penn. And while Sinosic offered pleasantries to Zuffa and the New Jersey Athletic Commission, the outspoken Ortiz was all too willing to add fuel to the fire. "Come Friday, you guys are going to see a lot of explosions and it may be some explosions from fire or some explosions from my hands," warned Ortiz. "I'm ready for this, and this guy [Sinosic] better be ready to take a little nap, because that's what is going to happen." Thomas was equally candid when asked about his fight with Penn. "Expect an early Fourth of July-there are going to be a lot of fireworks tonight," he predicted. UFC 32 Showdown in the Meadowlands represents a significant challenge for the UFC and Zuffa as the event moves from Atlantic City to the larger Continental Airlines Arena at the Meadowlands. But according to Fertitta, the UFC expects a capacity crowd and an exciting show. "It's a huge step up for the sport of mixed martial arts," he explained. "We are heading to a venue that's high profile-it's very large, we're going to have 13,000 seats, ticket sales are going very, very well, we expect to have a packed house and I think everyone should be there to see the coming out party for the UFC." |
Pictures From Oz By Joel Gold HBO hit series Oz shot its final episode of the new season yesterday and FCF was on hand. UFC talent was plentiful with Frank Shamrock playing a member of a Sicilian gang as does Igor Zinoviev and, always the good guy, UFC Heavyweight Champ, Randy Couture plays a prison guard along with UFC commentator Jeff Blatnick. More info in the upcoming issue of FCF....
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Friday - June 29, 2001 |
Highest Attendance in the History of American Mixed Martial Arts Shows By Josh Gross EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- In a two day span the UFC announced intentions to run a show in Las Vegas, announced a signed deal with iN DEMAND for its return to cable television, and, last but not least, held the largest mixed martial arts show -- 11, 492 paid in the Continental Airlines Arena -- in the history of the U.S. Hard to believe Zuffa's only been in control for six months isn't it? Headlining the huge event was light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz against Australian challenger Elvis Sinosic. After a grand entrance, Ortiz made sure Sinosic had a rough departure. Following the initial exchange of punches and knees, Sinosic did as expected and pulled the fight into his guard. Unfortunately, that would mean Ortiz was on top, and these days it's not wise to be in that position. Holding the Aussie against the fence, the champion rained down vicious elbows. "Big" John McCarthy stepped in a stopped the fight 3:32 of round one. The win gave Ortiz his third championship belt and, without a doubt, planted himself as the "man" in mixed martial arts. It looks like the hype is true. BJ Penn is "The Prodigy." He proved it tonight, as he took out the third ranked fighter in the 155-pound division, Din Thomas, in only his second UFC fight. Early on, after a Thomas takedown, Penn nearly nailed an omoplata (arm lock using the legs). Thomas defended by standing up, but that gave Penn the opportunity to blast his opponent with a perfectly timed knee. Stunned, Thomas hit the ground and Penn followed with three flush punches. The fight was stopped 2:42 of round one. With his performance, Penn has already placed himself in the middle of the mix for a title shot in the deepest division in the UFC. Talk from the UFC brass has a possible Penn-Rumina Sato match up in the near future. Following the small guys, two giants faced each other in the bloodiest contest on the card. Josh Barnett faced close to seven foot Semmy Schilt in a match that had the near capacity crowd roaring. Schilt opened with a kick, but Barnett caught it and quickly took the big man down. Quickly he secured side control and knee-in-belly. He took advantage of his position and mounted Schilt with plenty of time left in the round. From there Barnett rained down vicious elbows, which opened several cuts on Schilt's face. Despite being on the bottom, Schilt delivered an elbow of his own that opened a gash on Barnett's forehead. As the time ran down, Barnett attempted an armbar, but couldn't finish it and ended up on his back. From the guard he went for another armbar and secured one. Schilt fought it off, but 4:21 of round one he had to tap as Barnett finally finished the submission hold. Next was the highly anticipated rematch between ex-UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich and Shonie Carter. Miletich, who had a difficult time making weight, and had to take fluids intravenously at the hospital just hours before the fight, came in off the heels of losing his title to Carlos Newton at UFC 31. Carter on the other hand was riding high after defeating Matt Serra with a spectacular spinning back fist at the last show. Miletich was angry, but calm as the fight started. Shonie looked slow and was unable to hurt Miletich with strikes. In fact, his defense was so good that the majority of Shonie's punches and kicks