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| Monday - February 3, 2003 |
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From event promoter Lee Coates: Held January 31, 2003 Beau Rivage Resort Biloxi, Mississippi The FFC played to the largest live crowd in the history of the Beau Rivage Resort. The SRO crowd estimated to be approximately 2000 people saw 8 action packed bouts culminating with Dave Gardner of Michigan besting Steve Kinison of New Orleans, Louisiana for the vacant FFC Lightweight Title. PRELIMINARY BOUTS Joshua McDonald vs. Aaron Williams Williams via Guillotine Choke round one. Noe Hererra vs. Jose Hernandez Jose Hernandez via knockout 19 seconds round one. Hernandez wins his first fight in impressive fashion. Mike Colley vs. J.C. Pennington Pennington via Triangle choke at 46 seconds of round 2 FEATURE BOUTS George Lockhart vs. Gene Gildea Lockhart via armbar at 1:26 of the third round. Two magnificently conditioned athletes put on a display of close quarter striking, grappling, and grit. Gildea's unrelenting and effective attacks through rounds one and two seemed to drained him and Lockhart was able to set up and secure an armbar at the 1:26 mark of the Third round. Lockhart, known for his defensive prowess from the guard, took some heavy shots, and escaped from several dangerous mounts. Lockhart wins "Fighter of the Night" award for grit and determination. Jake Short vs. Warren Donley A Greco Roman wrestler vs. a Freestyle Wrestler. Both demonstrated some impressive throws, takedowns and defense. However Donley seemed to come out on the better end of most exchanges and catches Short in a Guillotine choke at 4:14 Mark of round three. Chris Gates vs. Dave Benefield Gates unveiled a ripped out physique and a relentless attack. Benefield managed several submission attempts and slick escapes but Gates' strength seemed to be the deciding factor. Gates via ref stoppage at 2:57 of round three. Punches from the mount. Bone Sayavongsa vs. Robbie Newman Newman returned to the wrecking machine of old. Displaying a variety of slams, scrambles and strikes. Newman wins via Referee stoppage around the two-minute mark of round one. Strikes from the side mount. MAIN EVENT - FFC World Lightweight Championship Dave Gardner vs. Steve Kinison Last minute replacement Steve Kinison surprised a lot of people by taking a dangerous Dave Gardner the distance. The Match featured an impressive display of takedowns, submission attempts and scrambles for position. Gardner, who re injured his right hand early in the first round, scored with takedowns and submission attempts, securing a majority decision. |
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From John Petrilli (RITC): Thomas Gil Named Fighter of the Night The fans of Coolige, Eloy and Casa Grande turned out in force for RITC 44. They were treated to non-stop action bouts which culminated in an absolute toe-to-toe "war" in the Main Event that had the sell-out crowd of 1,500+ on their feet for the entire 3 rounds. Thomas Gil earned a hard fought unanimous decision victory over #2 ranked RITC Heavyweight Vince Lucero in the Main Event. Both warriors embraced after the decision was announced and complimented each other during their post fight interviews. This performance earned Fighter of the Night (FOTN) honors for Thomas. Other candidates for FOTN were Kyle Brees, Shannon Ritch, Chappo Montijo, Carlos Ortega and Justin Nauling. Results: Fight #1 Justin Nauling (161 lbs), Brausa Academy won by submission (choke), 2:12 Rd 1 Greg Palomo (159 lbs), Freestyle Fight #2 Del Hawkins (140 lbs), Team Phoenix won by submission (arm bar), 2:25 Rd 3 Brian Salinas (145 lbs), Brausa Academy Fight #3 Carlos Ortega (155 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by submission (arm bar), 2:13 Rd 1 Greg Rodriquez (145 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts Fight #4 Melesio Perales (174 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts won by decision (3 - 0) David Canvas (180 lbs), Freestyle Fight #5 Thomas Gadberry (320 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by submission (choke), 2:54 Rd 1 Jed Hunt (282 lbs), Brausa Academy Fight #6 Steve Sayegh (220 lbs), Leininger Dojo won by submission (choke), 1:03 Rd 1 Wayland Berry (244 lbs), Brausa Academy Fight #7 Chappo Montijo (204 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won br submission (arm bar), :34 Rd 1 Ray Leon (210 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts Fight #8 RJ Gamez (170 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by decision (3 - 0) Gabe Rivas (161 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts Fight #9 Kyle Brees (169 lbs), Team Phoenix won by submission (arm bar), 2:39 Rd 2 Gabe Casillas (167 lbs), Debrazil / Rey Diogo / Carlson Gracie Team Fight #10 Shannon Ritch (165 lbs), Team Cannon won by KO, :09 Rd 1 David Kline (173 lbs), Centr Del Sol Fight #11 (Main Event) Thomas Gil (224 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts won by decision (3 - 0 ) Vince Lucero (265 lbs), Asher Combat Academy UPCOMING EVENTS: Desert Quest #4 Grappling / BJJ Championship Date: Saturday, February 15, 2003 Location: Westwood High 945 West 8th St Mesa, AZ 85201 Weigh-Ins: 10:30 AM Fight Time: Noon RITC 45 - Finally!!! Saturday, March 1, 2003 Double Main Event: Edwin Dewees vs Homer Moore Joseph Riggs vs Travis Fulton |
| Tuesday - February 4, 2003 |
PRIDE 25, scheduled for March 15th, is a mere 6 weeks away and the card is finally starting to take shape. While many of the matches for the card are still being negotiated, FCF just found out that two matches are very likely to happen, and indeed almost ready to be announced, which will feature the Nogueira brothers from the Brazilian Top Team! PRIDE Heavyweight champion Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira will finally face Russian fighter Emelianenko Fedor, in a hotly anticipated match-up with Minotauro's belt on the line. His twin brother, Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, who just defeated Guy Mezger in a split decision at PRIDE 24, is also likely to appear on the card facing a student of Hidehiko Yoshida! The Japanese fighter who also has a black belt in judo and trains with the former Japanese Olympic Gold Medalist and current national NHB hero and weighs around 98kg. This will be the judoka's NHB debut, and those two matches are likely to be announced within the next few days in Japan. PRIDE 25 still holds lots of surprises and FCF will continue to keep a close eye on the developments. |
Give Us Your Thoughts... UFC 41 Predictions & Comments... This month we'd like you to pick who you think will win at UFC 41 later this month and your thoughts on the fights. 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 |
| Wednesday - February 5, 2003 |
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From the event's promoter: Seattle Bound on March 1st and MUCH MORE! HOOKnSHOOT & the UFCF March 1, 2003 Lucky Eagle Casino - 12888 188th Ave SW, Rochester, WA Tickets Available at http://www.ticketmaster.com! Enter 'LUCKY EAGLE CASINO' for the venue, or CLICK HERE. The UFCF, one of the oldest, most established MMA sanctioning bodies has OFFICIALLY announced that they have joined forces with HOOKnSHOOT. HnS continues developing their 'regional' scene for 2003. 'This marks our first appearance on the West Coast with HOOKnSHOOT' starts matchmaker Miguel Iturrate. 'We have known that the area has TONS of great fighters, and the UFCF has been doing successful shows in Washington for years. Now we get to add to that, and we have another regional show, another piece to the puzzle'. 'For the March 1st event, we are leaning on the AMC Pankration guys, a staple of the UFCF! We are planning to headline with the 2nd comeback bout for Matt Hume. His opponent will be Rick McCoy, who has an 8-0 record in smaller events. McCoy, from Richmond, VA is very highly motivated for the bout. 'He wanted to be Hume's first fight in Florida. McCoy has a lot of promise and he has been looking for a breakthrough match.' states Iturrate. 'This match is not set in stone yet, I will confirm it when I can.' 'We are also honoring the UFCF's existing champions as the regional title holders. They have a very nicely developed system, we want to work with what we have! So, Charlie Pearson will defend his US title against Darrell Smith. They had a 2 round draw in December's HnS, and both thought a rematch would answer some questions.' describes the matchmaker. 'Plus, HnS will crown a 135 lb champion, with Ryan Diaz taking on Matt Hamilton. This is a feature bout, I think the little guys always are!' concludes Iturrate. The rest of the card will feature kickboxing, part os the UFCF's winning formula, and something new for HOOKnSHOOT. Card Subject To Change: March 1st, 2003 - Lucky Eagle Casino - Rochester, WA
Look for more details from HOOKnSHOOT. Below is the current HOOKnSHOOT Event Calendar:
Check out the Nevada Boxing Commission Website at Event Calendar! HnS is on the calendar, with final approval scheduled for consideration on February 11th. |
December 7th 2002 @ the Meadowlands Exposition center Secaucus, New Jersey.New York's own Matt Serra will guide you through as he commentates the hard-hitting action. Watch as the East Coast's most promising up-and-comers fight it out in an all out battle in "Ring of Combat"
(516)676-0033 Or Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
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by Jim Genia The time: Sunday evening, February 2nd. The place: a ramshackle boxing gym reeking of old sweat and dedication, somewhere in the South Bronx. The scene: a kickboxer, a wrestler, a Tae Kwon Do specialist, a judoka, and a few "freestyle" fighters take turns mixing it up in the ring, showcasing their skills for the 60 or so spectators who have come to watch the latest grassroots manifestation of mixed martial arts. The event is called "Ground Zero", and it manages to go off despite a few organizational glitches -- proof that, in a state that has banned almost all combative endeavors, you just can't keep a growing sport down.
