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| Saturday - November 2, 2002 |
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King Of The Cage: Sudden Impact Held November 1, 2002 at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada
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| Sunday - November 3, 2002 |
Carlson Gracie black belt and UFC veteran Amaury Bitetti takes his prestige into yet another venture: Promoting! Alongside co-promoter Conrado, Amaury is using his name and know-how to bring the sport of NHB to Brazil's Northeast, a region known for beautiful beaches and that has being developing some great NHB fighters. Names like Rodrigo and Rogerio Nogueira, Jorge Navalhada and Assuerio Silva, among others, were all born in cities located in the Northeast of the country. The event will be held on November 28th, in the gorgeous city of Natal, the capital of Brazil's Rio Grande do Norte state, at the Machadao gymnasium, a facility that holds more than 10,000 spectators. 
The promoters expect a packed house with the ever-growing interest for NHB in the city. BITETTI COMBAT NORDESTE will be the freshman outing of an event that has plans to take place other Brazilian cities in the future, and it will deliver an 8-fight card, with a mix of some seasoned veterans and newcomers. Promoters are working hard and promise a great production for the event. Brazilian cable channel Sportv will cover the event. FCF plans to be there as well delivering you all the action! Keep checking our page as we'll release more news about the event in the coming days. Here is the event's card:
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By Loretta Hunt Photographs by Keith Mills Reality Fighting 2 made a dignified showing for the sport of mixed martial arts last night, as 700 fans converged on the Wildwood Convention Center in New Jersey for an evening of combative arts action. The show was a success on two levels -- giving 24 MMA athletes the opportunity to compete in fairly matched bouts in a well-constructed environment. RF2 was also a positive (and honest) portrayal of the sport for the ESPN crews that came to observe the show. Finishing up its coverage of the sport for an hour-long episode of the popular show Outside the Lines to air December 5th, ESPN has taken the last year to observe MMA and its intricacies. Promoter Kipp Kollar, an avid MMA proponent on the East Coast, has been involved with the sport for years, supporting its growth from many angles. As president of NAGA, Kollar has put on numerous grappling events throughout the country, has worked as a referee at local shows and most recently the UFC, and has even gotten into the ring to fight a few times. 
The Results: 10-Minute MMA Bouts
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| Monday - November 4, 2002 |
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From John Petrilli (RITC): Let's Get It On, Casa Grande Pinal County - Parks, Recreation & Fairgrounds 11 MC Road Casa Grande, Arizona Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM Come on Phoenix & Tucson, make the one hour drive and support this show. There will be a pre-fight party the day BEFORE the event (Friday, Nov 8 at 8 PM at Famous Sams Casa Grande). There will also be a HUGE post-fight party hosted by Famous Sams in Casa Grande on Nov 9. Main Event: Andy Montana (225 lbs), Asher Combat Academy vs Wayland Berry (255 lbs), Brausa Academy Super Fights: RJ Gamez (175 lbs), Asher Combat Academy vs Robert Maldonado (170 lbs), Tucson Judo Shannon Ritch (170 lbs), Coolige, Arizona vs TBA Steve Castillo (220 lbs), Asher Combat Academy vs Jed Hunt (300 lbs), Brausa Academy Also: Roger Mejia (200 lbs), Asher Combat Academy vs Kenny Johnson (200 lbs), Brausa Academy Carlos Ortega (154 lbs), Asher Combat Academy vs Brittish Pena (145 lbs), Brausa Academy Fighters from Pinal Martial Arts Academy will also be on the card. There will be 12 fights (the AZ Commission limit). Fight Card subject to change. Tickets are available in advance at Asher Combat Academy or at the door the night of the show until sold out. Tickets prices are $15 and $20. Asher Combat Academy 595 W. Cottonwood Casa Grande, AZ (520) 431-2993 or e-mail: combat@cgmailbox.com For more information, please visit www.rageinthecage.com Here are the directions for those traveling from Phoenix or Tucson for the event. Take I-10 to Exit 194 Head East on 287 away from CG for 7 miles Turn right on 11 Mile Corner Rd and you're there |
| Tuesday - November 5, 2002 |
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In a surprising turn of events, despite the upcoming K-1 Grand Prix, DSE signed their Heavyweight Champion Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira to face off against Dutch fighter and K-1 contender Semmy Schilt at PRIDE 23! The fight isn't set to be a title fight, since Minotauro will wait until PRIDE 24 in December to defend his title against the winner of the likely PRIDE 23 bout between Emelianenko Fedor and Heath Herring. Minotauro has already been training to be in fighting shape for a good while now, and Semmy Schilt will be an interesting opponent after his latest K-1 performances. Now the Tokyo Dome ring will play host to the two PRIDE champions, in addition to other exciting matches like Ricardo Arona vs. Murilo Ninja and Don Frye vs. Hidehiko Yoshida, so we'll have to just wait and see what other surprises have yet to be revealed for the PRIDE 23 card! FCF will keep an eye on the developments. |
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From the event's promoter: ESPN "Outside the Lines" will be filming fights and interviewing fighters and fans alike at The SportFighting Championships, Saturday, November 9th at Marist High School in Bayonne, New Jersey. The show is set to air in December of 2002 and include highlights of various "minor-league" MMA promotions. Special Thanks to Full Contact Fighter's own, Loretta Hunt, for hooking the producers of ESPN, "Outside the Lines" with us. Please visit: http://www.FCFighter.com or grab the latest issue of Full Contact Fighter to read interviews and articles from someone who really tries to help the sport grow. Thanks again Loretta! We have a tremendous fight card (see the fight card at: http://www.Grapplers.com) planned and look forward to representing the sport of Mixed Martial Arts the way it should be. Come out and support us and the sport of MMA!!! See you all this Saturday! Sincerely, Brian Cimins President@Grapplers.com - SportFighting - Weidler vs. Colangelo Come join us, this Saturday, November 9th at Marist High School (1241 Kennedy Blvd.) in Bayonne, New Jersey for the debut of The SportFighting Championships: Bragging Rights. The main event of the evening is Hybrid Elite co-founder, JON WEIDLER taking on Renzo Gracie standout and UCC Veteran, MARK COLANGELO. The Hybrid Elite/Renzo Gracie competitive rivalry has been raging for 3 years now. This is sure to be an action packed match... don't miss it! Complete Card with Fight Order and Corner Assignments (BLUE CORNER FIGHTERS ON LEFT, enters first, RED CORNER ON RIGHT, enters second):
Tickets will be for sale at-the-door (cash-only) for $30 for General Admission and $50 for Ringside Seating. We only have 19 more Ringside Seats available and plenty of General Admission Tickets. Please come early to guarantee the best seats in the house. SportFighting Championships: Bragging Rights Saturday, November 9th, 2002 Marist High School 1241 Kennedy Blvd. Bayonne, NJ For Door-To-Door directions, go to: Mapquest For more information on upcoming Grapplers Quest, SportFighting, and BJJ events, please visit: http://www.Grapplers.com See you all this Saturday! Sincerely, Brian Cimins SportFighting Promoter President@Grapplers.com P.S. WANT TO FIGHT? Send us your resumes for consideration for future SportFighting cards to: president@grapplers.com |
| Wednesday - November 6, 2002 |
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The Brazilian Beat: What better way to start the month of November with the country's biggest NHB event? MECA 7 will kick off a month that comes promising lots of NHB action, with two events in Brazil, MECA 7 and Bitetti Combat, plus probably the year's two biggest shows abroad, PRIDE 23 and UFC 40! As always, Brazilian fighters are a big part of it, things couldn't be more heated in the last few days on the Brazilian NHB scene. Since "The Beat" is leaving soon to Curitiba to bring you all the action of MECA 7, we'll make this text short but leave you with the latest from behind the scenes in the home of the two PRIDE champions, as we bring you Rizzo's recovery, Belfort's new team, all the heat between Ninja and Arona, and more! Catch the rhythm and enjoy the beat, as we're already flying away...
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Give Us Your Thoughts... Fan Report card and UFC 40 & WFA 3 Predictions This month we ask you, the fans of our great sport, to grade the MMA promotions. What is your favorite and least favorite MMA promotion and why? Also, we'd like you to pick who you think will win at UFC & WFA later this month. The results of the survey and some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF. Click here to take the survey |
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From DSE/Pride: PRIDE.23 DATE: November 24th, 2002 OPEN: 3:00 PM START 5:00 PM PLACE: Tokyo Dome, Japan (Aichi-Pref, Japan) MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT Wanderlei Silva vs. Mitsuhiro Kanehara HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATION BOUT Heath Herring vs. Emelianenko Fedor Don Frye vs. Hidehiko Yoshida Nobuhiko Takada vs. Kiyoshi Tamura Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Ricardo Arona Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogeuira vs. Semmy Schilt Kevin Randleman vs. Kenichi Yamamoto Jerrel Venetiaan vs. Hirotaka Yokoi Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Gilles Arsene |
| Thursday - November 7, 2002 |
From the event's promoter: WFA: LEVEL 3 FEATHERWEIGHT ACTION HEATING UP RISING STAR JEFF CURRAN TO REPLACE INJURED NIGEL HUDSON (Las Vegas, Nevada, November 7th) Jeff Curran, one of the rising hottest featherweight stars in mixed martial arts today, will now face local Las Vegas fighter Todd Lally at the World Fighting Alliance's highly-anticipated Novermber 23rd show. Stepping in to replace Nigel Hudson, Curran brings a solid game and a mean left hook to the WFA cage - as exhibited by his brutal KO of Hawaiian stud Barett Yoshida at a recent Superbrawl/ UCC event. A brown belt under Pedro Sauer, Curran's winning streak will surely be tested by talented Lewis/Pederneiras Vale Tudo fighter Lally. The rest of the card remains stacked with top talent. Add to this mix: the ladies, the lights and sounds you'd find in any hot nightclub, and you've got the makings of a night to remember! See these two promising competitors battle it out! Get your tickets NOW by purchasing them directly through the Aladdin Resort & Casino's box office (877-333-9474) and through all Ticketmaster locations (702-474-4000 or www.ticketmaster.com). Ticket prices range from $30, $50, $60, $100, $150, and $200. Check out www.wfa.tv for a detailed seating chart and for the latest news and updates. For additional event information, please contact: Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions at paularromero@yahoo.com |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: Friday, November 22, Live Pay-Per-View Fight Features Defending Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz Vs. Legend Ken Shamrock at the MGM Grand New York, November 7, 2002 -Joe Rogan, the well-known host of NBC's Fear Factor, is joining Ultimate Fighting Championship 40: Vendetta at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Friday, November 22 as color commentator. The live pay-per-view event is attracting significant media attention due to the main event: a super-fight between the brash defending light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and the returning hard-core legend, Ken Shamrock. UFC40: Vendetta starts live at 10:00 P.M. (EST) Rogan is most closely associated with his hosting duties for the immensely popular prime time reality series, Fear Factor and his starring role on NBC's hit comedy series, NewsRadio where he played Joe Garelli, the resident electrician at WNYX Radio. He also recently released a groundbreaking debut comedy album on Warner Bros. Records titled "I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday." What fans may not know is Rogan's life-long passion for martial arts and specifically Ultimate Fighting Championship's mixed martial arts' blend of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and karate. Rogan earned a black belt at 15 with just two years of training. Soon he became the Massachusetts full contact tae kwon do champion four consecutive times. By the age of 19, he won the U.S. Open Tae Kwon Do Championship, and as the lightweight champion, he went on to beat both the middle and heavyweight title-holder to take home the Grand Championship. "Fans of the UFC know Joe is a regular at our events. So when I asked him to be the color commentator for UFC40 with Ken and Tito in the main event, I didn't know if he could do it with his busy schedule. But I knew with all of his experience, he was the right man, "said Dana White, president of the UFC. "Joe and I have become friends over the years and his intimacy with the sport and his knowledge of the fighters is going to be a huge benefit for the viewers at home." "I'm excited to give the fans the information that I think will provide some perspective on this big event," said Rogan. "I'm fortunate to know more than the average guy about the athletes' backgrounds, the training required leading up to the event and the rules of mixed martial arts. It will be very cool to have that direct connection with the fans." |