were either blocked or just out right missed. The 33-year-old Miletich brought the match to the ground with a hip toss. Once there he mounted and delivered small punches. Carter was unable to escape as the first round ended there. As the second round started Miletich turned up the heat. From the clinch he delivered a nice elbow-knee combination and also delivered two and three punch combos. After breaking the clinch Miletich delivered a big right hand followed by a high roundhouse that caught Carter flush on the back of the head. He dropped and referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the contest 2:42 into the second round. It was time for the little guys again as Fabiano Iha made is debut at 155 pounds against the second ranked lightweight in the world, Caol Uno. After a great deal of success, Uno fought Jens Pulver at UFC 30 and was defeated in a very close five round fight. Iha opened the fight with a high kick that just missed connecting flush -- it was a sign of things to come. Uno took down Iha, and sat in the explosive Brazilian's guard. Iha immediately started looking for submissions, but the slick ex-Shooto champion wasn't having it. Back on the feet, Iha showed good striking skills and Uno once again took him down, this time with by a single leg. After an armbar attempt by Iha, Uno landed two huge bombs that severely stunned his opponent. The referee stopped the fight 1:49 into the fight and Uno evened his UFC record at 1-1. After a change in the line up, the much-anticipated fight between Vladimir Matyushenko and Yuki Kondo kicked off the main draw. The styles -- Matyushenko a wrestler, Kondo a stand up fighter -- caused many different predictions by fans and pundits alike. As it turned out, the wrestler came out on top. Matyushenko opened with a straight kick that surprised the former King of Pancrase. From there, much of the round was spent with Kondo on his back. Matyushenko controlled Kondo's hips as he sat in the guard and passed to the side. Kondo tried to strike from within his guard, but the open palm strikes did little to fend of the wrestler. Round two proved to be boring. After a huge double leg takedown by Matyushenko, he sat in Kondo's guard the majority of the round. After winning the first two rounds, Matyushenko opened with a huge straight kick to Kondo's stomach that stunned the tough Japanese fighter. From there Matyushenko proceeded to sit in Kondo's guard, doing little while there. After three full rounds Matyushenko earned a unanimous decision as judges Tony Mullinax and Eddie Andujar scored the fight 30-27 and judge Doug Crosby scored it 30-26. Hometown boy Ricco Rodriguez returned to the New York area as he faced Andrei Arlovski in the second prelim of the evening. Rodriguez - who had been stripped just a couple weeks earlier of his King of the Cage heavyweight title because he took this fight - came into the ring with enormous pressure. Arlovski, still a relative unknown despite a victory over Aaron Brink at UFC 28, came in looking for his second victory in UFC competition. Both men circled to open the fight, and after clinching against the fence Rodriguez slammed Arlovski with a huge double-leg takedown. Back on the feet Arlovski was effective with hand strikes as he made Rodriguez look off balance. After another solid shot by Arlovski, Rodriguez pulled him into his guard. Rodriguez quickly reversed position and punched from the half guard. Rodriguez then went for a kneebar and nearly got it. Orolvski defended well, but was mounted as round one ended. Opening with big punches, Arlovski hurt Rodriguez but couldn't finish him. Rodriguez answered with a one-two combination that drove his opponent to the fence. After taking him down, Rodriguez mounted, controlled the back and remounted as round two ended. Arlovski was visibly tired as round three started and Rodriguez was replenished with his second wind. After two solid rights, Rodriguez took the fight to the mat, controlled the side, mounted and proceeded to rain down punches. Referee Mason White stopped the fight 1:23 of the third round. In the biggest fight of his life, Rodriguez came home and fought the best fight of his life. The first prelim fight kicked off as the crowd still filled in the arena. Tony DeSouza, unshaved and rugged, came in after defeating Steve Berger at UFC 31. His opponent, Paul Rodriguez, was making his Octagon debut, and unfortunately for him it was a short one. As the fight started, both men circled, they clinched and DeSouza pulled Rodriguez down into a front headlock. After controlling position DeSouza, slipped his arm underneath Rodriguez's neck and secured a guillotine choke. Rodriguez tapped out 1:13 into the fight. With the win, DeSouza runs his record to 2-0 in the UFC and adds his name to the heavy pool of fighters vying for Carlos Newton's welterweight title. |