RESULTS SINGLE BOUTS
Semi-finals
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| Thursday - February 6, 2003 |
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From the event's promoter: As of February 3, 2003 Open-weight the 9th Open-weight K.O.P. Semmy Schilt(Holland/Golden Glory) #1 Yuki Kondo(PANCRASEism) #2 Yoshiki Takahashi(PANCRASEism) #3 Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #4 KEI Yamamiya(PANCRASEism) #5 Sanae Kikuta(Pancrase GRABAKA) #6 Tim Lajcik(U.S.A./Gladiators Training Academy) #7 Osami Shibuya(PANCRASEism) #8 Katsuhisa Fujii(UFO) #9 Ron Waterman(U.S.A./Colorado Stars) #10 Jun Ishii(Chojin Club) Heavyweight(199lbs.~under 221lbs.) the 1st Heavyweight K.O.P. Yoshiki Takahashi(PANCRASEism) #1 Tsuyoshi Ozawa(Zendokai) #2 Katsuhisa Fujii(UFO) #3 Jason Godsey(U.S.A./I.F. Academy) Light heavyweight(181lbs.~under 199lbs.) the 2nd Light heavyweight K.O.P. Sanae Kikuta(Pancrase GRABAKA) #1 Yuki Kondo(PANCRASEism) #2 Ikuhisa Minowa(PANCRASEism) #3 Yuki Sasaki(Pancrase GRABAKA) #4 Akihiro Gono(Pancrase GRABAKA) #5 KEI Yamamiya(PANCRASEism) #6 Ricardo Almeida(Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) #7 Osami Shibuya(PANCRASEism) #8 Mitsuyoshi Sato(Pancrase GRABAKA) #9 Eiji Ishikawa(Pancrase GRABAKA) #10 Daisuke Ishii(PANCRASEism) Middleweight(165.7lbs.~ under 181lbs.) the 3rd Middleweight K.O.P. Nathan Marquardt(U.S.A./Colorado Stars) #1 Izuru Takeuchi(SK Absolute) #2 Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #3 Kazuo Misaki(Pancrase GRABAKA) *UP from #4 #4 Chris Lytle(U.S.A./I.F. Academy) *DOWN from #3 #5 Yuji Hoshino(Wajutsu Keishukai GODS) #6 Shonie Carter(U.S.A./AIKI Training Hall) #7 Daiju Takase(Wajutsu Keishukai Tokyo Hombu) #8 Takafumi Ito(PANCRASEism) #9 Kosei Kubota(PANCRASEism) Welterweight(152.5lbs.~ under 165.7lbs.) the 1st Welterweight K.O.P. Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #1 Takafumi Ito(PANCRASEism) #2 Koji Oishi(PANCRASEism) #3 Kenichi Serizawa(RJW/CENTRAL) *UP from #4 #4 Hiroki Nagaoka(Rodeo Style) *DOWN from #3 #5 Satoru Kitaoka(PANCRASEism) *IN! Lightweight(141.4lbs.~ under 152.5lbs.) VACANT Featherweight(under 141.4lbs.) VACANT |
| Friday - February 7, 2003 |
From the event's promoter: Prime Time Sports, LLC presents: Danger Zone Dakota Destruction April 12, 2003 - 4 Bears Casino and Lodge, Newtown, ND Tom "Big Cat" Erikson will take on Big Wes Simms out of Hammer House in the main event matchup! Erikson is one of the top Super Heavyweights in the world and a Pride veteran. Simms is just coming off a great win against Conan Silveira and is trained by Mark The Hammer Coleman. A Champion will be crowned with a title and belt in a 155 lb. 4-Man Tournament. The fighters in the tournament are as follows: Roli Delgado AR., James Hoart Can., Jay Ireland MI., and Sam Wells MI. Matt Hamilton AR. who holds the title and belt at 135 lb. will taking on Travis Phippen MO. in a title defense bout. This is going to be one hell of an action packed match! The other great fights on the card are as follows:
The card is subject to change. For more information please contact Becky Levi at dzmatchmaker@yahoo.com |
| Saturday - February 8, 2003 |
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Held at 24-Hour Fitness Kapiolani Honolulu, Hawaii By Michael Onzuka - Mike@onzuka.com Just when you think things are going great, Murphy steps in. In a last minute training session, local upstart Kolo Koka hurt his knee in a freak heel hook accident and had to pull out of the event against Mark Moreno. I thought that was the fight of the card, two guys that like to bang. Promoter, T. Jay Thompson, is currently looking for a replacement for Koka, but was unable to find one at weigh in time. Also, there was a swap of fighters in the first match. Tripston Kerisiano will take teammate, Nassor Lewis' place against submission grappling based Brandon Keen. Other than that, the fight card remains intact as advertised.
Another interesting match up will be the return of Andy Wang who has lived in Hawaii for a while and is currently living in California and training with RAW. He showed major heart after taking a terrible amount of punishment from Japan based Tsuruya in his last Super Brawl appearance. Wang hopes to turn things around as he faces Deshaun "the best dressed MMA fighter since Shonie Carter" Johnson. Johnson is known as a stand up artist, but has been brushing up with his groundwork as of late. If Deshaun can keep this fight standing, it may be very interesting. Andre "The Chief" Roberts returns to action from a layoff from late 1999, a month after he had his UFC 21 war with Ron Waterman. Roberts is as big as they get and it shall be seen if experience will defeat youth as he faces a young and hungry upstart by the name of King Kong Seraille. Ron Jhun will try to continue to test the waters at a ripped 170 lbs after an exciting fight with Shonie Carter that ended in a draw. UFC veteran Tyrone Roberts accompanies his brother in the fight card taking on a local fighter that seems ready for the big show, Falaniko Vitale. Vitale is a well put together specimen and will be challenged by a veteran fighter in Tyrone Roberts.
Finally, Egan Inoue stated that he will only fight again if he can face the champion in Shooto. Inoue got really close, but Suda broke his nose in his last fight and wanted more time to prepare. Since Egan was already in shape, Egan agreed to take on Japanese upstart, Yukiya Naito from the A3 gym, who will attempt to make a major leap in the Shooto rankings if he pulls off the upset. One fight is left between Inoue and his shot at a Shooto Champion. As the biggest draw of any MMA fighter in Hawaii, Egan knows that he will have the entire crowd on his side to cheer him to victory, but also knows that a loss may scrap his long laid plans on the road to the championship.
Want to watch the fights live? Check out http://www.superbrawltv.com and for only $7.95 you can watch the fights live with commentators, Anthony King and FCF's own Mike Onzuka. Broadcast times across the world:
Fight Card 170 lbs 2x5 minute rounds Tripston Kerisiano 168 lbs (808 Fight Factory) 3-1 vs. Brandon Keen 168 lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 1-0 155 lbs 2x5 minute rounds Jay R. Palmer Fashionably late as usual (no weight) (Universal Roughhousing) 22-20 vs. Harris Sarriento 155lbs (808 Fight Factory) 2-3 145 lbs 2x5 minute rounds Dain Agbayani 146.2 lbs (at time of weigh in) (808 Fight Factory) 2-3 vs. Justin Mercado 142 lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 1-1 165 lbs 2x5 minute rounds Deshaun Johnson 160 lbs (HMC) 3-3 vs. Andy Wang 164 lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 2-3 170 lbs 2x5 minute rounds Mark Moreno 171 lbs (Bull's Pen) 3-1-1 vs. TBA Heavyweight 2x5 minute rounds Andre "The Chief" Roberts 368 lbs (Team Extreme) 11-1 vs. Ray "King Kong" Seraille 262 lbs (Grappling Unlimited)1-1 170 lbs 2x5 minute rounds Mike Panalber 169.2 lbs (Shark Tank) vs. Ronald Jhun 170.8 lbs (at time of weigh in) (808 Fight Factory) 15-9-2 185lbs 3x5 minute rounds Tyrone Roberts 184 lbs (Team Extreme) 15-2 vs. Falaniko Vitale 184.8 lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 12-1 194lbs 2x5 minute rounds Yukiya Naito 187 lbs (A3 Gym, Tokyo) 4-0 vs. Egan Inoue 189.8 lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 12-3 Champion |
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Belfort Training for June; PRIDE Fighters Getting Ready; & RN Vale Tudo News The Brazilian Beat: February started with plenty of training action in Brazil. With UFC 41 and PRIDE 25 approaching, fighters such as Pedro Rizzo are preparing hard for scheduled fights, while others like PRIDE contenders Mario Sperry and Murilo Ninja continue to train looking for a shot at the upcoming PRIDE show. As training is still one of the main subjects of this edition of the Brazilian Beat, the Chute Boxe training camp is getting as hardcore as ever, with fighters literally missing the good times when they were on tough battles in NHB events, and Vitor Belfort getting ready for a upcoming June fight in the UFC. Well, training is never enough for a fight fan; therefore we also bring you news and results from RN Vale Tudo, a new small show in Brazil, as well as tidbits from other shows and news from Brazil! Enjoy your weekend and take a taste of Brazilian news, as Full Contact Fighter raises the volume, feels the groove and joins the beat!
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By Keith Mills Davenport, IA-Extreme Challenge's Middleweight tournament series gets under way tonight with the first stop here in IA before continuing on to Sal Lake City later this month and Hawaii in May for the finals. According to promoter Monte Cox, "This is pretty straightforward. We tried this with the Heavyweights last year for Return Of The Heavyweights and it worked really well. We got Tim Sylvia out of it and not that much longer he's fighting for the UFC title so obviously we helped discover somebody and then two other guys, Wiuff and Cabbage, got in also. It's a successful venture for TJ and I so we decided to do it with the 185 lb class because that is the class that is hurting the most. People came out of the woodwork to fight in the 185 lb class. I had probably forty applicants for the eight positions and that's when we decided to go ahead and copy the Heavyweight tournament entirely and do the two eight-man tournaments. The only difference is the winners are only going to advance to an eight-man tournament in Hawaii. Sixteen-man was an adventure but a little too much." From the original card Joe Doerkson has been replaced in the tournament by Danger Zone vet Forrest Petz and Pain Peters has been replaced in the feature bout against Medina by UCC Proving Ground vet Eric Beaulieu. The top two finishers are invited to the 8-man tournament in Hawaii this May, which will also include the top two finishers from the Utah show later this month plus four wildcard spots. One wildcard spot is already set for Doerkson but the other three could end up in the hands of fighters from this tournament and the Utah show that for some reason don't win but put on a good fight. Tonight's card is: TOURNAMENT Bracket A Fight 1: Jay Buck vs. Forrest Petz Fight 2: Kyle Jensen vs. Dennis Reed Bracket B Fight 3: Johnathan Goulet vs. Jason Rigsby Fight 4: Brandan Seguin vs. Leo Sylvest Alternate bout Fight 5: Kurt Illemann vs. Spencer Fisher Tourney semifinals Fight 6: Fight1 winner vs. Fight2 winner Fight 7: Fight3 winner vs. Fight4 winner Feature bout Fight 8: Eric Beaulieu vs. Jason Medina Tourney final Fight 9: Fight6 winner vs. Fight7 winner Tickets are still on sale at the door. Stars And Stripes is located at 2902 East Kimberly Road in Davenport. |
| Sunday - February 9, 2003 |
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By Jim Genia (Bayonne, New Jersey - February 8th) It was a record-breaking night for promoter Kipp Kollar, as the third incarnation of his Reality Fighting mixed martial arts show packed an audience of over two thousand into the gym at Marist High School. Fans came to see some action, and after 13 fast-paced battles on an all-amateur card, it seemed no one left dissatisfied. Highlights of the event included:
Results:
Women's Title Fight:
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Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii February 8, 2003 By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com The much anticipated "come out of retirement" fight for Egan Inoue almost fell through when Shooto Champion Masanori Suda broke his nose in his last fight and decided that he needed more time to train for Inoue. Due to the fact that Inoue had been training hard for a fight with Suda, a replacement was brought in to fight Inoue. Yukiya Naito came down in weight in order to step up to the challenge. Naito comes from the same gym as Pride and KOTC veteran Akira Shoji and Shooto Champion, Caol Uno. Inoue would be too much for the upstart dominating him for both rounds. Inoue looks to have regained the fire for MMA or maybe it is just his focused desire to acquire the Shooto belt. The card was filled with local talent, spiced up with a couple UFC veterans and a fighter from Eddy Millis' Shark Tank. The evenly matched skill levels of the fighters were seen in the number of fights that went to the scorecards. The crowd loved the return on The Chief Andre Roberts, even if he took out one of the local fighters. This match was set up to introduce Roberts to the Hawaii crowd and build anticipation for a match up with local favorite Cabbage Correira. After his fight, Cabbage came into the ring and they both agreed to fight each other. Niko Vitale continued his streak of impressive victories by submitting Andre's little brother Tyrone in under two minutes. It looks like Hawaii has a number of fighters that are on the brink of making the "big time." 170lbs 2x5 minute rounds Brandon Keen 170lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 2-0 Def. Tripstin Kerisiano (808 Fight Factory) 2-2 Unanimous decision after 2 rounds [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)]. 161lbs 2x5 minute rounds Jay R. Palmer 155lbs (Universal Rough Houzers) 23-20 Def. Harris Sariento 155lbs (808 Fight Factory) 1-4 Submission due to elbow dislocation at 1:36 into round 2. 143lbs 2x5 minute rounds Justin Mercado 141lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 2-1 Def. Dain Agbayani 141lbs (808 Fight Factory) 2-4 Unanimous decision after 2 rounds [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)]. 167.5lbs 3x5 minute rounds Deshaun Johnson 165lbs (HMC) 4-3 Def. Andy Wang 165lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 2-4 Majority decision after 2 rounds [(28-28), (29-27), (29-28)]. Heavyweight 2x5 minute rounds Andre "The Chief" Roberts 366lbs (Team Extreme) 10-1 Def. Ray "King Kong" Seraille 260lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 1-2 Submission via neck crank at 2:49 into round 1. 167.5lbs 3x5 minute rounds Ronald Jhun 170lbs (808 Fight Factory) 16-9-2 Def. Mike Panalber 170lbs (Shark Tank) Unanimous decision after 3 rounds [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)]. 185lbs 3x5 minute rounds Falaniko Vitale 185lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 13-1 Def. Tyrone Roberts 185lbs (Team Extreme) 15-3 Submission via toe hold at 1:26 into round 1. 194lbs 2x5 minute rounds Egan Inoue 182.6lbs (Grappling Unlimited) 13-3 Super Brawl Champion def. Yukiya Naito 194lbs (A3 Gym, Tokyo) 4-1 Unanimous decision after 2 rounds [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)]. |
| Monday - February 10, 2003 |
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This last weekend the city of Campos, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was once again the stage for the best grapplers in the country to perform their art, in an event that is surely becoming the best of its kind in Brazil. 2003 has been THE year in terms of Submission Wrestling in Brazil, since the famous Abu Dhabi world championship will be hold here and all the most important athletes from Jiu Jitsu, Luta Livre and other grappling forms have been training hard for it, therefore accepting all possible chances to improve their game competing in all the the events that are popping up. With the Abu Dhabi Brazilian trials happening less than a month ago, most athletes are still in competition rhythm and the chance to fight for a prize money of more than 1,000 dollars surely appealed for everybody, and plenty os stars appeared on the beaches of Campos to showcase their skills and guarantee the success of the second edition of the event. Names like Alexandre Cacareco, Eduardo Jamelao, Gustavo Ximu, Johil de Oliveira, Antoine Jaude, Cristiano Lazarini, among others, were all fighting in Campos. 
