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| Thursday - June 1, 2006 |
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By Loretta Hunt - Photo Courtesy of The Fight Network Ryan Bennett, a mixed martial arts broadcaster and co-owner of MMAWeekly.com, died Wednesday, May 31 as he and his family were returning home from dinner in Utah. Bennett was 35.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Bennett was traveling southbound on the I-15 in Fillmore around 5:15 p.m. with his wife Tonya and four children when their SUV drifted onto the east shoulder. The vehicle, driven by Bennett, then swerved back onto the roadway before tumbling off it again and rolling down the median five times. Bennett, who was partially ejected from the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene. An accident report filed with the Utah Highway Patrol stated a 4-year-old daughter had been ejected from the vehicle still in her booster seat. Wife Tonya was sent to the University of Utah Hospital for care. Children Allison and Jada were transported to the Primary Children's Center. Both facilities are located on the University of Utah campus and adjacent to one another. According to sources close to the family, Tonya is now out of the hospital's ICU after undergoing at least one surgery for pelvic and leg injuries. She is currently listed in "fair condition" and is conscious, according to a UUH representative. Further surgery is expected. Said the family source, the two hospitalized children are also currently in stable condition. A representative at the Primary Children's Center would not comment on either child's condition at this time. Daughters Ashley and Braden, who were treated and released from an undisclosed medical facility, have spoken with their mother. First as a post-fight interviewer for UFC's 33 through 40, then later as a play-by-play commentator for worldwide events such as K-1, Rumble On The Rock and World Extreme Cagefighting among others, Bennett became a familiar and trusted face in MMA circles. For the fans, Bennett might best be remembered for MMAWeekly.com, the Web site he co-founded with Scott Peterson, which also generated the much-endeared "Sound Off," a daily Internet radio show that featured breaking news, fighter interviews, and on-the-scene coverage of events. Often broadcasting live via laptop anywhere from weigh-ins to hallways to hotel rooms, Bennett's upbeat attitude and relaxed interviewing style attracted star and up-and-coming MMA athletes alike. In turn, Sound Off became a vital mouthpiece for various fighters. Recently, MMAWeekly.com had been acquired by the Canadian-based media company The Fight Network, and showing his unbridled dedication to the sport, Bennett left his six-year sportscasting position at the NBC affiliate in Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo to devote himself full-time to his passion. Bennett and his family moved from central California back to his home state of Utah earlier this year. The Fight Network officially announced Bennett had joined their team in May as its News Director, although he had already been working with the outlet for over a year. In his new position as "the face and voice" of the network, Bennett provided on-camera pre- and post-fight coverage for various MMA and boxing events, including last Saturday's UFC 60 (which he covered with Randy Couture) and May 6's De La Hoya vs. Mayorga event. Bennett had also provided voice-over commentary for various foreign events broadcasted by the network, including Brazil's Jungle Fight. Bennett was to have covered this Saturday's Corrales vs. Castillo III event. "He could have been a sports anchor, an announcer for football, basketball, or any number of sports. He was of that caliber. He chose to work in MMA. We will never find anyone like him," said TFN Vice-President of Programming and Production Brian Sobie. MMAWeekly.com has opened an online account for those wishing to make donations to the Bennett family at http://www.mmaweekly.com/bennettfund.html The Fight Network will also be announcing a trust fund for the family in the next few days. |
| Our prayers and deepest condolences go out to Ryan's family and friends. |
| Friday - June 2, 2006 |
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Lindland, Newton, Inoki, and Coleman Join As League Coaches By Loretta Hunt Photos Courtesy of the International Fight League/April Pishna ATLANTIC CITY, June 2 -- Weigh-ins for tomorrow night's International Fight League's "Legends Championship 2006" Finals event, the culmination of a four-team tournament that began on April 29, yielded a bit more than the "numbers" today. In addition to the weights of the 20 athletes that will compete live from Trump Taj Mahal (and will be seen the next night on the FOX Sports Network in a one-hour special), the IFL had a plethora of numbers to throw into the public arena this evening.
Announced to begin in September and end in December, the "World Team Championship" proposes an eight-team tournament utilizing the four teams previously featured in the IFL's first two events. Joining these four teams will be Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt Lindland's Wolf Pack, Canadian and former UFC champion Carlo's Newton's "Dragons," along with yet-to-be-named teams led by Japanese pro-wrestling legend Antonio Inoki and Hammer House, UFC, and PRIDE champion Mark Coleman.
Also revealed, Renzo Gracie and Pat Miletich will square-off in a true superfight at one of the two events the IFL announced it will hold in September. A weight for the bout was not specified, although word from Miletich himself indicates the iconic pair will meet at a catch-weight around 180 pounds. No dates or venues have been announced for these proposed shows.
"Legends Championship 2006" Finals Official Weigh-in Results (In bout order) Superfights Travis Doerge (Tiger Sharks, 167 lbs) vs. Ben Uker (Silverbacks, 170.5 lbs) Erik Owings (Pitbulls, 155.5 lbs) vs. Chris Horodecki (Anacondas, 155.5 lbs) Jay Hieron (Anacondas, 170 lbs) vs. Jake Ellenberger (Silverbacks, 171 lbs) Alex Schoenauer (Anacondas, 202 lbs) vs. Jamal Patterson (Pitbulls, 206 lbs) Wes Sims (248 lbs) vs. Daniel Gracie (231 lbs) Pat Miletich's Silverbacks vs. Maurice Smith's Tiger Sharks Lightweight: Bart Palaszewski (156 lbs) vs. Steve Bruno (156 lbs) Welterweight: Rory Markham (170 lbs) vs. Brad Blackburn (170 lbs) Middleweight: Ryan McGivern (185 lbs) vs. Dennis Hallman (184 lbs) Light Heavyweight: Mike Ciesnolevicz (206 lbs) vs. Reese Andy (202 lbs) Heavyweight: Travis Wiuff (229 lbs) vs. Devin Cole (240 lbs) |
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New York Native Takes on 14-0 Ellenberger By Derek Callahan Jay Hieron may have been as surprised as everyone else was when Georges St. Pierre stopped him in the first round of their UFC 48 fight, because nobody knew what type of dynamo St. Pierre was on his way to becoming. After the loss to St. Pierre, Hieron struck right back with a quick TKO win over rugged Hawaiian Ronald Jhun. He put together a little streak and found himself back in the UFC, losing to Jonathan Goulet when the doctor stopped their bout midway through the third round. He's 0-2 in the UFC, and 8-2 overall. "I put my heart and soul into the fight," says Hieron on his latest Octagon appearance. "But after, I realized I needed guidance." That need for guidance led him to manager Monte Cox, and a slight switch in direction for the former Hofstra wrestler's career. As an alternate on the Anacondas for the inaugural International Fight League show, Hieron saw firsthand why they weren't able to get by Pat Miletich and his Silverbacks. "The Miletich team has it together and it definitely makes a difference," says Hieron, who watched his team fall 4-1 in match-up competition. "We didn't get together as a team that much. We live in different parts of the nation, so it was hard to get on the same training regimen." If they ever do though, Hieron sees a positive future for the Anacondas, starting with the ability of their coach, Bas Rutten. "Bas is incredible," he begins. "He's been in the game for a long time. He has a lot of different little tricks he does." Despite the fact that his team fell short against the Silverbacks, Hieron still likes the idea of fighting as part of a group. "My whole life [I wrestled] and there was individual as much as team stuff," he says. Moving from New York to train in Las Vegas with the likes of fellow Anacondas Mike Pyle and Alex Schoenauer, Hieron is keen on shaking up his training routine in order to keep his repertoire of techniques and tricks fresh. Although he likes best to take the role of student right after a bout, "when I like to focus on learning new things," this time he expanded his horizons while training to fight Jake Ellenberger (14-0) at the IFL's second event this Saturday. "I like working with a lot of different people. You've got to be like a sponge, the more you learn the better. I've got a great group," says Hieron. For three recent weeks in Utah, his group included Jeremy Horn, Joe Riggs and Joe Stevenson among others. His reason for going to Utah is the hope that his chances in the fight will go up with the state's altitude. "I got off the plane and I was wheezing a little bit," jokes Hieron. "I came in already in shape. If you're coming in out of shape I'm sure it would effect you worse." Having trained accordingly in case he was called to fight in the first IFL, these weeks of preparation are more of an extension of his previous training camp. "I was in shape for that fight," he says. Looking to improve his stamina for this bout more than others, Hieron turned up his heart rate. "I changed up a little bit, doing a lot more cardio. I'm ready to come out and show my skills," he says. This is all thanks, in part, to the new commodity in MMA, trainer Billy Rush. "He's got it down to a science. He knows how the body works, he understands the body," says Hieron. The improved cardio is a welcome addition to the enthusiasm that he brings to the Ellenberger fight. "I'm excited to fight him. I want to be the first to put a blemish on his record," says Hieron. A blemish on Ellenberger's record is a notch in the belt that Hieron, curiously enough, isn't necessarily seeking. "It's tougher for me now because I know I can make money at it, it just takes time," says Hieron. The goal for the fighters who toil in the middle -- the free agents who find themselves around the top 15 to 20 -- is a living. This is one of the main reasons why Hieron, a UFC veteran, is willing to cross over to a show that is projected to be stiff competition for the UFC. "Of course I've thought about it," says Hieron. "I'm a free agent, I didn't have any fights coming up. They offered me good money so I jumped on it." The show will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net which to Hieron means that the "bottom line is it's on TV anyway so I'm gonna get exposure." As a guy that's been in the Octagon, "I don't want to say anything negative about the UFC [because] I love the UFC," he says. He's explicit to explain however, that it's his livelihood. The IFL came through against skepticism though when they put on a well-made show with their first try. "I was pretty surprised how they did it. Sometimes first show people tank, but the sky's the limit," says Hieron. "I think it's great, a different look and now is a great time to make it work because MMA is so big right now." The UFC has exploded with success, and in turn, indirectly bred their own competition. For someone like Hieron who is talented enough to make a living at the sport, and eager to strike while the iron is hot, it isn't a game of waiting. For Hieron, the effort put forth is too great to be wasted with excessive patience. "I get up every morning and bust my ass, to proceed in the game because I believe in myself," he says. "But making money would not be a bad thing." |