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From John Murphy: The Smashing Machine -- on HBO THE SMASHING MACHINE will premiere on HBO on January 12 as part of their America Undercover series. The film chronicles the life and struggles of Ultimate Fighting champion Mark Kerr who was dubbed The Smashing Machine. The film examines the man and the controversial banned-in-the-USA sport. No holds barred fighting (NHB) has existed throughout history as one of the purest forms of human competition. NHB fighting emerged in the U.S. in 1993 in the form of The Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). Although met with huge pay-per-view success, the UFC was eventually dropped from all cable networks and banned in forty-six states because of the graphic nature of the fights, as well as political opposition. Mark "The Smashing Machine" Kerr made his way through the ranks of amateur wrestling. He was the 1992 NCAA wrestling champion, a national freestyle wrestling champion, and a 1996 Olympic team member. In 1996, due to the financial limitations of his sport, Kerr moved into the far more lucrative world of professional fighting. When the film begins, Kerr is the number one ranked fighter in the world. His success has brought him money, international fame, and a full-blown addiction to painkillers. The film chronicles Kerr's struggles as he battles demons both inside and outside the ring, including a confrontation with his former friend and mentor, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman. The Smashing Machine brings the viewer face to face with one of the most dangerous men in the world in one of the most brutal sports in the world. Are these men violent monsters with a penchant for hurting other people? Or are they skilled athletes functioning at the highest level of their chosen sport? |
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New Faces Looking to Take Old Places By Eduardo Alonso Probably the most important role MECA World Vale Tudo has been playing since its first edition back in May of 2000 is to develop and expose new fighters to the NHB world. Current stars of the sport like Chute Boxe fighters Murilo Ninja Rua and Anderson Silva all made their debuts and made the first, and so important, steps of their careers at the Brazilian event. Other international level fighters like Chute Boxe heavyweight Assuerio Silva, Ruas Vale Tudo fighter Gustavo Ximu, Brazilian Top Team future star Fabio Mello, Macaco's training partner Luis Azeredo, among others, had in MECA a crucial step in their careers. This is, without a doubt, the biggest service this more than two years old event did to the sport of NHB and its fans. However, this is not all and MECA also brought some famous names to square off in the ring every now and then, like PRIDE superstar Vanderlei Silva, NHB legend Pele Landi, UFC veteran Jorge Macaco Patino, Seasoned veteran Carlos Barreto and K-1 winner Nilson de Castro to name a few. With this mix of newcomers and experienced veterans, MECA World Vale Tudo found the right recipe to attract an ever growing attention from the Brazilian fans, and easily established itself as the countries most important event, in days where fighting events have become so rare. In its seventh edition promoters Rudimar Fedrigo and Jorge Guimaraes had to struggle with all sorts of backstage problems, from Sportv's constant change of available dates and plans, to a limited budget to work with passing through the back down of major sponsors. However, none of those facts prevented them to bring a night of pure NHB action to the always hunger Brazilian fans in a nine fights fighting card. The result of the event promoter's work is obvious: Success. If you have ever been to more than a MECA event you'll visibly notice the improvement they manage to make from one event to the next one, and this is the showing of the continuous work put through this 2 and half years and the credibility they acquired by always treating fighters, press and fans well. MECA 7 will play a crucial factor in the event's history, since due to the mentioned problems above, the card doesn't bring the same number of stars as in the last edition, however it has the potential to be even more exciting as the bet was made on the young guns. With that said, write down some of the names on this fighting card, because just like the likes of Ninja and Anderson Silva in the past, you may see some of those new faces taking old places sooner than you expect... Click here to continue the MECA preview |
| Friday - November 8, 2002 |
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From the event's promoter: WORLD FIGHTING ALLIANCE: LEVEL 3 CARD DOESN'T SKIP A BEAT HALLMAN STEPS IN FOR INJURED MILETICH TRIGG READY TO ROCK! (Las Vegas, November 8, 2002) With November 23rd drawing near, the World Fighting Alliance has been working on overdrive to bring fans the very best in mixed martial arts entertainment. Returning to Las Vegas, WFA: Level III event promises even more electrifying sights and sounds, this time at the beautiful Aladdin Hotel & Casino's 5,000-seat venue. Matchmaker and co-promoter John Lewis has held fast to his commitment of assembling the best fight card possible. The fans have spoken and the WFA has answered...the WFA is proud to welcome Dennis "Superman" Hallman to its ranks of ever-growing stable of impressive fighters. Doing battle where "The Fight Club Meets the Nightclub," Hallman will meet Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg in the WFA cage for the Welterweight Title bout. The winner will face Pat Miletich at WFA: Level IV show. Miletich will be ringside to commentate for the match and to gaze upon his next opponent...whoever he may be. The quest for the undisputed welterweight champion has begun! Dennis Hallman, representing Team Quest/Victory Athletics, is known throughout the world for his phenomenal submission skills. A high school state wrestling champion, his experience clearly shines through with a MMA record of 43-5-0-2. He's caught number-one world ranked welterweight and current UFC champion Matt Hughes in his slippery holds-- not once, but twice. This makes him a deadly opponent for anyone on the ground. Fresh off an explosive submission victory (what else!) at KOTC, Hallman says he is ready to take his world-class wrestling adversary on. "Trigg's a big, tough guy that's beaten up a lot of submission guys. When big, giant scary guys come after you, you have to fight full blast. I usually do well in these types of situations." Rolling with the punches, Frank Trigg says, "I don't have a problem fighting anybody. I'm ready to rock and roll." Just what are the RAW fighter's thoughts on taking on Superman Hallman? "Honestly, I don't know anything about this cat, but I don't really need to." With top-notch takedown skills and "ground and pound" perfection, could Hallman's days be numbered? Pat Miletich, recovering from two bulged disks and a herniated one all in his neck, has his own thoughts on these two contenders. "Hallman is a lot stronger than he looks and he's a very, very good submission guy. Trigg better be careful, because at any time, Hallman can get something on him. Trigg will most likely have Hallman on his back and will be rifling that left hand at him, so he could do plenty of damage himself. I think it's a phenomenal fight." Any preference to which warrior he'd like to meet for the coveted title? "Either or is fine with me. They've both had bad things to say about our gym, so whatever happens, happens." Fifteen days to go and counting! Get your tickets NOW by purchasing them directly through the Aladdin Resort & Casino's box office (877-333-9474) and through all Ticketmaster locations (702-474-4000 or www.ticketmaster.com). Ticket prices range from $30, $50, $60, $100, $150, and $200 (18 years of age and over). Visit www.WFA.tv, the official web site of the world's hottest MMA experience, for the latest news and updates. For additional event information, please contact: Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions at paularromero@yahoo.com. |
 MECA 7 is About to Take Curitiba by Storm! By Eduardo Alonso The seventh edition of MECA World Vale Tudo is finally set to go today in Curitiba. In a card that brings some tough veterans, but most of all bet all its tips on talented newcomers, the heat couldn't be getting hotter in the cold weather of Curitiba. Yesterday, at 6 PM Brazilian Time the weigh-ins were held and the rules meeting took place right after it at the Caravelle Palace Hotel. For this event the promoters wanted to emphasize on fair match-ups, therefore athletes who weighed a considerable amount of weight more than their opponents were force to drop weight in order to fight. This was the case with Brazilian Top Team member Haroldo "Cabelinho" Bunn, who weighed 3Kg above his division, and managed to lose those 3 extra Kilos to face Claudionor Fontinelli. Generally all the fighters were able to make weight without any problems, therefore no fight will see the enforcement of the "10 kg differential rule" that would prevent knees and kicks on the ground, so MECA is set to go in pure NHB style in all of its matches. Luta-Livre legend Eugenio Tadeu will be one of the referees for the event, as well as the "Axe Murderer" Vanderlei Silva who wants nothing but action, as he told FCF with a typical grin on his face "I will be the referee for some of the fights, and you all can get tranquil cause the action is guaranteed!"
All in all MECA 7 is bound to yet again deliver some interesting NHB action, and the rivalries set for tonight's show are likely to compensate the lack of big names on the card. At 9 PM Brazilian Time tonight, at the Crystal Palace in Curitiba, fans will be treated to a great night of fights, live on Brazilian Pay per view, with lots of bad blood going on and several new stars of the sport will be born! Wait and see 'cause FCF will be there and deliver you all the action. |
Cristiano vs. Jadson
Urutum vs. Cyborg
Nilson de Castro| Saturday - November 9, 2002 |
From the event's promoter: "Battle for the Belts" Live Tonight! (Saturday) For the first time in history an MMA show will be shown live and uncut over the internet with a quality rivaling television! On Saturday, November 9, thousand of fans will pack the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii to witness 9 powerhouse bouts. You can pull up a ringside seat live, via http://www.superbrawltv.com/ and join them. This Super Brawl will have a co-main event rivaling the "big shows" of today. UFC and Pancrase veteran, "Mr. International", Shonie Carter will do battle with Hawaiian sensation Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun. Jhun will be testing the waters at his new fighting weight of 170lbs. "The Chin of Steel" Cabbage will slug it out with Tedd Williams Combat Grappler and California phenom, Jason Lambert for the first ever Super Brawl Heavyweight Championship belt. Plus 5 undercard bouts with fighters like Jutaro Nakao, Niko Vitale and Kolo Koka. All this for just $7.95! Logon to http://www.superbrawltv.com/ Not only will you get to watch the live netcast, you can also watch the event "on demand" for the next 30 days! As well as dozens of hours of past Super Brawl fights including fighters like, Frank Shamrock, Pat Miletich, Josh Barnett, Heath Herring, Ricco Rodrigues, Ring Girls and much, much more! That’s right…..All this for just $7.95! And the quality is outstanding! "I was amazed! I hooked my desktop up to my bigscreen and watched it like any other pay-per-view." Super Brawl fan Andrew Riehle after watching the Super Brawl 26 delayed netcast. Live Showtimes:
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From the event's promoter: BRAGGING RIGHTS Featuring the Main Event of the Evening: Jon Weidler, Hybrid Elite vs. Mark Colangelo, Team Renzo Gracie Event Info: SportFighting I: Bragging Rights Seating Starts at 5:30 PM, Event Starts at 7:00 PM Saturday, November 9th, 2002 Marist High School 1241 Kennedy Blvd. Bayonne, NJ For directions, go to: http://www.MapQuest.com MASS TRANSIT: Take Path or NJ Transit to Journal Square Station. Take the Trans Hudson Express bus # 10 (on platform D1) to Kennedy Blvd. & 57th St. Marist is less than one block away on Kennedy Blvd. Plenty of Seating Available ($30 General Admission, $50 Ringside - Cash Only is accepted as payment)...come early to ensure the best seat in the house! For the complete card, go to: http://www.grapplers.com/zone/news.cfm?#213 Don't forget to join us tonight, Saturday, November 9th at The SportFighting After-Party at Hennessy's (36 Newark St.) in Hoboken, New Jersey. Located next to River Street Night Club (on River Street) and Cadallic Bar/Clam Broth House. |
| Sunday - November 10, 2002 |
The New Kid On the Block By Jim Genia (November 9th, Bayonne, New Jersey) There's a new kid on the block in mixed martial arts, and its name is SportFighting. Promoter Brian Cimins pulled out all the stops for his debut venture into closed-fist competition, and the result was a night of some very entertaining fights. There were upwards of seven hundred people in the audience cheering on as the local fighters battled it out, and rounding out the experience was a roving ESPN television crew and a brief cameo by UFC Heavyweight Champ Ricco Rodriguez and UFC veteran Ricardo Almeida. In the ring and out, Sportfighting was a success. Highlights of some on the action in the ring included: Combined Martial Arts middleweight representative Mark Papadimitriou suplexing Rich Latta of Team Renzo/Hatfield Martial Arts, then pulling off an elbow-dislocating shoulder throw to secure the win; the stand-up war between featherweights Mike Acosta of Yamasaki Jiu-Jitsu and Deividas Taurosevicvs of Professional Karate Academy; and the slick armbar from Team Renzo's Mark Colangelo that forced Team Hybrid Elite bad-ass Jon Weidler to tap out.