Excitement Builds for UFC Tonight By Josh Gross The time for talk is over. We're less than 10 hours away from UFC 32: SHOWDOWN IN THE MEADOWLANDS officially becoming the largest mixed martial arts event in U.S. history. Official weigh-ins concluded this morning and things ran surprisingly fast. Tito Ortiz and Vladimir Matyushenko were the only two men that had to weigh-in a second time as each was over weight by merely three-quarters of a pound. Both UFC light heavyweight champion Ortiz and the challenger Elvis Sinosic look relaxed and confident. In the end, it looks like Ortiz will once again have a distinct weight advantage. All the talk of Sinosic bulking up proved to be a mute point as he weighed in at an even 200 pounds, however don't expect that to stifle the Aussie's fervor. Here are the official weigh-in tallies as taken by Larry Hazzard and the New Jersey Athletic Control Board: UFC World Light Heavyweight Championship -- 5 Rounds Tito "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Ortiz 6' 2" 205lbs 26-years-old UFC Record: 6-2 Born/Resides: Huntington Beach, California Elvis "The King of Rock 'n Rumble" Sinosic 6' 3" 200lbs 30-years-old UFC Record: 1-0 Born: Canberra, Australia Resides: Sydney, Australia Lightweight Bout -- 3 Rounds Din "The Dominator" Thomas 5' 10" 155lbs 24-years-old UFC Debut Born: Wilmington, Delaware Resides: Orlando, Florida BJ "The Prodigy" Penn 5' 9" 154lbs 22-years-old UFC Record: 1-0 Born: Kailua, Hawaii Resides: Wainaku, Hilo, Hawaii Heavyweight Bout -- 3 Rounds Josh "The Baby Faced Assassin" Barnett 6' 3" 257lbs 23-years-old UFC Record: 1-1 Born/Resides: Seattle, Washington Semmy Schilt 6' 10" 261lbs 27-years-old UFC Record: 1-0 Born: Rotterdam, Holland Resides: Zuidlaren, Holland Welterweight Bout -- 3 Rounds Pat "The Croatian Sensation" Miletich 5' 10" 170lbs 33-years-old UFC Record: 7-1 Born: Davenport, Iowa Resides: Bettendorf, Iowa Shonie "Mr. International" Carter 6' 169lbs 29-years-old UFC Record: 3-1 Born/Resides: Chicago, Illinois Lightweight Bout -- 3 Rounds Caol "Uno Shoten" Uno 5' 7" 154lbs 26-years-old UFC Record: 0-1 Born/Resides: Kanagawa, Japan Fabiano Iha 5' 8" 155lbs 30-years-old UFC Record: 3-2 Born: Santa Catarina, Brazil Resides: Huntington Beach, California Light Heavyweight Bout -- 3 Rounds Yuki Kondo 5' 11" 201lbs 25-years-old UFC Record: 1-1 Born: Niigata, Japan Resides: Tokyo, Japan Vladimir "The Janitor" Matyushenko 6' 205lbs 30-years-old UFC Debut Born: Belarus Resides: Los Angeles, California Heavyweight Bout -- 3 Rounds Ricco "Pretty Boy" Rodriguez 6' 3" 245lbs 23-years-old UFC Debut Born: Staten Island, New York Resides: Phoenix, Arizona Andrei Arlovski 6' 3" 237lbs 22-years-old UFC Record: 1-0 Born/Resides: Minsk, Belarus Welterweight Bout -- 3 Rounds Tony Desouza 6' 169lbs 26-years-old UFC Record: 1-0 Born: Lima, Peru Resides: Las Vegas, Nevada Paul Rodriguez 5' 7" 168lbs 26-years-old UFC Debut Born: San Antonio, Texas Resides: Orlando, Florida |
Din "The Dominator" Thomas By Josh Gross Din Thomas makes his UFC debut Friday night. It's been a long road traveled for the third ranked fighter in the lightweight division. Thomas has not been defeated since losing to Kaoru Uno in September of '99 and hopes to continue his streak as he faces the incredibly skilled BJ Penn. Thomas, despite a better record against tougher competition, comes in a slight underdog. Full Contact Fighter caught up with Thomas as he kicked back after the press conference at the ESPN Sportszone on Thursday. Full Contact Fighter: Din, tell us a little about how you became involved in fighting. Din Thomas: Well, I always considered myself a pretty good athlete. I saw the UFC on TV, so that was just something I wanted to get into at the time and I did. FCF: Were you involved in any others sports before you became involved in fighting? DT: No, not really I was a late bloomer I guess. I didn't really fit in with team sports, and I wouldn't wrestle because of the singlet, but now that the UFC came around I'm wearing these little tight shorts. FCF: What about wearing shorts like Tito does? DT: I don't care now; I'll wear whatever. I just had a complex growing up because I was really skinny. I'm still skinny, but it doesn't matter now. FCF: When did you stop being so skinny that you didn't mind it anymore? DT: I was about the same size since high school. Well, I might have gained 20 pounds since then. I think I started growing maybe about four-years-ago. I'm a natural 155er, and my strength has just increased every year. I kept the same weight, so I've been able to take advantage on most 155 pounders out there because of that. FCF: Do you find it a problem to fight guys that cut weight and then put it back on before the fight? DT: No, I'm used to sparring with a lot heavier guys. When I box I go against mostly heavyweights. When I wrestle most of the guys are bigger than me anyway, so I'm used to it. FCF: Tell me about BJ Penn as an opponent and what problems you think he could present for you. DT: I don't know. To me there's nothing to know about him. I mean, he's a good jiu-jitsu guy, but he hasn't really been tested. He's got a lot of hype so that may be the only problem. Besides that it's hard to say because he hasn't really been tested in a fight yet. FCF: How much do his jiu-jitsu skills concern you? DT: I'm definitely aware of his strong jiu-jitsu background. He folded up one of my partners. I'm a little bit stronger than the guy he folded up. So, I'll tell you what, I'm not going to roll over for him like my boy did. I'm going to go out and go at him. FCF: What can the fans expect from you Friday night? DT: It will be the Din Thomas show, that's all I can say. I'm going out to bang and that's all I can do. |
