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| Monday - September 1, 2003 |
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From Zuffa: UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia will be a guest on MTV's Tom Green Show this Tuesday (September 2). Check local listings for the correct broadcast time. |
Hungry for Action Filho Comes as Confident as Ever! With a solid record in his MMA career, and great credentials in grappling sports, Paulo Filho is a top contender in every organization he fights for although he has been misteriously absent from the game since his PRIDE debut. As intriguing as it can be, the Brazilian Top Team fighter debuted in PRIDE with a quick win over Japanese veteran Akira Shoji, doing what many fighters couldn't do, even in winning efforts against Shoji, and was never invited back to PRIDE till this point. Despite that Filho continued to train hard, and his frustration may only lead to more will to win as he is finally having his chance to perform again at the IFC tournament this September 6th, in Denver. This will be Paulo's US debut, and it couldn't be in better style as a great field of competitors lies ahead with names like Renato Babalu, Jeremy Horn, Mauricio Shogun and even up and comer Forrest Griffin. Despite all those names, Paulo Filho is confident in his skills and sees only the win in front of him, as he prepares to fight in his first ever tournament and square off against a Chute Boxe fighter for the first time in his life. As the date of the show approaches, Full Contact Fighter continues to heat up things for what promises to deliver some tough battles, and Paulão speaks with us in an honest conversation about his next task! FCF: After your solid win over Japanese veteran Akira Shoji at PRIDE 22, you never came back to the show and didn't fight in any event. Was it frustrating for you to keep waiting that long? PF: This was something I was not expecting. I was expecting that all the doors would open after that win but I think this was a backstage problem, not a problem with me. I had some problems with my managers, and maybe that led to this situation. It's unexplainable that I defeated Akira Shoji in two minutes, defeated some of the best Japanese fighters like Minowa, Yuki Kondo. I have a very good Jiu-Jitsu resume, with 3 BJJ world titles and 5 Brazilian Championships. I'm also a Judo black belt and I fought in numerous European circuits, and got medals in all of them. I was 3rd place in the Judo youth world championship, losing in a split decision in the end. I have been competing since very young. But the thing is that I'm not a guy who is very friendly with the media, and I saw a lot of friends getting hindered in their careers by focusing a lot on the media attention. I don't want to take part on this, my job is to train and fight, so sometimes I suffer because of those things. I don't know if you are aware but when Nino fought Sakuraba I was supposed to fight in his place, but they decided to use Nino cause they wanted someone better suited to Sakuraba's style, but in the end things didn't go as expected and Sakuraba got surprised. Now the IFC tourney appeared, and I can't stay without fighting for a whole year so here I am. My first fight is going to be against Mauricio Shogun, and I'm already eager to fight. He has been talking some stuff on his side, and I have been quiet, only opening my mouth every now and then. What I can guarantee you is that I'm ready, as he must be as well, so this will be a war! May the best man at the moment win. FCF: Did this long hiatus since your first fight give you even more appetite to fight now in this tournament? PF: Man, I'll tell you. It gives appetite and it doesn't gives at the same time. I stayed for a whole year getting promises of fights, only to see them not happening with three weeks before the show. So this is a sad situation, cause you start to get left behind, as time is going by. I was supposed to fight Anderson Silva one time and unfortunately I got injured, but now people could see that Anderson is not that great. A lot of comments were made back when we were supposed to fight that I ran from him and stuff like that. I would never run from him weighing 93 kg, and him weighing 83 kg. I would get him and, excuse me for my sincerity; I would break him in half. But since we only grow in life in our tough moments, I let this behind me and didn't pay attention to those things. This is just very sad, cause I fought 5 MMA fights and didn't lose any of them, and I never got an easy opponent. My easiest fight would be against Claudinho das Dores, but I was debuting and didn't know shit back then! I fought out of heart then, and he is somewhat of a dangerous guy either way, if you check what he did against Haroldo Cabelinho and Macaco. Anyway, it was sad and I think it was all about backstage stuff. |
| Tuesday - September 2, 2003 |
From the event's promoter:
Jason Black will put his undefeated record on the line Sept. 13 when he takes on Marcel Perigord in the main event of Extreme Challenge 53 in Iowa City.It will be the first MMA event held in Iowa City. "We've had Extreme Challenge events in just about every city in Iowa," said promoter Monte Cox. "But we have never been able to find the right place in Iowa City... and it isn't because we haven't looked. Finally, we found a sponsor that wanted to support the event." The show will be held in the Gateway Center parking lot, which is in front of sponsor Big Ten Rentals. Black, who is 16-0-1, is a member of Team Extreme and trains with the Miletich Fighting Systems in Davenport, Iowa. He is the TKO (formerly UCC) welterweight champion and is generally considered among the top 170-pounders in the world. He won the Extreme Impact world title in London, England, a little over a month ago. Perigord is from Fort Hood, Texas, and has a Tae Kwon Do background and a year of MMA training... he is 1-0 as a professional. In a feature bout, former Iowa Hawkeye wrestler Ben Uker will return to Iowa City for his pro debut. Uker will face Dan Anderson of Des Moines, who sports a perfect 3-0 pro mark. Other fights for the show are being put together, but will consist of top amateurs from around the Midwest. Gates open at 6 p.m. with the first bout at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at numerous locations -- Sam's Pizza, The Sports Column, McInnerney's and Big Ten Rentals... all in Iowa City. For more information, contact Monte Cox at 563 505-0075. |
From the event's promoter: THE ULTIMATE SUBMISSION SHOWDOWN The UFC was created to compare all styles of martial arts. It became clear that the advantage of the grappler was tremendous. Now, everyone trains in some form of grappling and that has leveled the playing field. Today's events, consist of overgrown athletes relying on punches and kicks to pummel their way through victory. It's become a comparison of athletes, more than a comparison of styles! Fans miss the early days because now they rarely see a match end with a classic submission move... From the creator of the UFC: THE ULTIMATE SUBMISSION SHOWDOWN Eight of the top grapplers in the world will compete in a single elimination tournament that will determine the world's best submission fighter. There is NO TIME LIMIT. Competitors can choose to wear whatever outfit they want. ALL finishing moves will be permitted whether it's chokes, neck-cranks, arm-locks, knee-locks, ankle-locks, foot-locks, takedowns, etc... The best representatives of wrestling, jiu-jitsu, judo, submission-fighting, shoot-fighting, and sambo are being invited. IT'S TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP! See it live at the James Armstrong Theatre in Torrance, CA, OCTOBER 11, 2003. SEATS ARE LIMITED. ORDER YOUR TICKETS NOW! CALL (310) 782-1309 For more information go to www.IGJJF.com |