Success is the right word to describe the event indeed! Despite the late drop out of Carlos Barreto from the superfight against Alexandre Cacareco, due to his participation in K-1 Brazil, and the intense heat of the Brazilian Summer, promoter Leandro Ribeiro Campos managed to work around the problems and guaranteed the success of the event that had a crowd of 4,000 people on hand for it! It's amazing to see an Submission Wrestling event counting with a crowd of that magnitude, and besides the 4,000 names like PRIDE champion Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira, Ebenezer Braga and others were also watching the event live. On the mats, placed in an interesting open air arena, the action was also hot with RVT fighter Alexandre Cacareco once again reigning supreme both in the Absolute division and the Superfight, repeating the level of performance displayed in the ADCC Brazilian trials. Cacareco used his solid Wrestling skills, combined with his power and experience to win the event's championship for the second time in its second edition. Bruno Bastos, from Nova Uniao, who did well in the ADCC trials as well, and Cristiano Lazarini from Gracie Barra also put on impressive performances. Overall the event pleased the crowd and most importantly the fighters who had the chance to compete in a professional event, with a good prize money and press support. Now let's wait for the third Submission Wrestling in Campos as soon as it happens! Here are the champions in each division:
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By Keith Mills Davenport, Iowa--Jay Buck won the Extreme Challenge Middleweight 8-man tournament after defeating the odds favorite Brenden Seguin in the finals for the first qualifier in their Middleweight tournament series. The tournament series is designed to find upcoming talent just like the Heavyweight series did last year.
The next stop on this Middleweight tournament series is a qualifier in Salt Lake City, UT on February 23rd. Both of the two finalists tonight plus the two finalists from the Utah show plus four others chosen for good performances will move on to the tournament finals in Super Brawl 24 in Hawaii on May 9th. |
| Thursday - February 13, 2003 |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: February 12th, DSE/PRIDE announced additional match-ups for PRIDE.25 on March 16th as follows: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (USA/Team Punishment) vs. Kevin Randleman (USA/Hammer House) Dan Henderson (USA/Team Quest) vs. Shungo Oyama (Japan/Free) Already announced. PRIDE heavyweight championship Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) vs. Emelianenko Fedor (Russia/Russian Top Team) Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan/Yoshida Dojo) PRIDE.25 DATE: March 16th, 2003 OPEN: 3:30 PM START 5:00 PM PLACE: Yokohama Arena |
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From promoter Stephane Patry: ON PPV THIS WEEK-END! Montreal (Canada) - There is now only 3 days left until the most star studded MMA event in Canadian history hits your screen on Pay-Per-View. UCC 11 has created a huge media buzz which has prompted fight fans from all parts of Canada to anxiously cross the days off their calendars as the time creeps closer and closer. UCC 11: THE NEXT LEVEL features a World Championship main event between DAVID "THE CROW" LOISEAU and champion JESSE JONES. Jesse Jones first raised eyebrows with an impressive submission win over Dave Menne at Extreme Challenge and then entered UCC 8 to challenge then champion Donald Ouimet for the UCC World middleweight title. His UCC debut was a successful one as he dismantled Ouimet in route to obtaining the prestigious title. Equally dangerous on the mat and on his feet Jones has proven to be a world class athlete worthy of representing the UCC. David "The Crow" Loiseau has been a staple in the UCC roster since UCC 1 and has become one of the most successful and popular UCC warriors ever. With wins over such stars as Justin Bruckmann, Steve Vigneault, Joe Doerksen and Claudionor Fontinelle he has climbed the UCC ladder and now has his shot at greatness against the champ! Both are dangerous strikers, both have impressive mat skills, both are hung and hungry, who will leave the champ? In the co-Main Event, UCC World Light Heavyweight champion JEREMY HORN moves up to Heavyweight to square off against heavy striker CHRISTOPHE MIDOUX in a non-title superfight. Horn is one of the best fighter on the planet and has astonished fight fans with his spectacular grappling abilities. He has beaten the best the sport has to offer and he's ready to trade with yet another heavyweight. Christophe Midoux was scheduled to compete for the UCC World Heavyweight title at UCC 1 but an unfortunate car accident kept him from entering the event. Almost 3 years later, Midoux has his sights set on getting the gold that he feels would have been his at the inaugural UCC event back in June 2000. Having just won a tough 8 man tournament in Europe, "The Hurricane" is ready as ever to bring his KO power and ultra aggressiveness back to his Canadian fans. A win against Horn in this fight would guarantee him a shot at the gold vs. Sean Alvarez in a future event! The main events keep coming as UCC Canadian Super Lightweight champion MARK "THE MACHINE" HOMINICK returns to defend his title for the first time. Marc Hominick entered UCC 10 with extensive kickboxing credentials; however he was still the heavy underdog against then champion Richard Nancoo. The critics all saw this as a sure win for the champ but Hominick quickly showed what hardcore cross training and dedication can do as he picked apart Nancoo and eventually ended the fight with one of the most brutal beatings ever seen in the UCC. Since this incredible win, Hominick has continued his streak by claiming kickboxing and Muay Thai titles... All within 2 months! STEVE CLAVEAU is regarded as one of the most talented grapplers around and also had an encounter with ex-champion Nancoo, taking him to the limit however losing a judge's decision. Since that loss he has been training for his next chance at greatness and at UCC 11 he will get that chance. The champ guarantees that this bout will once again show why he should never be bet against while "The Snake" is looking to take a bite out of the UCC and go home with UCC gold. UCC Canadian Welterweight champion GEORGES "RUSH" ST-PIERRE will be in action to face up and coming star, TRAVIS GALBRAITH with the title on the line. St-Pierre is one of the top young guns in the UCC roster with his superb conditioning, massive strikes, and solid ground game. Experts see in him the next "BIG" Canadian star and he is ready for his first title defense. Travis Galbraith is an unknown for UCC fight fans but has established himself as the best Welterweight fighter in Western Canada. Galbraith is a submission expert and will try to use his lightning fast submissions to take the title away from the champ! In perhaps the most significant fight ever within the Canadian grappling community Denis Kang will face UCC veteran Joe Doerksen. Both athletes are entering the ring with impeccable mat skills and reputations, both have been called the best grapplers in Canada, and both plan on showing their stuff in Canada's toughest playing field. It's Team Extreme vs. Team Soares as the world's eyes are watching to see which combatant is the real deal. Don't miss your chance to see first hand why the UCC is the hottest ticket in Canada! Claim your spot in MMA history and order now on BELL EXPRESSVU and VIEWER'S CHOICE CANADA! For more information visit www.ucczone.ca |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: K-1 has announced the next scheduled K-1 WORLD GP: DATE: March 30th START: 16:00 PLACE: Saitama Super Arena Line-up: Ernesto Hoost, Bob Sapp, Peter Arts, Mirko "CroCop", Mark Hunt, Ray Sefo and more. |
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From John Petrilli (RITC): Dodge Theatre Saturday, March 1, 2003 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM Advance Ticket Prices: $10, $15, $20, $30 and $40 ($5 extra day of show). Call (602) 379-2888 immediately for best selection and lowest fee. Featured Attractions: 1. Our new $40M venue (Dodge Theatre, capacity 5,500) 2. Our new cage 3. Three UFC Fighters 4. Triple Main Event 5. Four Super Fights 6. Five Other Bouts 7. Eight out of state fighters competing against Arizona fighters Triple Main Event: Edwin Dewees (205 lbs) vs Homer Moore (205 lbs) Travis Fulton (225 lbs) vs Joseph Riggs (220 lbs) Travis Wiuff (255 lbs) vs Andy Montana (240 lbs) Super Fights: Fred Leavy (160 lbs) vs Jesse Moreng (160 lbs) Sean Sallee (245 lbs) vs Kauai Kupihea (255 lbs) Rich Moss (185 lbs) vs Brodie Farber (185 lbs) RJ Gamez (170 lbs) vs Kyle Brees (170 lbs) Other Bouts: Tim Tynam (240 lbs) vs Melville Calabaca (235 lbs) Santino Defranco (160 lbs) vs Randy Spence (160 lbs) Roger Meija (195 lbs) vs Joe Frainee (185 lbs) John Lansing (170 lbs) vs Shaun Beckett (170 lbs) Joe Vigil (150 lbs) vs Brian Salinas (145 lbs) There will be 12 fights. Fight Card subject to change. Eight fighters will be traveling from out of state for RITC 45 to compete against Arizona RITC fighters. Travis Fulton (225 lbs) Iowa Travis Wiuff (255 lbs) Minnesota Sean Sallee (245 lbs) Indiana Fred Leavy (155 lbs) California Brodie Farber (185 lbs) California Randy Spence (160 lbs) California Shaun Beckett (170 lbs) California Joe Frainee (185 lbs) California Dodge Theatre 400 West Washington St Phoenix, AZ 85003 (602) 379-2888 www.dodgetheatre.com |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: PROFESSIONAL JIU-JITSU LEAGUE G1-02 Grand Impact Zero-Two PLACE: DIFFER ARIAKE 1st Match- 8min (Tournament First Round) Aginald Taba (INFIGHT/Brown) def Koji Asakura (Paraestra Ikebukuro/Brown): by choke 4:46 2nd Match- 8min (Tournament First Round) Hiroyuki Abe (AACC/Purple) def Hiroshi Umemura (ALIVE Komaki/Brown): by points 6-2 3rd Match- 8min (Tournament First Round) Toshiyuki Wado (SSS Academy/Brown) def Hidenori Hayashi (Gracie Barra Shikoku/Purple):by choke 4:52 4th Match- 8min (Tournament First Round) Takashi Watanabe (Paraestra Niigata/Brown) def Katsunori Kataniwa (AXIS JJ Academy/Purple): by judges' decision 5th Match -7min Megumi Fujii (Girl Fight AACC/Purple) def Ayumu Sato (Paraestra Fukushima/Purple):choke 6:12 6th Match- 8min (Tournament Semi Final) Aginald Taba def Hiroyuki Abe: by points 8-2 7th Match- 8min (Tournament Semi Final) Toshiyuki Wado def Takashi Watanabe: by decision advantage 2-2 8th Match- 8min (Tournament Final) Toshiyuki Wado def Aginald Taba: by points 10-2 9th Match-10min Alexandre Carneiro "Soca" (Gracie Barra/Black) def Yuki Nakai (Paraestra/Black): by advantage 3-0, points 0-0 10th Match-10min Leonardo Vieira (Alliance/Black) def Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa (Striple/Black):by choke 4:12 |