Elvis Sinosic By Josh Gross Elvis Sinosic returns to the UFC for the first time since defeating former number one contender Jeremy Horn last February by submission. The win gave him the opportunity to be matched against UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz for a chance at the belt. The Australian native has trained full-time for the first time in his career, and will need every thing to go his way if he is to defeat Ortiz. Well spoken and easy going, Sinosic doesn't seem like much of a threat outside the ring, but as Horn and Frank Shamrock found out first hand, looks can be deceiving. Sinosic and Ortiz face each other in the main event Friday night in the Continental Airlines Arena. Full Contact Fighter: Elvis, first off tell me your feelings on the huge announcement made today about the UFC returning to cable television. Elvis Sinosic: Oh, It's absolutely fantastic. I've always said that since Zuffa took over it's not a matter of if, it was a matter of when. They go the New Jersey athletic commission to sanction it and you knew in the back of your mind that these guys were serious. Nevada was next, and you knew when they were done chasing Nevada the other commissions would be next. You also knew that in time it was going to be back in cable. The thing is they're hitting the cable here in the US but a lot of people don't realize that they're talking to cable overseas. They're talking to cable Australia and I believe the next show will be live there. I believe they're talking to the UK and Europe. This is an international event that deserves to be shown throughout the world and since they've come in that's been their goal since the first day they walked in. They're getting the best fighters in the world, so if you're bringing the best guys here then it should be showing everyone in the world these fights. FCF: You've come from smaller shows and are now fighting in the largest show ever in the US. What are you thoughts on that? ES: It's a matter of progress, that's what it's about. That's how the sport should be run. You work your way up in the smaller shows and get into the bigger shows. The fighters no longer jump straight into the UFC for a first-time experience. The people here are fighting their debut in the UFC, but they have so many accolades behind them and fights under their belt. That's the way it should be. The UFC is the premiere mixed martial arts event in the world, and to have the premiere fighters they have to have the experience. FCF: This is the first time you've really had the opportunity to train full-time for a fight. As we sit here on the eve of the fight, do you notice a difference now than how you normally feel? ES: Physically I'm a lot fitter. I've always believed a lot in myself. My biggest strength has always been mental preparation, but with the extra time I'm even more mentally prepared. I've had more time to research my opponent, more time to train. When you feel stronger physically you feel stronger mentally. So, yeah, I can feel the difference. FCF: This is the first time Tito doesn't really have a noticeable size advantage. He's taken advantage of that in the past, how do you think it will play out this time? ES: I'm a little taller, Tito's still a bit bigger. He's still going to have a five- to 10-pound weight advantage. But, as I said before, I used to fight in the open class so for me to complain about a 10 pound disadvantage is a not an issue. The reason I did drop down to this weight class is because 60 pounds is just getting ridiculous. If right now I'm worried about 10 or 15 pounds, then I've already set myself back for the fight. All I'm thinking about is going out and doing my best. FCF: You are an underdog in this fight, yet a lot of the fans seem to think you have a really good shot at winning. What do you think they see, that the odds makers don't? ES: Realistically, Tito should have the odds on him. He's the champion and does hold that belt. When you hold the belt there is usually a good reason for it. I think the fans support me because they've seen what I can do on short notice, and they believe the training will make a difference. I believe their desire to support me is because I'm one of the fans. They can really relate to me and that inspires them I think. It shows the normal guy can go out there and fight the best in the world, and it gives them hope. They can achieve their goals and that's what I tell people out there. You believe in yourself, make an effort and you can do anything. |