The Results:
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Koulikov in Nakapan's guard
Rivera rains down punches|
A packed house of 4,000 spectators and a live pay per view audience witnesses a action packed night of fights, with only one fight out of nine going the distance. At 9 pm Brazilian time the lights went out and music started playing on the arena, it was the sign that MECA 7 was beginning, as it was its pay per view broadcast. 
From Brazilian Top Team members like Mario Sperry, Rodrigo Minotauo and Murilo Bustamante, to Chute Boxe stars like Vanderlei Silva, Murilo Ninja and Anderson Silva, going through famous veterans like Jorge Macaco Patino and Johil de Oliveira, all the Brazilian fighting community were on hand for the show that started with an exhibition fight from two kids from the Chute Boxe school, showing NHB has a great future ahead! It was amazing to see the technique displayed by kids who couldn't be more than 6 years old, and they traded some strikes, worked some takedowns and got the crowd clapping all the time! After that brief exhibition it was the time for the fights to begin, and the fighters intro movies started playing on the two big screens placed in the arena.
The first fight of the night was designed to be a barnburner, matching up two strikers. Gaze came in to the fight as the favorite, and started off by landing some good strikes and getting everybody to think he would take care of his Brazilian Impact Karate opponent. However, after even getting a knockdown on his opponent, Gaze ate a huge punch during one exchange and seemed lost after it. Exchange after exchange Carlinhos started to gain confidence and soon Gaze was doing butt scoots to protect himself, much for his master Luis Alves desperation. In the end Carlinhos was able to do more damage and control most of the fight to earn a fair Judges decsion win after three rounds of fight.
Juan Carneiro came in to this fight willing to show that his loss to Anderson Silva at MECA 6 couldn't be used as a measurement of his skills, and he surely did that! With the Brazilian Top Team in his corner and no personal problems to interfere with his training, Juan started the fight throwing a low kick that made "Esponja" fall to the ground, and got the immediate reaction from the crowd! After a brief exchange the BTT member took his opponent down with ease, and used his superior ground game to land some strikes and get the mount, from where a helpless "Esponja" gave his back only to receive more punishment from a very game Juan Carneiro who got the win by tap out due to strikes still in the first round.
Both fighters are very experienced and tough therefore everybody was expecting a war! The clips of Fontinelly training Muay Thai with Artur Mariano before the fight got the crowd impressed, and everybody was feeling like "Cabelinho" was in for a difficult task. However, Haroldo's skills made the task easy and he was able to impress everybody with a steady game plan and a tight ground game. As the fight started "Cabelinho" immediately took Fontinelli down and quickly proceed to work his Jiu Jitsu techniques to pass the guard and get Claudionor's back, from where he worked on a rear naked choke, finally getting it at 2:47 of the first round. "Cabelinho" is definitely a new fighter after all his training with the BTT and is ready for some new challenges.
A lot of people thought this would be an easy fight for Cristiano, but Jadson proved to be a very tough competitor as he surprised Marcello and the crowd in several stand up exchanges. Jadson was able to take Cristiano Marcello down in some opportunities, from where he worked on landing some punishment with punches and even foot-stomps, getting everybody worried about the Chute Boxe Jiu Jitsu teacher. However, after some punching exchanges, and after another takedown by Jadson, it was Crisitano's Jiu Jitsu that proved superior as he worked on some submissions until finally getting a triangle to secure the win late in the first round.
In one of the best fights of the night Luizao showed himself as a mature fighter with skills, patience and heart to defeat a very tough and game Dave Phillips. Dave has been training Muay Thai at the Chute Boxe academy, and he wasn't afraid to trade strikes and got the support of much of the crowd! However, Luizao showed that he learned a lot from his master Mario Sperry as he displayed a similar style from his master and was able to control the action, even when he found himself in trouble. The fight was very exciting and presented the fans with back and forth moments as Orlando was scoring takedowns and landing punishment, even securing a nice triangle for a good amount of time, while Phillips would fight himself out of positions with heart and give his all in striking. In the end the BTT fighter showed he is probably going to appear in events abroad as he worked from position to position landing very tough strikes to the American fighter who was out on his feet when the first round was over, leaving no option to the doctors but to stop the fight after one round of action.
Titi started the fight impressing everybody, with a good Muay Thai game and also scoring take downs and proceeding to ground and pound. As he started to feel confident it started to seem clear that he would become the winner, however this is why he have the fights! As the fight went on Cristiano started to feel tired and couldn't perform in the same intensity anymore, before he expected he found himself in a nice triangle by Rodrigo "Riscado" who got him the win leaving "Titi" and the Barra Gracie camp lead by Vinicius Draculino disappointed. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Rafael "Capoeira": This was the most exciting fight of the night as both fighters are all about heart. In the begging of the fight "Capoeira" was able to take Ninja's brother down to the gound and smartly avoided the exchanges.
Silvio Urutum came into the fight needing the win badly, and trained hard to achieve it. As the fight started Urutum showed the typical aggression of a Chute Boxe fighter and went right after Cyborg, landing a quick combination of punches. However, Cyborg was able to back down and defend himself, and ended up landing a powerfull counter punch that hit Urutum straight on the chin. It was an instant knockout and after that Silvio didn't even know what was going on. It was very sad for Urutum as he was very well trained, and hopefully he will be back. For Cyborg it was a needed win to give his career a boost, so we will se more of him in the future.
Nilson de Castro has been ready to fight in major events for a good while, as his K-1 win earlier this year clearly showed. Coming to the fight very well trained, the Chute Boxe fighter dominated the action standing up, and showed his trademarked knees much to the desperation of Lucas Lopes. Lucas on the other hand was game and tough, and tried what he could, however Nilson de Castro is on another level at this point, and demolished Lopes both standing and on the ground, hitting him with punching combinations, kicks, foot stomps and knees. After several exchanges and some referee re-starts standing, Nilson de Castro finally got the TKO with some hard punches and brutal stomps to the head in the best Chute Boxe fashion to get the win with around 7 minutes of the first round. For Nilson de Castro the next step may be PRIDE or the UFC, only time will tell. In an event where the focus was to develop new talent, one can say MECA 7 achieved its goal as some future stars of the sport may have been born at the Palacio de Cristal ring in Curitiba, on November 8th of 2002. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua lived to all the hype and presented us with probably the most exciting fight of the night! Brazilian Top Team member Luis Orlando Brito showed resemblances of his master Mario Sperry against Kopylov and controlled his fight against a very game opponent in Dave Phillips. Juan Carneiro proved he couldn't be measured by his MECA debut against Anderson Silva and showed a perfect game plan and Crisitano Marcello showed a lot of heart and the ground game that got him the Chute Boxe Jiu Jitsu teacher position. If this is not enough, veteran Haroldo "Cabelinho" Bunn showed that he is now in a different level than before and with the BTT in his corner he is going to rebuild his career, as on the other hand Chute Boxe newest star Nilson de Castro once again demolished his opponent erasing any doubts that his future is fighting abroad. With all of those accomplishments, MECA World Vale Tudo 7 was what can be called an action-packed exciting event that displayed submissions, knockouts, fast paced ground action as well as furious stand up exchanges! The night of fights also included a challenge from Assuerio Silva to Carlos Barreto for a fight in a future MECA event, and Marcelo Giudici to Eugenio Tadeu, also for a future fight, plus a tribute to Murilo Bustamante, Vanderlei Silva and Rodrigo Minotauro. Another interesting facet of the event was the referees -- "The Axe Murderer" Vanderlei Silva, Carlos Barreto, Eugenio Tadeu, and Marcelo Giudici were among those controlling the action in the ring. The event managed to continue its growing rhythm and gave us all hope of even better ones for the next year. The pay per view sales numbers will surely pay a huge toll on MECA's future, but one thing is certain, MECA is here to stay. |
Carlinhos vs. Gaze
Carneiro vs. Esponja
Cabelinho choking Fontinelli
Cristiano sets up & sinks the triangle
Titi vs. Riscado
Titi vs. Riscado
Shogun vs. Capoeira
Cyborg wins!
Nilson vs. Lucas|
Held November 9, 2002 at the Blaisdell Arena - Honolulu, Hawaii By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com 
Even though this fight card only had seven matches, these fights filled the night with action and some interesting results. Other than the two mismatches which were the Japanese fighters being matched up with two of Hawaii's promising up and comers, all the other fights were action packed. The Kalama-Moreno fight was a seesaw battle, where Moreno's punches were matched against Kalama's knees. Then two big boys went at it, both in their second fight, but Tynanes' power punches and kicks squeezed him out the victory over a tough Seraile. The Carter-Jhun fight was a war where everything conceivable was thrown out there for the Super Brawl Middleweight Championship. It was the conventional fighter in Jhun pitted against the unconventional fighter in Carter. The fight was fairly close for the first two rounds, with Carter squeaking out the first round and Jhun squeaking out the second round. However in the third round, Jhun planted a nice punch that sent Carter to the mat for a second, but by Shooto rules he was given a standing count, which should automatically make that a 10-8 round, but somehow two of the three judges didn't see it that way and ruled it a draw to a surprised Carter and a disappointed Jhun. Niko Vitale proved that he is ready for a shot at the big time by dropping an out of shape, Sean McCully, with a devastating right hand. Somehow McCully stood up only to be overrun by Vitale, who saw McCully's foot sticking out and grabbed it for a toe-hold submission. The main event had Jason Lambert getting frustrated trying to take down Cabbage. To his credit, Lambert did get Cabbage to the ground and won the first round only to take a solid left hook that dropped him in the second. The referee should have called the match at that point because Lambert was groggy and only stood up and walked forward because he is a warrior. Right after that Cabbage rushed in to finish off Lambert sending him to the canvas winning the first ever Super Brawl Heavyweight Championship.