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By Jim Genia When: June 3rd. Where: Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City. What: the seventh installment of the Mixed Fighting Championship. The Red Devil Fight Team, the Bulldozer Fight Club, the Abe Ani Combat Club - it's time once again for a slew of international fighters from Russia and Japan to square off against some of the East Coast's toughest warriors. And with the welterweight belt up for grabs, and two female bouts on the card, MFC 7 promises to provide a night of action. Here's a look at some of the fighters: Eddie Alvarez - Fight Factory He's the MFC's undefeated superstar, and he brings with him a strong wrestling-base, some good hands and a legion of fans. On June 3rd, Fight Factory's Eddie Alvarez steps up his level of competition when he takes on the hard-punching UFC vet Derrick Noble. Expect both men to let their fists fly in what is guaranteed to be an exciting fight. Chris Ligouri - Rhino Fight Team Known for some epic battles in the ring, local stud Chris Ligouri returns to the MFC after a tapping out to a Jay Jack kneebar in what was one of the biggest upsets at the last show. Standing in the way of his redemption: Team Red Devil's Eric Oganov, a Russian fighter with a penchant for armbars. Will Ligouri fall prey to another submission? Tara Larosa - Northwest Elite At MFC 6, Tara Larosa's battle with Roxanne Modaferri (the promotion's first female MMA bout) stole the show. Now she's back to take on one of Japan's best in judoka Hitomi Akano - a match-up that will put her strong boxing and grappling game to the test. Kaream Ellington - South Bronx Fight Team A kickboxer well-versed in jiu-jitsu. That's the best way to describe IFC-vet Kaream Ellington, who returns to pro MMA after some impressive wins in the underground fighting circuit. Squaring off against Pride, UFC and Rings veteran Kenichi Yamamoto, Ellington will have his hands full in terms of fending off subs, but there's no question he'll be feeding his Japanese opponent a steady diet of strikes once the ref says 'Fight!' Eric Tavares - Team Edson Carvalho The dust has barely even settled from Eric Tavares' last scrap (a quick knockout over Jerry Spiegel on May 20th), but the Team Edson Carvalho-rep is stepping up for more. Taking on the experienced Pat O'Malley of Strasser's Freestyle Academy, Tavares should have plenty of opportunities to put his grappling skills to good use. Will those skills keep him from danger long enough to score another knockout? The card as of 5/30: Welterweight Championship: Derrick Noble (Silverbacks) vs. Eddie Alvarez (Fight Factory) Russia vs. USA Card HW: Sergei Kaznovsky (Team Red Devil) vs. Jerome Smith (Americus, GA) WW: Eric Oganov (Team Red Devil) vs. Chris Ligouri (Rhino Fight Team) WW: Joey "Knockdown" Brown (Team Renzo) vs. Vadim Kulchitskiy (Bulldozer Fight Club) LW: Vladimir Zenin (Team Red Devil) vs. Matt Lee (Team Elite) Main Bouts Tara Larosa (Northwest Elite) vs. Hitomi Akano (AACC, Japan) Shanya Bazler (Sioux Falls, SD) vs. Amanda Buckner (Academy of MMA) WW: Stephen Haigh (Fight Factory) vs. "TORAJI" (AACC, Japan) LHW: Kaream Ellington (South Bronx Fight Team) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (Power of Dream, Japan) MW: Pat O'Malley (Strasser's Freestyle Academy) vs. Eric Tavares (Team Edson Carvalho) HW: Yusuke Masuda (AACC, Japan) vs. Mike Patt (Team Gurgel) |
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By Eduardo Alonso Few fighters on PRIDE's roster can say that they have faced as many tough opponents as Chute Boxe fighter Murilo "Ninja" Rua has. No other fighter on the PRIDE roster can say they have fought in three different weight classes inside an organization which only has four to begin with. Throughout his career, Ninja hasn't faced any easy roads, and has had to test himself against many of MMA's toughest athletes in Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Dan Henderson, Mario Sperry, Paulo Filho, and Kevin Randleman, to name a few. Getting ready for a new challenge, this time things won't be different for the older fighting Rua brother, for in the opposite corner will be Denis Kang, another serious candidate for this year's PRIDE Bushido "Survival" Welterweight Grand Prix title. Often found in the middle of controversial decisions, and coming off a sound loss to rival Brazilian Paulo Filho, Rua knows this is a crucial time in his career. With all that in mind, the Chute Boxe representative has trained as hard as ever, and shared some words on the fight with Full Contact Fighter in the airport, right before he boarded a plane to Japan. FCF: Your last fight in PRIDE Bushido was against Paulo Filho from Brazilian Top Team, and you ended up losing a judges' decision in a fight where you didn't seem to find your game. What did you think of your performance after watching the tape? Murilo Rua: I thought I didn't manage to utilize my game in the fight, and to be honest, I didn't fight well, man. I think I didn't do anything that I thought I would do in the fight, and I really didn't fight well. FCF: That was your first fight at the 83 kg (under 183 lbs) weight class, and I know ever since then you have been training very hard. How do you feel about your condition right now, compared to when you went to fight Paulo Filho? MR: I'm feeling much more adapted to the weight now and I think I'll be able to use my game much better than last time. Last time, I had to lose a lot of weight in a short time, but this doesn't mean much now. What matters is that I'm very well prepared now, and I'll try my best to put on a great show for the fans and make it an exciting fight. FCF: Your opponent for this bout will be Denis Kang. What do you think of him as a fighter? MR: He is a tough fighter, but I'm well prepared. He has the type of game that I like as he is an aggressive fighter that comes after his opponent with an open game, which I think will help make it a great fight for the fans. FCF: Even though it's tough to predict anything, what do you expect in this fight? MR: I'm expecting more of a stand-up war. I think the fight will have a lot of stand-up exchanges, and I'll try to knock him out or submit him. Wherever the fight goes, I'll try my best to win. FCF: Besides you and Kang, who do you think are the favorites to take home the belt in this 16-man Bushido Welterweight Grand Prix? MR: There are a lot of great fighters. I think besides myself, Murilo Bustamante, Paulo Filho and Denis Kang are the favorites to win the belt. FCF: Do you feel any special motivation or responsibility fighting in a Grand Prix, compared to a single match, or is it just the same? MR: For me it's about the same. I know that I need a win now, and I'll look for it the whole time. I'm very well trained, feeling good, and as I said, I'll try to finish the fight throughout the whole time, either on the ground or standing up. FCF: Although it is early to tell, how are you feeling in this new weight class? Do you intend to only fight at this weight from now on, or do you think about moving up to the 93kg (under 205 lbs) weight class where you were originally fighting in PRIDE? MR: I intend to keep fighting at 83kg from now on, but if I receive an offer to fight in a different weight class I'll do it, 'cause I'm a professional athlete and I'll fight in any weight class that my team decides. FCF: Speaking of the 93kg weight class, how's your brother Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's recovery after the elbow injury he suffered in his bout against Mark Coleman last February? MR: Mauricio is recovering very well. He is training some Muay Thai already, and surely he will be more than ready for his next fight when it comes. It seems he will fight again in September! FCF: Any final message for your fans? MR: I want to tell the fans that I know I didn't fight well in my last fight, but this time I'll try my best to have a great fight, 'cause I'm very well prepared and if God helps, I'll get the win. |
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By Derek Callahan
A little north though, the New England scene troops on with Mass Destruction 22.5. Many of the prolific teams based out of New England will be represented, but topping off the card is the return to the ring of Kirik Jenness, the 45-year-old gym owner and proprietor of the enduring www.mma.tv. Having not fought since the open-hand days of the first Mass Destruction in 2001, Jenness (1-0) sees his fight against Rob McNeil (4-1) as a chance to -- nothing more, nothing less -- see who's better. FCF: First off, how did you get into the martial arts? How did the MMA crossover occur? Kirik Jenness: I am honored by the questions. Pop and grandpop were excellent wrestlers. Grandpop was team Captain at Lehigh. Pop was second in Pennsylvania in high school, and got married at 18, and stopped competing. I wrestled from ninth grade on, saw a Bruce Lee movie in the Kingdom of Lesotho and started Taekwondo then and there; I think it was '73. Opened up a health club and karate school in '82. Saw UFC 1, and thought it was kind of fixed. Saw UFC 2 and one of the guys at the gym, Dave Roy, had been practicing the moves and he tapped me out I think six times in a few minutes, and I realized pretty much at that moment that this was the advent of the scientific method in martial arts. FCF: Why make the return now? Why the desire to fight? KJ: Just something that came up. Kipp Kollar wanted to do a show in Springfield, Mass and asked if I wanted to compete there in front of my friends and I said "Sure." Then the venue moved and the opponent changed, and now it is time to come on with it. The desire to fight I guess is innate. Pretty much every sport, I get the sense that what they really want to do is rough the other guy up, it just happens in these contrived fashions. Why wouldn't you want to punch a guy? FCF: How is your striking keeping up with your grappling through training? KJ: I am more comfortable standing and striking, by far. I don't really have to think about it. FCF: How do you see McNeil as an opponent? KJ: I should say something like "I will kill him." But the fact is that I respect him, and I don't know what is going to happen, which is why you have the fight. FCF: How has your training changed now that you're preparing for your own fight instead of getting people ready for theirs? KJ: As you get older, priorities change some. It is not simple to make time to train. That said, I own a gym, so if I can't find time to get in condition, then I am a moron. The satisfaction of working and seeing someone else get better, or working and seeing myself get more capable is I guess about the same. FCF: How has MMA been going in Massachusetts since the Boxing Commission lost authority to regulate it last year? Is it going better, worse, the same? KJ: MMA is exploding everywhere from Alaska to China to Massachusetts. The Mass Boxing Commission will be back -- there is money there. In the meantime, all the responsible promoters are using basically the same team, minus those unfortunate individuals who were ignorant about the sport. So for a transitional period, things are strong. |