Josh Barnett By Josh Gross Returning to UFC action since his brutal KO loss to Pedro Rizzo, Josh Barnett faces mammoth Dutch fighter Semmy Schilt. No stranger to nearly seven-foot fighters -- Barnett defeated 6'11" Gan McGee at UFC 28 -- he needs a win over Schilt in order to be considered among the top heavyweights in line for a title shot in the UFC. At only 24 years of age, Barnett has faced and beaten some of the top fighters in the division. He appears to have taken the fight seriously, as evident by his new streamlined body. Full Contact Fighter caught up with him after the rules meeting on Thursday night. Full Contact Fighter: Talk a little about your training. You appear to be in the best shape of your career Josh Barnett: It was the same training as always, and I kept the same diet. I lost six-and-a-half-percent body fat when I fought Pedro (Rizzo.) I just kept on with the same routine and the same regimen. I'm still lifting four days a week and that has turned everything around. FCF: What do you account for the change in your body appearance? JB: I'm sure people would like to think it's the constant badgering and belittling, but in all honesty it was my own thing. I've always been working to get lighter and look better. As far as I'm concerned it's about image too. It's a personal choice, I always wanted to look better anyways. FCF: Your opponent, Semmy Schilt, is extremely unorthodox because he's nearly seven-feet tall. How will his size impact your fight? JB: Well, if he throws a front kick and misses he could still knock out my corner man. You just have to work with what's given to you. I know he's really tall, but it's not the first time someone's fought a guy with a reach advantage. FCF: In your last appearance in the UFC you fought and lost to Pedro Rizzo. You made an effort to stand with him, do you think you'll do the same this time around with another kickboxer, Schilt? JB: With Pedro the opportunities were there, and if the opportunities are there again I'm going to unload on him. He's not going to like it. Overall though, I just expect to go out there, win the fight and impose my will. FCF: What do you think about the possibility if you taking him down and submitting him? JB: I think his ground skill are fairly good. They have to be in order to be the King of Pancrase. I believe that, like I said, whatever he gives me or doesn't give me I'm going to take from him. |
Saturday - June 30, 2001 |
From the event's promoter: MMA Returns to Evansville, Indiana On Saturday July 14th, The Evansville Memorial Coliseum will once again play host Evansville's own HOOKnSHOOT. "EEEEEEEYYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" HnS promoter Jeff Osborne is screaming again! "We've had over 30 shows now and it amazes me how we can just keep getting better. Really it is all due to the fighters and we have some great guys fighting on this card." continues Osborne. TITLES ON THE LINE: PLUS THE RETURN OF AARON RILEY!!! Headlining the event are a pair of HOOKnSHOOT Championship bouts that promise to be spectacular. On track for the Light Heavyweight title is up and coming Curtis Stout, who is coming off of a brutal KO victory in his last HOOKnSHOOT performance. He is contesting for the belt against champion John "The Saint" Renken. Renken is a mainstay in the Midwest scene and is one of the most experienced fighters in the game. This will be a match of striking prowess and athleticism vs. ring savvy andsubmission faculity. If that wasn't enough, young gun Yves Edwards and Aaron Riley are scheduled to square off in the Main Event for the HOOKnSHOOT Middleweight title. This is a highly anticipated match, because the champion Riley is returning to HOOKnSHOOT to defend his title for the first time in nearly one year. One of HnS brightest stars, Riley has been training at AMC Pankration ever since, and should come back with more polished skills. There is also the history between these two men. Yves Edwards needs no introduction to the Evansville crowd, as he has eanred numerous victories in impressive style in Evansville. Yves also defeated Aaron at HOOKnSHOOT "Texas Heat" for the Submission-Fighting title that Aaron held at the time (October 1999). Looking for smoking guns as both of these men like to bang with both barrels, Riley looking for a little revenge, and Edwards looking to add another belt to his collection. The event will showcase 8 other exciting bouts leading up to these feature matches. Included in this the "Battle of Spaniards", which is expected to be one of the most highly skilled matches in HnS history, AMC Pankration student and native of Chile, Ivan Salaverri, will face-off against Manuel Garcia from Austrias, Spain. Garcia is an Abu Dhabi 2000 veteran, and has extensive Vale Tudo training with the Ruas Vale Tudo Team. He hold Vale Tudo titles in every weight class in Spain and is looking to test himself internationally - and HOOKnSHOOT is the place! "We will be back on September 29th as well" concludes Osborne, "but we are eagerly anticipating SHOWDOWN first". COMPLETE CARD (Subject to Change): HOOKNSHOOT TITLE BOUTS (3 Rounds): (Middleweight HnS TITLE MATCH) (Lightheavyweight HnS TITLE MATCH) HOOKnSHOOT MATCHES: (187 lbs) 3 round match: 2 round matches: |
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