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Akira Kikuchi keylocking Kolo Koka
Carter in Jhun's guard| Monday - November 11, 2002 |
Veteran's Day FCF would like to thank, honor & remember those brave soldiers who have served their country. |
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From John Petrilli (RITC): Casa Grande proved the perfect host for Rage in the Cage with a sell-out, standing room only, well behaved crowd. 13 action packed matches featuring aerial slams, wild standup and numerous submissions thrilled the audience. Only one fight went to the judge's scorecards. Casa Grande, thanks for the outstanding support, Rage in the Cage will be back!!! Shannon Ritch, the most active MMA fighter in the world, competing for the first time in his hometown, won by rear naked choke in 55 seconds of round 1, over John Lansing, the RITC #1 ranked welterweight. This impressive win earned Fighter of the Night (FOTN) honors for Shannon. Other candidates for FOTN were Andy Montana, Roger Mejia, Robert Maldonado, Lyle Steffens and Greg Rodiguez. Results: Carlos Ortega (158 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by ref stoppage (arm bar), 2:59 Rd 2 Kyle Brees (161 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound David Klein (177 lbs), Hinneyman's Fighters Club won by submission (strikes), :20 Rd 2 Josh Dragoo (184 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound Jesse Moreng (155 lbs), Brausa Academy won by submission (choke), 2:11 Rd 1 Adrian Leos (148 lbs), Asher Combat Academy Greg Rodriguez (146 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by submission (choke), :50 Rd 2 Matthew Reed (150 lbs), Carson City, Nevada James Suddath (209 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound won by submission (strikes), :59 Rd 2 Chappo Montijo (198 lbs), Asher Combat Academy Blake Skipper (169 lbs), Freestyle won by submission (strikes), 2:20 Rd 2 Michael Kline (156 lbs), Asher Combat Academy Lyle Steffens (192 lbs), Tucson Judo won by ref stoppage (strikes), 1:50 Rd 3 Jarod Mauk (192 lbs), Leininger Dojo Walter Mason (203 lbs), Brausa Academy won by decision (2 - 0 - 1) Ruben Dominguez (197 lbs), Asher Combat Academy Jed Hunt (283 lbs), Brausa Academy won by disqualification, :33 Rd 1 Steve Castillo (218 lbs), Asher Combat Academy Shannon Ritch (172 lbs), Leininger Dojo won by submission (choke), :55 Rd 1 John Lansing (169 lbs), Brausa Academy Robert Maldonado (175 lbs), Tucson Judo won by submission (choke), 1:00 Rd 3 RJ Gamez (174 lbs), Asher Combat Academy Roger Mejia (199 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by submission (choke), 1:05 Rd 1 Brian Kenny (199 lbs), Brausa Academy Andy Montana (222 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by submission (choke), 2:55 Rd 3 Thomas Gil (228 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts Academy Upcoming RITC events: RITC 41 - Fan Appreciation Night Celebrity Theatre Phoenix, Arizona Saturday, November 23, 2002 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM All tickets only $20 RITC 42 - Road Trip Club Evolution 63 East Congress St Tucson, Arizona Saturday, December 7, 2002 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM Desert Quest #3 - Grappling / BJJ Championship Westwood High 945 West 8th St Mesa, Arizona Saturday, December 14, 2002 Weigh-ins: 12 Noon, Fight Time: 1:00PM RITC 43 - The Match Celebrity Theatre Phoenix, Arizona Saturday, January 18, 2003 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM RITC 44 - Feel The Power Pinal County Fairgrounds Casa Grande, Arizona Saturday, February 15, 2003 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM |
| Wednesday - November 13, 2002 |
From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: FRED DURST, FRONTMAN FOR LIMP BIZKIT, TO ACCOMPANY TITO ORTIZ TO THE OCTAGON FOR ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 40: VENDETTA Durst to Sing New Version of "Break Stuff" At November 22 Live Pay-Per-View Fight Featuring Defending Light Heavyweight Champion Ortiz Vs. Returning Legend Ken Shamrock at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, November 15, 2002 -Fred Durst, the famous frontman for the multi-platinum selling band Limp Bizkit, will be electrifying the crowd as he accompanies Tito Ortiz to the Octagon while singing a new version of "Break Stuff" at Ultimate Fighting Championship 40: Vendetta, which starts live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST, Friday, Nov. 22, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. UFC 40: Vendetta is attracting significant media attention due to the long-awaited main event, a super-fight between the brash defending light-heavyweight champion Ortiz and the returning hard-core legend, Ken Shamrock. Durst, long a fixture at Ultimate Fighting Championship events in support of Ortiz, is best known for his achievements with Limp Bizkit, the rock band that has sold more than 23 million records worldwide with a new album scheduled for release in 2003. In addition to his involvement with the band, he is a senior vice president of Interscope, a film director, music producer and, as his press biography states, "a provoker and overall cultural savant." What fans may not know is Durst's life-long passion for martial arts and specifically Ultimate Fighting Championship's mixed martial arts' blend of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and karate. One of its top practitioners is Ortiz, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," and the UFC defending light heavyweight champion. "Tito is gigantic," said Durst. "We're going to crush Shamrock! Me with my mouth and Tito with his fists and feet. As his friend, I know there's no hype here ---he's one of the baddest of all time. This is going to be Tito's show. No joke." "Fred has stood by me throughout my career in the UFC," said Ortiz from his training camp in Big Bear, California. "He's going to be rapping rhymes about me when he does his song 'Break Stuff'. Durst's gonna blow the roof off the MGM Grand with some new vocal licks. And me? I'm preparing a whole new form of punishment," he said as a sly reference to his opponent, Shamrock. Heavyweight Bout Featured On 8-Fight Card On Live Pay-Per-View At 10 p.m. EST Las Vegas, November 12, 2002…Heavyweight Travis Wiuff, 22-2-0 in mixed martial arts, from Owatonna, Minn., will replace Las Vegan Frank Mir as the opponent for Vladimir Matyushenko in a featured heavyweight bout at UFC 40: Vendetta, that will be shown live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST, Friday, November 22, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mir sustained a rib injury in training and had to withdraw from the fight. Matyushenko, 11-2-0, of Los Angeles, Calif., is a world-class wrestler who will move up a weight class for the fight. In his last UFC fight, he met Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz for the title Sept. 28, 2001 at UFC 33: Victory In Vegas. With less than two weeks to prepare, he went the full five rounds and gave the champ all he could handle. Wiuff, who will be making his UFC debut, also is a wrestler who earned All-American honors three consecutive years at Rochester Community College and Minnesota State University. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports association. Owned and operated by Zuffa LLC, the UFC programs six live pay-per-view events yearly through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada, UFC events are distributed internationally through British Sky Broadcasting, WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and Modern Sports and Entertainment in Scandinavia. UFC licenses video games for all major playing platforms through Crave Entertainment. |
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From the event's promoter: MASTER RAPPER ICE-T ON BOARD FOR LEVEL 3! 
(Las Vegas, November 12, 2002) Unbreakable rhymes. Hardcore action - both in the cage - and now on the mic. Enter: the Original Gangster. Continuing to raise the bar for mixed martial arts entertainment, the WFA is proud to announce the addition of rapper-turned-actor Ice-T to its Level 3 show! Ice-T, a self-professed MMA fan, will perform live for the WFA's November 23rd return to Las Vegas, and the combination of thrills, lights, sounds, and beauties will make for an unparalleled experience.Ice-T is one of the founding fathers of gangster rap, and is known as much for his success on vinyl as for his successes on the big screen. His musical hits include "Colors", "New Jack Hustler" and the controversial "Cop Killer" from his metal band Body Count. The star of "New Jack City" and "Ricochet", Ice-T can currently be seen on the critically acclaimed television hit "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit". With rap icon Ice-T's intense stylings on the mic added to this already-stellar mix, there's not a moment to lose! Get your tickets NOW by purchasing them directly through the Aladdin Resort & Casino's box office (877-333-9474) and through all Ticketmaster locations (702-474-4000 or www.ticketmaster.com). Ticket prices range from $30, $50, $100, $150, and $200. Visit www.wfa.tv, the official web site of the world's hottest MMA experience, for the latest news and updates. For additional event information, please contact: Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions at paularromero@yahoo.com |
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From the event's promoter: World Fighting Alliance Invades Grapplers' Quest Las Vegas, NV (November 12) Las Vegas' hometown fight production, the World Fighting Alliance, will set up shop at this Saturday's Grappler's Quest West III. Along with the customary bevy of WFA beauties, title hungry fighters Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg and Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman will grace the Durango High School auditorium to represent the finest in sports fighting today. Trigg and Eastman, both WFA veterans, will compete for the Welterweight and Light-Heavyweight Titles respectively. Joining the mix for autograph and picture opportunities will be Huntington Beach stand-out "Razor" Rob McCollough. Along with their official merchandise, tickets for the WFA's Saturday, November 23rd event will be on sale. So hit up the WFA booth from 12-3 PM located right next to all the great grappling action. For more information, please contact: Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions at paularromero@yahoo.com |
| Thursday - November 14, 2002 |
 Flame Hooded Sweatshirt Flame logo on front, NHB logo on back. Printed sleeves. Unbelievable comfort with this top of the line sweatshirt. For FASTEST service call in your credit card order (516)922-1081 Or Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
| Sunday - November 17, 2002 |
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UFC Newcomer Travis Wiuff Set To Make His Debut By Loretta Hunt 
Eight months ago, Travis Wiuff had nothing to do with mixed martial arts at all. Finishing up his law enforcement studies at Minnesota State University, Wiuff was well on his way to becoming a city cop -- but it's funny how things work out sometimes. A chance meeting put this accomplished wrestler on the fast track of MMA competition and in a few short months, his career has started to take form. Now, with only five days to go, this 24-year-old is heading for the bright lights and big stakes of Las Vegas to compete on one of the most influential cards in the history of the sport. By Friday night, Wiuff will be a UFC 40 veteran.Minnesota. A midwest winter wonderland and a breeding ground for high school and college wrestlers. This is where Travis Wiuff flourished as an amateur, taking home two All-American titles in freestyle competition. At 6'2" and 280 pounds (at the time), it didn't take much for fellow wrestler Brad Kohler to pick Wiuff out of a crowd. Kohler, a 3-Time UFC veteran and MMA competitor the world over, was scouting venues for his local event Ultimate Wrestling Minnesota. "I had no idea there was MMA in Minnesota, let alone at the venue I was at," recalls Wiuff. With a common camaraderie from wrestling, the two struck up a conversation, but at the time, Wiuff says his interest in MMA was minimal. When Kohler invited the youngster to come out and compete in his show, Wiuff resisted, explaining to Kohler that he had never gotten into a fight in his life. Still, the two exchanged numbers and life went on for Wiuff as it always had. Persistence has a way of always coming out on top, though. Two months later, Wiuff got a call from Kohler asking if he'd changed his mind. Wiuff again insisted that he "was a wrestler, not a fighter," but it was the wrestler in Wiuff that eventually got the best of him. With his eligibility in the sport completed, Wiuff says he yearned for a way to stay active as an athlete and eventually made the two hour drive down to Kohler's Lions Lair gym to try out a training session. It was a perfect fit for the wrestler, who was now being exposed to boxing, submissions, and most importantly, an