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Ten Years In, Villasenor Gets Break In PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix By Derek Callahan Photo Courtesy of Dream Stage Entertainment
And that was the last time Villasenor lost in the ring. On June 4, he will take on Ryo Chonan in the first round of his biggest test yet, PRIDE's Survival Welterweight (183 lbs and under) Grand Prix tournament. "I've been keeping my eye on him because you don't know when you're going to clash heads," says Villasenor of his Japanese opponent. "He's a do-or-die type of athlete. I'm going to have to ding him just right on the chin to stop him. I don't see submissions playing a role - he's strong there." Training for MMA over the past ten years, Villasenor -- the King of the Cage middleweight champion known for his heavy hands -- made his first big jump when he left his native Farmington, New Mexico for Greg Jackson's gym in Albuquerque. Even though he trains at a fledgling gym with a wide pool of prospective talent like Diego Sanchez, Villasenor is coming into this tournament as a marked underdog. "We're coming into this tournament with a 21-3 record and people still think I haven't proven myself," he laments. "Just because I come from a not-so-known city we carry the tag of underdog. Our role as a team, we're always the underdog and that is just what motivates us." Motivation that Villasenor doesn't seem to need. For the 30-year-old fighter, the tournament is the shot that every deserving fighter should get at least once throughout their tenure as athletes. "To sum up my career, I'm getting ready to start it. I feel like I'm coming out at the right time," he says. "I don't know how the organization is running but I believe it's a one-shot pony and if I don't perform it's gonna suck. I have to prove I'm a star and worthy to be out there." Even though for Villasenor, "it's the tournament and this tournament only," he has behind him an organization with a track record of supporting it's fighters. Quinton Jackson, Ricco Rodriguez, Joe Stevenson and Paul Buentello are just the beginning of the list of KOTC fighters to have made the leap to success in bigger shows. "Some people make their debut in the UFC or Pride," says Villasenor. "I really believe [King of the Cage has] my best interest at heart. It gives their organization credibility." Part of that credibility is allowing Villasenor to hold onto his title during the tournament. A vacant middleweight belt will only happen if Villasenor finds himself as the last man standing in the tournament, which includes the likes of Phil Baroni, Amar Suloev, Murilo Bustamante and others. Part of what he is most proud of is the independence that Jackson's team has shown in making these strides. Without an official manager, Villasenor is guided by two businessmen that help his team out with out-of-ring issues. "It's pretty exciting that we're getting there ourselves. Depending on the success of this tournament, I may have to get an exclusive manager," he says. It's only one change that VIllasenor hopes will be made after his performance in the tournament. "Hopefully I can go from 14 to eight, then eight to four, and then four to the history books," he says. |
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By Kelsey Mowatt Millenia Jiu-Jitsu fighter John Alessio spoke with FCF this week, only days removed from what some are calling a controversial loss to Diego Sanchez at UFC 60 Saturday night. In a fight that saw only brief moments of any telling action or exchanges, Sanchez was awarded the unanimous decision victory by the judges to raise his unspoiled professional record to 15-0. Sanchez unsuccessfully tried to take down Alessio numerous times in an attempt to implement his renowned ground-and-pound game, in turn reflecting an impressive array of takedown defenses in Alessio's arsenal. The Canadian fighter grinned from ear-to-ear when the final bell sounded Saturday night, truly believing he had pulled off an upset victory over "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 1 Welterweight Champion. "Yeah, I totally thought I won," Alessio says. "I took him completely out of his game plan, avoided all his takedowns and landed some shots. When I heard that a judge had awarded all three rounds to someone I looked to my corner because I knew I had been screwed. I think I had the first two rounds, he got the third for getting my back but he didn't really do anything with that position -- I was the one trying to break his arm." Two judges awarded Sanchez a 29-28 score while another scored it 30-27, giving Sanchez all three rounds. Despite successfully squashing almost all of Sanchez's takedown attempts, Alessio only periodically responded with aggressiveness of his own, occasionally offering some counterstrikes in Sanchez's direction as the New Mexico fighter relentlessly came at him. The brief stand-up exchanges between the two saw Alessio frustrate Sanchez with a crisp left jab that cut the UFC star over his right eye, while Sanchez himself also managed to land. Alessio concedes that it was likely his inability to dominate the stand-up action that cost him the judge's decision. "I would have been more aggressive," Alessio says, revealing what he would have liked to have done differently. "I would have had more urgency. Watching it again at home I think he was ready to get knocked out. His stand-up isn't anything at all; he just ran at me with his hands flailing - when was his aggressiveness effective? That's a big part of wrestling, counter-wrestling, that's the same thing I did against Jason Black, stuffed all his takedowns and controlled the fight, but I guess the judges didn't see it that way." It appeared that many at the Staples Centre for UFC 60 also saw the fight in Alessio's favor, and they voiced it, booing and jeering loudly during the announcement of the judges' decision and then again later when Sanchez spoke with Joe Rogan for his post-fight interview. "I'm really cool with what happened," the now 18-6 Alessio says in response to the crowd's reaction. "They all knew who won. If anything it helped me, I proved that I can hang with the best and everyone saw it. No one gave me a chance before and no one new to the sport really knew who I was. Now they do. I was really happy with the fight; I was celebrating. He spent the night in the hospital and I spent the night in the bar." Controversy aside, Alessio gave one of the UFC's up-and-coming stars all he could handle, and he is eager to step back into the Octagon against whomever the organization deems should be his next opponent, in the second of his current, three fight deal. "I'm just kind of waiting to see what happens," Alessio acknowledges. "I want to get in there as soon as possible; I'd like to fight right away. I'm in shape, didn't get hurt so I'm ready. Anyone in that weight class including B.J. Penn would be great. There's a ton of guys in the welterweight class and I'd like to fight another top guy." Alessio was also quite animated in sharing his thoughts on a possible rematch with Sanchez. "Absolutely I'd fight him again," Alessio says. "I'll knock him out this time, there is not doubt in my mind, but I don't really think they'll want me to re-match, so I'll just have to move on." |
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From DSE/Pride: TOKYO, Japan – South Korean judoka YOON DONG SIK has withdrawn from PRIDE FIGHTING'S upcoming June 4th event, BUSHIDO SURVIVAL due to an injury. GREGORY BOUCHELAGHEM from the French Top will replace him. PAULO FILHO was originally scheduled to fight YOON DONG SIK, but will go up against GREGORY BOUCHELAGHEM instead. BUSHIDO SURVIVAL FIGHTCARD: Welter Weight Tournament: Joey Villasenor (USA) vs. Ryo Chonan (Japan) Makato Takimoto (Japan) vs. Gegard Mousasi (Armenia) Denis Kang (Korea) vs. Murilo Ninja (Brazil) Akihiro Gono (Japan) vs. Hector Lombard (Cuba) Kazuo Misaki (Japan) vs. Phil Baroni (USA) Murilo Bustamante (Brazil) vs. Amar Suleov (Russia) Paulo Filho (Brazil) vs. Gregory Bouchelaghem (France) Light Weight Matches: Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (Japan) vs. Olaf Alfonso (Mexico) Mitsuhiro Ishida (Japan) vs. Marcus Aurelio (Brazil) Tatsuya Kawajiri (Japan) vs. Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett (USA) Jason Black (USA) vs. Eoh Won Jin (Korea) * Fight Card and Participants Subject to Change. ** For additional replay times, please contact your pay per view provider or pridefc.com PRIDE FIGHTING'S BUSHIDO SURVIVAL '06 is the opening round of an exclusive 16-man welterweight tournament, which will take place June 4th from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The tournament will span three events, with the subsequent event dates to be announced soon. BUSHIDO SURVIVAL '06 is scheduled to debut on North American pay-per-view on Sunday, June 4, 2006 at 10:00pm (EST), 7:00pm (PST). BUSHIDO SURVIVAL '06 will take place from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan and is scheduled to debut on North American pay per view via iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1, VU!, and Viewer's Choice Canada. North American Pay-Per-View Schedule: PPV Premiere Date: Sunday, June 4th, 2006 Premiere Time: 7:00 pm PST, 10:00 pm EST Count Down Show: 6:30 pm PST, 9:30 pm EST BUSHIDO SURVIVAL '06 will be available at a rate of $29.95 |
| Saturday - June 3, 2006 |
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Welterweight Grand Prix and Single Matches Await By Eduardo Alonso It can truly be said that MMA fans are becoming, thankfully, spoiled in a good sense. PRIDE has been putting on one intriguing Grand Prix after another and PRIDE Bushido has become one of the more captivating shows as of late, with maybe the most evenly-matched and exciting Grand Prixs on the scene. This year is no exception, as Dream Stage Entertainment presents a "new and improved" version of their Welterweight [under 83 kg/183 lbs] Grand Prix with 15 of some of the best fighters in the world competing for the belt and plenty of professional prestige. 