| Saturday - February 15, 2003 |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: Line-up ARUSE K-1 WORLD GP 2003 in SAITAMA Date : Sunday, March 30th 2003 Place : Saitama Super Arena 1st match JAN "The Giant" NORTJE (South Africa/Steve's Gym) vs. Evgueni Orlov (Russia/Chinuk Gym) 2nd match Remy Bonjasky (Holland/Mejiro Gym) vs. Bjorn Bregy (Switzerland/Vos Gym) 3rd match Ray Sefo (New Zealand/American Present Boxing Gym) vs. Pele Read(UK) 4th match Peter Aerts (Holland/Mejiro Gym) vs. Stefan "Blitz" Leko (Germany/Golden Glory) 5th match Ernesto Hoost (Holland/Vos Gym) vs. TBA 6th match Bob Sapp (USA/Team Beast/Boxing) vs. Mirko Cro Cop (Croatia/Cro Cop Squad Gym) |
| Sunday - February 16, 2003 |
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From HOOKnSHOOT: Ladies MMA is Vegas Bound! April 26th, 2003 - Mahoney's Silver Nugget, Las Vegas, NV 'It has been a long process to get approved, but we are finally confirmed 100% for the date of April 26th.' starts TUFF-N-UFF promoter Barry Meyer. 'We initiated the process last April, after the HOOKnSHOOT REVOLUTION event. That was the first ever all women's MMA event on US soil, and it was then that we started the process for approval in Nevada. Now 10 months later, HOOKnSHOOT and TUFF-N-UFF Productions is ready to bring their all women's MMA product to Las Vegas.' states Meyer. 'It's been a long time coming!' starts HnS matchmaker Miguel Iturrate. 'We are working behind the scenes on putting together our card. We want to do 2 title matches in Las Vegas, to crown HOOKnSHOOT's first women's champions. We will be learning the process of the Nevada State Commission, and we are very proud to be accepted in our 4th commissioned state' continues Iturrate, referring to . 'We will announce the featured fighters as we get them signed! The matchmaker admits 'We will be watching the match next week between Amanda Buckner and Jennifer Howe in EXTREME CHALLENGE very closely. We want to followup with the women who fought on REVOLUTION. We are glad other events and shows have been giving the women opportunities, and we want HOOKnSHOOT TRAILBLAZERS to take it to another level altogether! The women have been working hard, and we want to present the best card we can!' 'We know Judy Neff wont be fighting, since she is still recovering from knee surgery.' states Iturrate. 'We have invited her, and Judy will hopefully attempt to set a world bench press record in the ring. She is the #1 contender in HOOKnSHOOT at 135 lbs, and power lifting is another one of Judy's passions. We want her to be a part of the show as well.' concludes Iturrate. Look for much more to come on HnS' first ever event in Nevada. HOOKnSHOOT CALENDAR:
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| Monday - February 17, 2003 |
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From Pancrase: Pancrase 2003 Hybrid Tour Sunday, February 16,2003 Doors Open: 3:00pm Fights Start: 4:00pm Grand Cube Osaka (Osaka,Japan) Live Gate: 3,150-
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| Tuesday - February 18, 2003 |
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at PRIDE 25! As PRIDE 25 quickly approaches, more matches are been set by DSE, and one may be announced very soon that could shake the PRIDE ring in their March event... Japanese hero and PRIDE superstar Kazushi Sakuraba will make his return to the ring and his old ways, facing off against a Jiu-Jitsu stylist. He will, in all likelyhood be fighting PRIDE veteran and BJJ sensation Nino "Elvis" Schembri! Nino won his PRIDE debut finishing a seasoned Johil de Oliveira with an armbar at PRIDE 14, and later won a judges' decision at PRIDE's THE BEST 2, now he is going back to PRIDE facing his toughest and most important challenge of his life against the man who defeated several Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts, before falling to the hands and feet of "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva. For Sakuraba, this fight can mean the chance to regain his winning streak and feel confidence in his game once again, like in the days where he reigned supreme in the PRIDE ring. As always, things can change at any minute with PRIDE, but this fight seems to be ready to be announced and is very likely to take place on PRIDE 25's card. |
From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: TUNE-IN ADVISORY UFC HEAVYWEIGHT TANK ABBOTT TAKES ON TOM ARNOLD OF FOX SPORTS NET'S BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW PERIOD! 8 P.M., FRIDAY, FEB. 21 Legendary Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Returns to the Octagon Finally at UFC 41: Onslaught LIVE On Pay-Per-View, Friday, Feb. 28, From Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City LAS VEGAS, February 18, 2003... Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) legendary heavyweight Tank Abbott of Huntington Beach, Calif., will mark his long awaited mixed martial arts comeback at 8 p.m., this Friday, Feb. 21, when he visits Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period! (check local cable listings) Abbott will mark his return to the UFC Octagon at UFC 41: Onslaught, live on pay-per-view one week to the day later on Friday, Feb. 28, from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. He will fight one of the UFC's most promising young heavyweights, Frank Mir of Las Vegas, Nev. Never at a loss for words, Tank says he is coming back to the UFC to do what he does best, which is "knock people out." Abbott will be prepared to answer questions about whether his fighting style, which has been likened to "street brawling," will be successful versus his classically trained and controlled opponent. Tune in this Friday for Tank's final tune-up on BDSSP. The two-hour telecast of Best Damn Sports Show Period!, hosted by Tom Arnold, airs nightly at 8 p.m. and/or 11 p.m., and Midnight on FSN Bay Area, Chicago, Florida, New England, New York and Ohio. |
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Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui February 16, 2003 By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com  Warriors of the Ring returned for their second event. The first event brought in the largest crowd of MMA fans that Maui has ever seen and for this show it looks like the promoters wanted to appease Maui fight fans by filling the card with Maui fighters. Sometimes the tendency is for established fighters to fight conservatively in order to preserve their records and the first timers have nothing to lose and come out to brawl. These fighters, most of them making their debut, left nothing on the table after their fights and went after each other. The crowd erupted after every exchange. There were a couple of controversial calls, but they were due to unusual circumstances. One instance was the Nerveza-Cabalero fight, Cabalero was winning the fight until it went to the ground and the adrenaline got to him and he fired off some knees to Nerveza's head, which are illegal. Before the referee could step in to give Cabalero a warning, Nerveza scrambled up to take down Cabalero.
Preliminary Bouts: Paul Laga (Bulls Pen, Honolulu, HI) def. Patrick Clark (Koali Fighting Systems, Hana, HI) Submission due to cut over eye at 3:25 into round 2. Charles Hendrickson (Freelance, 6'0", 220lbs) drew Scott Tam (Maui Full Contact Fighting, 6'0", 225lbs) Majority Draw [(19-19), (19-20), (19-19)] after 2 rounds. Ednor Lat (Maui Full Contact Fighting, 5'10", 165lbs) def. Robert Billianor (Lockdown Unlimited, 5'10", 170lbs.) Submission due to strikes from the mount at 3:48 into round 2. John Nerveza Jr. (Bulls Pen, 5'6", 145lbs, Honolulu, HI) def. Keola Cabalero (Wailuku Kickboxing, 5'7", 140lbs, Wailuku, HI) Cabalero disqualified for illegal knee strikes on the ground at 4:05 into round 1. Paulo Lupi (Brazilian Freestyle J.J., 173lbs) def. Lucky Keefner (Maui Full Contact Fighting, 175lbs) Submission via triangle choke at 1:59 into round 2. Co-Main Event: Anthony Billianor (Lockdown Unlimited, 260lbs) vs. Palmer Fuga (Kona Boxing Club, 220lbs, Kona, HI) Submission via neck crank (reverse rear naked choke) at 3:53 into round 1. Main Event: J.R. Baraoiden (Maui Full Contact Fighting, 120lbs, Kahului, HI) vs. Tien Nguyen (Wailuku Kickboxing, 130lbs, Wailuku, HI) Draw [(19-19), (19-19), (19-19)] after 2 rounds. |
| Thursday - February 20, 2003 |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: Matches DSE/PRIDE has released all match-ups for PRIDE.25 as follows: Newly announced:
DATE: March 16th, 2003 OPEN: 3:30 PM START 5:00 PM PLACE: Yokohama Arena |
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In this issue...| Friday - February 21, 2003 |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: TUNE-IN ADVISORY UFC on ESPN and Fox Sports today!! Max Kellerman will have another UFC segment on his show Around the Horn today on ESPN. Check your listings for time and channel information. And don't forget Tank Abbott on Fox Sports tonight at 8:00 pm [check local listings, it may be aired at a later time due to local sports events] on The Best Damn Sports Show, Period. |
Tony Galindo Returns To KOTC Action Tonight With fast hands and even quicker instincts, Tony Galindo's nickname "the Bull" thoroughly befits his talents. Charging in head first, Galindo quickly captured the praise of fickle fans three years ago with his "swing first, ask questions later" attitude. As a member of Ken Shamrock's elite Lion's Den team and with a string of successful fights in King Of The Cage, hopes were high that "the Bull" would stampede through the competition and to the top. But so it goes, an injury sidelined this 5'6" middleweight potential and has kept him dormant for the last year and a half. Yet so it goes, it takes more than an injury to keep a determined soul down for long. Spiritually hungry and physically ready to take on the mantle of fighter once again, 30-year old Tony Galindo will make his return to KOTC tonight in hopes of rekindling the magic the Lion's Den once spun. The future of the Lion's Den, rehabilitation, opening his own school, branching out to train with other teams, Ken's loss -- conversation dips into all of these areas. Lucky for us, Tony handles interviews like the way he fights. He holds no punches. 