opportunity to compete again. Through the UWM shows, Wiuff's natural prowess and instinct quickly rose him to the top of a novice pool of fighters and gained him some crucial ring time in the process. An overpowering and aggressive specimen within the ring, Wiuff was dubbed "Diesel" by his training partners. Wiuff's growing ability was tested last April when he ventured out to Hawaii to compete in Superbrawl's second talent-laden heavyweight tournament. Although he did not come out victorious, an impressive performance against Wesley "Cabbage" Correira placed Wiuff's name on a short list of heavyweight up-and-comers. The young fighter returned home and took up training with another Minnesota standout and tactical ground specialist, former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne. With a pro record of 10-2 now amassed from appearances in Extreme Challenge and the Victory Fighting Championships (among his pro UWM fights), Wiuff was to meet his most experienced adversary on November 23rd. Slated to fight UFC legend Dan Severn at the VFC, "the big call" came last Sunday night while Wiuff was at home unwinding with video games. MMA manager Monte Cox, a longtime friend to Brad Kohler and a bit of a guardian angel for Wiuff, had suggested Zuffa take a look at the promising fighter when scheduled heavyweight Frank Mir had to drop from their upcoming card with an injury. Zuffa was ready to negotiate, if the Minnesotan was interested. It was a restless yet exciting night for Wiuff, who says he didn't get the final 100% confirmation until that next Monday afternoon. Then, without any time to lose, it was off to Iowa and the Miletich Martial Arts camp for some last-minute training, courtesy of Cox's invitation. For the past week Wiuff has rolled and pummeled with the likes of Tim Sylvia and Ian Freeman (visiting from England for his upcoming UFC 40 bout with Andrei Arvloski) , learned to utilize his guard passes more effectively with Jens Pulver, and talked strategy with one of the best in the business in Pat Miletich himself. "The small things are what make the big difference," Wiuff says of what he's learned in the last week. "It's the small things--especially when you're fighting someone good." "Good" is definitely one word that can describe Wiuff's opponent Vladmir Matyushenko, but "experienced" might be a better choice for this world-renowned Belarus wrestler, who hails out of the rAw Team. Matyushneko's last appearance with the premiere organization was at UFC 33, a last-minute match-up he took on two week's notice against current UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz. The fight went to a five-round decision in the champ's favor. Now fighting up a weight class and having trained for a lighter opponent up to this point, Matyushenko has been estimated to come in somewhere in the 225 to 230 pound range. Although Wiuff will have a discernible weight advantage when he tips the scales at a svelte 255 to 260 pounds, he has no misgivings of what he is up against. "I know Vladdy is an unbelievable wrestler with tons of experience. From what I've seen, he always comes in prepared. He's tough." Tough, but not impossible to beat. With similar wrestling skills, it seems Wiuff might be hoping for a little magic on his feet. "I think his boxing is like mine--kind of like any wrestler where it's kind of wild--so I think they'll definitely be opening for things." Known for some audience-pleasing wrestling slams in the past (he slammed Cabbage two times during their match), Wiuff may get his chance to shine even when the chips are down. With the "ultimate" opportunity to make a name for himself just days away, one can only imagine a slew of miffed heavyweights at their gyms, taking it out on their punching bags. "I've thought about that a lot in the last couple of days," says Wiuff. "Watching the last UFC, they were talking about somebody training since they were 7-years old and studying jiu-jitsu for years. It just blows my mind that people have been doing this for years and I ended up being the right person at the right time." Travis Wiuff's parents will be watching nervously from their home in Owatonna, Minnesota, along with the scores of other MMA fans that tune in for the fights this Friday night. With concentrated coverage through cable television, radio, Internet, and the mainstream press, UFC 40 has a good chance of garnering the largest live audience attendance in its nine year history. Surprisingly, that's not a scary thought for this wrestler turned mixed martial artist. "Obviously, the media is completely different than what I'm used to. All of the coverage, especially with the main event, is unbelievable. As far as the fight itself, I think once I get into the Octagon, my instincts will take over." True to his midwestern roots, and not like his nickname at all, this polite and down-to-earth Minnesotan fighter has a humble attitude with regards to his big break in the business. "If you told me eight months ago I'd be in the UFC, I would have laughed at you," he quips. "If you told me eight days ago, I would have laughed." Stop laughing Travis, and welcome to the fast track. |
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After the huge success that was MECA 7, the newest event in Brazil is rapidly approaching bringing with it high expectations. Bitetti COMBAT NORDESTE will be held at the Machadinho gymnasium on the 28th of November in the beautiful city of Natal. With an expected attendance of around 10,000 spectators and a card full of Brazil's Northeast fighters, along with the presence of the Brazilian Top Team, promoters Amaury Bitetti and Conrado are expecting nothing but success and are already planning new ventures. The idea of creating a new NHB event for Brazil's Northeast began with a Jiu-Jitsu tournament promoted by Conrado in September, in which Bitetti was the referee. Conrado was already working the idea of an NHB brand called NATALFIGHTERS, and joining with Amaury to put on a well organized NHB show seemed like the perfect opportunity. According to promoter Conrado himself, a bigger show is already in the plans for February, with more known fighters from teams like Brazilian Top Team and Chute Boxe, and NHB veteran fighter Mario Sucata is likely to appear on the card as well. Natal is a tourist city, with wonderful beaches and people travel from all over Brazil to spend time in Natal during the summer, therefore it's easier to promote events and attract sponsors during this period of the year (bear in mind that since Brazil is located in the Southern Hemisphere, summer is from December through March) and the promoters are using it as a tool to help the event become a success. The plan is to turn the city of Natal into the country's Northeastern center for NHB, along with the WVC in Recife.
As for the first edition of the event itself, the eight-fight card on the 28th of November will have some slightly different rules from MECA. Since NHB was banned for a while in Natal, promoters are being careful with the first edition of the event and foot stomps and kicks to a downed opponent are not allowed. The fights will also be comprised of three 5-minute rounds, in a 6x6 meter ring -- a little bit bigger than the MECA ring. Other than that, the rules are the traditional NHB and Amaury Bitetti will be the referee for the fights. The card is sure to attract the local public since it features some local rivalries. The first fight of the card is a rematch, with Chicão trying to redeem his first loss to Dunga. The second fight will feature a veteran in Paulo Guerreiro, who was already a WVC Recife champion with more than 30 fights on his record. The third fight of the card will bring Glauke Eugenio (who was the runner up in the purple belt division at the CBJJO Worlds) facing a very experienced fighter in Aranha, who won several fights in Brazil's Northeast. In the fourth fight, Paulo Boico from Rio de Janeiro, a Paulo Caruso student, will be facing a local young gun in Tibau, who is reported to have a great future ahead. The fifth fight is a much anticipated one, since it's a rematch and Charles Gracie was the winner of the first one after 12 minutes of action. Silmar Rodrigo in the sixth fight is also a fighter who carries a lot of hope and is expected to appear in the bigger events, and Fabio Hollanda from the BTT will be making his NHB debut in the seventh fight. Hollanda is a black belt who was born in Natal and took third place at the CBJJO worlds in his division. He will be facing one of the most talented fighters from the country's Northeast in Tiago Pitbull. To close the card, Jorge Navalhada will carry the BTT flag against seasoned veteran Lucas Lopes. Here's the complete card, with the absence of Raimundo Flamel from BTT who won't be able to compete:
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| Tuesday - November 19, 2002 |
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From John Petrilli (RITC): Fan Appreciation Night In recognition of the phenomenally successful year enjoyed by Rage in the Cage, RITC 41 has been designated as Fan Appreciation Night. 1. Open seating with all tickets only $20. 2. Kids 12 and under admitted FREE !! 3. Happy Hour 6PM - 7PM ($2 off drinks) In one Main Event matchup it will be the RITC #1 Lightweight vs the RITC #1 Welterweight in a can't miss fight. Triple Main Event: Adam Durant (155 lbs), Freestyle vs John Lansing (165 lbs), Brausa Academy Vince Lucero (255 lbs), Asher Combat Academy vs Steve Sayegh (225 lbs), Leininger Dojo Roger Mejia (200 lbs), Asher Combat Academy vs Larry Robertson (195 lbs), Team Quest Super Fights: Steve Morris (165 lbs), Team Quest vs Todd Keller (160 lbs), Leininger Dojo Santino Defranco (154 lbs), Brausa Academy vs Joe Vigil (150 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound Matt Howard (265 lbs), Brausa Academy vs Tyler Lecky (240 lbs), Absolute Martial Arts Other fast-paced, exciting debut fighters from Absolute Martial Arts, including Mark Ueyama, Shawn Maroes and Charlie Molena, are scheduled to compete. Also scheduled to make his RITC debut is two-time Arizona State Wrestling Champion Jimmy Dominguez (275 lbs), now training at Brausa Academy. In addition, an independent, full length feature film titled "Phoenix Underground" will begin filming at RITC 41. It's billed as an action/comedy and the storyline centers on cage fighters, the Phoenix club scene, mysterious characters and punk rock wannabes. Roger Neff, US Olympic Wrestling Finalist and KOTC veteran, will have a prominent role in the movie. More information on this project can be found at www.amoviemaker.com. There will be 12 fights (the Arizona Commission Limit). The RITC 41 post-fight party will be held at ACME Roadhouse (480-517-1818) located at 855 S. Rural Rd, one block south of University, in Tempe. RITC 41 - Fan Appreciation Night Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona Saturday, November 23, 2002 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM All tickets only $20!!! Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For more information, please visit www.rageinthecage.com or e-mail Roland Sarria at doomstr@primenet.com. |
| Wednesday - November 20, 2002 |
The festivities surrounding UFC 40 got off to a riveting start today as Zuffa hosted it's official press conference at Studio 54 in the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino -- and Full Contact Fighter was there to watch the sparks fly! What started out as an uneventful outing quickly turned ugly as UFC legend Ken Shamrock made his way to the podium to address the crowd.In a seemingly heart-felt soliloquy to the audience, complete with dramatic pauses and powerful hand gestures for emphasis, Shamrock spoke of respect for the sport and its fighters, something he says opponent Ortiz was severely lacking. "I take nothing from Tito Ortiz's ability," he explained, "but I do have a lot to say about his attitude and what he did to me and the Lions Den... I did say I would not leave the mixed martial arts world until I got in there and got the opportunity to knuckle him up and since that day, Tito Ortiz has done nothing but open his mouth, disrespect me and the Lions Den." Turning to face his opponent for the first time that day, Shamrock concluded with this statement. "On Friday night, at the MGM Grand, right here, when the gate shuts and the bell rings, Tito Ortiz is going to find out what Ken Shamrock is all about. I guarantee that. So if I was you, I hope to God you come ready, 'cause if you don't, I'm going to beat you into living death." Ortiz, who had rarely taken his eyes off Shamrock from the start, gazed up at his foe before releasing a hearty, extended laugh. "You can keep laughing, you jerk bitch," exclaimed Shamrock, as he motioned closer to the seated Ortiz. "This isn't the WWF," retorted Ortiz, as heated words volleyed back and forth (including fevered expletives on Mr. Shamrock's behalf) between the two athletes. As the crowd began to murmur, Ortiz stood to meet Shamrock, just as Shamrock pawed a chair in Ortiz's direction. 
