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UFC 37's "High Impact"
Set to Touchdown in Louisiana
By Jim Genia and Loretta Hunt

      With a card plagued by injuries, one cannot help but wonder if the Ultimate Fighting Championship 37's "High Impact" show is somehow cursed. Numerous fighters' injuries slowed the announcement of a complete card for weeks, while the card itself went through enough revisions to make one's head spin.
      Light-heavyweight contender Chuck Liddell was first set to take on Vitor Belfort, who came down with allergies. Then, Evan Tanner had to bow out with injured ribs and rumors flew about the return of Extreme Fighting legend Igor Zinoviev, sidelined by injuries himself. Explains UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, "For Chuck, after going through three different main guys, he decided that if he wasn't going to fight a name guy, someone that meant something for him, then he would wait." (Chuck has since been moved to the London show, Tanner once again a likely opponent).
Paul Creighton       In the lightweight division, "There were just tons of problems," says Silva, explaining how even injuries from the last show further compounded this card's outcome. An injury early on for Din Thomas, scheduled to fight Matt Serra at UFC 36, had to be scratched and with that the hopes that Serra would take on returning BJ Penn at the next show. Serra is working through injuries of his own -- a biceps tear suffered during training just prior to UFC 36. Rumina Sato was also rumored to be in the mix, but once again fate intervened when word came from Japan that Sato had sustained training injuries as well. Penn's next opponent -- Lions Den stand-out Joe Hurley -- was hurt in a car accident, leaving Silva to scramble for a replacement. "For BJ, nobody wanted to fight him on one month's notice. You make the rounds and you call the "name guys", but there was no one for him to fight. I got numerous calls from Matt Serra and Gil Castillo, suggesting I get Paul Creighton [pictured] in."
      Misfortune did not hit these two weight classes alone. Dave Menne was slated to take on the Russian, Andrei Semenov, but the former middleweight champ separated and chipped the bone of his shoulder during training. Newcomer Joao Marcos Pierini was to clash with fellow rookie Benji Radach in the Octagon, but a herniated disc forced Pierini out as well. Is it all merely a case of " Ultimate bad luck"? Or is there dark voodoo magic at work here? Will the show, scheduled for May 10 in Shreveport, Louisiana, come off without any other setbacks -- and deliver the same level of excitement as its predecessors?
      In the main offering of the evening, Matt Lindland finally gets his shot at the Middleweight title following his impressive TKO victory over former Welterweight champ Pat Miletich at the last UFC installment. However, claiming the prize will be no easy task as Lindland must take on Brazilian Top Team member, Murilo Bustamante, who will be defending the belt for the first time since his surprising knockout victory over former champ Dave Menne at UFC 35. Lindland has shown considerable progression as a fighter in his three UFC victories, highlighted by a stand-up war at UFC 34 in which the wrestler traded heavy leather with former amateur boxer Phil Baroni. The consummate jiu-jitsu practitioner, Bustamante has recently revealed a tight stand-up game as well, more than holding his own with knockout artist Chuck Liddell at UFC 33 before moving down a weight class to capture the belt. "Wrestling" the title from Bustamante's hands will be far from easy, but the 2000 Olympic Silver medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling feels more than ready to rise to the challenge. Asking the Washington native just what type of fight the fans can expect elicits a chuckle from his lips. "It's easy to know what the fans expect. They expect this to be the worst main card they've ever seen -- a "take him down and hold him up against the fence" kind of fight. I expect it to be a lot more exciting than that."
      In the heavyweight division, Team Punishment's rising star Ricco "Sauve" Rodriguez will face off against Japanese veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Rodriguez brings to the table an outstanding level of conditioning and an impressive ground game, and is training full-throttle in preparation for this bout. He's coming off of three straight wins in the UFC -- all by maintaining grappling dominance and raining down strikes. Rodriguez clearly has his sights set on the belt. The next obstacle standing in his way: Tsuyoshi "TK" Kohsaka. TK made his UFC debut with a win over Kimo Leopoldo at UFC 16, and sports a winning (albeit checkered) record both here and in the RINGS promotion back in Japan. With training partners such as former heavyweight champ Maurice Smith and current champ Josh Barnett, TK certainly has the right people in his corner. He brings with him a well-rounded arsenal of strikes and submissions -- will it be enough to hold back the rising star?