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From Pancrase: Pancrase 2003 Hybrid Tour ~10th Anniversary P.P.V. Show~ Open-Weight King Of Pancrase Title Match Sunday,August 31,2003 Doors Open: 3:00pm Fights Start: 4:00pm Ryogoku Kokugikan(Tokyo,Japan) Live Gate: 10,500- Match#1/Pancrase Vs N.J.P.W. 3 On 3 Team Bout/Open-Weight 3x5 Min Rounds Osami Shibuya(Pancraseism) Def. Toru Yano(New Japan Pro-Wrestling) By Arm Bar At 2r 2:25 Match#2/Pancrase Vs World 5 On 5 Team Bout/Middleweight 3x5 Min Rounds Ricardo Almeida(U.S.A./Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) Def. Kazuo Misaki(Middleweight 3rd Ranked/Pancrase Grabaka) By 0-2-1 Split Judges Decision At Full Time Limit Match#3/Pancrase Vs World 5 On 5 Team Bout/Open-Weight 3x5 Min Rounds Yuki Sasaki(Pancrase Grabaka) Def. Heath Sims(U.S.A./Team Quest) By 3-0-0 Unanimous Judges Decision At Full Time Limit *Sasaki's Original Opponent Evangelista Cyborg(Light Heavyweight 9th Ranked/Brazil/Academia Budokan) Was Pulled Out Due To Visa Problem Match#4/Pancrase Vs World 5 On 5 Team Bout/Light Heavyweight 3x5 Min Rounds Akihiro Gono(Light Heavyweight 3rd Ranked/Pancrase Grabaka) Def. Nilson De Castro(Light Heavyweight 4th Ranked/Brazil/Chute Boxe Academy) By Castro's Low Blow Foul At 1r 0:29 Match#5/Pancrase Vs N.J.P.W. 3 On 3 Team Bout/Catch Wrestling Rules 2x5 Min Rounds Minoru Suzuki(Pancrase Mission) Def. Takashi Iizuka(New Japan Pro-Wrestling) By 3-0-0 Unanimous Judges Decision At Full Time Limit Match#6/Pancrase Vs World 5 On 5 Team Bout/Middleweight 3x5 Min Rounds Crosley Gracie(U.S.A./Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) Def. Kiuma Kunioku(Middleweight 2nd Ranked/Pancraseism) By 3-0-0 Unanimous Judges Decision At Full Time Limit Semifinal/Pancrase Vs World 5 On 5 Team Bout/Light Heavyweight 3x5 Min Rounds Sanae Kikuta(2nd Light Heavyweight K.O.P./Pancrase Grabaka) Def. Elvis Sinosic(Australia/Machado Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) By 3-0-0 Unanimous Judges Decision At Full Time Limit Main Event/Pancrase Vs N.J.P.W. 3 On 3 Team Bout/Open-Weight K.O.P. Title Match 3x5 Min Rounds Josh Barnett(Open-Weight 7th Ranked/U.S.A./New Japan Pro-Wrestling) Def. Yuki Kondo(Open-Weight 1st Ranked/Pancraseism) By Choke Sleeper At 3r 3:26 *Barnett was crowned the 10th open-weight King Of Pancrase |
| Wednesday - September 3, 2003 |
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Paulo Filho Out of IFC Tourney! In an unfortunate incident, Brazilian Top Team member Paulo Filho injured himself this Tuesday in training, just one day before his departure to the USA to compete in the much anticipated IFC Light-Heavyweight tournament. Filho was defending a takedown when he suffered a severe knee ligament injury and is currently in the hospital. The status of his injury isn't completely known yet, but it'll most certainly require serious treatment. This is the second time a sad incident like this happened in Filho's career, as he was also forced to withdraw from PRIDE 21 due to injury. At the moment both the IFC organization and Paulo Filho's manager are working on a replacement that may be announced at any moment. FCF will keep you posted on the developments. |
| Thursday - September 4, 2003 |
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This Saturday, September 6th,MSG network (available on many cable and satellite providers) will air some of the fights from the Ring of Combat IV show held at Caesar's in Atlantic City on August 15th. The fights will be on Martial Art World, which is scheduled to air on MSG at noon on Saturday, with a repeat broadcast on Sunday, September 14th. The 30-minute show will feature the Nick Serra vs. Rick McCoy and Edson Carvalho vs. Jose Rodriguez fights as well as one or two others if time permits. More fights from the event will be shown in a future episode of Martial Art World, probably in October. |
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From the event's promoter: Three RITC Title Fights Saturday, Sept 13, 2003 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) Doors Open: 5:30 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM Ticket Prices: $20 (rows 14-25), $30 (rows 4-13) and $50 (rows 1-3). Three RITC Championships will be "up for grabs" in this can't miss event. It will be the long awaited show-down between two top heavyweights, for the UNDISPUTED RITC Heavyweight Title, when Joseph Riggs (11-4) battles Andy Montana (11-3). The vacant RITC Lightweight Title brings Jake Hattan (9-1) in from Colorado for his RITC debut against formidable Robert Maldonado who is dropping to the Lightweight division. In another Main Event, Chris Peak (6'3", 210 lbs) out of Vancouver, British Columbia will be coming to Phoenix to challenge Homer "The Rock" Moore. "GrappleGirl", coming off an impressive win in RITC 51, will defend her title against, kick boxing specialist and 4 time World Champion for Women's Full Contact Kumite in Karate, Dallas Campbell. All of this and an outstanding supporting card will make for an unforgettable evening. Don't get shut out, order your tickets early. Call 602-267-1600 to order tickets (can pick up at will-call on fight night). Joseph Riggs (220) vs Andy Montana (250) Homer Moore (205) vs Chris Peak (210) Jake Hattan (155) vs Robert Maldonado (155) Cory Timmerman (310) vs Melville Calabaca (255) Roger Mejia (200) vs Brett Shafer (200) Joe Vigil (155) vs Matt Ver Halen (150) RJ Gamez (180) vs Joe Frainee (185) Michelle "GrappleGirl" Farrow (150) vs Dallas Campbell (160) Rich Moss (190) vs Greg Bell (185) John Lansing (185) vs Andy Bryant (185) Justin Nauling (175) vs Mike Lightfoot (175) Carlos Ortega (155) vs Rylan Sandoval (155) Victor Cruz (155) vs Gabe Rivas (160) Fight Card subject to change. Meet Edwin Dewees and many of the fighters at the RITC Pre-Fight party on Sept 12 (Fri) at 7:00 PM at: FLICKA's Baja Cantina 2003 N.Scottsdale Rd No cover Charge - $2.00 Coronas all night long The RITC Post-Fight Party will be at the same location and feature an Arizona Dream Girls Contest. It will be another great weekend of activities brought to you by Rage in the Cage. Other upcoming events: RITC 54 Saturday, Oct 25, 2003 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) RITC 55 Saturday, Nov 15, 2003 Casa Grande RITC 56 - Year # 6 Begins Saturday, Dec 6, 2003 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) RITC 57 Saturday, Jan 31, 2004 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) |
| Friday - September 5, 2003 |
 Give Us Your Thoughts... There's a lot going on in the MMA world right now. We'd like to hear your thoughts on the current events affecting our sport. What's on your mind? Let us know what you're thinking -- sound off about anything you want to talk about. This is your chance to be heard around the world -- sound off! Some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF. Click here to take the survey |
| Saturday - September 6, 2003 |
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Time For Some Recognition As Forrest Griffin Builds His Way Up And Is Ready For Big Time! Just a few hours away from what promises to be one of the most exciting tournaments in recent years, Full Contact Fighter continues to heat up things for the show as they couldn't be more heated at this point! In a field with famous Light Heavyweight fighters including UFC and PRIDE veterans, and athletes representing the biggest teams in our sport, one guy quietly emerges as the underdog, as he always did in his appearances, and don't be surprised if he manages to steal the action and come out on with some good wins when all is over at tonight's IFC show. Forrest Griffin is a guy that has the opposite stereotype of what people got used to recognize as an MMA fighter. Very down to earth, calm, relaxed and educated, Griffin is a different kind in this sport. Spending his time and earning his living by helping kids with emotional problems, one can already understand that Forrest is an extremely calm person, and this translates into the ring. If you ever see this guy in a weigh-in, you will understand why he is for real. His calmness and tranquility reaches a point that amazes most people, and one could think he is either a talented and confident fighter, or a crazy unaware guy! But if you look at his record, you'll soon understand that the first case is what reveals the truth. With one loss coming at his very debut to the hands of a much more experienced, and much heavier Dan Severn, Griffin is yet to lose a fight since, and his list of wins includes names like UFC veterans Jeff Monson and Travis Fulton, and most impressively a recent quick win over seasoned veteran Ebenzer Fontes Braga at HEAT FC 1 in Brazil, little more than a month ago. Quietly and without drawing much attention, this fighter from Georgia has been building an impressive resume and now he is entering the biggest tournament he ever took part in. Make no mistake about it, he knows what this can mean, and he is taking it as he takes all his fights, for fun! This is probably the secret of this guy's calmness and good showings, despite not training with big names or in any known teams, he loves our sport and he is a natural. So, when the IFC starts tonight, don't be surprised if Forrest Griffin steals some of the spotlights and put on a good showing, cause winning or losing he is going be having a great time!