Barring the interaction between Shamrock and Ortiz, the remainder of the conference ran smoothly, featuring polite words from both UFC welterweight champion and opponent Gil Castillo, who hopes to pull an upset over the Iowan powerhouse this Friday. UFC President Dana White confirmed that the arena will most likely sell-out around the 14,000 mark -- making it the largest MMA event ever held in America. Zuffa's local push to get the event noticed is clearly plain to see -- from the big screen TVs throughout the casino endlessly playing UFC promos to commemorative slot machines and card tables decorated with Ortiz and Shamrock's mugs. USA Today's Danny Sheridan, known for his odds-making in numerous sports, was in attendance with his freshly-tallied numbers from that morning's edition. ESPN crews were there as well, finishing their coverage for an Outside The Lines piece to air December 5th at 7PM EST. With more press expected tomorrow, including reps from the Los Angeles Times among other notable publications, UFC 40 is shaping up to be quite an event. Ken Shamrock's speech in its entirety: 
"This is really, really difficult for me to stand here right now. Since the first UFC, I have fought many different fighters and I've tried to carry myself with a professional attitude. I know at times, I've been difficult to deal with at times when times were necessary. I feel that for this sport to continue to move like it has now -- Dana White and Zuffa has done a great job putting this thing together -- is that we have to have some sort of control or some sort of respect between each other. Whatever you want to do before the fight, during the fight -- but when the bell rings and your hand is raised or not raised, you show a little respect. And if you don't want to show any respect at all, don't show any disrespect. To me, that's Lowering our event to where it doesn't need to be. We're trying to elevate ourselves to a professional organization and in order to do that, we have to have professional athletes. I take nothing from Tito Ortiz's ability, but I do have a lot to say about his attitude and what he did to me and the Lions Den... I did say I would not leave the mixed martial arts world until I got in there and got the opportunity to knuckle him up and since that day, Tito Ortiz has done nothing but open his mouth, disrespect me and the Lions Den. For whatever reason he has I don't know and I don't care right now. All I care about is getting in the ring and getting it on with Tito Ortiz. On Friday night, at the MGM Grand, right here, when the gate shuts and the bell rings, Tito Ortiz is going to find out what Ken Shamrock is all about. I guarantee that. (Turns to Ortiz) So if I was you, I hope to God you come ready, cause if you don't, I'm going to beat you into living death."
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| Thursday - November 21, 2002 |
 Weights All Tallied, UFC 40 is a Go! By Loretta Hunt With a bird's eye view of the Octagon below, the official UFC 40 weigh-ins were held today on an upper tier of the MGM Grand Arena. With posters and cameras in hand, hundreds of fans turned out to see their favorite fighters weigh-in before they will have to prove their mettle inside the cage below tomorrow night. Following yesterday's press conference antics -- in which an enraged Ken Shamrock hurled a chair at opponent and current UFC light-heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz -- all eyes were on the two competitors to see what they'd do or say today. Security was tight and heavy around the Team Punishment and Lion's Den camps, who were separated on either side of the stage till Ortiz and Shamrock would take the stage.
Prior to his entrance, Shamrock was all smiles and had this to say about his performance yesterday at the press conference. "I was a little bit out of line I thought. I'm a professional and I shouldn't let things like that get to me. It was just being that close to him after three and a half years and what was going on -- It was kinda hard." But after three years, is his hate for Ortiz the real deal? "At times I get reminded of him when I watch the UFC or whenever I see him. It's not like a go to sleep and think about it, but when I see him and I get around stuff like this (pauses) -- yeah." The former UFC Superfight Champion was the first to weigh-in at a lean 201 pounds. Ortiz weighed in at 205 pounds, and after a brief moment where teammates fanned out around their team patriarchs and security was put in place, the most-anticipated staredown in the history of the sport finally came to pass. Shamrock could not help but take a quick lunge at Ortiz, whose taunting grin did nothing to help the situation. With the crowd in a frenzy, the main event was officially on. From here on in, the proceedings were smooth sailing and took on the friendly atmosphere of weigh-ins past. Welterweight contender Gil Castillo was the next to weigh-in at 170, while the ever-popular champion Matt Hughes came in on the dot as well.
Renato "Babalu" Sobral rang in at 204 pounds, while opponent Chuck Liddell was a svelte 205. Their staredown actually harbored a bit of genuine heat. Could their bout turn out to be a barnburner tomorrow night? With one excited fan blurting out "Canada rules," Carlos Newton made his way up the platform, but turned out to be the only fighter to not make weight his first time out. He came in at 172 pounds and by the Nevada State Athletic Commission regulation, was given one hour to lose the pound (NSAC always gives a pound.) Opponent Pete Spratt weighed in at 169 pounds.
Team Punishment's Tiki and Miletich Martial Arts protégé Robbie Lawler both came in at 170 pounds respectively and seemed friendly, relaxed and cordial with one another. Making his UFC debut tomorrow night, Minnesotan Travis Wuiff weighed in at exactly 250 pounds, while rAw team representative Vladmir Matyushenko came in exactly thirty pounds lighter. For Wiuff, whose ring time has come from much smaller promotions in the past, the entire week has been an eye-opener. Does he feel any added pressure being the only "newbie" on such a stacked card? "I think all the pressure's on Vladmir, " Wuiff commented. "Everybody knows who he is. Nobody knows who I am. It's all on him to win." Opponent Matyushenko seemed unfazed as well when it came to talking about Wiuff's weight differential going in tomorrow night. "I'm an underdog too right now. I've fought big guys before. [The extra weight] can be advantage or disadvantage. You can use it for your power or you could gas too."
In the other heavyweight offering for the evening, Belarus fighter Andrei Arvloski tipped the scales at 249 pounds. Adversary Ian Freeman, hoping to ride a triumphant return performance at UFC 38 in London, came in at 220 pounds. In what has been determined as a "must-see" among the fighters taking in tomorrow night's show, flashy British striker Mark Weir will take on the well-rounded brawler Philip Miller. Weir weighed in at 183 pounds, while Miller topped the Brit at 184 pounds. Miller fought light-heavyweight for his last appearance and his trimmer frame definitely suited him this time out. Fans will remember Weir for his record-time UFC 38 knockout of veteran Eugene Jackson, after he coaxed his fellow striker in with a hook kick before laying down the law. Is the pressure high for a repeat performance here tomorrow night? "No one really knows what I fight like, so it's like I'm starting over again. They're gonna see if I can live up to that reputation. I want to go out there and be explosive." With the weights all tallied and the fighters and camps adjourning to the rules meeting, the event concluded with some prize raffles. The buzz in the air was clearly palatable. This could be one hell of a night! |
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Ninja is Taking it Personally! As PRIDE 23 is just around the corner, "The Brazilian Beat" takes a side step to open space for the Brazilian fighters to perform their best at the Tokyo Dome ring at November 24th. What better way to start getting the feeling of the biggest event in Japan this year than with the hot blood and non-stop style of Chute Boxe rising star Murilo "Ninja" Rua? In his fifth fight in PRIDE, Ninja will be taking part in probably the most awaited and anticipated fight of his career facing off against former Brazilian Top Team member and RINGS champion Ricardo Arona. 
With a vicious style characterized by an unbelievable cardio condition that literally creates a nightmare for his opponents, combined with a often underrated ground game, Murilo Rua has been game in all of his fights and is reported to be in the best shape of his life. If you get to know Ninja, you'll know that he doesn't say things just for the sake of promotion, so when he says this fight is personal, you better believe it. Will he be able to soundly defeat Ricardo Arona as he wants? We'll find out on November 24th, but one thing is certain, once both Brazilian fighters enter the ring the action will be guaranteed and the fans will be treated to one of the best bouts in recent times. As we have interviews with Minotauro and Vanderlei coming soon, FCF opens the door and let Ninja walks in as the heat for PRIDE 23 is already on! FCF: Your last fight was against Mario Sperry at PRIDE 20, in what was considered one of the best fights of the year. Why did you get so touched after the fight? Ninja: The reason I got so touched was due to all the pressure involving this fight. I suffered a lot and trained a lot for this fight, and I was also coming from an injury so I really suffered during the training for this fight and since thank God I won I cried out of happiness. To tell you the truth I'm sort of a crybaby [Laughs] FCF: Well, I know what you mean [Laughs] what do you think now of Sperry as a fighter? Ninja: I think he is a very technical athlete. He is very tight in his positions on the ground, and he isn't usually a very aggressive fighter but he showed a lot of aggressiveness in his last PRIDE fight. He has a lot of heart, as he showcased in our fight and he is a truly professional athlete. He is one of the best fighters in the NHB scene for sure. FCF: For sure. Did you expect him to trade strikes with you like he did in the fight? Ninja: To be totally honest with you Eduardo, I expect anything when I'm in the ring. It ain't no use in saying what I think the guy will do in the fight, I don't think about it! I just go in there and see what he'll do. I react according to what he'll do in the fight. If we have to fight on the ground, we'll do it, if we have to trade, we'll do it as well. Click here to continue the interview |
| Friday - November 22, 2002 |
It's a dream bout. Bitter rivals with a storied history; champion of the present versus champion of the past; youthful audacity meets venerable valor. And, oh yeah, they hate each other. UFC 40: Vendetta will host the biggest fight in modern mixed martial arts to take place on American soil: Tito Ortiz versus Ken Shamrock. "Everyone wants to see this fight," says Joe Silva, UFC Vice President of Talent Relations. "I think it is a huge match-up. It has even captured the interest of most of the other fighters." Silva also believes the epic encounter holds its own against the monumental match-ups of UFC past, including Gracie-Shamrock II and Ortiz-Frank Shamrock. "It has had more build up than those other fights because people have known for a long time that they don't like each other." 