      Lightweight superstar Caol Uno makes his return to the Octagon after an 11-second annihilation at the hands of BJ Penn. Since finding himself on the wrong end of the Prodigy's flurry, Uno has been keeping sharp with grappling competitions back home in Japan. Sporting a 1-2 record in the UFC (with his losses coming from the two top fighters in the lightweight division), he comes into this match eager to redeem himself and reestablish his place as a lightweight contender. Yves Edwards, Uno's opponent, will be looking for redemption as well. Edwards suffered a decision loss in his Octagon debut against Matt Serra at UFC 33, and needs this win to secure a spot in the top-five rankings. Uno brings with him slick submissions and a never-ending tenacity. Look for Edwards to utilize his own devastating striking skills and his knack for escaping even the tightest of holds.
      Middleweight entry Phil Baroni will make his return to the roster against a new opponent, Russia's Red Devil Sports Club member Amar Suloev. Suloev made a respectable yet less-than-explosive debut against striker Chuck Liddell at UFC 35 in a slow-paced three-round chess match of punches and kicks that never went to the ground. Having moved down a weight class, fans are anxious give the Armenian another chance to prove his worth. At 1-1, Baroni is also anxious to improve his rankings and move one step closer to a shot at the title. With a recent switch in training camps, the "New York Bad Ass" is now studying with Brazilian black belt Ricardo Pires, the man behind heavyweight phenomenon Frank Mir. Baroni's aggressive UFC 34 performance against Matt Lindland, while not garnering him a victory, still earned him a newfound respect among his peers and critics alike. Hopefully, he will be able to capitalize on that with another solid performance that will most likely see these two strikers duking it out. Expect the 2Hot2Handle 8-Man Tournament champion to bring his patented high kicks and a few more surprises. Expect Baroni to bring it all.
      Also in the middleweight division, Russian stud Andrei Semenov squares off against UFC newcomer Ivan Salaverry. The world was awed by Semenov at UFC 35, with his ability to escape everything top-level grappler Ricardo Almeida threw at him and end the fight via knockout. Now he comes back to further shake up the middleweight rankings. The St. Petersburg fighter brings to the Octagon judo and sambo skills, as well as accurate hands. His opponent, it would seem, has his work cut out for him. How does Semenov feel about his return? " I am glad and feel enjoyment," he says through the aid of a translator. Professing to know nothing about his opponent, the Russian will reveal nothing of his gameplan. "The fight will show."
      Don't be fooled by comparing the 21-2 MMA record of Semenov to Salaverry's 8-1 record: Salaverry is an AMC Pankration fighter trained by Matt Hume, holds the championship title in the HOOKnSHOOT promotion, can grapple, and has knockout hands of his own. Though making his UFC debut as a replacement for the injured Dave Menne, Salaverry is a stud in his own right, and is perfectly capable of taking the fight to the highly-regarded Russian. "I'm coming up!" says Salaverry, promising an exciting match. "I'm coming up strong and I'm hungry!"
      A last minute replacement for injured Lion's Den fighter Joe Hurley, Renzo Gracie purple belt Paul Creighton makes his debut in the lightweight division. Creighton will take on Hawaiian "Prodigy" BJ Penn, who is coming off his first loss in the Octagon at the hands of UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, following a grueling five-round brawl that went to decision. Prior to this, Penn had been deemed unstoppable, unleashing devastating knockouts on not one, but two of the division's top five competitors- Caol Uno and Din Thomas. The first American black belt to win the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships, spectators may have not even begun to see what the Hawaiian Phenom is really capable of on the ground. But don't expect Creighton to take this match lying down. A well-rounded fighter himself, Creighton has been waiting for a chance like this to show the fans just what he's got. Boxing, Muay Thai, and a solid ground game are all components of this former Junior Olympic wrestler's arsenal and with a Gracie in his corner, Creighton just might turn a few heads. As for his opponent Penn, looking to avenge the past, expect the 23-year-old to be on a mission. "I'm hungry for this win. I'm going to destroy this guy, and then I'm going to go destroy Jens Pulver."