FG: It was a great experience all around. The fight worked out well for me. It was one of those things that if the fight haven't gone so well I would thought of it as a horrible experience (Laughs), but everything went well for me as far as the fight, so the experience was a good one and is always good to travel and sort of overcome that psychological disadvantage of being in somebody else's home turf. FCF: Do you like fighting as the underdog? FG: Yeah, it's a lot easier that way! FCF: (Laughs) What did you think of being in Brazil overall, not only about the fight itself, but of the show, or the trip in general? FG: Oh, I mean, I loved it! But it's a totally different place, on the little things. Like the showers aren't very hot, or the beds at the hotel are small (Laughs) nothing is supersize like we have in America. Everything is a little different, and those things are nice when you're just going out for travel, and seeing places, and enjoy different parts of the world and get a piece of that culture, but when you're gonna fight you want as much normality as possible. You like everything to be pretty normal, like you are used to. FCF: What did you think of Braga issuing you a challenge for a rematch, in a friendly way, after your victory? FG: Well, I mean, is one of those things that ensures me another trip back to Brazil and another fight. You never really want to fight a guy that you already beaten up. It's just that I know that when somebody beats me I'll want to fight him again, and I just know that if I had lost that fight I would want to fight him again, and I would just work my ass off for every minute of every day, to make sure that the next time things will go down in my favor. You know in your head that that's what he is thinking "No way this little punk kid is gonna beat me twice! I'm going to give everything I can and beat this kid". You really have to watch fighting somebody you already beat. FCF: Are you a guy that seeks rematches? You only lost once, but did you think about rematching Dan Severn after you lost to him in your debut? FG: Not really. I don't know, you know, I just don't see it helping me out really. It's not like he was a mean guy, or vicious or anything like that. He didn't really leave a bad taste in my mouth, for me it was just one of those things as growing, learning, developing as a fighter and overcoming the fact that there's people watching you. For me it was a good learning experience, it's tough to lose but I didn't get hurt and I was training again in the next week. The guy wasn't mean, he dominated me but he didn't hurt me or didn't destroy me, he didn't break me mentally. So that's not I fight I ever wanted a rematch. FCF: So you don't hold grudges against the fighters you face in the ring? FG: No, not particularly (Laughs) I don't want to talk about it too much, but there's a couple of guys that I won the fight straight up, no questions asked and they were like "it was fluke, and this and that" These people I would be happy to fight again. Just because I go out there and fight a good fight, and you have an off day it doesn't mean you can run around saying, whatever, it doesn't count. It counts! |
From Dream Stage Entertainment: PRIDE FC AND THE AMERICAN MMA MEDIA September 5, 2003 LOS ANGELES, California - Because of Ryan Bennett's recent article "Pride Shuts Out American Media," Dream Stage Entertainment USA has felt compelled to respond. While we do respect other viewpoints, we decided it was time to give our perspective on dealing with the media for Pride FC events in Japan. Because of the international nature of Pride, we receive media requests from all over the world, including the United States, Brazil, Australia, and numerous European countries. This is not to mention the Japanese media, which are in their own home market. In Japan the sport isn't only covered by the Japanese MMA media, it's also covered by the mainstream media. All in all, we commonly field over 300 press requests per event. It's an enormous challenge to satisfy everyone when dealing with such a literal crush of media. While Dream Stage Entertainment USA has been working diligently these past four years to bring Pride FC into the United States, it must be realized that it is still primarily a Japanese show. This is not to say that DSE USA does not cater to American fans, on the contrary, the fight cards are always built with the intention of hopefully satisfying both the Japanese and American fans. In regards to the American MMA media---they have been given more access and privileges than most of their Japanese counterparts, including closer photography positions and being privy to the hotel in which the fighters are staying. In many cases, members of the American MMA media have been brought to Japan and accommodated as guests of DSE. In addition, it's been common practice that the American MMA media is allowed to ride from the hotel to the events in the same bus as the fighters, granting them even more access and convenience than their counterparts. While it's true that we cannot always give all of these privileges to each individual American MMA website at the same time, we've done the best that we can. In terms of going backstage, no media, American or otherwise, is given access. This is done, again, because of the amount of media we must accommodate (and keeping things fair) as well as our belief that the fighters must be given their privacy prior to their matches. As far as weigh-ins, this comes down purely to a cultural difference, which has either not been understood or explained to the American MMA media. In Japan, it's not culturally acceptable to have a public weigh-in the same way it is in the United States. Yes, it's an opportunity for drama, stare downs, bad blood to boil, etc. But this is from the American perspective. While Pride FC events are in Japan, their events are run according to their cultural rules. To address negative press---DSE USA respects the right of journalists to write what they like, but the problem has been that many critical articles and even posts on message boards by well-respected members of the MMA community have been written completely without our point of view. While we cannot always disclose all the reasons behind our decision, to not be approached and then be criticized with only one side of the story, isn't always easy to accept. Most of these issues seem to come down to cultural differences and/or just plain misunderstandings and we are making attempts to be more open and approachable in the future. If guidelines and expectations are set in advance, we feel that this would only benefit both sides. DSE USA is aware and thankful for our support in the United States and for coverage by the American MMA media. As the sport grows in this country we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the media and the fans. I welcome any suggestions or comments by the American MMA media, in the hopes of building a better, more open relationship. Best Regards, Turi Altavilla Vice President of Production Dream Stage Entertainment USA |
(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 |
| Sunday - September 7, 2003 |
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Held Sept. 6, 2003 - Chippenham, England By David West
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Held Sept. 6, 2003 By Keith Mills
Academy Of MMA's Amanda Buckner won the Women's 135 fight against Victory Athletic's Ginele Marquez in a fight many knew would be a challenge for Marquez to win. Buckner whipped out a ankle lock, a move she has so far shown no inclination to even try. In yet another example of the IFC's support for the women's divisions Jennifer Howe, the only woman to beat Buckner at 135, looked on from the broadcast table where she commentated for this one fight. This show can basically be divided into two shows; the Light Heavyweight tournament and secondly several other name fighters getting fights against relatively outmatched opponents. Nathan Marquardt, Ron Waterman, and local fighter making his debut Chilo Gonzales also won to no great surprise. Worst moment of the night originally was marked by the "no contest" between Doug Evans and Brad Gumm when Gumm allegedly racked Evans to the point Evans couldn't continue, an issue hotly debated ringside by Ken Pishna especially with no resolution at this point. This dubious honor of worst moment was replaced a couple fights later with the entire Ron Waterman/"Scary" Jerry Vrbanovic fight. "Scary" Jerry is not exactly what one would call "top caliber" -- comments such as "his striking is in question" or "conditioning could use improvement" are understatements. Waterman on the other hand is so good the California promoters are having a tough time finding opponents. This fight was so one-sided it was almost amusing, with Jerry finally succumbing to a "chicken wing" submission. Basically the Light Heavyweight tournament was well worth the one-sided fights with big name fighters that filled the card.
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Held September 5, 2003 By Keith Mills
Nick Aguilar, the FFC Lightweight Champion fighting out of Dave Strasser's school, stunned many by taking the inagural AFC Lightweight belt in the main event against heavily favored American Top Team fighter Edson Diniz. In the first round Aguilar didn't seem to get off the starting block and it looked like Diniz's ground game was going to provide a one-sided victory. Starting in the second Nick came alive with his striking and seemed to revert to his prepared gameplan. Rounds 2 & 3 were definitely Aguilar's as he relentlessly fought and earned the unanimous judges' decision, adding the AFC 155 belt to his FFC one which he will defend October 18th. If only the Chris Lytle and Dustin Denes fights were as close. Chris Lytle when he fights at Welterweight is one of the best and most exciting fighters to have such a blotchy record. It's his fights in Japan where he has fought as Middleweight that ruin his redcord, a strategy he would be wise to adjust. Lytle's tringle choke and armbar combination seemed to have the ref looking in the wrong place because although Lavender's body was stiff and "defending" the armbar the legs of Lytle alone choked out Lavender. The ref didn't seem to notice until Lavender was unconscious and his face was turning blue.
AFC 5 really shone with the undercard. With so many shows now not respecting their own undercards and pointing to boxing as precedent it was refreshing to see a card packed with skilled fighters and not brawlers that would fight for peanuts. American Top Team's Jorge Santiago came back from his recent quick KO loss in KOTC to beat Derrick Noble was probably the biggest news on the undercard. American Top Team went 3-1, Dave Strasser's Freestyle Academy went 1-2, Integrated Fighting went 1-1, and local guys Freestyle Fighting Academy (no connection to Dave Strasser) went 3-0 showing no one group could be said to dominate the 10-fight card. Overall exciting and well-balanced for the fans of groundwork balanced with striking while fans of the brawlers and engineered knockouts would be more satisfied elsewhere.