15 that is, because defending champion Dan Henderson gets a bye in the first round and watches with the rest of us as some competitive match-ups unfold this Sunday. The level of talent this year is clearly recognizable, and many tough fighters have a legit shot at the title, such as current favorite Paulo Filho, last year's runner up Murilo Bustamante, well-rounded and explosive Canadian Denis Kang, experienced Chute Boxe fighter Murilo "Ninja" Rua, heavy hitter Phil Baroni, and even some question marks and dark horses like Cuban Hector Lombard, American Joey Villasenor, and Japanese Kazuo Misaki, who if he can't win it all, will certainly add fun to the mix. If that list were not enough, some single bouts also add to the excitement in the first-ever PRIDE Bushido to be held in the Saitama Super Arena, in Tokyo, Japan. With names such as Tatsuya Kawajiri, Marcus Aurelio, Hayato Sakurai and the debut of Jason Black, it may be "cliche" to say, but the real winners are the fans, as another exciting night of fights is ahead. FCF took the time to bring you a small analysis of each fight, while we await the real action around the corner. PRIDE Bushido 11 Single Matches: Jason Black vs. Eoh Won Jin – American Miletich Fighting Systems Elite fighter, Jason Black has the potential to become a future solid PRIDE contender in his weight class, as his MMA record shows more than twenty wins counting amateur and professional bouts, and victories against the likes of John Alessio, Ivan Menjivar and other solid competitors. An experienced, well-rounded wrestler with the support of a great team, Black knows this opportunity is tailor-made against a much less experienced and somewhat one-dimensional fighter in Korean Eoh Won Jin. With good wrestling skills and courage, Won Jin can't offer much more at this point. It's known that PRIDE values its devloping Korean market, therefore the need to search for new Korean fighters is inevitable. However, Eoh might not be the one to last long, much less present a serious threat to Black, who will likely understand the size of this opportunity and take advantage of it. Mitsushiro Ishida vs. Marcus Aurelio - Currently under PRIDE's heavy spotlight, Brazilian American Top Team fighter Marcus Aurelio will have a world of pressure on his shoulders when he steps into the ring to face Japanese fighter Mistushiro Ishida. The reason is that after his upset submission win over superstar and current PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi, Aurelio became an instant candidate for a title shot in a rematch, and all of the sudden has the potential to become on of the show's stars from now on. However, to achieve those goals, Aurelio can't allow any unpleasant surprises in his bout against Ishida, as a loss could mean a major setback in this turning point of his career, and herein lies the pressure. his Japanese opponent for this bout is no pushover at all, and comes to the ring with solid skills. Clearly Aurelio's ground skills and subsequent record is more impressive with wins against top notch opponents. However, Ishida won't be easy to submit by any means, has better striking skills and can carry the fight to a judges' decision win if the Brazilian relaxes too much or can't find the right rhythm. Being stronger physically, Aurelio is still the favorite, but this fight can truly go either way - an upset could be in the cards. Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Charles Bennett – Former Japanese Shooto superstar Tatsuya Kawajiri has been trying to claim the same level of fame he got in the traditional minor promotion on the big stage of PRIDE, and he knows this is a key opportunity for him as he's faced losses only to some of the top names in his weight class. PRIDE knows that he has talent and skills to fill an important role in the show, not to mention the obvious fact that he is Japanese, so giving him a fight with Charles Bennett is giving him a good opportunity to shine again, against a marketable and somewhat credible opponent, in what could be also an exciting fight. Bennett has heavy hands, good boxing skills and a lot of charisma. However, as far as things go in a fight with Kawajiri, who has good takedowns and better ground skills, as well as a lot of power at this weight, he will most likely end up on the receiving end of a submission or TKO. Hayato Sakurai vs. Olaf Alfonso - Japanese superstar and seasoned veteran Hayato "Mach" Sakurai brings plenty of skills, aggressiviness and experience everytime he steps into the ring. Having fought in many shows all over the globe such as the UFC, Shooto and even PRIDE a number of times, Sakurai is easily a fan favorite who engages in any battle and faces all the top opponents he needs to face, throwing his arsenal of stand-up skills against his opponents. As with all brave and skilled fighters, Sakurai -- who's not a kid anymore and has battled many injuries throughout his career -- deserves a break every now and then. It seems the charismatic Mexican fighter Olaf Alfonso is this much deserved reprieve, as there's no indication whatsoever in Alfonso's career that he can present a challenge to "Mach," who will mostly likely win by KO with little effort, unless we are to see one of the biggest upsets in PRIDE's history. PRIDE Bushido "Survival" 2006 Welterweight GP First Round Matches: Murilo Bustamante vs. Amar Suloev - This is one of the matches in the Grand Prix where fans easily recognize and know plenty about both fighters. Brazilian Top Team ground wizard Murilo Bustamante has proved throughout his career that he can not only hang with the "top dogs" in many weight classes, but that he can also beat them. A former UFC champion and runner-up in a somewhat close and controversial bout with Dan Henderson in last year's PRIDE Bushido Welterweight Grand Prix, Bustamante wields a nice combination of jiu-jitsu and boxing skills, along with decent wrestling and great composure. His main weakness could be his lack of kicks, and lack of low kick defense, which Armenian fighter Amar Suloev, being the very good kickboxer he is, certainly can and will try to exploit. However, this problem can be compensated with Bustamante's considerable reach advantage over Suloev, his sharp jabs, and straight right hand punches, which can serve as the perfect counter to Suleov's low kicks and lead way to the Brazilian imposing his game. On the ground, Suloev can't hang with Bustamante, and will most likely be submitted, so unless he manages to find the right distance early on and rock his opponent with strikes, a likely scenario suggests the BTT representative might advance to the second round, wherethings can get rougher. Still it'll be an interesting fight to watch unfold, as both are two very experienced gamers. Paulo Filho vs. Gregory Bouchelaghem - Considered by many the biggest favorite to win this Grand Prix after his dominant win over rival Murilo "Ninja" Rua and submission win over Amar Suloev, Brazilian Top Team standout Paulo Filho was originally set to face Korean judo player Yoon Dong Sik. As Dong Sik got injured recently, PRIDE had to replace him with French fighter Gregory Bouchelaghem, and as funny as it may seem, fans were the winners here - not that the French fighter can likely pull off an upset and defeat Filho, but he is surely a tougher task than the Korean, who had Filho comfortable in not having to care about strikes which are the weakness in his game. Filho has amazing power and strength, awesome takedown skills, an even better and extremely tight ground game, and can even throw some punches every now and then. His height and reach may be his biggest problem, and curiously, Bouchelaghem is a very tall fighter for this weight class, giving him a flying knee chance of some kind during the match. Make no mistake, however, coming in as a late replacement and likely not preparing properly, Bouchelaghem will likely get submitted early in the first round after he is unable stop Filho's takedowns. On the ground, the Frenchman will be easy prey for judo and jiu-jitsu black belt Filho, who will be one of the key figures of this Grand Prix. Ryo Chonan vs. Joey Villasenor - In a Grand Prix card filled with stars of the sport, this bout may be one of the less interesting ones for most of the fans. However, when we look further down the road, apart from what happens in the finals of the Grand Prix, this fight can mean a world to both contestants. For Japanese fighter Ryo Chonan, this may be a defining moment in his role with PRIDE, while for American Joey Villasenor, it can be a perfect first step into a new and bigger career. Chonan started his PRIDE appearances after an interesting run in Deep, a minor Japanese promotion, which included a win over superstar Hayato Sakurai. While in PRIDE, Chonan surprised many in surpassing his inital role of a regular fighter on the promotion's stellar roster, and pulled off a series of upsets which included Carlos Newton and Anderson Silva, and giving hope that he could be a new Japanese hero for the show. However, as of late, he has been falling short in facing top opposition, and a loss here in the first round of the Grand Prix could very well turn Chonan into a gatekeeper and nothing more. Unfortunately for him, heavyhanded Villasenor seems as bad a match-up as any, and an awkward submission that plays to the support of the local crowd may be his only resort to win. On the other hand, for the American KOTC Champion, this is likely a perfect start in a big organization, facing a regarded opponent that he probably can beat. Villasenor will likely be able to control the game in most areas against Chonan, and work his game towards either a TKO or a judges' decision victory. The question mark for Villasenor is how he will be able to react once hitting the big stage, facing better opposition than he has of late. Makoto Takimoto vs. Gerard Mousasi - Japanese judo player Makoto Takimoto is once again utilizing his fame in his home country, and using it to help hype the show and hopefully bring even more new fans to the already popular PRIDE in its effort to finally make Bushido, their lighter weight show, as big a hit as its main one. Unfortunately for him, this is likely as much as Takimoto can bring to the scene. Although he has been showing evolution, he seems to still lack the y strength, the striking skills and a general adaptation to the MMA game. His opponent, Armenian Gerard Mousasi, based out of Holland, comes in with much more ring experience, impressive striking skills and the toughness that is usually common in fighters from the eastern European block. Coming off five straight wins, including two in the Japanese Deep promotion, Mousasi has been identified as the favorite with a likely scenario being a knockout or TKO win. If Takimoto is able to pull off an upset it would be most likely by submission, however, he hasn't shown anything as of now to make this believable at this point. Sharing the same situation as Villasenor, but with an even easier start, Mousasi will most likely benefit from this match in developing a PRIDE Bushido career, despite the fact that he will probably be no match for more seasoned and well-rounded fighters in this Grand Prix, such as Murilo Bustamante, Dan Henderson, Paulo Filho, Denis Kang or Murilo "Ninja" Rua. Akihiro Gono vs. Hector Lombard – A Cuban judo player based out of Australia, Hector Lombard has been billed as the "dark horse" of this tournament. Reported as an amazing natural talent for fighting, with high caliber judo credentials that include Olympic Games participation and several titles, and owner of impressive raw power and newfound obxing skills, he may very well be the next big thing in PRIDE's welterweight division. Whether he can develop and be a threat to take the belt when it's all said and done is to be seen, but his first bout against seasoned veteran Akihiro Gono may be a perfect test to start of his run. Gono comes into the fight more experienced, composed, calm and well-rounded. However, his lack of particular greatness in any area, and also his lack of raw power -- where Lombard seems to excel -- may be his downfall in this match-up. However, he may use a good strategy to ride out a judges' decision, mostly if Lombard isn't as spetacular as he is reported to be, since Gono is most likely his toughest opponent to date. Soon we will know, but this is an very interesting and intriguing bout, that can have a serious impact on the analysis for the second round of the Grand Prix. Denis Kang vs. Murilo "Ninja" Rua - This is likely the most even, intriguing and interesting fight of the first round of PRIDE Bushido 2006 Weltwerweight Grand Prix, and has the potential to be the most exciting one as well. Chute Boxe's seasoned veteran from Brazil, Murilo "Ninja" Rua comes in for his thirteenth apperance in PRIDE, this being the second in the PRIDE Bushido series. Aggressive, with good striking and underated