      In what looks to be a welterweight war, rookie Benji Radach will meet UFC 31 veteran Steve Berger in the preliminaries. Radach, a protégé of former-lightweight contender Dennis Hallman, has been wrestling since he was child, and sports heavy hands. Says Radach: "I bring in electricity, a hard punch, good grappling skills -- pretty much an aggressive style."
      "He has knockout power in both hands," adds Hallman. "He rolls every day, so his submission defense is really good. He's very hard to take down, and if he does get taken down he can get up really well… [He's] strong, fast, confident -- and an all-around good guy."
      Another well-known "good guy" is Berger, who's returning to the Octagon after his loss to Tony DeSouza last year. Coming off an impressive win via stand-up battle with up-and-comer Pete Spratt, Berger replaces the injured Pierini. Berger is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specialist as well as a boxer, and is unafraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone. "I'm going to be throwing some heavy leather and I'm going to be moving on the ground," says the amiable fighter. "Any way I can win, I'm going to go for it."
      In what could very well be the fight of the night, two of the sport's most respected (and successful) training camps present their most promising up-and-comers in a head-to-head battle that is sure to please. Welterweights Aaron Riley and Robbie Lawler make their respective UFC debuts on May 10th, and as two of the youngest competitors ever to grace the Octagon, they usher in the next generation of fighter. With twenty MMA fights, 21-year-old Aaron Riley can be considered a veteran of the fight game. He has a reputation for quick, aggressive fighting -- both standing and on the ground. Under the tutelage of AMC Pankration's Matt "The Wizard" Hume, expect the former HOOKnSHOOT champion to come in with all the prerequisite training and strategy needed to effectively square-off against the less-experienced Lawler. But don't let the numbers fool you. Although Lawler only has three professional fights to his name, word is that he will be the next big thing to hit the welterweight division. As a member of the Miletich Fighting System's Team, Lawler will undoubtedly come in with a battle plan of his own. Training with UFC Champions Jens Pulver and Matt Hughes, as well as Pride veteran and master ground technician Jeremy Horn should make the 20-year-old's game tight. Trainer Pat Miletich says of his young protege, "Robbie's the kind of fighter that fights with no fear at all. He's very aggressive and extremely exciting to watch. He has a huge amount of power for a 170-pounder on his punches -- very fast and real good footwork. He's also a solid wrestler. It's awful tough to get him off his feet. He loves standing-up, so that's why he's so good at defending takedowns." With an opponent like Riley, known for his tough chin and willingness to dish out as much punishment as he receives, it looks like the pairing of these two is the perfect recipe for non-stop action.
      With five newcomers to the card, anticipation runs high as to where "High Impact" will fall among its predecessors -- shows that have been heavier with "name" fighters as of late. "It's just the way it goes sometimes," explains Silva. "You have to roll with the punches and do the best you can. We've got a lot of younger talent here, a lot of new guys. When you look at the fighters that are considered names in the UFC now, remember there were times when they weren't. Everybody needs that chance to start -- that first one to become somebody. We have the opportunity to see some new stars get discovered at this show. It's going to be a good night of fights."
      Curse notwithstanding, if the roster holds - with its promising middleweight championship bout between Brazilian master Murilo Bustamante and stalwart Matt Lindland, two returning powerhouses in Andrei Semenov and Amar Suloev, two returning Japanese technicians in Caol Uno and Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, plus five other hungry fighters making their UFC debut -- then "High Impact" will certainly make an impact.
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