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| Monday - September 8, 2003 |
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Pick the winners... With UFC 44 fast approaching, we'd like your opinions on who will win each of the scheduled 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 |
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Held September 6, 2003 Maui War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku, Maui By Chris Onzuka
Exhibition Bout: Amateur Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 1 Minute Jacob Carlos vs. Keola McKee Exhibition Bout: Amateur Kickboxing: 3 Rounds - 1 Minute Thomas Kahoohanohano vs. Casey Ladore MMA: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes Josh Kamalo def. Joe Estrella Verbal submission due to strikes at 4:21 into R1 Tavini Sulusi (Maui Full Contact Fighting) def. John Quinlan KO at 0:11 into R1 Warren Miguel (Maui Full Contact Fighting) def. Lucky Keefner Split decision [(29-28), (28-29), (29-28)] after 3 rounds Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen) def. Eric Tolentino Submission via arm bar from the guard at 1:14 into R1 Matt Mozzoca def. Anthony Billianor (Maui Full Contact Fighting) TKO due to injury when Billianor dislocated his elbow at 0:30 into R1 Semi-Main Event: Harris Sariento (808 Fight Factory) def. Lorrin Ishimine (Maui Full Contact Fighting) Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds Main Event Alan Hinojosa (Maui Full Contact Fighting) def. Marcus Moreno (Bulls Pen) Submission via forearm choke at 4:13 into R2 |
| Tuesday - September 9, 2003 |
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By Mike "The Shooter's Shooter" McNeil TKO productions launched its first show in Montreal's Pierre-Charbonneau Centre on Sept. 6. Taking over for the now defunct UCC the card was lacking the Main event of George St. Pierre vs. Pete Spratt after Georges St. Pierre hurt his knee earlier in the week. The event featured six preliminary bouts and seven fights on the main card so although there were some disappointments most MMA fans left very happy after a long night of Major League MMA. Antonio Carvalho (145 lbs) made a very impressive TKO debut with a 2nd round win over Phillipe Lagace (145 lbs) via Ref stoppage. David Guigui (145 lbs) was back and earned the Split Decision over Steve "The Snake" Claveau. Claveau looked reserved in this fight which had GuiGui turning it on and taking the fight to Claveau. Kyle Sanford (184 lbs) improved his MMA record to 2-1-0 with a nice front head and arm choke over Aaron Tregear (185 lbs). Jeff Joslin (169 lbs.) methodically took apart Alex Gasson getting the tap out due to strikes at 3:40 of the first round. Joslin showed great patience and technically superior ground game controlling this match. Steve Daquette made his MMA debut against Andy Social and pounded his way to victory at 2:49 pf the first round. Social looked out matched, out weighed out muscled and out of luck from the opening bell in this one. Dany Laflamme and Pain Peters (170 lbs) had their third match against each other and it was Laflamme who took home the Split Judges decision. This was just a continuation from their last fight where both fighters looked out of shape and it was just a contest of who would have anything left in the tank and let the judges decide. One comment from ringside though was that it should be a draw because neither deserved the win. Cameron Brown (204 lbs.) of Gibson Pankration defeated Pascall Gosselin (205 lbs) via rear naked choke. Brown dedicated the fight to his mother who had recently passed away. It should be mentioned Gosselin did step up to replace injured Kristof Midoux. Dave Goulet (154 lbs) and Stephane Dube (155 lbs) had a great fight that had the crowd getting into it from the opening bell. Goulet finally got the upper hand on Dube and sunk in the rear naked choke near the middle of round two. Blake Fredrickson (155 lbs) lost a tough fight to Donald Ouimet (155 lbs) to a judge's decision. This fight could have went either way as both fighters left it all up to the last round to really put it all on the line. Patrick Cote (205 lbs) did his best Tito Ortiz, Genki Sudo, Roy Jones Jr. and even threw in some Bruce Lee imitations in his fight against Yan Pellerin. Cote's antics must have riled Pellerin even before the fight as Pellerin entered the ring madder than a Kosher-Delhi waiter at closing time. In a good back and forth fight it was Cote who won over the crowd and the judges as he took home the Unanimous Decision.
Mark "The Machine" Hominick (145 lbs) retained his TKO Canadian Super lightweight belt with a convincing win over Ryan Diaz (145 lbs). After three losses in other events Hominick came back and looked very dangerous in this one. Look to see a rematch between Mark and Richard Nancoo in the near future.
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From Pancrase: (as of 9/5/2003) [Open-weight] the 10th Open-weight K.O.P. Josh Barnett(U.S.A./New Japan Pro-wrestling) *NEW! #1 Yuki Kondo(PANCRASEism) #2 Semmy Schilt(Holland/Golden Glory) #3 Yoshiki Takahashi(PANCRASEism) #4 Sanae Kikuta(Pancrase GRABAKA) #5 Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #6 Nathan Marquardt(U.S.A./Colorado Stars) #7 VACANT [Super heavyweight(221lbs. and over)] the 1st Super heavyweight K.O.P. VACANT #1 Semmy Schilt(Holland/Golden Glory) #2 Tim Lajcik(U.S.A./Gladiators Training Academy) #3 Ron Waterman(U.S.A./freelance) #4 Hideki Tadao(RJW/CENTRAL) #5 Jun Ishii(Chojin Club) #6 KENGO(PANCRASEism) [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) #3 Akihiro Gono(Pancrase GRABAKA) #4 Nilson de Castro(Brazil/Chute Boxe Academy) #5 Daisuke Watanabe(PANCRASEism) #6 Ikuhisa Minowa(freelance) #7 Yuki Sasaki(Pancrase GRABAKA) #8 KEI Yamamiya(PANCRASEism) #9 Evangelista Cyborg(Brazil/Academia Budokan) #10 Osami Shibuya(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 Crosley Gracie(Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) *IN! #3 Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) *down from #2 #4 Ricardo Almeida(U.S.A./Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy) *IN! #5 Kazuo Misaki(Pancrase GRABAKA) *down from #3 #6 Chris Lytle(U.S.A./Ring Sports Palmers Gym) *down from #4 #7 Hidehiko Hasegawa(SK Absolute) *down from #5 #8 Shonie Carter(U.S.A./AIKI Training Hall) *down from #6 #9 Kosei Kubota(PANCRASEism) *down from #7 #10 Eiji Ishikawa(Pancrase GRABAKA) *down from #8 [Welterweight(152.5lbs.~ under 165.7lbs.)] the 1st Welterweight K.O.P. Kiuma Kunioku(PANCRASEism) #1 Koji Oishi(PANCRASEism) #2 Takafumi Ito(PANCRASEism) #3 Kenichi Serizawa(RJW/CENTRAL) #4 Hiroki Nagaoka(Rodeo Style) #5 Satoru Kitaoka(PANCRASEism) #6 Yuji Hoshino(Wajutsu Keishukai GODS) #7 Takuya Wada(SK Absolute) [Lightweight(141.4lbs.~ under 152.5lbs.)] VACANT [Featherweight(under 141.4lbs.)] VACANT |
| Thursday - September 11, 2003 |
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From Dream Stage Entertainment: PRIDE FC BUSHIDO: THE GRACIE FAMILY VERSUS JAPAN! LOS ANGELES, California -Dream Stage Entertainment is proud to announce its inaugural "Bushido" show which will pit the Gracie family against a line-up of some of Japan's elite mixed martial artists. Under coach Royce Gracie, Team Gracie will consist of Renzo, Ryan, Rodrigo, Daniel, and Ralph. The Japanese team has yet to be finalized. The event is scheduled for October 5th, 2003 from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan and a total of 7-8 matches overall are expected. |
| Friday - September 12, 2003 |
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The Brazilian Beat: Here we are, just days away of the non-conventional Jungle Fight show, as Brazil continues to produce a high number of MMA events in the year of 2003, showing a new and fortunate trend that will most certainly help the sport here. As September is gearing up, Jungle Fight is not the only show gracing this month, as Brazil Super Fight is also rapidly approaching, as some small shows also have their share of action scheduled for the next days. Although shows such as Jungle or BASF are around the corner, HEAT FC is already slowly starting to get into full gear for November as fights are being signed at this very minute, and the following weeks promises to deliver plenty of surprises. With new shows popping up, in the better possible trend that has been taking place in Brazil, fighters are also preparing hard not only for those, but for the big leagues as well, such as UFC and PRIDE. Veterans Pedro Rizzo and Wanderlei Silva, both dangerous strikers, are training hard with clear goals set for November, while Vitor Belfort manages to keep focused in the middle of his usual media frenzy. Well, enough with the talk as Jungle Fight will bring the rhythm of the Amazon, as drums will set the pace and Full Contact Fighter will provide the beat as always!