Even though Shamrock had a stint in the WWF and Ortiz has a history of laying it on thick, the mutual disdain is genuine, according to Silva. "It's not exaggerated at all, especially on Ken's side," he says. "Ken is a proud guy, and he really feels that Tito has disrespected him and his team, and he is out for some payback."The fighters will have 25 minutes to settle their rancorous dispute in front of a packed MGM Grand in Las Vegas. By the end of the night, debates currently raging among fans, fighters and media alike should conclude. Until then, the questions will remain unanswered: Can Ortiz take Shamrock down? Who will have the advantage on the feet? Will Ortiz's rehabilitated knee function at 100-percent? Will Shamrock's age fail him late? And finally, which of these two mixed martial arts luminaries will have his hand raised while the other suffers defeat? As important as the bout will be for Ortiz and Shamrock, it may be even more crucial to the UFC. With two of the biggest stars in the sport headlining the card, UFC 40 is destined to attract a pay-per-view audience far exceeding previous numbers under Zuffa's reign. Potential lifelong fans will evaluate the action, and, if the show delivers, a burgeoning future could be secured. While those viewers may tune in to see the Ortiz-Shamrock clash, they'll also be treated to an undercard ripe with talent. The attention the main event will garner offers a golden opportunity to expose future stars. "You definitely want to show off some of your top talent on what will potentially be your biggest show to date," says Silva, "but you also have to have talent ready for the next show." Click here to continue the preview |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY, NOV. 23, FOR UFC 41: ONSLAUGHT; 8-FIGHT CARD WILL BE FEB. 28, 2003, IN ATLANTIC CITY Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champ Ricco Rodriguez To Defend His Title For First Time On Live Pay-Per-View BJ Penn To Fight Caol Uno For Lightweight Championship LAS VEGAS, November 22, 2002…Officials of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today announced that tickets, $300, $200, $100, $60 and $30, for UFC 41: Onslaught will go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 23, at the box office at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, at all Ticketmaster locations and at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also may be ordered by telephone at 1-800-736-1420. Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino is the host of the event. An eight-fight card at Boardwalk Hall will feature the first title defense by new UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco Rodriguez of Las Vegas, Nev., in the main event against an opponent to be named. Rodriguez won the heavyweight title September 28 with a fifth round technical knockout of former champion Randy Couture. Lightweight top contenders BJ Penn of Hilo, Hawaii, and Caol Uno of Kangawa, Japan, will meet for the lightweight championship in the co-main event. Penn defeated Matt Serra of Long Island, NY, and Uno defeated Din Thomas September 28 for the right to meet for the championship. The remainder of the card will be announced. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports association. Owned and operated by Zuffa LLC, the UFC programs six live pay-per-view events yearly through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. UFC events are distributed internationally through British Sky Broadcasting, WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and Modern Sports and Entertainment in Scandinavia. UFC licenses video games for all major playing platforms through Crave Entertainment. |
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Vanderlei Silva Sharpens His Axe to Bring Back the Belt! Undefeated in PRIDE and doing his fourth fight this year, Brazilian fighter Vanderlei Silva has been known to bring fear to his opponents ever since he began his fighting career. With a vicious and fearless style, Silva probably has one of the highest percentages of knockout victories in high-level competition and has been continuing to boost this percentage over Japanese opponents ever since he defeated Japanese hero Kazushi Sakuraba for the first time at PRIDE 13. 
This time he wants things to be no different, as experienced veteran Hiromitsu Kanehara will stand in his way at the Tokyo Dome ring trying to take away his belt. Of course, "The Axe Murderer" has no plans to leave his belt in the land of the rising sun, and intends to deliver yet another knockout and bring the belt back to Brazil. As PRIDE 23 is getting closer and Vanderlei brings his axe as sharp as ever, Full Contact Fighter opens the microphone to the champion and let he heat increases even more!FCF: Your last fight was at Shockwave, facing the Japanese fighter Iwasaki. What did you think of the event as a whole, and what did you think of your fight in particular? VS: The even was a spectacle, the biggest event ever. In terms of production it didn't disappoint at all. As for my fight, it was quick but I managed to turn it into a good fight, so it was nice. If they send the guy in my path, I'll knock him out for sure. FCF: Once again you'll be facing a Japanese fighter, and this has been generating some criticism from the public. How do you see this? Would you like to face American fighters like Quinton Jackson or Brazilians like Ricardo Arona? VS: I don't chose opponents in fact, so for me the nationality of my opponent doesn't matter. But this thing happens due to the media in Japan. It's like when Sakuraba, as an example, was beating Brazilian fighters this would give a good media for PRIDE. So now they want to se a Japanese beat me, so they're matching me up against Japanese fighters so all the fans there will go to see if this time Silva will lose to a Japanese. This is excellent in terms of media in Japan for the event. But for me it doesn't matter, I don't pick opponents and I'll brawl with anyone. It can be black, white, Asian, I'm not a racist! [Laughs] Whomever they put in the ring with me will be treated in the same gentle way [Laughs] FCF: This time your title defense will be against Hiromitsu Kanehara, who is a very experienced fighter. What do you know about him as a fighter? VS: I know his name! [Laughs] I don't know a thing about him, I don't know who he is, and this is the way I like it. FCF: This is your second title defense in PRIDE as their Middleweight champion, but you fought in a number of non-title matches since you became the champion. Do you have a different feeling when your belt is on the line? VS: It's different for sure. It's gives you a different feeling 'cause you know you can't make any mistakes. I'm taking this fight very seriously, I'm very well prepared and the guys can expect a great performance 'cause I'm well prepared both physically and technically. FCF: Will the belt come back with you on your luggage? VS: Sure! If God helps I'll retire wearing this belt. Click here to continue the interview |
| Saturday - November 23, 2002 |
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MMA Show Set To Air On FOX Sports Network By Loretta Hunt
On to the weigh-ins--the entire card of fourteen promising fighters set to battle it out tomorrow night made weight with little problem.
Jumping on the scales first, main event welterweights Frank Trigg and Dennis Hallman came in at 170 and 169.5 pounds respectively. Representing the rAw Team, Trigg brings top-notch wrestling and "ground and pound" skills to the table. Hallman, of Victory Athletics/Team Quest, is a submission specialist that has tapped out top-ten welterweights in the past, making this a match of style versus style. In the co-main event for tomorrow evening, "Brazilian Killa" Alex Stiebling came in at 200 pounds, while hometown boy Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman weighed in at 204 pounds. Stiebling plays an aggressive well-rounded game, while Eastman's wrestling and Muay Thai background should serve him well. This fight has some serious potential as a crowd-pleaser.
On the opposite "end of the scale" bantamweights Jeff Curran and Todd Lally both weighed in at 143 pounds. Representing Team Extreme/Team Linxx, Curran has most recently entered the MMAM's featherweight top ten after a string of impressive wins. Lally, based out of Las Vegas, represents the Lewis/Pederneiras Vale Tudo Team. Next up were welterweights Chad Saunders and Jason Black. American Kickboxing Academy's Saunders came in at 170, while opponent Black, a Miletich Martial Arts fighter, weighed in at 169.5 pounds. Saunders' strength is the ground, while Black is an All-American wrestler with a superior sprawl and improved standup. Grappling Unlimited's Eddie Yagin easy made his lightweight bout at 153 pounds, while his opponent, the elusive Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro was 155 on the dot. At 4-0, Ribeiro represents the Nova Uniao team out of Brazil. Hawaiian Yagin is a last-minute replacement for an injured Chris Brennan and boasts an 8-0 record.
In what should be a heated battle between striker and ground specialist tomorrow night, lightweights Rob McCullough and Josh Thomson both weighed in at 155 pounds. McCullough hails from Huntington Beach, California. Thomson fights out of the San Jose-based American Kickboxing/Zinkin team. Last, but certainly not least, the heavyweights made their way to the scale, where Australian Team Extreme representative Chris Haseman came in at 211 pounds. Mike VanArsdale, returning to the game after a four-year hiatus, weighed in at 213 pounds. Haseman sports a well-rounded repertoire with a flair for unorthodox moves when the chance arises. VanArsdale is an expert wrestler and boxer. |
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Minotauro's Never-Ending Quest Continues in Japan! Since the sport of NHB began, perhaps no other champion has faced and defeated the level of competition that Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira has to date. Win after win, submission after submission the Brazilian Top Team member gained the trust of NHB fans worldwide and slowly erased any doubts of his tremendous skills and talent, winning numerous fans in the process. Nogueira is surely the closest thing of a unanimity you can find in NHB. After knocking out Sanae Kikuta in the UFO show, and submitting the giant Bob Sapp in Shockwave less than a month after that in one of the most epic NHB fights of all time, Minotauro is once again taking his magic to Japan to face yet another giant -- Dutch fighter Semmy Schilt. With an absurdly long reach and some serious striking skills, Schilt is a fighter not to be taken lightly; however, few give him a chance against the Brazilian Champion, who will likely have yet another challenge in December against the winner of Heath Herring vs. Emelianenko Fedor bout. If the submission wizard will be able to work his trickery with the Dutch giant and continue his quest in Japan in the triumphant way he has been doing so far only time will tell, but whenever Minotauro steps in the ring the heat is guaranteed, so Full Contact Fighter bows to the Brazilian sorcerer and welcomes PRIDE 23 in all its excitement! 
FCF: Your last fight was a true battle against the giant Bob Sapp at Shockwave! What was going on in your head during the fight feeling all the weight of that monster?Mino: I was sure he would get tired during that fight. I was like waiting for the right time once he would get tired, and doing my strategy. There were times where I would stay a bit quiet during the fight, with him hitting me while I would try to defend, but I didn't want to exchange a lot of strength with him cause I knew if I would do it things would get tough. I needed to wait for him to get tired and after he would get tired it would be an even fight. If he wouldn't get tired there would be now way for me to get him in a submission. In the beginning of the fight I tried for some submissions but he would power his way out of them pretty quick. So when he started to get tired I started to press the fight more, that was my strategy. To fight the first round only to make him tired, and to try and finish the fight on the second or on the third round. He entered the second round tired, on my hands [Laughs] FCF: Did you ever think you weren't going to be able to win during the fight? Mino: No, not at all. Ever since I left Brazil for the fight I knew it was going to be tough. I saw the tapes of his fights, like his fight against Tamura, and Tamura is a relatively tough guy. He isn't a top-notch fighter but he is a good striker that can take some punches, and he took a punch from Bob Sapp and went down with like 15 seconds in the fight [Laughs] So I thought "Man! I better be ready" You can even see that he [Sapp] is proving his value; he beat Abdil and Hoost in K-1 already. FCF: When did you feel you had the fight turning into your favor? Mino: When the first round was over and I went to start the second round I felt I could win the fight. I also don't know exactly what happened but during the first round I wasn't being able to see things well, because they used Vaseline or something like it above my eye, and during the fight this was preventing me from seeing things well. But on the break before the second round Luis Alves wiped it in the corner and I could see well on the second round. When I felt Sapp breathing harder than in the first round I thought, "Now I can change things up a bit" FCF: Sapp has been experiencing some success in K-1, and you risked some exchanges with him. What did you think of trading strikes with him? Mino: I thought he is very strong standing up but I believe I did better in our exchanges. I was able to hit him with some good combos and connect with some punches, use some movement. I couldn't stop in front of him; this was the main thing as far as stand up is concerned. I think people pay a price for stopping in front of him. There's no guard that can hold that guy's punch [Laughs] you can't stop and raise your arms trusting that your guard will hold that punch, cause once he hits you he will connect to your face with your arms on the way as well. So I would hit him, move a lot, hit him again, fake a takedown then hit him some more, always changing the strategy. You can't go to tread strikes with him like crazy! It would be the same thing of getting your head down and running to a wall with your head [Laughs] you have to go with patience, getting one piece at a time. It's a strategy fight. When the fight was about to start everybody was telling me not to go for a double leg, but once the fight started I went for it cause for me to trade strikes with him all rested it would be worst! So I tried the takedown and he slammed me, but he spent some energy doing so and when he got up again he was already breathing harder, so it's a strategy fight. Click here to continue the interview |
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"You Bastard!" By Jim Genia Photographs by Loretta Hunt
Putting the light-heavyweight championship on the line, Ortiz stepped into the Octagon for the first time since his knee injury a year ago. However, if that old wound affected him, it certainly didn't show. For three whole rounds the champ delivered punishment to Shamrock, never relenting in his onslaught of knees while on their feet and ground and pound while on the canvas. The leader of the Lions Den rocked Ortiz once with a hard punch, but other than that, he had nothing. With incredible heart, the UFC legend endured -- yet before the fourth round could begin, his corner threw in the towel. And all the months of hype and years of bad blood boiled down to this: Ortiz had bested Shamrock. He is still the champ.