ground skills, as well as amazing cardio, Ninja is no pushover, having fought some of the toughest fighters the 93kg weight class had to offer, such as Quinton Jackson, Ricardo Arona, Kevin Randleman and Dan Henderson. Presenting a tough challenge to all of them, and often seeing himself in the middle of controversial judges' decision, Rua dropped weight to the 83kg class, like Dan Henderson also did previously. Rua had to face the tough task of fighting Paulo Filho right away, which left people with a bad impression, but likely his bout with Kang will prove that it was no measure of his skills and chances in this new weight class. Ninja is reported to be now much better adapted at the new weight, with more power than in his last fight along with his usually great cardio, which may be a big factor in the bout. A Canadian of Korean heritage, fighter Denis Kang has also been having a solid career with impressive skills, sporting 15-fight undefeated streak that give him more than the needed credentials to be in this Grand Prix. As a matter of fact, Kang should have been last in year's edition, and it's a shame that either Ninja or Kang will have to leave after the first round, as matched up against different opposition, both could have likely advanced onto the second round. With very good striking skills, solid ground skills, and being very explosive and fast, Kang has the tools to make this a every exciting fight, and is considered the favorite by many. However, althoug Kang's run is impressive, he hasn't faced the level of opposition that his Chute Boxe opponent has, with Andrei Semenov being maybe his toughest opponent yet, and their dual fights went the distance . Also, Kang possibly lacks the power to score an early knockout standing up against a guy that has been taking bombs from heavy strikers throughout his career. With Ninja's ground skills mostly underrated, it's not likely either that the Canadian can pull a submission off where Ricardo Arona, Mario Sperry and Paulo Filho couldn't. All that gives a slight edge to the Brazilian, who can win a judges' decision in a very even, and most certainly exciting bout with all the potential to be the fight of the night! Phil Baroni vs. Kazuo Misaki - Living what seems to be the best leg of his career, American fighter Phil Baroni has found a home in the PRIDE Bushido promotion, where he has been having more success than ever before. With knockout power, good wrestling skills and lots of physical strength, Baroni can be a threat to any fighter in the first minutes of a bout, as his extremely quick KO of Yuki Kondo proved in the last PRIDE Bushido. However, his cardio is still a big question mark and has failed him many times throughout his career. Although he comes in as one of the favorites for the later stages in the Grand Prix, Baroni's first bout is not a keen one, as styles makes fights. Experienced and well-rounded, Japanese fighter Kazuo Misaki may not be flashy or have the charisma of one of the Japanese stars in the show, however, he is one of the more solid fighters the country has to offer in PRIDE's welterweight class as of now. With good reach, composure, and decent boxing and ground skills, one thing that he won't lack is cardio. Although he doesn't seem to have the power to compete with Baroni early on, he has faced some very tough opponents and showed he belongs in there, and he has the smarts and experience to ride the clock early on and gear it up as the fight progresses, exploiting his opponent's weaknesses. Regardless, this is a bout with many different scenarios possible, and will certainly be very entertaining, either with a Baroni KO early, or a Misaki TKO or judges' decision later in. |
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By Eduardo Alonso When it's all said and done, Brazilian Top Team great Murilo Bustamante will surely be considered one of the legends of our sport due to his sharp technique, great composure, bravery and list of impressive accomplishments, from his many jiu-jitsu titles to his UFC Middleweight Championship title. One belt is missing in his collection though, and like many MMA greats, Bustamante simply refuses to let age affect his performance in his pursuit of the missing piece - a PRIDE Championship belt. Coming very close last year as a runner-up in the title bout against Dan Henderson, Bustamante shows his greatness once again in engaging battle in a Grand Prix that might be considered tougher than its prior version. As a warrior ready to depart for battle, FCF caught up with the Brazilian in the airport just minutes before his flight for Japan. FCF: Let's start with last year's PRIDE Bushido Welterweight Grand Prix [up to 83 kg/183 lbs], where you ended as the runner-up. When the final match against Dan Henderson was over, before the judges' decision was announced, did you think you were going to be awarded the win, or did you think they would give the decision to Henderson? Murilo Bustamante: Well, I thought I did well in the fight and that I could have won, but I wasn't sure because I didn't see the fight. After I saw the fight, then I was absolutely sure I had won the bout. FCF: What did you think of that decision? Some people thought you won that fight. Watching it again, what would you have done differently to get the nod from the judges? MB: I think I paid the price because of my impetus, you know. I fought to finish the fight, to submit or KO until the very end. I was winning the fight well into the first round and could have remained in the lead in the second round, but instead I kept going forward and received a blow that kind of made the fight even. What I would do differently is what my corner was telling me to do, to avoid the "in fight" and control the bout. Instead I kept going forward trying to finish the bout - I don't think it was a mistake because this is my way of fighting, but to not leave any room for doubts regarding the result of the fight, I would control the ending of the fight, like the last three minutes. FCF: Having fought in last year's Welterweight Grand Prix, having had some great performances, and having should have won the title according to some, where do you find motivation to enter this year's Grand Prix facing so many tough challenges instead of opting for the easier path of doing just single bouts from now on? MB: Man, this is my life, this is what I enjoy doing. I already had this question asked and I even found it funny that people might have thought I would lose my motivation. But I even understand, it's kind of obvious. Instead of losing my motivation I got angry, wanting to fight more. I want to fight again, to fight for the belt again, to fight Dan Henderson again, fight against the best in the weight class as long as I can, and when I can't anymore, I'll retire. FCF: This year the PRIDE Bushido Welterweight Grand Prix features 16 fighters instead of 8 like last year, and lots of new names are taking part in the hunt for the belt. Do you expect a tougher tournament this year? And what fighters do you think are the main favorites to win it all? MB: I think it's a tougher tournament this year with more fighters, more fights, and there are some new fighters in the tournament that weren't there last year like Denis Kang, Murilo "Ninja" [Rua] and Paulo Filho. In my opinion the biggest favorite is Paulo Filho. Denis Kang and Murilo Ninja are also two favorites, as well as Amar Suloev and Phil Baroni, who's a fighter that can provide a lot of trouble and come far in the tournament. As far as the Japanese fighters go, I don't see any that can become the champion, but I see some that can present some trouble, like Akihiro Gono, Ryo Chonan and Makoto Takimoto. However, once again, I don't believe any of the Japanese can become the champion of the Grand Prix. FCF: In the first round you will be facing experienced fighter Amar Suloev, who's a very good striker. Even though you are a jiu-jitsu master, you also show some very good boxing skills in your fights. Do you intend to trade some strikes with him as well? MB: I'll fight as I always do. I'm ready to fight standing up or on the ground - I'll wait to see what he will present me. If he gives me opportunity, I'll try to land my punches, but if he allows, of course I'll take him down. My goal is always to go to the ground, but not desperately, always in the right moment, and that's why I need to have a good performance and good training in the stand-up, and that's what I do. FCF: You have suffered a number of times with injuries right before your matches, like when you fought Matt Lindland for the UFC belt once. How was your preparation this time? Are going into the fight 100% healthy? MB: I'll tell you that I'm in shape, but I suffered a lot through my training with injuries as well, some that I'm still carrying, but I managed to complete my training. Physically I think I'm not 100%, but for my first fight of the year I think I'm in much better condition than usual. FCF: Although this question has been asked a million times, it's always worth asking. What will happen if you and teammate Paulo Filho both reach the finals of the Grand Prix? MB: Well, we'll have to fight, there's no other way, you know (Laughs). Paulo is like a younger brother to me, I've known him since he was 10 years old, and he is one of my best friends in the academy. But we know we have to be professionals and if we reach the final, we have to fight. We can only fight if we reach the final bout of the tournament, so imagine two Brazilian Top Team fighters in the final? We will be laughing with joy, and we will do our work! Still, it's such a long way until we get to that point, we're not even concerned about that right now. FCF: No matter what happens in the Grand Prix, do you already have a plan on what you will do for the rest of 2006 and the year 2007? Do you intend on fighting in the USA again, competing often, or to take some vacation time? MB: Well, I have a desire to fight in the USA again, but I didn't receive any offers yet, and in short terms my goal is the Grand Prix, of course. Let's see what will happen in my fight, and if things go according to plan, my focus will be all on the Grand Prix. I had as a goal for myself to do at least four fights per year in 2006 and 2007. FCF: Any final message for your fans? MB: The only thing I can say is that I want to thank all for the kindness and care that I received after my bout with Dan Henderson last December 31. I was impressed with the support and care from even the American fans, and even fans of Dan Henderson, saying good things about my performance, and this gives me only motivation to continue fighting, so I want to thank you and say that I'll always do my best for the MMA fans, not only from Brazil but from any nation. |
| Sunday - June 4, 2006 |
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Palaszewski, Markham, and McGivern Clinch Team Championship for Midwest Squad By Derek Callahan - Photos by Tom DeFazio ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey, June 3---The International Fight League wrapped up their inaugural tournament tonight at the Trump Taj Mahal with ten fights that saw no submissions, but plenty of action. Pat Miletich and his Silverbacks took the team title in a 3-2 win over Maurice Smith's Tiger Sharks that was, in effect, not nearly as close as it seems. The Silverbacks swept the first three fights, then dropped the last two, clinching their title before the trouble began. It was all preceded though by five individual match-ups.