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From Josh Hedges/UFC/Zuffa: Tito Ortiz is headed to NBC's 'Last Call with Carson Daly' on September 16. The show tapes that Tuesday at 7:00pm at 30 Rockefeller Center. Tickets are free but on a first come first serve basis. To reserve your tickets simply visit Last Call's link on www.1iota.com and register for the correct date. We will follow up with an email invitation. You must be at least 16 years of age to be in our audience. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at the show! |
| Saturday - September 13, 2003 |
With Ralph Gracie going to fight in Pride's Bushido show, demand is high to see him in action back in the early days of MMA, so order yours today before they sell out!
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From the event's promoter: Three RITC Title Fights Saturday, Sept 13, 2003 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) Doors Open: 5:30 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM Ticket Prices: $20 (rows 14-25), $30 (rows 4-13) and $50 (rows 1-3). Three RITC Championships will be "up for grabs" in this can't miss event. It will be the long awaited show-down between two top heavyweights, for the UNDISPUTED RITC Heavyweight Title, when Joseph Riggs (11-4) battles Andy Montana (11-3). The vacant RITC Lightweight Title brings Jake Hattan (9-1) in from Colorado for his RITC debut against formidable Robert Maldonado who is dropping to the Lightweight division and he is coming off a big win last week. In another Main Event, Chris Peak (6'3", 210 lbs) out of Vancouver, British Columbia will be coming to Phoenix to challenge Homer "The Rock" Moore. "GrappleGirl" will defend her title against, kick boxing specialist and 4 time World Champion for Women's Full Contact Kumite in Karate, Dallas Campbell. All of this and an outstanding supporting card will make for an unforgettable evening. Don't get shut out, order your tickets early. Call 602-267-1600 to order tickets (can pick up at will-call on fight night). Joseph Riggs (220) vs Andy Montana (250) Homer Moore (205) vs Chris Peak (205) Jake Hattan (155) vs Robert Maldonado (155) Nike Knight (140) vs Matt Ver Halen (150) Roger Mejia (200) vs Brett Shafer (205) Cory Timmerman (310) vs Melville Calabaca (255) RJ Gamez (180) vs Joe Frainee (185) John Lansing (185) vs Andy Bryant (185) Rich Moss (190) vs Greg Bell (185) Justin Nauling (175) vs Mike Lightfoot (175) Michelle "GrappleGirl" Farrow (150) vs Dallas Campbell (160) Carlos Ortega (155) vs Rylan Sandoval (155) Victor Cruz (155) vs Gabe Rivas (160) Fight Card subject to change. FLICKA's Baja Cantina 2003 N.Scottsdale Rd No cover Charge $2.00 Corona's all night long The RITC Post-Fight Party will be at the same location and feature an Arizona Dream Girls Contest. It will be another great weekend of activities brought to you by Rage in the Cage. |
| Sunday - September 14, 2003 |
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Antonio Inoki and Wallid ismail's partnership project just ended minutes ago. The show started very late this September 13th and advanced through the early hours of September 14th. Expect a more detailed report soon at Full Contact Fighter, with comments on the fights and the show itself. Here are the results:
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 BJ Penn vs. Takanori Gomi Signed for Rumble on the Rock 4 Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii October 10, 2003 By Chris Onzuka
The event promoters have been gaining experience with their first three shows in Hilo, Hawaii before taking ROTR to the next level. Their fourth event will be held at the Blaisdell Arena on Oahu and will be filled with an exciting undercard. The fight card looks to be pitting the best fighters from Hawaii (or fighting out of Hawaii) against the world. The rest of the card will be released soon! |
| Tuesday - September 16, 2003 |
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From the event's promoter: September 13th Steubenville, Ohio 1,900 fans in were in attendance!!! OFFICIAL RESULTS:
Angelo Popofski (Middle Weight Champion) Luke Spencer (Welter Weight Champion) Jason Dent (Light Weight Champion) |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: Fight Results September 15 , 2003 Otaku gym 15:00 start 1st Match Jun Ishii (Chojin Club) vs Hagane Samurai (Hatenko) Win Hagane Samurai by TKO (Punch) 3R 2:11 2nd Match Ryuta Sakurai (R GYM) vs Hirohide Fujinuma (Aramusha) Win Ryuta Sakurai by Arm lock 1R 3:46 3rd Match MAX Miyazawa (Aramusha) vs Yoshinori Momose (Zendokai) Draw (1-0) 4th Match Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Cobrakai) vs Tetsushi Kato (Purebred Omiya) Win Dokonjonosuke Mishima by decision (2-0) 5th Match Dos Caras Jr. (AAA) vs Brad Kohler (Team Extreme) Win Dos Caras Jr. by TKO 1R 1:25 6th Match Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (Mach Dojo) vs Ryo Chonan (U-File Camp) Win Ryo Chonan by TKO (Dr Stop) 3R 2:10 7th Match DEEP middleweight title match Ryuki Ueyama (U-File Camp/champion) vs Masanori Suda (Club-J/challenger) Draw (0-1), Ryuki Ueyama retains Champion Belt |
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From SuperBrawl promoter T Jay Thompson: 170lbs 3x5 minute rounds Tiki Ghosen (Team Oyama 5-3) v Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun (808 ff 18-10-2) Ghosen is a proven UFC veteran who trains with some of the best in the business. His style is aggressive. His stand up is strong and his ground is solid. Jhun will likely start slow and try to put the pressure on Ghosen later in the fight. The winner of this fight will likely fight for the Super Brawl title in November. Heavyweight 3x3 minute rounds Travis "The Iron Man" Fulton (Iowa, 127-32-8) v Kauai Kupihea (808 fight factory 14-11) Yes, you read correctly. Fulton has over 125 MMA wins, including, victories over Super Brawl Champion, Cabbage and Kawika Pa'aluhi. He has more than earned his "Iron Man" nickname. Kupihea is back training in Hawaii and looking to make a name for himself in the Super Brawl ring. He is a big man with KO power and good submission and wrestling skills. He will need to utilize all of them to beat Fulton. |
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From the event's promoter: Aaron Griffith def. Bryan Robinson, 1:47 Rd. 1, tap from punches. Brian Stichter def. Zach Cornwell, :06 Rd. 1, kick to head. Rodney Webb def. Griffith, 1:00 Rd. 2 (4:00), rear choke. Sub. grappling: Jeff Lindsay def. Brian Stichter. Pro bouts John Strawn def. Nate Mohr, 2:28 Rd. 2 (7:28), rear choke. Dan Anderson def. Ben Uker, 3:47 Rd. 1, guillotine choke. Jason Black def. Marcel Perigord, 1:08 Rd. 1 North/South choke. |
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From the event's promoter: Brett Shafer named Fighter of the Night It was a wild night at Celebrity Theatre. Brett Shafer upset undefeated Roger Mejia (9-1) to earn Fighter of the Night (FOTN) honors. Other candidates for FOTN were Justin Nauling, Greg Ball, RJ Gamez, Cory Timmerman and Homer Moore. Other items of interest included "no shows" by Dallas Campbell and Rylan Sandoval, Matt Ver Halen receiving permission for both his Opthamologist and the Commission fight doctor and then not being allowed by the AZ Commission to fight Nike Knight until Matt undergoes additional testing, Robert Maldonado coming in 6 pounds over the mandatory limit and the Lightweight Championship bout did not take place and then in the Heavyweight Championship Bout, Andy Montana complained of grease and after several attempts to restart the fight, the Commission ruled the match "no contest". By far, the best technique of the night was displayed by Joseph Riggs who caught a half cup of beer thrown into the ring and then proceeded to chug it prior to completing his post fight interview. RITC 54 (Oct 25) will be our biggest show ever, when Dan "The Beast" Severn makes his Arizona debut against Arizona standout Homer "The Rock" Moore. Results: Fight #1 Victor Cruz (153 lbs), Team Brausa won by Doctor Stoppage (cut), 3:00 Rd 2 Gabe Rivas (163 lbs), Pinal Martial Arts Fight #2 Justin Nauling (177 lbs), Team Brausa won by submission (choke), 2:30 Rd 1 Mike Lightfoot (175 lbs), Freestyle Fight #3 Greg Bell (199 lbs), Submission Factory won by submission (arm bar), 1:48 Rd 3 John Lansing (177 lbs), Team Brausa Fight #4 Robert Beraum (251 lbs), Dan Lowe's JKD won by ref stoppage (strikes), 1:14 Rd 1 Wayland Berry (265 lbs), Team Brausa Fight #5 RJ Gamez (178 lbs), Asher Combat Academy won by decision (3 - 0) Joe Frainee (180 lbs), Redlands Kung Fu Fight #6 Cory Timmerman (315 lbs), Team Brausa won by submission (arm bar), 2:22 Rd 1 Melville Calabaca (260 lbs), Savage Te Dawg Pound Fight #7 (Super Fight) Brett Shafer (205 lbs), Hybrid Training Center won by verbal submission (injury), 2:42 Rd 2 Roger Mejia (213 lbs), Asher Combat Academy Fight #8 (Main Event) Homer Moore (208 lbs), Team Brausa won by decision (3 - 0) Chris Peak (212 lbs), Team Peterec Fight #9 (Main Event) Joseph Riggs (212 lbs) vs Andy Montana (243 lbs) ruled "no contest" by AZ Commission Other upcoming events: RITC 54 - "The Beast" vs "The Rock" Saturday, Oct 25, 2003 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) RITC 55 Saturday, Nov 15, 2003 Casa Grande RITC 56 - Year # 6 Begins Saturday, Dec 6, 2003 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) RITC 57 Saturday, Dec 13, 2003 Tucson RITC 58 Saturday, Jan 31, 2004 Celebrity Theatre (Phoenix) |