In other action, the fight of the night was the opening match-up between middleweights Phillip Miller and Mark Weir. This one was a war that had Weir showcasing his deadly striking and looking great on the ground, but it was Miller's unrelenting attack that eventually had him securing the choke and getting the tap out. In the light-heavyweight division, Chuck Liddell made short work of Renato "Babalu" Sobral, knocking him out with a round kick to the face, while welterweight bomber Robbie Lawler sent Tiki into La-La Land with a powerful combo of his own. And topping off all the hype and excitement came the announcement of the return of another UFC legend: the always-popular Tank Abbott. UFC 40 was an amazing experience.
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| Sunday - November 24, 2002 |
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& post-fight photos |
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Card Showcases Solid Talent By Loretta Hunt
Rap-icon-turned-actor Ice-T kicked off the show with a 15-minute performance, while dancers gyrated and twisted around him awash a sophisticated laser light show of neon colors. A healthy turnout filled a good portion of the 5,000-seat arena, and although generally subdued, the audience seemed appreciative of the effort put out by the organization. However, in an unfortunate mishap involving members of the mixed martial arts press, key photographers for the sport were removed from their cage-side positions (on-stage) for the final two title bouts, reportedly by orders from co-promoter John Huntington. Among them were Full Contact Fighter's Joel Gold, world-renowned Japanese photographer Susumu Nagao, and representatives from Sherdog.com and Maxfighting.com. According to Gold, the photographers were approached by security and despite showing the appropriate credentials, were still booted from their pre-assigned positions after security double-checked with Huntington, because Huntington "had never heard of them." Gold went on to say, "it's ironic that he doesn't know the press that actually makes his event -- I mean they're not on pay-per-view, they're not covered by Time or Sports Illustrated -- the only way the people who buy tickets for the WFA even know the event exists is through the MMA media!" FightSport Editor Josh Gross experienced extra headaches when his photographer Peter Lockley was escorted out of the arena for what security called "insubordination." (Lockley had returned to his cage-side position to fire off some more shots despite being told to steer clear.) Co-promoter John Lewis was apparently tending to other areas of the event at the time, and it is unclear if he was made abreast of the situation. Overall, any disappointments of the night were sporadic and few, but it was purely a bit of bad luck that made the main event one of them. In the battle for the WFA welterweight belt, rAw's Frank Trigg and Victory Athletics/Team Quest's Dennis Hallman both started out intensely, displaying an even volley of effective strikes and clinchwork. The bout came to screeching halt minutes in, however, when Hallman attempted a high left kick just as Trigg countered with an unintentional groin shot. Nevada State Athletic Commission regulation gave Hallman five minutes to recover, but the Washington fighter was still unable to continue. Trigg was awarded the belt via "abandonment" in the first round. The co-main event of the night was comparatively clear-cut, as a focused Marvin Eastman came out with fast and heavy hands to overwhelm PRIDE veteran Alex Stiebling in the first round. Following brief play on the ground, Eastman delivered a crisp right cross that sent Stiebling to the canvas at 1:07 into the round. Eastman was crowned the WFA Light-heavyweight champion.
In the heavyweight offering for the evening, returning veteran Mike VanArsdale dominated the first round (for the most part) by scoring takedowns, staying on top and raining down fast strikes on Aussie opponent Chris Haseman. But Haseman remained a constant threat, crumpling the master wrestler to the ground right at the bell with a round kick to the body. In the second round, Haseman hunted for submissions from the bottom, but was overwhelmed by an onslaught of punches. For a last minute replacement Grappling Unlimited's Eddie Yagin did surprisingly well against opponent Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro. Yagin's takedown defense was first-rate, as he avoided the majority Shaolin's relentless efforts to get him to the mat. Yagin even showed some flair in the final seconds of the round with three cartwheel guard pass attempts. Shaolin controlled the second round though, and made fast work of the feisty Hawaiian by sinking in his patented side choke. Referee Cecil Peoples halted the match at 2:23 into the second round.
In the opening bout of the evening, bantamweights Jeff Curran and Todd Lally both started out tentatively with measuring strikes and clinchwork. Curran scored a crucial takedown that allowed this Pedro Sauer brown belt to get his game on. Curran eventually swept Lally into a triangle choke to end the match. The Results:
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From John Petrilli (RITC): It was a wild night of festivities at Celebrity Theatre. The evening began with Edwin Dewees and Jacob McClintock giving a 5-minute narrated demonstration of various jiu-jitsu submissions. This was done to educate our fans who may be new to MMA submission fighting. After the RITC "Walk of Champions", a 4 member Marine Color Guard presented our flag and the national anthem was sung by Dawn, a former Oakland Raider cheerleader. The filming of scenes for a movie preceded the real action. Roger Neff (270 lbs) did a three take sequence of a cage fight battling a 140 lb opponent, yes 140 lbs. Watch for the movie "Phoenix Underground" to be released this spring. The night culminated with a stand up toe-to-toe war between Vince Lucero and Steve Sayegh, with Vince winning by TKO in round 1. The night belonged to both the young and the old. Steve Morris, a 46 year old member of Team Quest, won by unanimous decision over a fighter half his age, former ASU wrestling standout Todd Keller. But the night truly belonged to 19 year old Roger Mejia who won by triangle choke in round 1 over undefeated Team Quest member Larry Robertson. This impressive win earned Fighter of the Night (FOTN) honors for Roger. He is a 5-0 submission fighter from Matt Asher Combat Academy. Other candidates for FOTN were Vince Lucero, Adam Durant, Santino Defranco, Steve Morris, Kyle Brees and Troy Tolbert. Results: Troy Tolbert (132 lbs), Leininger Dojo won by submission (choke), 2:33 Rd 1 Brittish Pena (141 lbs), Brausa Academy Ray Elbe (162 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound won by submission (choke), :37 Rd 2 Adam Millican (165 lbs), Freestyle Kyle Brees (162 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Poung won by submission (choke), 2:13 Rd 2 Shawn Mros (155 lbs), Absolute Martial Arts Sidney Fisher (199 lbs), Freestyle won by ref stoppage (strikes), 1:46 Rd 1 John Robles (215 lbs), Freestyle Ben Hadley (156 lbs), Freestyle won by decision (3 - 0) Adrian Leos (148 lbs), Asher Combat Academy RJ Gamez (175 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by TKO, 1:07 Rd 1 Chris Myers (170 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound Super Fights Steve Morris (165 lbs), Team Quest won by decision (3 - 0) Todd Keller (160 lbs), Leininger Dojo Matt Howard (244 lbs), Brausa Academy won by decision (3 - 0) Mark Uyeyama (228 lbs), Absolute Martial Arts Santino Defranco (155 lbs), Brausa Academy won by submission (kimura), 1:30 Rd 1 Joe Vigil (148 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound Main Events Roger Mejia (199 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by submission (choke), 2:50 Rd 1 Larry Robertson (190 lbs), Team Quest Adam Durant (164 lbs), Freestyle won by decision (3- 0) John Lansing (164 lbs), Brausa Academy Vince Lucero (256 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by TKO, 2:22 Rd 1 Steve Sayegh 9 227 lbs). Leininger Dojo Upcoming events: RITC 42 - Road Trip Club Evolution 63 East Congress St Tucson, Arizona Saturday, December 7, 2002 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM All tickets only $20!!! Tentative Triple Main Event: Joseph Riggs (225 lbs), Brausa Academy vs Thomas Gil (228 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts Academy Robert Maldonado (168 lbs), Tucson Judo vs TBA Cory Timmerman (300 lbs), Brausa Academy vs TBA Desert Quest #3 - Grappling/BJJ Championship Westwood High 945 West 8th St Mesa, Arizona Saturday, December 14, 2002 Weigh-ins: 12 Noon, Fight Time: 1:00PM RITC 43 - The Match Celebrity Theatre Phoenix, Arizona Saturday, January 18, 2003 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM Super Main Event: Edwin Dewees (195 lbs), Brausa Academy vs Todd Medina (195 lbs) RITC 44 - Feel The Power Pinal County Fairgrounds Casa Grande, Arizona Saturday, February 1, 2003 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM |
| Monday - November 25, 2002 |
From the event's promoter: FIGHT NIGHT 19
Come join us for an action-packed night of fights December 14th - Seating begins at 6pm, fights begin at 7pm South Plainfield Middle School 2201 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080 For more information call 908-352-0622 or visit http://members.aol.com/shootfyter. Fighters interested in competing in BAMA events, please call 908-352-0622 Interested in becoming a sponsor? Call Dan at 908-352-0622. |
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In this issue...| Wednesday - November 27, 2002 |
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Ready to Start a Fire in Natal! By Eduardo Alonso The newest NHB event in Brazil is finally ready and set to go this Thursday, November 28th! Bitetti Combat Nordeste is just around the corner and the heat is getting to the boiling point in the beautiful city of Natal in Brazil's Northeast. As the event is just hours away, all the fighters and their teams are already in Natal and it's interesting to see that the old rivalry spirit still exists in this area of the country, with fighters showcasing lots of hot blood towards one another and several staredowns being seen around the hotel lobby! Reports indicate that the city is anxious and curious about the event, therefore a crowd of at least 7,000 spectators is expected to take the Machadinho Gymnasium stands at 9pm tomorrow. The weigh-ins were held today at the astonishing Piramedi Palace Hotel and all fighters were able to make weight despite some small problems here and there at first. The Brazilian Top Team members are undoubtedly the biggest attraction of the event and experienced fighter Jorge Navalhada seems as ready as ever to perform. Among the Brazilian Top Team members in Natal are Bebeo Duarte, Carlos Barreto and Rogerio "Minotouro" Nogueira; UFC Middleweight Champion Murilo Bustamante is expected to arrive today. All the Brazilian NHB press is here and promoters Amaury Bitetti and Conrado really took care of all the details to put on this event, receiving no complaints from the fighters or the press and showing that they are really ready to promote more and bigger events in the future! Amaury Bitetti referee the fights along with Carlos Barreto. Now we have to just wait till the fights begin, so once again let's recap the card:
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| Friday - November 29, 2002 |
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The inaugural edition of Bitetti Combat is now history and can be called a success. In an intense night of action the eight-fight fight card showcased several local newcomers and a lot of heart -- even when some lacked technique, they surely never lacked will. The event literally drew the attention of the whole city and around 8,000 people showed up to witness the event in the huge Machadinho gymnasium. The production of the show was nicely done, especially for the debut of an event, and no incidents were recorded in the crowd. The success of the event gives promoters Conrado and Amaury Bitetti hope of even bigger shows in the future, and the Brazilian NHB Community would surely love that to happen. As for the fights, the most impressive fighters of the night were: local fighter Aranha, who was as tough as they come and engaged in striking the whole fight; Charles "Gracie", who scored a surprising knockout; Tiago Pitbull, who showed the best Muay Thai technique of the night and has the potential to fight in other events; and Jorge Navalhada, who once again showed his toughness to defeat a very game Lucas Lopes in a tough fight to end the night. FCF will bring a full report with pictures soon, so check back soon and enjoy the results:
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