Possibly the new baby-faced assassin (Josh Barnett has grown up) in MMA, Canadian Chris Horodecki had a tough task in the form of fellow newcomer, the 1-0 Erik Owings. Coming off of an impressive debut in which he beat Justin Jones at the first IFL, 26-year-old Owings looked to be the favorite against an 18-year-old Horodecki. Now 5-0, Horodecki had other ideas. Early in the fight he landed a one-two that transitioned into a clinch. Obviously not afraid to go toe-to-toe early on with the Renzo Gracie brown belt, Horodecki saw his shot to take it to the mat when Owings tossed a high kick his way. Making it quickly to his feet, Owings opted back into a clinch where he muscled for a toss, and Horodecki kneed at his legs. Some wild exchanges followed a separation and restart by the referee, with Owings eventually pulling guard. Trying the aerial tricks early on made it seem as if Owings didn't want to try to shoot in, and the two were soon back on their feet. Although outmatched in the Muay Thai realm, Owings traded willingly with Horodecki, who mixed up an attack that saw him kick to the body, then raise up for a fight-ending kick to the head. The end came so near to the close of the first round that not only did the bell ring, but the referee walked away from the action, taking an unacceptable moment to notice the sanguine Owings. In the third bout of the night, previously undefeated Jake Ellenberger (14-1) looked unsure of himself against Jay Hieron (9-2). A unanimous decision that saw all three judges give the Anaconda's alternate the sweep, Hieron stuck with his wrestling throughout the fight. Ellenberger's high point was in the third round when he knocked Hieron down with a right hand; he was quickly taken back down though, where Hieron worked in his guard. The Las Vegas-based welterweight earned a clear decision, but 14 wins since 2005 say that Ellenberger fought well under his potential. The Alex Schoenauer (11-5) fight quickly became a Jamal Patterson (2-0) fight early on. Patterson started the fight with a double-leg takedown and followed up by wrenching Schoenauer's head into a guillotine choke. It didn't work the first time, but after some strikes in Schoenauer's guard, Patterson again secured a guillotine and this time made it work. With two straight wins over two bigger name opponents, light heavyweight Patterson has officially arrived. Whether or not he's capable of continuing as impressively, fans can look forward to seeing. He has been after all, impressive so far. Rounding out the individual fights of the night was Wes Sims (11-8-1) in a rematch with Daniel Gracie (4-1-1). The first fight was a draw, and judging form this fight it's a wonder as to how. Wes Sims is an unpredictable and entertaining fighter to watch, but this fight was all Gracie. Gracie started the fight off chopping at the front leg of Sims, then getting in close with a clinch. It was a sharp idea, as he quickly got to side control after taking Sims to the mat. He turned his side control into a full mount, then allowed Sims to turn his back. Issues of respect aside, one doesn't turn their back to Gracie. He locked in both hooks and went for the obvious rear-naked choke. A stand up by Sims didn't shake the Brazilian, nor did his falling into the ropes. Sims flailed against the ropes but Gracie held on, and choked Sims out at 2:42 of round one. In the team finals, Silverback Bart Palaszewski (25-7) came into the lightweight bout with an injured hand, and late replacement Steve Bruno (5-3) was feeling under the weather. They each had a little something working against them, but Palaszewski took advantage, landing a left hook at 1:48 of the first round that crumpled Bruno, calling a halt to the fight.
Dennis Hallman (38-12-2) looked lethargic against Ryan McGivern (8-1) in their middleweight pairing. His best moment of the fight was the first one, when he came out and threw an immediate right hand that knocked McGivern down. After taking his back though, it was all downhill from there. Throughout the three-round duration, McGivern landed small shots in the clinch that eventually added up well. The proof was in Hallman's face, which was marked up by the close of his three-round unanimous decision loss. This was the clincher for the Silverbacks, who took an unbeatable 3-0 lead. With the win they became the first team champions in the IFL. The second-to-last bout of the night wasn't a crowd pleaser, but did feature two undefeated fighters. Mike Ciesnolevicz (8-1) dropped a split decision to Reece Andy (3-0), in a bout that saw both men secure takedowns. Andy may have won his two judges over with a textbook slam that had the Silverback's Ciesnolevicz hanging on for a ride. Both were evenly matched in a fight that could have gone either way. The final fight of the card was a venerable wrestling clinic put on by both Devin Cole (7-1) and Travis Wiuff (41-9). Weight definitely looked to have played a factor in this bout as the Tiger Shark's Cole grinded out a unanimous decision win over a much more experienced, but lighter, opponent. The two traded takedowns throughout the fight, but Cole got the best of takedowns, and controlled enough action to warrant the decision. |
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Report by Jim Genia - Photos by Keith Mills
Welterweight Championship Eddie Alvarez (Fight Factory-170lbs) vs. Derrick Noble (Silverbacks-170lbs) Alvarez via KO at 1:01 of the first round – Alvarez is the new MFC welterweight champ!
Main Card Sergie Kaznovsky (Red Devil-257lbs) vs. Jerome Smith (262lbs) Kaznovsky via ref stop due to unanswered strikes at 3:25 of R1. Eric Oganov (Red Devil-169lbs) vs. Chris Ligouri (Rhino Fight Team-170lbs) Ligouri via ref stop due to unanswered strikes at 2:14 of R3. Vladimir Zenin (Red Devil-154lbs) vs. Matt Lee (Team Elite-160lbs) Lee via ref stop due to unanswered strikes at 1:32 of R2. Joey Brown (Team Renzo-164lbs) vs. Vadim Kulchitskiy (Bulldozer Fight Club-164lbs) Kulchitskiy via unanimous decision. Stephen Haigh (Fight Factory-169lbs) vs. Toraji (AACC-168lbs) Haigh via unanimous decision. Tara LaRosa (Northwest Elite-133lbs) vs. Hitomi Akano (AACC-135lbs) LaRosa via unanimous decision. Shanya Bazler (134lbs) vs. Amanda Buckner (Academy of MMA-136lbs) Buckner via ref stop due to unanswered strikes at 3:03 of R3. Kaream Ellington (South Bronx Fight Team-206lbs) vs. Kenichi Yamamoto (196lbs) Ellington via ref stop due to unanswered strikes at 4:59 of R1. Yusuke Masuda (AACC-214lbs) vs. Mike Patt (Team Jorge Gurgel-215lbs) Patt via ref stop due to unanswered strikes at 0:20 of R1. |
| Monday - June 5, 2006 |
 Seven Wage "Survival" at PRIDE Welterweight Grand Prix Misaki, Gono, Chonan, Suloev, Filho, Kang and Mousasi Advance Report and photos by Nori Yoshida TOKYO, June 4 -- It was a fairly empty Saitama Super Arena with only 13,371 fans, about a third of the capacity, showing up to watch the first round of PRIDE's second Welterweight Tournament. The 14-man line-up would include some of the most recognizable names in the 83kg/183 lbs (and under) division, with a few new ones sprinkled in for dramatic measure. Current PRIDE welterweight champion Dan Henderson was ringside most of the night, a first-round bye his ticket to join the whittled-down-to seven that would remain at the end of the evening. Lightweight champion Takanori Gomi was also in the arena, watching the four non-tournament lightweight fights, which proved to be as exciting as the welterweight bouts. Jason Black and Won Jin Ou squared off in the first non-tournament match of the night. Although both lightweights had a wrestling backbone, Black was the clear superior, scoring takedowns at will. A rear-naked choke early in the round and then a front choke a little later from Black both looked like they would end it, but Ou managed to hold on and break out of both. While Ou was aggressive on his feet, throwing punches and pressing the fight, he was overmatched on the ground. He looked completely exhausted halfway through the first round and Black took advantage, setting up for a huge knee to the head on the ground. Another knee was sure to come, but the Korean's corner threw in the towel at 6:25 in the first round, before any more damage could be done. The two Brazilian Top Team Welterweight tournament favorites Murilo Bustamante and Paulo Filho fought in the first two tournament fights of the GP. The 39-year-old Bustamante, a leader figure of the famed Brazilian Top Team, faced Amar Suloev, a member of the PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko's Red Devil Fight Team. Suloev showed great defense against Bustamante's takedown attempts, and Bustamante never got to take the fight to the ground. Suloev was not aggressive on his feet, but was accurate with the punches he threw. The 15-minute fight resembled an extremely slow boxing match, and the referee warned the two in the middle of the match to fight a "more aggressive fight." Bustamante pushed most of the action throughout the fight, yet there was no significant damage done by either fighter until halfway through the second round, when Suloev landed a flying right straight to the Brazilian's face that sent him backpedaling and onto the ground. That proved to be enough for the unanimous decision, but Suloev, who never really showed any signs of going for the KO, will probably have a tough time drawing attention from fans or from PRIDE. Filho fared better in his match, though his fight with newcomer Gregory Bouchelaghem also went the distance. A member of the French Top Team, Bouchelaghem showed good defense on the ground, which is where most of this fight took place. Filho repeatedly took the Frenchman down with ease, and also passed his guard and took a full mount on several occasions. While Filho dominated the fight, he showed a clear inability to finish it, even from a mount position where his punches seemed to do little damage. Even an attempt to submit his opponent with an armlock failed and the Brazilian needed the judges to secure the win. The decisions continued into the third Grand Prix fight of the night, though the split decision, which went in favor of Ryo Chonan, was the most controversial of the night. His opponent, Joey Villasenor, 15-0 in King of the Cage and its middleweight champion, took his first loss in years. The first round was completely even with neither landing anything significant, but both scoring takedowns and using the same strategy from the top of the guard, where both stood up out and threw punches and kicks from standing position. Chonan did take Villasenor's back on the ground right before the end of the first, but the bell sounded before he could do any damage. Both were aggressive in the second, but Villasenor seemed to throw heavier punches, any of which could have ended the fight if they landed. On the other hand, Chonan looked a little tired as he went for takedowns in the last minute of the fight. Villasenor was on his feet again before the end of the fight almost landing a stomp to a downed Chonan's face. However, it was Chonan that moved on the second round. After a forfeiture and three decisions, the unsatisfying endings continued into the fifth fight of the night. Makoto Takimoto and Gegard Mousasi entered the ring to decide the fourth fighter to move on in the welterweight Grand Prix. Mousasi, a Red Devil International Team member is the youngest in the tournament at only the age of 20, but he proved more than enough of an opponent for Takimoto. Early on though, it seemed as though Takimoto would control the fight, taking Mousasi down and almost submitting him with an armbar. He was just a moment too late in getting his left foot over to finish the lock as he already had Mousasi's arm pulled back. It was the last chance he had, and the moment after Mousasi broke out of the armbar, he was on Takimoto's back and in full control. A few failed rear-naked chokes were mixed in with a pounding to the Japanese former Olympian's face and a doctor check at 5:36 in the first round ended the fight. Takimoto's right eye was heavily swollen, and his pupil was barely visible on the Jumbotron. Three lightweight matches followed back-to-back before the final three Welterweight GP cards. All three proved the force that rival promotion Shooto has become in the lightweight ranks, and each fight was enough to forget that there was a welterweight tournament going on that night. Mitsuhiro Ishida faced the toughest opponent in upstart Marcus Aurelio, who came off of a milestone win against current PRIDE champion Gomi Takanori in April. Ishida showed incredible power taking Aurelio to the ground repeatedly, but in both the first and second rounds, Ishida found himself in trouble stuck in a front choke, but managed to break out both times. The majority of the fight was Ishida on top in Aurelio's guard, with Ishida pounding away. While Ishida was in control most of the way, the last minute of the first round showed the danger of Aurelio's guard, as Ishida spent considerable energy avoiding triangle chokes and armlocks. It was a different story in the second round, though. While they were in the same position, it was Aurelio who was in trouble the entire time. It seemed as if Ishida was punching from Aurelio's guard continually through the last five minutes. There was no room for Aurelio to make a move as Ishida's hands were flying down without a break. There were no clean blows to end the fight, but the incredible performance left the arena sounding like there was a much larger crowd in attendance than what was actually there. Tatsuya Kawajiri didn't need as much time to finish American Charles Bennett. Well known for his antics inside the ring, "Crazy Horse" Bennett didn't disappoint as he sat on the ropes in his corner at the beginning of the fight, gesturing for Kawajiri to come. Bennett's ground skills couldn't keep up with his entertaining skills, though, and Kawajiri took Bennett down quickly. After an attempt at an armbar, Kawajiri caught Bennett, who was trying to stand up, in a kneebar and tapped his opponent out in just two minutes and 30 seconds. Hayato Sakurai needed even less time to finish his fight against WEC star Olaf Alfonso. Alfonso learned the hard way that one mistake is all it takes in the PRIDE ring. In just over one minute, Alfonso took two huge blows to the head. The first came from a overhand right hook by Sakurai and the second from the canvas as he fell, hands down and face first into the mat.