FCF: Let's refresh the fans memories with regards to what you've been up to. Your last fight was September 9, 2001 at Gladiator Challenge 6 against Brian Sleeman...TG: That's a horrible memory. FCF: Tell us about it. TG: Well, with my last fight, I was really ready for it. I was in great shape. (Tony pauses.) Can I speak freely? I was enjoying kicking the shit out of this guy constantly and his leg was almost back and blue, when I threw one kick that was too hard. I tried to retract it back and I don't know if I pulled my ACL then, but I kinda slipped on the mat and had to land with my heel. Right then I felt a pop. I just didn't know what it was. This is in the first round. So, as the round continued, I felt a crunch and suddenly my knee started wobbling. I had no footing. Every time I went to throw a punch, my knee seemed to slide off the joint. It threw everything off. I couldn't shoot. It was almost like watching a bad movie in slow motion. Second round I still threw a few more kicks with that leg and that's when it really set in. The pain got too severe. FCF: Who was in your corner to stop the fight? TG: Pete Williams. FCF: And you were training with Pete at the time? TG: Yea, Pete. Vernon [White]. Miguel Reyes. All the old San Diego Lion's Den guys. I went back to San Diego and got an MRI. They saw that the ACL was completely gone, so they had to operate. I got it fixed within the forty-eight hours and the doctor that did it was a stud! Dr. Murphy. He worked on both of Junior Seau's knees. You know Seau. He's the quarterback, I think, for the Chargers. Click here to continue with the interview |
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NHB stars everywhere in Brazil; MECA postponed amp; Bitetti Combat on the rise! The Brazilian Beat: As we march to the end of February with steady steps, things are heating up in Brazil and plenty of things are happening in the fight world. The end of the shortest month of the year is holding an interesting and an enjoyable surprise for the fighting fans with the first ever K-1 Brazil taking place in Sao Paulo, where NHB veteran Carlos Barreto will serve as the main attraction and probably most intriguing point of the fighting afternoon at the Maksud Plaza Hotel, making his professional stand-up fighting debut! With UFC 41 and PRIDE 25 also quickly approaching, fighters like Pedro Rizzo, Rodrigo and Rogerio Nogueira, Nino Schembri and Anderson Silva have their hands full of work right now. As nothing is ever enough for FCF and our avid readers, the end of February also brings the final details for Bitetti Combat 2, with some interesting fights scheduled to happen at the show and the latest developments of MECA World Vale-Tudo in its eighth edition. So, before you get a taste of the action delivered by K-1 Brazil, UFC 41 and PRIDE 25, take your time to get your usual dose of Brazilian news, as we step up to a fast-paced rhythm for yet another Brazilian Beat, courtesy of Full Contact Fighter!
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| Saturday - February 22, 2003 |
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The All New Carlos Barreto is Ready to Battle in K-1 Style! Jiu-Jitsu black belt and NHB veteran Carlos Barreto is ready for K-1. Yes, you read that right and you don't need glasses! Some years ago it would be unthinkable to picture the Brazilian Top Team member and former Carlson Gracie student with a pair of boxing gloves and Muay Thai shorts, climbing the ring for a fight in a K-1 official event, however things have changed a lot in the Brazilian fighter's life, and this day will come at February 23rd at the gorgeous Maksud Plaza Hotel in Sao Paulo, where K-1 will hit Brazil for the first time in its history, and Barreto will do his very own professional stand up fighting debut. A man who faced the likes of Kevin Randleman, Daniel Bobish, Igor Vovchanchyn, Tra Telligman, Gilbert Yvel and Mikhail Illoukhine, among others, in NHB tournaments is truly someone who faced tough competition. However Carlos' game was always characterized by his Jiu-Jitsu skills and never by his striking or aggressiveness, However he is a brand new fighter now and wants to prove it to the world by doing the unbelievable, winning a K-1 tournament, getting his passport ready for Las Vegas, and making his UFC dream closer to reality. So, with no further delay, learn now a bit more of what goes inside the head of Carlos Barreto himself, as he talks about his new attitude and his K-1 venture, as FCF welcomes the "all-new Carlos Barreto" and gets pumped up for K-1 Brazil! 
FCF: Everybody knows you as an NHB fighter, from events such as IVC, UFC, PRIDE, MECA, and everybody also knows that you have a background in Jiu-Jitsu. Now, did you ever think you would be doing a K-1 fight at some point in your life?CB: To be honest with you, never! I never thought I would have the opportunity to fight in K-1, but the opportunity knocked on my door and sometimes in my life I lost some big opportunities by being immature or irresponsible. However this time I'm very determined to get back at the top of the biggest NHB events in the world like the UFC and PRIDE, I want to have a belt and I want to be a well known fighter internationally again a lot. I think K-1 is a big opportunity to give me exposure to get back to the top, and I want to take advantage of this opportunity in the best way I can. Despite the actual result, I want to give a good spectacle and show the events promoters that Carlos Barreto has changed, and that nowadays I'm another fighter, and I'm also a striker now. FCF: You mentioned an interesting point, cause you had some tough times in your career like your fights at 2hot2handle, and Hook N' Shoot. After those moments of struggle you once told me that you had changed your approach to the game, and realized the importance of being an exciting and aggressive fighter. How did you realize this need, and what changed your mindset in terms of fighting? CB: I'm a guy that is always checking the major events, like PRIDE and the UFC, which is the event I have the most will to participate in. I respect PRIDE a lot, and PRIDE is a great event and has a ton of great fighters, but I love the UFC and my dream is in fact to become UFC champion. Well Eduardo, I'll be very sincere and humble with you. The group of fighters that changed my mindset about the aggressiveness and the need to fight standing up was the Chute Boxe team. They changed my mindset because of the way the used Jiu-Jitsu in their tough moments during fights. I thought "Man, if they use Jiu-Jitsu in their tough times during fights, why won't I use Muay Thai in my tough times during fights?" Then I started to train Muay Thai more seriously. With the wins of Wanderlei, Anderson, and even Pele, I thought "Man, those guys are evolving so much, this is a message to all the fighters to recognize other martial arts and not only Jiu-Jitsu" Then I embraced Muay Thai with Artur Mariano, and of course professor Paulo Nikolai has a major role in this process as well, who is a great trainer that supports myself a lot. Regarding K-1, with Drago, a South American amateur Boxing champion who trains with the BTT, getting injured and having to pull out of K-1 Brazil, I mentioned my name as someone who could participate in his place, and professor Paulo Nikolai thought it was a good opportunity if I had the proper training. Batarelli [The event promoter] also thought it was a good idea since it could generate more interest towards the event and accepted my request to fight, so I'm very thankful for that and expects to deliver a good showing. FCF: Do you remember when you had your first ever contact with Muay Thai? CB: Several years ago I was going to start my martial arts life with Muay Thai indeed. I trained Muay Thai for six months at the Naja academy, which was an academy of professor Luis Alves. I started training there but I couldn't continue cause I was studying and working at the same time back then, and the academy was too far away from my house. Later I got to know Jiu-Jitsu through Ricardo Liborio and I never stopped practicing Jiu-Jitsu. FCF: So you did Muay Thai before doing Jiu-Jitsu? CB: Yeah! The first Martial Art I practiced in my life was Judo then I stopped doing it and played Basketball for a while and then went to Muay Thai. The first fighting art I did after I wasn't a kid anymore was Muay Thai. Like I said I had to drop it cause I had to work and study, and I come from a humble family, so I couldn't afford it. Then when I started Jiu-Jitsu Carlson Gracie allowed me to train for free, so I never stopped. FCF: You were a student of UFC Champion Murilo Bustamante for a good while, and Murilo has been showing impressive Boxing skills in the Octagon. Do you think this is yet another sign that a fighter needs to be complete nowadays, and this is another reason of your dedication to Muay Thai? CB: There's no doubt about it. A fighter nowadays must have a good ground game; a good notion of takedowns and a good stand up game as well. In my opinion the ground game continues to be the most important aspect, but you have to train a lot of Boxing or Muay Thai to trade some strikes and have a good wrestling base as well. Now we have Darrel Gohlar here, who has been doing a great job with us here, so everybody is evolving a lot. I think Muay Thai, wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu are the ingredients of a perfect fighter. FCF: You already explained how this opportunity to fight at K-1 Brazil appeared, but was it tough for you to take this task? Did you have to think a lot about it before offering your name? CB: No, not at all man. I sort of "invited myself" to fight in the event [Laughs] When Drago got injured nobody was supposed to take his place. Then I said "Hey! No! No! Wait a second. Let me enter it! Carlos Barreto is going to enter this tournament!" I like challenges. Then Paulo Nikolai told me "Are you sure? Fighting Muay Thai is different from what you're used" and I promptly replied, "Let's go! Let's train a lot and show that I'm well prepared on my feet as well. I may get knocked out and lose, but I'll fight like a man!" then Nikolai said, "I'm with you. You have my support" and from then on you know the story. FCF: You had some problems in the past and ended up leaving the Brazilian Top Team for a while. Later you came back to the team and have been training with them ever since. Are all the problems solved and will Carlos Barreto stay with the BTT for the coming years? CB: No doubt about it man. We had some adaptation problems in the beginning, since we were all coming from Carlson and we were all friends from a long time. Murilo was my teacher, Bebeo was always a close friend, Sperry trained with me for years and years, and Liborio is like a brother, so it was just a friends argument over things. Fortunately I came back and was welcomed with open arms, and from then on I'm with the Top Team for whatever it happens and whatever may comes. Carlos Barreto, Brazilian Top Team, Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai are all ingredients that work fine together! [Laughs] Click here to continue with the interview |
| Sunday - February 23, 2003 |
 K-1 Brazil Ready to Make History in Sao Paulo!
Everything is ready and set for the first ever official K-1 event in Brazil, and now it's only a matter of opening up the gates and have the fighters on the middle of the ring for the action to begin, and Brazilians have the chance to have their first ever taste of the biggest stand up fighting competition in the world. Today, February 23rd at 5:00 pm Brazilian time, at the absolutely astonishing Maksud Plaza Hotel in Sao Paulo 8 fighters from different disciplines and all with a respectable resume will be battling to be crowned K-1 Brazil champions, and earn the chance to compete at K-1 USA in Las Vegas at May 2nd.Promoter Sergio Batarelli worked hard over the course of the years to establish a good relationship with the K-1 organization and have their permission to hold an official K-1 event in Brazil, as he explained to FCF "My goal was always to become a K-1 promoter, ever since I learned about K-1. In fact this Sunday I'll be achieving a huge dream"
The event will consist of an eight men tournament, one alternate fight and one special match under 73 kg to decide the WKN Brazilian Muay Thai champion, between Marfio Junior and Alexander Da Silva. This fight is a rematch, with Marfio being the winner of their first encounter, and will take place right before the tournament finals as a chance to give the heavies some rest. The alternate fight will have the presence of "Pantera Negra" who is a seasoned fighter who already fought at K-1 USA.