| Wednesday - September 17, 2003 |
(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 |
For the first time in history, K-1 Japan will bring the grandeur of its prominent fighting sport to American households when K-1 "Final Elimination" airs on United States Pay-Per-View television at 10 PM Eastern Standard Time (7 PM Pacific Standard Time) on Saturday, October 11th. The event will be staged in Osaka, Japan's 50,000-fan capacity Osaka Dome.The United States television production of the October 11th card will be presented as part of the joint marketing venture formed between K-1 USA and ESPN earlier this year. The event will be broadcast on DirecTV, InDemand, TVN, and Dish Network Pay-Per-View television outlets. The lineup for the Osaka K-1 "Final Elimination" event will be comprised of 14 of the sport's elite combatants who were either victorious in a Grand Prix single-elimination tournament earlier this year or who posted other victories of great significance. The scheduled fighters will be matched up in seven single bouts and the winner of each contest will be awarded a spot in the annual December K-1 "2003 World Championship" eight-man, single-elimination tournament held in Tokyo, Japan's Tokyo Dome. While the complete lineup of competitors for the October 11th event has not yet been confirmed it is certain that two Americans, Bob Sapp and Carter Williams, will be amongst those who will throw down. Since he twice knocked out K-1's most accomplished athlete in "Mr. Perfect" Ernesto Hoost last year, Sapp has evolved into a larger-than-life celebrity in Japan and a fixture on the country's K-1 fight cards. Williams earned his place in the October loop on May 2nd when, as a little known underdog, he defeated three straight opponents including defending champion Michael McDonald and six-time world kickboxing champion, Rick "The Jet" Roufus, to take the 2003 K-1 USA crown on May 2nd. Amongst the others scheduled to do battle thus far are Hoost (Holland), three-time K-1 World Grand Prix champion Peter Aerts (Holland), Jerome LeBanner (France), Ray "Sugarfoot" Sefo (New Zealand), Stefan "Blitz" Leko (Germany), Francisco Filho (Brazil), Alexey Ignashov (Belarus), and August 15th's K-1 "Battle At The Bellagio" tournament victor, Remy Bonjasky (Holland). |
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From Josh Hedges/UFC/Zuffa: The UFC has secured a 7:00pm airing of the 30-minute infomercial on KHIZ TV64 in Los Angeles this Thursday, September 18th. The station is a full-powered independent broadcast station serving the Los Angeles DMA, including San Bernardino, Ontario, Los Angeles, Riverside and their surrounding communities. They are carried on all cable systems as well as the local channel line-up on DirecTV (channel 64 or 966) and DISH (channel 8019). |
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By Michael Onzuka There have been some last minute drop outs, but you have to expect that with everyone training so hard to look good in this talent filled card. The good thing is that there are so many interesting match ups that a couple of dropped fights still do not tarnish this card. With Egan Inoue and Ron Jhun coming off of loses, both are going to be extra hungry in their comeback. Egan is facing a very unorthodox Jason Miller was displayed his genetic hard head (not joking) and slick submissions in the 185 pound tournament before having to drop out due to injury. I am sure Miller is itching to prove that he could have won the tournament and will be no push over for Egan. Egan needs this win bad to keep the momentum going for a rematch with Suda in an attempt to regain his Super Brawl title. Talks are going extremely well for Inoue/Suda II, but there is nothing in writing as of yet. Hopefully a match will be signed for the November or early next year show. Hawaii fans will keep their fingers crossed that Egan gets by Miller and Suda signs on the dotted line. Former King of the Cage Champ Ron Jhun never takes easy opponents and this time will be no different. Tiki Ghosen, a UFC veteran, is in front of the Machine Gun and will fire off a few before the night is over. The winner of this fight will be the favorite to fight for the Super Brawl title in November. Niko Vitale just blew through the competition in this past weekend's NAGA submission grappling tournament showing everyone why he is UFC material, especially on the ground. A win should ensure his return to the UFC in November, probably with a rematch to Matt Lindland. A return of Kauai Kupihea, who gave Cabbage one of his toughest fights in Hawaii, returns to action. Kauai is now living in Hawaii and training with Kai Kamaka and Ron Jhun at the 808 Fight Factory and will look to put himself back in to heavyweight contention for a Super Brawl Heavyweight belt. Kupihea is very mobile for a big man, has a great jab and a quick shot. The Filipino Phenom, Eddie Yagin, also returns to action. Hawaii fans know that Eddie is a crowd pleaser with his Sakuraba type fighting style. Almost every punch that Eddie throws has bad intentions and can put many a fighter to sleep early. Yagin will face another seasoned kickboxer in David Yeung of HMC. Yeung is known for his powerful kicks so this should be a great stand up war! Super Brawl 31 is locked, cocked, and ready to rock. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the fighters stay healthy and hungry. 135lbs 3x3 minute rounds Eldrick Pajorras (808 Fight Factory, 0-0) vs. Harvey (Grappling Unlimited, 0-0) 170lbs 3x3 minute rounds Anthony Torres (Grappling Unlimited, 1-0) vs. tba Heavyweight 3x3 minute rounds George Randolph (Shark Tank, 4-2) vs. Ray "King Kong" Serraille (Grappling Unlimited, 1-4) 185lbs 3x3 minute rounds Kaipo Kalama (Grappling Unlimited, 2-1-1) vs. Jay Martinez (Shark Tank, 3-1) 145lbs 3x5 minute rounds Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited, 7-2) vs. David Yeung (HMC, 2-2) 160lbs 3x5 minute rounds Joe Jordan (6-5) vs. Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited, 5-4) 170lbs 3x5 minute rounds Tiki Ghosen (Team Oyama, 4-3) vs. Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun (808 Fight Factory, 18-10-2) Heavyweight 3x5 minute rounds Travis "The Iron Man" Fulton (Iowa, 129-37-9) vs. Kauai Kupihea (808 Fight Factory, 14-11) 185lbs 3x5 minute rounds Falaniko Vitale (Grappling Unlimited, 14-2) vs. Justin Ellison (1-4) 185lbs 3x5 minute rounds Egan Inoue (Grappling Unlimited, 12-6) vs. Jason Miller (Team Oyama, 8-3) |