While the lightweights stole the moment, they didn't steal the show as the final three welterweight fights held plenty of action. Liters of bad blood between Akihiro Gono and Hector Lombard spilled over to the ring. Gono showed little respect for his opponent with a 5-minute choreographed dance performance before entering the ring. Lombard clearly let his emotions out in the ring as he charged Gono at the bell. The rustle of laughter could be heard from the crowd as Gono ran away and fell to the ground several times. The fight looked like it would end quickly when Lombard began throwing punches at Gono, who had fallen against the ropes. Gono somehow maintained his composure and reversed a leglock attempt by Lombard and took backmount. The two ended up back on their feet, where they exchanged punches. Neither seemed hurt while Gono continued to throw heavy punches, which missed by just inches. Both were more composed in the second round and Lombard scored a takedown early, but was unable to use it to his advantage as he looked fairly exhausted. Gono was looking for the KO in the last minute of the fight with a variety of punches, but it ended in a decision and the more aggressive Gono took the win. Six tournament matches ended in five decisions and one doctor stoppage. The only KO came in the second to last fight of the event between what was hyped to be a fairly unpredictable fight between Denis Kang and Murilo "Ninja" Rua. It took just 15 seconds for Denis Kang to show that this fight should have been more foreseeable. An early straight right had Rua turning and almost running away. Kang continued throwing punches as Rua fell to the ground and after a few misses, a clean left was enough to drop Rua's guard and for the referee to stop the fight. The main event provided plenty of main event action and the less-heralded Kazuo Misaki claimed the victory over Hammer House's Phil Baroni. Misaki was full of tricks, the first of which came seconds into the match - a flying knee, which almost landed cleanly. The flying knee came a few other times in the fight, along with high kicks, low kicks, knees and foot stomping within the clinch. A missed flying knee at the five-minute mark led into a guillotine choke attempt, which ended up with Baroni on top of Misaki's guard. Baroni took advantage with huge blows to the body, but a lack of action had the fighters back on their feet with two minutes left. Misaki continued to land strong low kicks, which, in the end may have done the most damage. Baroni was flailing by the end of the round and looked fairly winded. Misaki, on the other hand, looked fresh in the second round and took Baroni down. He went for a Kimura lock taking side mount, but settled for a few knees to Baroni's face before they were back on their feet again. Baroni was still throwing punches at the end of the fight, but looked dead tired and there was no question the unanimous decision would go to Misaki. Three Japanese fighters, Kazuo Misaki, Akihiro Gono and Ryo Chonan moved onto the second round, along with Amar Suloev, Paulo Filho, Denis Kang and Gegard Mousasi. Current champion Dan Henderson was in the ring during the intermission with this message for them. "I'll be waiting." So will the fans. PRIDE Bushido "Survival" Welterweight Grand Prix Opening Round Results
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| Wednesday - June 7, 2006 |
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"Minotauro" Likely Faces Werdum in PRIDE OWGP's Second Round By Eduardo Alonso In the middle of a series of intriguing PRIDE related events that has been gathering MMA fans' attention throughout the world, many are forgetting about the second round of PRIDE's Open-Weight Grand Prix, scheduled for July 1st, in Tokyo, Japan, and news concerning this upcoming show are developing at full force. In what will be a clash of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts, Brazilian Top Team superstar Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira will very likely face Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's jiu-jitsu trainer Fabricio Werdum in a second round match-ups. In a press conference scheduled for this Thursday in Japan, DSE, the company that runs PRIDE, is likely to officially announce this bout, as well as address other issues concerning the show's current TV deal situation in Japan. Recent news from Japan is the promotion has lost its contract with FUJI, its major carrier. Regardless, the second round promises exciting action with a clash of two jiu-jitsu stylists with ever improving boxing skills, as well the rumored bout that may be announced as well between the "Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva and Japanese wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita. That leaves a big question mark in the pairing of the remaining competitors in the Grand Prix: Filipovic, Hidehiko Yoshida, Josh Barnett and Mark Hunt. |
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News and Notes from Canadian MMA By Kelsey Mowatt Elite Fighting Championship Gets Green Light, but Vancouver Wavering on MMA Elite FC Promoter Rob Harris informed FCF this week that the Vancouver Athletic Commission (VAC) will allow the organization to hold another event this year, even though city staff has instructed the city council's legal department to conduct a "risk assessment" of mixed martial arts. The review will take yet another look at the safety record of the sport, and whether or not MMA is deemed legal under Canada's criminal code. Despite the fact that Vancouver has now held several, legally sanctioned MMA events in recent years without incident, including Elite's most recent March show which drew 1,500 fans, the VAC was instructed in May by the City Managers to restrict granting any further MMA promotional licenses pending the outcome of the review. Minutes of a May 4 VAC meeting reveal that the Commission was eager to avoid "the possibility of Elite group taking action," due to the fact that the Commission has already approved dates and locations for Elite's events in July and September. As a result, the promotion will still be allowed to move ahead. "The Athletic Commission has said that they have given us a promoter's license for the year and that we will be allowed to continue," Harris says in regards to his Elite FC. "They are not really sure how long the risk assessment will take, but they will sanction our shows until further notice." Elite FC and King of the Cage Canada had hoped to hold an event with several Championship fights on July 15 at the PNE Agrodome, which was to be taped for a later broadcast on The Sports Network. When the City announced the risk assessment last month, the two promotions were unsure on whether or not they should continue. "We had a July date as well as the September one," Harris says," but obviously the July date has kind of been put into limbo. We weren't sure what was going to happen, so the preparations for the July date just haven't been made. Now with the Commission telling us we can still go ahead, we feel that we have the VAC on our side, and until they [the City Council] come up with a decision, business has to move forward. The Commission telling us to go ahead definitely gives us confidence, so we'll have to look ahead to the September show." The VAC and its chairman Roy Nosella have built a strong working relationship with Vancouver's MMA promotions over the last few years, and have consistently supported their decision to sanction the sport on public record. In fact, the legislation that the VAC enacted to allow for MMA events was so admired by city officials in Vernon, BC, that the city had planned to review and adopt the VAC guidelines for MMA. No timeline from Vancouver's city staff has been announced for the pending risk assessment. In the meantime, Harris and is business partner Mike Hammoud will look towards the Squamish Nation's Reserve in North Vancouver to hold another National Fighting Challenge. The Reservation, which has a separate governing body, has previously hosted five NFC events and over 20 North American Challenges, including, most recently, a NAC card on July 3. "We have some big plans for the next NFC that I can't get into," says Harris. "It will be held on July 15 and is fully sanctioned by the ISCF (International Sport Combat Federation), with blood work, full medicals, everything that is required by the Athletic Commission. It's a different kind of event; we serve a nice dinner with the fights and it's always a full house." |
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From the event's promoter: San Jose, CA -- Superstars Vitor Belfort and Alistair Overeem officially touched down in San Jose, California yesterday with their respective camps, for their highly anticipated rematch at Strikeforce "Revenge," the 10-bout mixed martial arts mega-card that will take place at San Jose's HP Pavilion on Friday. After experiencing a 10 hour delay at their point of departure in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Team Belfort arrived in Los Angeles at 2 PM yesterday and caught their connecting flight to San Jose. Team Overeem, which includes Alistair's brother and fellow Pride Fighting Championship star, Valentijn, arrived in San Jose early yesterday. Overeem later headed over to the nearby American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) for a training session. Belfort is scheduled to train with his crew at AKA later today. During their first encounter at Pride's "Total Elimination 2005" event a year ago, Belfort and Overeem battled for nine and a half minutes (Note: Pride Fighting Championship schedules the first round of its bouts for 10 minutes) before Overeem secured a guillotine choke on Belfort and forced the Brazilian fighter to tap out. Another rematch on Friday's card will see World San Shou kickboxing champion Cung Le face "Mr. Unbreakable" Brian Warren. Le, whose start marks his second career appearance under mixed martial arts rules, defeated Warren by way of unanimous decision in a bout contested under San Shou rules in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 30, 2004. Strikeforce's "Revenge" card will also be highlighted by a matchup between undefeated 22-year-old Tyson Griffin and K-1 and UFC veteran, Duane "Bang" Ludwig, as well as a meeting between light heavyweights Bobby Southworth and James Irvin. Southworth introduced himself to the masses during Spike TV's premiere season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series two years ago. Strikeforce 155 pound champion, Clay Guida, will set out to defend his crown for the first time since he captured the vacant title by persevering over four-time UFC fight winner and Bay Area favorite, Josh "The Punk" Thomson. Thomson will also return to battle and attempt to steer his career back on track. Former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar, Daniel Puder, will make his third career mixed martial arts appearance during the event. Tickets for Strikeforce "Revenge" are on sale at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070) as well as at all Ticketmaster (408-998-TIXS) outlets and Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com). |
| Thursday - June 8, 2006 |
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Photos by Daisy Rosas SAN JOSE, Calif., June 8 -- A rematch of their April 2005 PRIDE Total Elimination bout, Vitor Belfort and Alistair Overeem meet tomorrow night (this time in the cage) at the HP Pavilion for Strikeforce 2's "Revenge." Yet the question might not be how things will play out in the scenario which saw the lanky Dutchman guillotine the powerful Brazilian in their initial outing, but if lightning will strike twice for the promotion that set a North American attendance record of 18,265 attendees on March 10. With local favorites Cung Le and ex-WWE personality Daniel Puder on the card, Strikeforce promoters are certainly giving it their best shot.