The main attraction is without a doubt the tournament and promoter Sergio Batarelli had a tough time selecting the 8 fighters who will be competing today "I received a lot of applications and tapes for this events, so I see that the Brazilian NHB fighter's base nowadays is Muay Thai. Most NHB fighters in Brazil fight Muay Thai, and a lot of them went to NHB competition cause they didn't have a profitable event to fight Muay Thai. So this is the first step of a long walk, a tough road, but I expect to still this year be able to do a K-1 event in Brazil with some international stars. Everything will depend on the public's acceptance, and the technical level displayed this Sunday" With two fighters out of the field of eight securing a chance to fight in Las Vegas at May 2nd, one being the champion and the second a wild card fighter picked by the promoters, is needless to say that all fighters are anxious and excited about the event, and it wouldn't be different with the biggest attraction of the show, NHB veteran and Jiu Jitsu stylist Carlos Barreto, who will be opening the tournament facing a boxer from Sao Paulo named Luis dos Santos. Used to all sorts of NHB events, Barreto is no stranger to the pressure before an event "It's the same feeling. It's the result of a work; you train a lot in the same way so the anxiety is the same. I'm a debutant here, but I'm not more or less anxious because of it. Anxiety is part of the game, but when I get inside the ring I'll transform it into aggressiveness" With a background of professional boxing, Luis dos Santos can experience some problems defending all sorts of leg kicks from Barreto and others, however he seemed relaxed about it "Everything is stand up fighting, despite being boxing or K-1. I have a basic notion of kicks. I trained some Full Contact Kickboxing and Kung Fu in the past, so I think it's essential to have some notion on how to user your legs. I became champion in one of the first ever NHB tournaments held in Brazil, several years ago, so I have a notion of everything" to what Carlos promptly replied during the press conference "You can relax cause I'm not going to take you down to fight on the ground" Now it's a matter of waiting to check what Muay Thai skills Barreto will bring to the table, and those questions will be quickly answered in the first fight of the tournament.
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TANK WINS! By Eduardo Alonso Alternate Fight:
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| Monday - February 24, 2003 |
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Who says MMA fighters don't get publicity? The big-talking Phil Baroni was back in his home state of New York this weekend doing interviews and photo shoots for Jane Magazine and News 12 of Long Island. The news station will air a segment Tuesday starting with the 5pm broadcast and every hour afterwards until the 10pm airing. Baroni was also seen on the last episode of Oz on Sunday, playing of all things... a prison guard. Look for Phil in the coming months to have a spread in Flex magazine and other major mags. "It's all about pushing fighters into other markets to get them and our sport noticed," claimed Baroni's management team. Baroni will be facing Matt Lindland this Friday night in UFC 41 in what many are saying should be the fight of the night!
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By Eduardo Alonso This Sunday, February 23rd, K-1 officially debuted in Brazil at the Maksud Plaza Hotel in Sao Paulo. A selective crowd mostly composed by VIP guests and members of the participant's academies witnessed the result of years of effort by promoter Sergio Batarelli in bringing the most important stand up fighting event in the world to Brazil. With two spots at K-1 USA at stake in an 8 men tournament, plus a WKN Muay Thai title fight and an alternate bout on the card, there was plenty of action secured for fighting fans, and K-1 standards were followed in every aspect of the show, once again defining this as an official K-1 event, and the first of many to come in the country. The show kicked off with a brief explanation of what is K-1 done by Batarelli himself, and the alternate fight soon followed. A veteran of K-1 himself, Pantera Negra came into the alternate fight as heavily favorite over newcomer Michael Bulla, and Pantera did indeed win. However, although he dominated the entire fight he couldn't put Bulla away for good and ended up getting a judges' decision in his favor. After this fight the 8 men tournament was about to start featuring the presence of some NHB veterans, such as MECA veteran Carlinhos, IVC Venezuela veteran Jefferson Tank and most importantly UFC and PRIDE veteran Carlos Barreto! Barreto was clearly the most anticipated attraction on the card, due to the fact that he is a Jiu Jitsu stylist and no one knew how we would fair in such an event. The public's doubts would soon be erased as Barreto's fight was the first one of the tourney, and him and his opponent, Luis dos Santos, were soon battling inside the K-1 ring. The first round saw Barreto surprisingly dominating the Boxer, working his distance and punishing his legs with several low kicks, however Carlos injured his shin on the process and couldn't do his game on the second and third rounds, where Luis dos Santos grew in the fight and walked away with a fair Judge's decision in his favor.
In the last semi final Jefferson Tank entered the favorite over young Vitor Miranda, who came back to replace an injured Carlinhos, however to most of the audience surprise Vitor showed a tremendous heart and used his speed and kicking combinations to overwhelm Tank, using the typical Muay Thai clinch smartly and won the first round of the fight. But Jefferson was a man on a mission, and soon in the second round he unleashed an amazing knee out of the blue and broke Miranda's jaw on the spot! The referee didn't see it, but Vitor himself warned the ref and called it quits. So the final was set between Tank and Maiorino, but first the audience would get a taste of the lighter weights with the WKN Brazilian Muay Thai up to 73 kg Championship, in a rematch between Marfio Canoletti and Alexander da Silva, with the winner of the first fight being Marfio. Both guys alternated good moments during the first rounds of the fights, however Marfio's game seemed more sharp and he scored a knockdown to then later score a second one, from where he kicked the downed opponent who didn't come back after the ref's count giving Marfio the knockout win, since the referee understood Marfio's kick to the downed Alexander wasn't intentional. So, the only thing left was the final and the chance to represent Brazil in Las Vegas at K-1 USA. Since the champion had a guaranteed spot, and the second representative would come from a wild card, picked by the promoters. Jefferson Tank and Eduardo Maiorino came into the fight already tired from their road to the final, and Tank's better cardio and bigger aggressiveness earned him the win via judges' decision, in a fight where he pressed most of the action and was never in danger. However, in the best "happy ending" fashion Maiorino was picked as the wild card fighter to go to Vegas by the promoters, and both guys were all smiles after the fight with their passports ready for K-1 USA on May 2nd, and an unforgettable experience in their minds! K-1 Brazil is going to be aired by DIRECTV to the USA, Japan and Brazil on March 8th of 2003! Don't miss it as FCF continues to bring you the undefeated fighting coverage in the world. |
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By Keith Mills
Few were surprised Jimmy Ambriz retained his Heavyweight belt over Johnathan Ivey but the upset of the night came at the opposite end of the weight divisions. Javier Vasquez tore his ACL ten seconds into the defense of his Lightweight belt and still took it to a decision, pulling out a loss but what had to be the most exciting fight of the night by fending off submission after submission. The most impact is going to come out of rAw's alleged misunderstanding of the amount of rounds in the Vasconcelos/Carter fight which resulted in Vasconcelos's corner throwing in the towel, setting up Shonie to take on Jhun for Romi Aram's vacated Welterweight belt next month. As if this wasn't enough Bobby Hoffman, candidate for world record on most amount of tournaments, won yet another Heavyweight tournament by defeating first Sam Sotello only 23 seconds into round 2 when he Sotello injured his shoulder on Hoffman's takedown before Hoffman went on the fight Jason Godsey, himself the winner of the alternate fight who got his shot when Seth Petruzelli became injured in his first fight in the tournament. Even the "dark matches" or undercard matches were exciting with the Jackson's Gladiojitsu team which includes Keith Jardine and Diego Sanchez going 3-0 for the night.
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By Keith Mills Salt Lake City, NV -- Jennifer Howe defeated Amanda Buckner to gain the Women's Championship title while Tim Kennedy and Cruz Chacon are bound for Hawaii in May for the Extreme Challenge/SuperBrawl Middleweight tournament finals after an exciting night by the lake. With four round 1 endings, three round 2s and only one decision there wasn't much controversy in this short night but the action was well worth the ticket.
Cruz, on the other hand, had two of the scariest wins with his first round opponent Griffen Reynaud's knee injury shocking the crowd and then his second round opponent Eddy Rolon not fully recovering from his knock out before trying to stand ala Scott Morris from UFC2. When the two met in the finals they set the record for the night on most amount of stand-ups with Kennedy seemingly taking Cruz down at will and finally getting a rear full mount position over a face-down Cruz where he rained down shots until referee Matt Hughes stopped the fight. The surprise of the night came with the Jennifer Howe/Amanda Buckner fight when both women known for their jiu-jitsu skills kept this fight almost all jab boxing, not even utilizing the clinch as much expected. Amanda came out more aggressive, blackening one of Jennifer's eyes and seemingly stunning her until Jennifer came alive and used her reach advantage to pick up the win. This fight was first announced as a TKO due to Hughes' intervention when Buckner was on the way to the canvas but was later reported a KO.
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Rock N' Rumble By Mike Neva
Held February 22, 2003 At the Black Lake Grange Olympia, Washington There's an old saying in hockey that goes; I went to watch a fight and a hockey game broke out. Dennis Hallman used a similar adage with the aptly named Rock N' Rumble, as a live band played throughout the night giving the event a rock concert atmosphere. The intimate Black Lake Grange played host to the nights festivities as a host of newcomers battled it out in a number of one sided affairs, with only one bout going more than 2 minutes! With the concert being the main attraction, only five bouts were scheduled, with local youngster Shane Davis capping off the evening's action with an impressive a rear naked choke victory against veteran Carl Pope.