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Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii October 10, 2003 By Chris Onzuka Here is the tentative fight card for Rumble On The Rock 4. The card is filled with some of Hawaii's best fighters in each weight class pitted against solid competition. ROTR 4 brings back one of Hawaii's more promising light-heavyweights, David Pa'aluhi. Pa'aluhi KO'd Bobby Southworth after a 3 1/2 year lay off in just 16 seconds. Another interesting match up is two world class BJJ black belts facing off when Leandro Nyza takes on Soneca Moreira. Jesus Is Lord's leaders, Ray "Bradda" Cooper and Stephen "Bozo" Paling look to return to the ring. "Bozo" just came off a frustrating draw in his quest to capture the SHOOTO Championship from "Pequeno" Nogueira last month. Both fighters are coming in to prove that they should be brought up in conversations when their respective weight classes are discussed. Another Nova Uniao black belt that is taking a leap up in the quality of opponents is "Charuto" Verissimo. Charuto is matched up against Cesar Gracie's Gil Castillo. Castillo is looking to prove that he is still among the best welterweights in the world. Then we have the best kept secret in the heavyweight category, Kauai Kupihea. After giving Cabbage Correira the fight of his life, he went on to dominate Travis Wiuff, racking up five wins until a set back in KOTC. Kupihea looks to take out one of KOTC's top ranked heavyweights in Paul Buenatello. Buenatello just came off a controversial loss to Bobby Hoffman for the KOTC heavyweight championship, which he will get another shot at soon, but he has to get past Kauai Kupihea to do that. Buenatello racked up a four fight win streak prior to his match with Hoffman. Both fighters are looking to recover from their last fight and get back to winning. Ron Jhun comes off a disappointing loss to John Alessio in KOTC to face Jake Shields. Shields is on a row which started right after Jhun's brother-in-law, Bradda Cooper defeated Shields in Hawaii. Shields bounced right back and got in the spotlight by beating Hayato Sakurai. He has added two more wins to his resume and looks to gain more recognition by beating Jhun. And finally the event caps off with FCF's (and most of the world's) #1 and #2 ranked lightweights, BJ Penn and Takanori Gomi. Both fighters are coming off of disappointments in their last fights, Penn's draw with Uno in the UFC and Gomi suffering his first loss and loss of the SHOOTO championship to Joachim Hansen. Even following those results, these two fighters are still considered by most, the top two lightweights in the world. On October 10th, the world will find out which fighter is top dog at 155lbs. Lightweight Santino Defranco (808 Fight Factory) vs. Eddie Ruiz Welterweight Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Gabe Casillas (Debrazil Academy) Super Flyweight Yobie Song (Jesus Is Lord) vs. Antonio Banuelos (Pitfight Team) Light Heavyweight David "Kawika" Pa'aluhi (Jesus Is Lord) vs. Joe Riggs (BRAUSA) Flyweight Leandro Nyza (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Helio "Soneca" Moreira (Gracie Barra) Welterweight Ray "Bradda" Copper (Jesus Is Lord) vs. TBA Flyweight Stephen "Bozo" Paling (Jesus Is Lord) vs. TBA Welterweight Renato "Charuto" Verissimo (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Gil Castillo (Cesar Gracie) Heavyweight Kauai "The Hawaiian Assassin" Kupihea (808 Fight Factory) vs. Paul "The Executioner" Buenatello (American Kickboxing Academy) Welterweight Ron "The Machine Gun" Jhun (808 Fight Factory) vs. Jake Shields (Pitfight Team) Lightweight BJ Penn (BJ Penn MMA) vs. Takanori Gomi (K'z Factory) |
| Wednesday - September 18, 2003 |
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From Dream Stage Entertainment: CARLOS NEWTON VS RENZO GRACIE! 
LOS ANGELES, California - As part of "Team Japan versus the Gracie Family," Dream Stage Entertainment's inaugural "Bushido" show will feature Carlos "The Ronin" Newton versus Renzo Gracie.Though Newton is a citizen of Canada, his popularity and familiarity with the Japanese fans led to his joining of Team Japan in their quest to defeat the Gracie Family. Under the guidance of coach Royce Gracie, Team Gracie will take on a line-up of some of Japan's elite mixed martial artists. FIGHTCARD: Renzo Gracie vs. Carlos Newton Ryan Gracie vs. Kazuhiro Hamanaka Rodrigo Gracie vs. Daiju Takase Daniel Gracie vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura Ralph Gracie vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (Card Subject to Change) The live event is scheduled for October 5, 2003 from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan and a total of 7-8 matches overall are expected. Bushido will be available on U.S. pay per view (delay) on December 21, 2003 at a special reduced rate of $19.95. Don't miss the show! PPV INFORMATION: Premiere date: Sunday, December 21, 2003 Premiere time: 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST Count Down show: 8:30pm EST, 5:30pm PST PPV price: US $19.95 Run time: 3 hours (approximately) Availability: iNDEMAND, DirecTV |
From the event's promoter:
It has been more than 2 years since the Extreme Challenge has had a weight-division champion.However, all that will change on Oct. 11 when a 4-man tournament will crown a middleweight champ at Extreme Challenge 54 in St. Charles, Ill. Battling for the championship belt will be 6-time UFC competitor LaVerne Clark; EC tourney veteran Jay Buck; Keith Hackney protege Rafal Piszczek; and Raw Team member Mac Danzig. Extreme Challenge 54 will be held at Sportsplex, the same venue as EC 51. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the first bout is scheduled for 7 p.m. "We haven't crowned a champion in a long, long time," said EC promoter Monte Cox. "Since we're starting to do more events, it seemed like bringing back the titles would add some excitement." Previous EC champions who advanced to the UFC include: Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, Shonie Carter; Bobby Hoffman, Adrian Serrano, and Phil Johns. Buck will face Piszczek and Clark will face Danzig in the opening round. A total of 13 fights are scheduled, including Joey Gilbert vs. Billy Rush; Kerry Schall vs. Demian Decorah; Bart Palaszewski vs. Jay Estrada; Terry Martin vs. Bill Hill; and Steve Dau vs. Jason Guida. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at Curran Martial Arts (815) 356-0454 and Sportsplex (630) 762-8100. |
| Sunday - September 21, 2003 |
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Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii September 20, 2003 By Chris Onzuka Due to a last minute injury to his eye, Hawaii's most popular MMA fighter, Egan Inoue had to pull out of his fight with Team Oyama's Jason Miller. This fight was supposed to keep Inoue sharp and prepared for a possible rematch with Masanori Suda in November. The rematch is rumored to be very close to finalizing for the November event. Due to Inoue's withdraw, the Vitale-Ellison fight was made the main event and local kickboxer, Shawn Taylor stepped up to fight Miller. Vitale is another Hawaii fighter with big plans for November, where he is rumored to make his return to the UFC for a possible rematch with Matt Linland, who Vitale beat via a freak KO in their last meeting. Even with Inoue out and the shuffling of the main event, SuperBrawl 31 brought together a solid card with great matches like Jhun-Ghosen and Yagin-Yueng. Ghosen's leg kicks edged him out the victory as these two fighters just went after each other in a great battle of striking exchanges and heart. At times the Yagin-Yeung fight was a sleeper due to the fact that both fighters are primarily counter punches and were waiting to react off of each other. One judge gave it to Yeung due to his effective leg kicks, but the other two judges saw it even. In addition there were some surprises like King Kong beating Fulton by out striking him and displaying superior take down defense. And Shawn Taylor's sheer tenacity as Jason Miller put on a submission clinic, locking Taylor in everything but the kitchen sink, but Taylor would some how get out of it. He finally had to put Taylor to sleep in a triangle to finish the match. Tons of heart was shown by Taylor for staying in the fight. Exhibition 3x1 minute rounds Randy Apolo (Untamed, 64 lbs) drew Kai "Boy" Kamaka (808 Fight Factory, 57 lbs) 135lbs 3x3 minute rounds Harvey Nakamura (Grappling Unlimited, 0-0, 132 lbs) def. Edric Pajarros (808 Fight Factory, 0-0, 131 lbs) Submission via rear naked choke at 2:19 into R3. 185lbs 3x3 minute rounds Jay Martinez (Shark Tank, 3-1, 183 lbs) def. Kaipo Kalama (Grappling Unlimited, 2-1-1) Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds. Heavyweight 3x3 minute rounds Ray "King Kong" Seraille (Grappling Unlimited, 2-4) def. Travis "The Iron Man" Fulton (Iowa, 127-32-8, 255 lbs) Unanimous Decision [(29-28), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 Rounds. 170lbs 3x5 minute rounds Tiki Ghosen (Team Oyama, 5-3, 169.5 lbs) def. Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun (808 Fight Factory, 18-10-2, 170 lbs) Split Decision [(29-28), (28-29), (30-28)] after 3 Rounds. 185lbs 3x5 minute rounds Jason Miller (Team Oyama, 10-3, 180 lbs) def. Shawn Taylor (0-1-1, 181 lbs) Submission via triangle choke (Taylor was put to sleep) at 3:34 into R2. 145lbs 3x5 minute rounds David Yeung (HMC, 2-2, 144.8 lbs) drew Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited, 6-2, 144.7 lbs) Majority Draw [(29-29), (29-29), (30-29)] after 3 Rounds. 160lbs 3x5 minute rounds Joe Jordan (5-3, 159 lbs) def. Kolo Koka (Grappling Unlimited, 5-3, 160 lbs) Disqualification due to kicking the head of a downed opponent at 4:28 into R3. 185lbs 3x5 minute rounds Falaniko Vitale (Grappling Unlimited, 12-2, 200 lbs) def. Justin Ellison (1-3, 200 lbs) Submission due to punches from the guard at 2:35 into R1. |