Strikeforce 2 Weigh-In Results
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The Brazilian Beat: As MMA fans, we're living in pretty interesting times, as exciting moments of our sport, moments that may be remembered for ages to come, seem to be taking place one after the other. On the heels of UFC 60's Royce Gracie and Matt Hughes bout, we were treated right away with PRIDE's Bushido "Survival" Welterweight Grand Prix, this time with 16 fighters in a tough first round that made it hard to predict a certain favorite to move on, let alone to win it all. With Strikeforce's upcoming June 9th "Overeem vs. Belfort" showdown, all eyes will be turned to California to see if the promotion can match the success of the 18,265 attendance record they had at their first event. Then there's the IFL and its unique league format, and soon the UFC will back with another fight night that will finally see Anderson Silva's Octagon debut, a debut that was meant to happen five years ago against Carlos Newton. The list goes on and on, proving that our sport is growing and the only thing we can do at Full Contact Fighter is keep pumping out the news, keeping the beat loud and clear, as the rhythm never ceases from Brazil!
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| Friday - June 9, 2006 |
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Held June 3, 2006 At the Squamish Nations Rec Centre Vancouver, British Columbia By Mike Neva Although the city of Vancouver recently took a big hit with its City Manager mandating that no mixed martial arts events be sanctioned within the city limits until a "risk management" assessment be completed; this could not deter the longest running MMA event in Canada, the North American Challenge. Held at the Squamish Nations Rec Centre in North Vancouver, the staunch city council has no jurisdiction over this event or its sister show, the National Fighting Challenge; since both are held on Native land. For the twenty third incarnation, the NAC, primarily known as a kickboxing laden card, had a record six MMA bouts on the docket. It was a welcome change to fans who saw each and every MMA bout end before the allotted time limit.
Without question, the show stealer was a back and forth tilt between Sarah Kaufman and Liz Posener. These two ladies had the sold out crowd roaring their approval as each split the first two rounds. Kaufman was able to use superior wrestling to ground and pound out the majority of the opening round, including some powerful punches from the mount, which had referee Jason Darrah on the verge of stopping the fight, but Posener was able to survive and was saved by the bell. Rolls were reversed in the second stanza, as Posener was able to impose her will by sprawling and brawling with great utilization of knees and punches in the clinch. It looked as if the tide had officially turned in round three with Posener again able to keep the fight on their feet and land effective punches. But Kaufman showed great strategy by cutting off the ring and pinning Posener in the corner. Seemingly out of nowhere, Kaufman changed her game plan, and, instead of shooting for a takedown, unloaded a wicked right hand that knocked Posener unconscious. Thankfully, after being down for a number of minutes, Posener was able to get to her feet and leave the ring under her own power. An impressive debut performance by Kaufman. MMA Results
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| Saturday - June 10, 2006 |
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Report by Joseph Rios – Photos by Daisy Rosas Belfort and Alistair Overeem's rematch may have headlined Strikeforce Revenge in San Jose June 9 but it was far from the highlight. The sweetness of revenge was left untasted. After the battle the two fought over a year ago and with the notoriety and history each of them brought to the ring, a more explosive fight was expected. What fans got was a ground squabble and a lack of action that provoked the referee to stand them up six times throughout the three-round fight.
Overeem chalked up another win over Belfort with a unanimous decision after laying on top of The Phenom for much of the fight. Belfort showed spurts of fire in the first round though. He surprised Overeem early on with a quick shoot and sweep that sent him to the canvas. At one point Belfort had Overeem's back and was trying to land the rear naked choke. Overeem escaped, turned over, and Belfort swung from a partial mount. Overeem clenched Belfort and his gloves quieted. Going into round two both fighters seemed sluggish. When Overeem went on the attack Belfort would take guard on his back, refusing to continue with the standup bout. The referee stood the two up twice in the second round. Belfort professed after the fight that he injured his left hamstring in the second round. The injury, he said, kept him from continuing on his feet.
The story was the same in the third round. When Overeem attacked, Belfort went to his back; Overeem would take the top and then the pair would trade casual blows until they were forced to stand by the referee. They were brought up from the ground another three times before the final bell to end the fight. Brian Warren went to the spout of revenge looking for a drink - his thirst wasn't quenched either. Cung Le was around the corner stepping on the hose shaking his finger. But it wasn't Le's finger or his foot that turned Warren's dreams of revenge into nightmares, it was his swinging fists. Warren was sure that if he got the MMA newcomer into the cage he could work him over and find the retribution he sought. Warren showed promise with his taunting jeers while Le stared passed a broken nose that sent blood down the front of his face. Le caught the big-headed Warren with a right-left-right combination that stood Warren up like a bouncing buoy in the middle of the ocean. He followed up with a lethal right hand that sent the star-gazer to the mat after 4:19 in the ring.
War ensued between Gilbert Melendez and the newly crowned Strikeforce Lightweight champion Clay Guida. The fight was scheduled for five, five-minute rounds and the long-haired gladiators battled through every second of the fight. Melendez hammered Guida's face from start to finish and Guida came with strong counters and religiously went after Melendez's legs following his punishing combinations. Melendez came away with the split decision after five full rounds.
Controversy showed its ugly face during the Light-Heavyweight fight between Bobby Southworth and James Irvin. The two entered the ring poised to rack their horns against one another, and they did - for 17 seconds. After connecting a single left jab to Irvin, Southworth steam-rolled The Sandman through the entry gate and onto the catwalk. The gate attendant scrambled to latch the gate, but it was too late. Over 200 pounds of fighter was being driven his way in front of another 200-pound fighter and there was no stopping the train once it got moving. Flying through the gate wasn't the problem. It was blood that spewed from his left leg as a result of it. A pool of red blood lay on the black painted aluminum catwalk. The announcer called it an "equipment failure." The referee waved off the fight calling the fight no contest due to Irvin's inability to continue.
Eugene Jackson and Mike Seal had mad respect for one another. The 39 year old, 5' 8" Jackson had to look up to the 28 year old 6'4" Seal, but after the first few minutes of conflict they realized that the playing field was level and they could get down to business. The two roared like thunder and struck like lighting striking from one side of the sky to another. The see-saw battle left nothing but respect between the two fighters. Seal launched flying knees and swung high kicks at the shorter Jackson, taking advantage of his superior reach. Jackson stepped in between shots and left his mark on Seal's chin with punishing lefts and rights. Shortly before the end of the first round the two met center ring and shared a high five and a smile. No bad blood, just respect and love for the sport. Jackson caught one of Seal's kicks and swept him to the ground in the second. He got the full mount and and went to work on the Mexico-native. Jackson landed six consecutive right hands from the mount before the referee jumped in to stop the fight 2:49 into the second round. If it wasn't for the incident during the Irvin-Southworth fight, Daniel Puder's 28-second victory over Tommy Tuggle would have been the quickest fight of the night. Puder lost his footing during a high kick attempt. Tuggle grabbed hold and Puder fell to his back. Tuggle moved to strike and the former WWE Tough Enough contestant slapped on the armbar for a quick submission. Strikeforce Results
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| Monday - June 12, 2006 |
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Report by Jim Genia - Photo by Gaby Genia
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Report by Michael Onzuka - Photo by Lisa Onzuka |