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Cage Rage 2 By Jim Burman Cage Rage 2 - The Second Coming York Hall, Bethnal Green London 23 Feb 2003
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| Tuesday - February 25, 2003 |
From Pancrase: Latest Official PANCRASE Rankings (as of Feb. 24, 2003) [Open-weight] the 9th Open-weight K.O.P. Semmy Schilt(Holland/Golden Glory) #1 Yuki Kondo(PANCRASEism) #2 Yoshiki Takahashi(PANCRASEism) #3 Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #4 KEI Yamamiya(PANCRASEism) #5 Sanae Kikuta(Pancrase GRABAKA) #6 Tim Lajcik(U.S.A./Gladiators Training Academy) #7 Osami Shibuya(PANCRASEism) #8 Katsuhisa Fujii(UFO) #9 Ron Waterman(U.S.A./Colorado Stars) #10 Jun Ishii(Chojin Club) [Heavyweight(199lbs.~under 221lbs.)] the 1st Heavyweight K.O.P. Yoshiki Takahashi(PANCRASEism) #1 Tsuyoshi Ozawa(Zendokai) #2 Katsuhisa Fujii(UFO) #3 Jason Godsey(U.S.A./I.F. Academy) [Light heavyweight(181lbs.~under 199lbs.)] the 2nd Light heavyweight K.O.P. Sanae Kikuta(Pancrase GRABAKA) #1 Yuki Kondo(PANCRASEism) #2 Ricardo Almeida(U.S.A./Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) *UP from #6 #3 Ikuhisa Minowa(PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #2 #4 Yuki Sasaki(Pancrase GRABAKA) *DOWN from #3 #5 Akihiro Gono(Pancrase GRABAKA) *DOWN from #4 #6 KEI Yamamiya(PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #5 #7 Osami Shibuya(PANCRASEism) #8 Mitsuyoshi Sato(Pancrase GRABAKA) #9 Eiji Ishikawa(Pancrase GRABAKA) #10 Daisuke Ishii(PANCRASEism) [Middleweight(165.7lbs.~ under 181lbs.)] the 3rd Middleweight K.O.P. Nathan Marquardt(U.S.A./Colorado Stars) #1 Izuru Takeuchi(SK Absolute) #2 Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #3 Kazuo Misaki(Pancrase GRABAKA) #4 Chris Lytle(U.S.A./I.F. Academy) #5 Yuji Hoshino(Wajutsu Keishukai GODS) #6 Hidehiko Hasegawa(SK Absolute) *IN! #7 Shonie Carter(U.S.A./AIKI Training Hall) *DOWN from #6 #8 Daiju Takase(Yoshida Dojo) *DOWN from #7 #9 Takafumi Ito(PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #8 #10 Kosei Kubota(PANCRASEism) *DOWN from #9 [Welterweight(152.5lbs.~ under 165.7lbs.)] the 1st Welterweight K.O.P. Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #1 Takafumi Ito(PANCRASEism) #2 Koji Oishi(PANCRASEism) #3 Kenichi Serizawa(RJW/CENTRAL) #4 Hiroki Nagaoka(Rodeo Style) #5 Satoru Kitaoka(PANCRASEism) #6 Yuji Hoshino(Wajutsu Keishukai GODS) *IN! [Lightweight(141.4lbs.~ under 152.5lbs.)] VACANT [Featherweight(under 141.4lbs.)] VACANT |
| Thursday - February 27, 2003 |
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Tim Sylvia Gets His Shot At The Crown By Loretta Hunt 
Although Tim Sylvia doesn't have much love for Ricco Rodriguez these days, don't expect to see him chuck any chairs at the UFC Heavyweight Champion in the pre-fight events leading up to their square-off this Friday at UFC 41: Onslaught. "There was some [love] until yesterday when he started running his mouth about me and my team," remarks Slyvia from his home in Davenport, Iowa. It's a couple of weeks before the 6'8" 250-pounder will get his shot at the crown, and Sylvia is relaxing in the few hours between his morning and evening workouts. Rodriguez has appeared on a Canadian radio station that past weekend, where the "Suave" one apparently directed comments towards not only Sylvia, but also towards his team--Miletich Martial Arts. "He did that once before and it's been a while, so I let it go when he said stuff about Matt [Hughes]," comments the former Maine native with a twinge of genuine forgiveness in his voice. "But running his mouth about my teammates--you know they had a tough time in Canada with Jens losing to Ludwig and Tony losing to 'the Crow' [UCC 12]. He actually brought that up!" proclaims the exacerbated giant, as if Rodriguez has committed the ultimate cardinal sin.It becomes abundantly clear that if you mess with one Miletich fighter, you're messing with them all, and as Sylvia relates the story of how he found out he'd be getting the next heavyweight title shot, one can almost imagine a tattered picture of Rodriguez's mug dangling from a dart board hanging in the famous Iowa gym. "I didn't even know at first. Monte [Cox, Sylvia's longtime manager] had told the rest of my team before me." Standing in the hotel check-in line for UFC 40, Sylvia overheard fellow teammate and resident lightweight powerhouse Jens Pulver rant, "He better beat that boy's ass or I'll never talk to him again."
Three years have gone by since Sylvia made it his personal goal to fight in the UFC, an accomplishment he achieved last September with his debut against Wes "Cabbage" Correira at UFC 39. Not bad for a man who has test-driven more nicknames in the last few months than an 18-year old with free reign in a Camaro dealership. "Superman." and "The Grizzly Bear" have fallen to the wayside, and it seems Sylvia has settled on "Maine-iac," an homage to the northeasterly state he hails from. It was back in this rural countryside famous for its succulent lobsters, that Sylvia took his first step towards becoming a professional athlete, competing as a high school wrestler and studying Okinawan karate for seven years. Eventually moving to another town and taking up work as a bouncer at a local bar, the then 330-pounder was first introduced to grappling when his colleagues would meet twice a week at a Gold's Gym to roll. As a group, they picked up moves from anyone that could spare them and absorbed knowledge from every instructional tape they could get their hands on. After a year, a confident Sylvia entered a few local grappling competitions and quickly progressed to open-hand amateur NHB fights in Rhode Island. Future NAGA founder Kipp Kollar was the promoter of these shows, and he helped the promising potential land a fight with the IFC in New Jersey. From there, the chain of events fell like dominoes. A chance meeting with Pat Miletich at one of the UFC's led to a week long invitation to train with him and his established crew. After a week where Sylvia says he "trained his ass off," Pat didn't have to ask twice when he offered Sylvia a permanent chance to train with the team. The easygoing heavyweight was back in Iowa by month's end training for his next fight in the WEF. Click here to continue the interview |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: TICKETS ON SALE SATURDAY, MARCH 1, FOR UFC 42: SUDDEN IMPACT; 8-FIGHT CARD WILL BE FRIDAY, APRIL 25, IN MIAMI, FLA. Ultimate Fighting Championship Brings Its Brand Of International Mixed Martial Arts Fighting To Florida For First Time At American Airlines Arena Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes To Defend Title Against Sean Sherk; Brazilians Bitteti, Franca, Floridian Cronkilton Will Fight On Card LAS VEGAS, February 27, 2003... The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today announced that tickets, $300, $200, $100, $60 and $30, for UFC 42: Sudden Impact will go on sale Saturday, March 1, at the box office at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Fla., at all Ticketmaster locations and at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also may be ordered by telephone at 1-800-736-1420, 1-305-358-5885 (Dade County) or 1-954-523-3309 (Broward County). The UFC will bring its international brand of mixed martial arts fighting to Florida for the first time. "Our thousands of Florida fans have been anticipating the UFC holding one of its international pay-per-view fight shows in the state for some time. We are as excited as they are about providing an entertaining sports event they will never forget," said Dana White, UFC president. The main event of an eight-fight card will feature Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes (28-3-0 in mixed martial arts) of Hillsboro, Ill., in defense of his title against undefeated top contender Sean Sherk (21-0-1) of Brooklyn Park, Minn. Hughes most recently defended his title November 22 at UFC 40: Vendetta at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with a first-round victory over Gil Castillo by referee stoppage due to a cut over Castillo's eye. Hughes won the welterweight championship November 2, 2001, at UFC 34: High Voltage at the MGM Grand with a second-round knockout of the previous champ, Carlos Newton. In Sherk's most recent UFC fight, he defeated Benji Radach September 27 by technical knockout at 4:16 of the first round at UFC 39: Warriors Return at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The victory made Sherk the number one contender for the welterweight belt. Other fights will include a welterweight match between Brazilian Amaury Bitetti of Rio de Janeiro and Romie Aram of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and a lightweight battle between Brazilian Hermes Franca of Boca Raton, Fla., and native Floridian Rich Cronkilton, who now lives in San Jose, Calif. The remainder of the card will be announced. The Biscayne Bay Marriott Miami Hotel will host the event and UFC fans will have the opportunity to reserve rooms at a special rate by calling 1-800-228-9290 and using the fan reservation code, UFFUFFA. Watch the UFC internet web site, www.ufc.tv, for more information. The UFC has sold out its last four fight shows June 22 at The Bellagio in Las Vegas, July 13 at Royal Albert Hall in London, September 27 at The Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and November 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The last show, UFC 40: Vendetta drew 13,707 making it the largest fight audience in Nevada last year. Its next fight show, UFC 41: Onslaught, which will be held Feb. 28 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. is almost sold out. The few remaining live event tickets are available at the Boardwalk Hall box office in Atlantic City, at all Ticketmaster locations and at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also may be ordered by telephone at 1-800-736-1420. With a sellout eminent, UFC 41: Onslaught also will be available on closed circuit TV for $30 per person at the Trump Plaza Theater. Tickets are available at all Tickemaster locations, ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-736-1420, at the Trump Plaza box office or by calling 1-609-441-6157. 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, BellExpressVu 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 and TDK Mediaactive. |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: UFC 41: ONSLAUGHT TO BE TELEVISED ON CLOSED CIRCUIT FRIDAY, FEB 28, AT TRUMP PLAZA THEATER $30 Tickets Now On Sale At Ticketmaster, Trump Plaza Box Office ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., February 26, 2003....With Ultimate Fighting Championship 41: Onslaught close to a sellout Friday night, Feb. 28, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., the UFC and Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino today announced the eight-fight card will be available on closed circuit telecast starting at 10 p.m. EST in the Trump Plaza Theater. Closed circuit viewers will see the same live, pay-per-view telecast that will be televised internationally. Tickets, $30 per person, are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-736-1420 or the Trump Plaza Theater box office at 1-609-441-6157. Doors open at 9 p.m. EST. |
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Las Vegas Heavyweight Ready to Take on Tank and Beyond Ever wonder what you'd be doing two days before a fight with Tank Abbott? It's a thought that crosses my mind as I knock on Frank Mir's hotel door to check in on his progress since we last saw him. It's the Wednesday before the "big day" and the persistent breeze coming off the Atlantic City shore mixed with a light fall of flurries keeps everyone bundled up and stranded inside. Frank's girlfriend Jennifer meets me at the door, five months pregnant and positively glowing. "Frank stayed up till 5:30 in the morning reading this book. He just couldn't put it down," she hastily explains as she escorts me inside. Not exactly my first guess, but I surmise that things could be stranger. In the final hours leading up to what could become one of his career defining moments, Mir, like most of the other fifteen fighters scheduled to do battle at this Friday's UFC 41, is simply relaxing. The hard part is done -- the endless hours of drills and sparring are behind him. From here on in, it's pure mental preparation. It might be a little because he has just woken from a nap, but Frank's disposition is both tranquil and cheerful as he greets me. It's been seven months since his last fight, where British veteran Ian Freeman overcame the young heavyweight with a beating that left him almost unconscious on his feet. In that time, Mir has also had to withdraw from his first MMA fight due to injury. [He was originally scheduled to meet Vladmir Matyushenko at UFC 40]. It's a tall drink of water for any fighter to swallow, but these events already seem to be a memory as I start by asking him why he took this fight with Tank Abbott. "Every opponent in the heavyweight division has the ability to beat anybody, but what you have to gain through a victory means a lot," he answers. "Tank has the most to offer -- the most name recognition out of anybody in the heavyweight division. Everybody knows who Tank Abbott is and that's why I jumped on the opportunity as fast as I did." But why take a chance on a fighter like Tank, I think. Instead, I ask him why he believes Zuffa chose him as Tank's first opponent, hoping he has "seen" what many are speculating about this match-up. He doesn't disappoint. "It's a contrast of styles," he points out right off the bat. "It could go either way. I think as far as Tank having an opportunity to win, Tank resembles the only loss I have -- my last fight with Ian Freeman. If they feel there would be someone out there that would have a hard time with someone that is heavy-handed..." His voice trails off.