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Amazing landscape sets the stage for MMA matches in Brazil By Eduardo Alonso At the last Saturday, September 13th, the show that attracted the curiosity of many MMA fans around the world finally became reality at the Brazilian Northern region. Jungle Fight surely had a breakthrough concept as a fighting show was never brought so near the Amazon Forrest, and the Wallid Ismail/Antonio Inoki partnership succeed in that field as the event took place in a location that needed a two hours boat ride to reach the venue were the fights too place. The atmosphere was interesting, and expectation was created from the get going to please the local government who invested in the idea and helped making the show a reality. With a small crowd composed only of guests and mostly VIP people, and a number of fighting personalities, the stage was set to create a savage environment betting on the jungle-like concept as it couldn't be different in a show that was happening deep in the rain forest. However, unfortunately not all of the fights lived up to the magnitude of the stage and the persons involved as some of the combats had a huge difference in skills between the competitors. Thankfully though, some fights still manage to portrait the real skills of today's MMA fighters bringing everybody a taste of good action. The show kicked off with the return of fighting veteran Ebenezer Fontes Braga, doing his first outing as a Brazil Dojo member (Inoki and Wallid's Brazilian team) facing MECA veteran Rodrigo "Riscado". Braga was coming to this fight as the favorite and needing a win, after his loss to American sensation Forrest Griffin at Heat FC 1 and this is what he got. The fight merely lasted a minute as Ebenezer sunk in a guillotine choke at his opponent's first takedown attempt, that caused Riscado to oddly go out despite not showing a huge effort to escape. Props to Braga who is back on the winning track and is still a very talented fighter who deserves respect. Another Brazil Dojo fighter making his team debut was Marcelo Tigre. Famous for the controversy on most of his combats, Tigre showed an uncharacteristic calmness in this fight against the inexperienced Joseph Banguis, taking him down and working a rear-naked choke in another quick match, where Tigre didn't have to spend energy to throw almost any strikes in the match to defeat his opponent, who didn't belong in the same ring with him. Outwheighing his opponent by around 30 kg, PRIDE veteran Ricardo Morais also did quick work of unknown fighter "Mestre Fumaca", who came in with a Capoeira background and proved to be no match for the Brazilian Giant. Morais simply took the fight to the ground, passed his opponent's guard and threw some strikes from the mount to have the fight ended by the referee, showing he could be matched against a tougher opponent. Before Jungle Fight took place the show was believed to have some Pro-Wrestling matches, however as the pay per view broadcast started none of the fights were billed as such, and this left the fans wondering since some of the fights had pro wrestling characters performing and left a uncertainty on everybody's mind. PRIDE veteran Murakami Kazunari took Lee "Young Gun" from Korea in a fight were both fighters came with intensity, and soon after a scramble in the ground Kazunari found an armbar from the guard to win the match in the early minutes. Later in the evening Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Shane Etner by dominating the groundwork and working his positions until he got a key lock on his opponent. As those fighters were billed as real, they surely were and hopefully we'll see the winners in future fights against tough opponents so they can attest their skills and keep their hard fought winning streak.
In the main event of the show veteran MMA fighter Jorge Macaco Patino proved his will and experience were too much for BJJ phenom Ronaldo Jacare. Jacare was visibly nervous in his MMA debut, and made the mistake of trying to trade blows with Macaco, who wanted the fight to be a stand up war. After some exchanges, with wild punches being thrown, Patino ended up catching Jacare with a strong right hand that sent Ronaldo to the mat dazed, only to stumble later after trying to regain his feet, giving Macaco a KO win to get his career back on track. The other fight of the show saw American Justin McCully defeating Dario Amorim by judges' decision in a fight that was spent almost all in the clinch position. Overall Jungle Fight managed to attend its proposal to gather everybody's attention, and in such a gorgeous landscape fights may have been only a detail, so let's wait for the next one! |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: K-1 SURVIVAL 2003 JAPAN GP FINAL takes in Japan on Sep 21. K-1 will host an 8-man Japan GP tournament and K-1 super fight and 2 MMA fight. Kimo is off of the card, Ivan Salaverry is in as his replacment and will fight against Rene Roose under MMA rules. In other K-1 news, reknowned boxer Francois Botha made an appeal at the press conference to participate in K-1 in the near future. K-1 SURVIVAL 2003 JAPAN GP FINAL Date : Sunday, September 21, 2003 start :16:00 Place : Yokohama Arena 11th Match Tournament - Final 3x3min Winner of Semi Final 1st Fight vs. Winner of Semi Final 2nd Fight 10th Match Super Fight 3x5min - MMA RULE Bob Sapp (USA/Team Beast) vs. Stefan Gamlin (USA/DC7) 9th Match Super Fight 3x5min - MMA RULE Ivan Salaverry (USA/AMC Pankration) vs. Rene Roose (Holland/Team Peter) 8th Match Tournament - Semi Final 2nd Fight 3x3min Winner of Quarter Final 3rd Fight vs. Winner of Quarter Final 4th Fight 7th Match Tournament - Semi Final 1st Fight 3x3min Winner of Quarter Final 1st Fight vs. Winner of Quarter Final 2nd Fight 6th Match Super Fight 3x3min - K-1 RULE Jerome Le Banner (France/Boerboel & Tosa Gym/Boxing) vs. Shaka Zulu (South Africa/Steve's Gym) 5th Match Super Fight 3x3min - K-1 RULE Mike Bernardo (South Africa) vs. Butterbean (USA/Team Butterbean) 4th Match Tournament - Quarter Final 4th Fight 3x3min Tsuyoshi Nakasako (Japan/ZEBRA244) vs. Hiromi Amada (Japan/TENKA 510) 3rd Match Tournament - Quarter Final 3rd Fight 3x3min Yusuke Fujimoto (Japan/Monster Factory) vs. Nobu Hayashi (Japan/Dojo Chakuriki) 2nd Match Tournament - Quarter Final 2nd Fight 3x3min Tatsufumi Tomihira (Japan/SQUARE) vs. Hiraku Hori (Japan/Team Dragon) 1st Match Tournament - Quarter Final 1st Fight 3x3min Musashi (Japan/Seido Kaikan) vs. Montanha Silva (Brazil/Master Roney) |
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From the event's promoter: Saturday, September 20, 2003 Club Lido, Wonderland Entertainment Center, Revere, MA RESULTS Professionals Full Contact Kickboxing HEAVYWEIGHTS -- Jason Bonacorsi, Concord (NH) WUDEC5 John Marzullo, Providence (RI). SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS - Gary Bonenfant, Manchester (NH) WSDEC5 Frank D'Ambra Rochester (NY), (Bonefant won New England Combatzone Championship) Amateurs Full Contact Kickboxing MIDDLEWEIGHTS - Huzon Alexander, Waterbury (VT) WTKO2 Richard Feliciano, New Bedford (MA), (Alexander retained NE Combatzone Championship); Billy Allison, Manchster (NH) WTKO2 Greg Rogers, Concord (NH). FEMALE WELTERWEIGHTS - Dawna Creighton, Quincy (MA) WUDEC3 Suzie Paschkewitz, (Boston (MA). San Shou WELTERWEIGHTS - Michael Norman, Boston (MA) WUDEC3 James Battle, New York City (NY); Albert Pope, Riverdale (CT) WUDEC3 Ian Morgan, New York City (NY). Mixed Martial Arts SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS - Joe Borges, Fall River (MA) WS1 Richard Mitchell, Attica (NY). CRUISERWEIGHTS - John McCarron, Dorchester (MA) WTKO1 Rob Marvin, Churchville (NY). Muay Thai CRUISERWEIGHTS - Derrick Szmyt, Boston (MA) WDQ1 Bill Newcomb, Revere (MA). Combatzone 4 will be held Dec 6 featuring champion Tony "TNT" Ventura, New Bedford (MA) vs. No. 1 contender Tommy "The Terminator" Kimber, Lynn (MA) for the world super middleweight championship at Club Lido in Revere (MA). |
| Monday - September 22, 2003 |
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