And if there were any doubts as to just how seriously the Las Vegas native is taking his inevitable showdown with Abbott, Mir lays it all out on the line. "Realistically, Tank trains," he states without the least bit of hesitation in his voice. "He has martial artists in his corner. His physique has changed. He's 250 compared to being 280. Obviously, he's been conditioning. I know the difference between a marketing scheme and the truth. There's no way that Tank Abbott is stepping into the cage without a lot training for this fight." So how has this reasoning affected Mir's training for Friday? "I did a lot more boxing. My boxing shot up a lot. It's a lot more intense, which was actually easier and harder in a lot of ways. It was harder as far as I had to be a little more conditioned and not as lazy, but easier in the fact that people commit more when they're swinging so hard at me. When someone throws a real haymaker, it's lot easier to get out of the way because you see it coming. Commitment is easy to see and easy to work with." Of course, Mir says, he has also continued with his submission work as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt under head trainer Ricardo Pires -- but with a slight twist. "Ricardo explained to me that I needed to control people a little bit more. I was abandonly shooting submissions at people and was gonna miss and slip and leave myself open to people. My submission style was way too open. There's a time for it and a time not for it, and Ricardo told me I was at fifth gear at all times. Now, I've trained my jiu-jitsu to where it's a lot more controlled. Even when I'm training with guys that aren't at my level, instead of making it a submission clinic, I go there and hold guys here and stall there while they throw punches at me the whole time." How important is this fight in Mir's mind? "It's extremely important. Business-wise, this is probably the most important fight I've had in my career. I'm the second to last fight. I'm in between the two title fights. It's also good for me because now I'm getting to fight a style of opponent that people feel I have a hard time with. A victory will help to show how I've grown from my last fight." As a final thought, I wonder if I should ask Frank Mir if he feels ready for this fight, but quickly think better of it. It's obvious from his answers that he is as ready as he will ever be -- both physically and mentally. All that's left are those few unpredictable minutes after the Octagon door closes on these two competitors. One thing is for sure though... at least one of these fighters is coming in a whole lot wiser than last time. |
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| Friday - February 28, 2003 |
 Let The Onslaught Begin! UFC 41 Weigh-Ins Are History By Loretta Hunt The official weigh-ins for UFC 41 "Onslaught" were held earlier this evening at the Trump Plaza and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey -- and while for the most part were uneventful by "Las Vegas" standards--did still attract a small crowd of spectators hoping to catch some pre-event fireworks. There was not much explosiveness to speak of, but that did not spell disaster for Zuffa who managed to still pull a couple of surprises from their sleeves. For starters, male fans will be especially pleased to welcome former Playboy Playmate and FOX Sports Network sports journalist Lisa Dergan into their homes as she becomes the UFC's first-ever female post-fight interviewer (and yes, she's a knockout in her own right.)
As for the weigh-ins themselves, with the New Jersey Athletic Commission out in full-force and known throughout the "biz" for being one of the toughest commissions around, the proceedings were slow moving at first as the fighters and their cornermen completed their necessary paperwork. There was a bit of restless angst among the fighter's camps, knowing that some of the fighters were anxious to hit the scales and then the buffets--but once the weight tallying was underway, it was smooth sailing. The first couple to makes their way to the stage were heavyweight champion and Las Vegas native Ricco Rodriguez and his challenger, Miletich Martial Arts-bred Tim Sylvia. Rodriguez looked poised and readied as he weighed in at 238 pounds. The "Maine-iac," whose second UFC fight to date might deliver him the ultimate prize if he plays his cards right tomorrow night, came in at 252 pounds. Rodriguez, however, will be one tough customer. Lightweight contenders BJ Penn and Caol Uno will reach the end of the road tomorrow night when they clash for the vacant 155-pound title. Hawaiian implant Penn, cheered on by his loyal crew from Hilo, came in at a light 152 pounds. Japanese superstar Caol Uno came in on the dot at 155 pounds. It is a second shot at the crown for both these men and it inevitably comes down to who wants it more, for both these specimens surely have ample skill to take it all. The third-to-last fight on tomorrow night's pay-per-view telecast may very well be the most anticipated of all among the general masses for one reason alone. Win or lose, it's Tank-time tomorrow night, when he takes on young 23-year old stud Frank Mir. Mir calmly worked his way onto the stage, weighing in at a fit 250 pounds, then quickly backed up to let his rambunctious opponent claim the spotlight. Through the irony of it all, today marked the first weigh-in ever for returning David "Tank" Abbott, whose fifteen appearances inside the Octagon are the most ever accumulated by any competitor ever for the sport. Tank soberly stepped onto the scales in his socks and a T-shirt and when heckled by the crowd to remove his top, declined by saying he was wired with a microphone. Although his slimmest yet at 248 pounds, don't be fooled. His trademark pot belly will also be making the trip down the fighter's ramp tomorrow night.
Brazilian veteran Pedro "the Rock" Rizzo will meet a Russian rock of his own tomorrow in Vladmir Matyushenko. It's do or die for Rizzo, with his last three UFC appearances all coming up short. Rizzo is obviously aware of this stark reality--he came in the sveltest he has in as many fights, winning today's "most improved" award hands-down. At 230 pounds, educated fans will be able to see the difference in his face alone (he looks five years younger easy). Matyushenko, who hopes to enjoy a smooth ride to a title shot since jumping up to the heavyweight division, was in good form as he came in at 218 pounds. This fight is the "hidden gem" of the group and among the fighter's camps has been deemed the match-up to watch. Rizzo is likely to push this fight to its very limits--he really has no other choice. Lightweights Din Thomas and Matt Serra made their weights respectively at 155 and 154 pounds. Thomas, who has recently joined Florida's American Top Team was quiet and reserved, showing little emotion as he walked through the paces. Opponent Serra was loud and boisterous as he encouraged the mostly subdued East Coast crowd to cut loose, but paid his respect to formidable foe Thomas as they turned into their staredown together. Quiet giant Gan McGee was next to weigh-in at 264 pounds. At 6'10", it is hard not to notice his towering frame. Brazilian Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas, a dark horse at 231 pounds, last appeared at UFC 27 as a light-heavyweight (yes, under 205 pounds), taking a loss to Yuki Kondo. McGee is coming off a devastating knockout win over Pedro Rizzo at UFC 39. With little memory of his last performance, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Dantas is starting with a clean slate. Dubbed as the "Battle of the Nice Guys" by this reporter, lightweights Yves Edwards and Rich Clementi were the final pair to weigh-in. Edwards looked ready at 154 pounds, while Clementi came in just a pound heavier. Edwards is fast becoming the "go to guy" on the UFC roster--this is the second time he will be replacing an injured fighter. Being the only "newbie" to the card tomorrow night, Clementi, (formerly of New Jersey, but currently residing in Louisiana) has the power of the Miletich team behind him and plans to move up to the Iowa camp next month now that his career seems to be kicking into high gear. The prelude to UFC 41 ended with applause for these two youngsters, but the audience's praise quickly grew to acknowledge every single fighter that had stepped onto the scale today. Another weigh-in for the books, it's on to the "Onslaught" tomorrow night. Click here to see photos from the weigh-ins |
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From the event's promoter: "Synergy" An evening of non stop fighting action Saturday March 1st 2003 8PM first fight begins Tickets available at Lucky Eagle Casino Rochester, WA www.luckyeagle.com Fight Card Pankration "Revenge Match" Landon "Sho" Showalter vs Craig "the Crab" Sloane Muay Thai fight "Insane" Oz Preciado vs Todd "the Terror" Young "Pankration Superfight" Benji "the Razor" Radach vs Joel "the Bruiser" Blanton Kickboxing Match Freddy "the Flash" Medellin vs "Killer" Cain Spalding North American Continental Bantamweight Pankration Championship Ryan "the Lion" Diaz vs Matt "Hurricane" Hamilton Pacific Northwest Muay Thai Championship Tristen "Quick" Witt vs Matt "Maniac" May North American Continental Lightweight Pankration Title Defense Charles "the Punisher" Pearson vs Daryl "Bulldog" Smith All fights triple sanctioned by: The United Full Contact Federation U.F.C.F. Hook and Shoot Washington State Department of Licensing Professional Athletics |
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From the event's promoter: Dodge Theatre Saturday, March 1, 2003 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM Advance Ticket Prices: $10, $15, $20, $30 and $40 ($5 extra day of show). Call (602) 379-2888 immediately for best selection and lowest fee. Featured Attractions: 1. Our new $40M venue (Dodge Theatre, capacity 5,500) 2. Our new, bigger, better cage 3. Three UFC Fighters 4. Triple Main Event 5. Four Super Fights 6. Five Other Bouts 7. Eight out of state fighters competing against Arizona fighters Triple Main Event: Edwin Dewees (205 lbs) vs Homer Moore (205 lbs) Travis Fulton (225 lbs) vs Joseph Riggs (220 lbs) Travis Wiuff (255 lbs) vs Andy Montana (240 lbs) Super Fights: Fred Leavy (155 lbs) vs Jesse Moreng (150 lbs) Sean Sallee (245 lbs) vs Kauai Kupihea (255 lbs) Rich Moss (185 lbs) vs Brodie Farber (185 lbs) RJ Gamez (170 lbs) vs Kyle Brees (170 lbs) Other Bouts: Tim Tynam (240 lbs) vs Melville Calabaca (235 lbs) Santino Defranco (160 lbs) vs Randy Spence (160 lbs) Roger Mejia (195 lbs) vs Joe Frainee (185 lbs) John Lansing (170 lbs) vs Shaun Beckett (170 lbs) Michael Chavez (165 lbs) vs Robert Maldonado (165 lbs) There will be 12 fights Fight Card subject to change Eight fighters will be travelling from out of state for RITC 45 to compete against Arizona RITC fighters. Travis Fulton (225 lbs) Iowa Travis Wiuff (255 lbs) Minnesota Sean Sallee (245 lbs) Indiana Fred Leavy (155 lbs) California Brodie Farber (185 lbs) California Randy Spence (160 lbs) California Shaun Beckett (170 lbs) California Joe Frainee (185 lbs) California RITC 45 official weigh-ins are scheduled as follows: Friday Feb 28, 2003 6PM - 7:30PM Commission paperwork, licensing, pre-fight physicals and weigh-ins. Only 2 fighters, scheduled to arrive in town on Saturday from Iowa and Indiana, are excused from this activity. Location: McDuffy's Sports Bar 230 W 5th St (1 block West of Mill Ave) Tempe, AZ 480-966-5600 The Post-Fight Party, immediately following RITC 45 on Saturday night, will also be held at McDuffy's. Out of town fans can stay at Days Inn Tempe (480-968-7793) and receive a $69 room for $53 by mentioning RITC. Days Inn 1221 E Apache Blvd Tempe, AZ 85281 Days Inn has a courtesy shuttle servicing Sky Harbor Airport. Dodge Theatre 400 West Washington St Phoenix, AZ 85003 (602) 379-2888 www.dodgetheatre.com Directions to Dodge Theatre: From I-10 Take 7th Ave exit (#144) Head toward business district Turn left on W Adams St. Best parking garage is at Adams & 4th Ave. |
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