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  Tuesday - January 1, 2002

FCF TV Full Contact Fighter returns to TSN tonight at 11:30PM (Eastern time) for a new season.

The season opener is a UFC 35 preview show that will include an exclusive feature on "The Prodigy" BJ Penn.

FCF TV will air on MSG (Madison Square Garden) Network on Tuesdays at 11:30 PM (starting January 8, 2002).

The season opener will premiere on the Sunshine network on January 11, 2002 (Thursday night/Friday morning) at 1:00 AM.

Check with your local cable or satellite provider and your local listings.

  Wednesday - January 2, 2002

From the event's promoter:
WFA logo
WHERE THE FIGHT CLUB MEETS THE NIGHT CLUB

WORLD FIGHTING ALLIANCE SETS DATE
FOR THE NEXT WFA EXPLOSION
MANDALAY BAY HOSTS A SUPERSTAR
WEEKEND OF WORLD-CLASS FIGHTS

LAS VEGAS - On February 2nd, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and Mandalay Bay Events Center will play host to the second eagerly anticipated installment of the World Fighting Alliance. In a night of non-stop entertainment, in and out of the ring, fans will be treated to a card of seven mixed martial arts bouts featuring some of the sport's top talent. Brought to you by MMA veteran John Lewis, in conjunction with famed "Club Rubber" owner John Huntington, the WFA will boast a unique experience of dazzling lights, hot sounds, and beautiful girls!

Tickets go on sale this Thursday, January 3rd at 10:00 AM through Mandalay Bay's website (www.mandalaybay.com), Mandalay Bay's Box office (702-632-7580), and through all TicketMaster locations (www.ticketmaster.com). In light of the times, the WFA has committed itself to lowering the prices of tickets to give more fans a chance to enjoy what is destined to be an unforgettable night of MMA action. Ticket prices range from $30, $50, $65, and $100. Fans will also have the opportunity to enjoy the show ringside via $1000 VIP couch seating (5 seats per couch). The entire floor seating area around the WFA Cage will be "couched out," so spectators can curl up with four of their closest friends to take it all in. The floor layout for this event can be found at www.mandalaybay.com.

Be on the lookout for details regarding the official WFA card later this week.

For more information, please contact:

Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions
(917) 842-9086 or e-mail: promero1@nyc.rr.com
www.wfa.tv

  Friday - January 4, 2002

From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC:
UFC Logo
UFC Meet-n-Greet in New York

On Monday, January 7th, The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be hosting a "meet-n-greet" event at Hooters in Manhattan, New York. UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz and UFC President Dana White will be in attendance to hang out, sign autographs, answer questions, and take pictures.

Monday, January 7, 2002
9:00pm to 11:00pm
Hooters
211 W. 56th Street
Manhattan, NY

WFA 2 Lineup

WFA 2
Where the fight club meets the night club
February 2, 2002
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Egan Inoue vs. Dennis Hallman
  • Aaron Riley vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig
  • Rich Franklin vs. Roman Roytberg
  • Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro vs. Yves Edwards
  • Marvin Eastman vs. Sean Gray
  • Jermaine Andre vs. Ron Jhun
  • Frank Trigg vs. Shonie Carter
Tickets available now through Mandalay Bay's website (www.mandalaybay.com), Mandalay Bay's Box office (702-632-7580), and through all TicketMaster locations (www.ticketmaster.com).

"Twinkle Toes" Frank Trigg returns Feb. 2 to face Shonie Carter
Trigg vs. Clark

FCF Fight Techniques
Triangle Arm Bar technique
Originally published in the November 2001 issue of FCF
FCF Fight Techniques Picture 1:

Matt begins to put Aaron in a standard triangle.
FCF Fight Techniques Picture 2:

Matt puts his left foot on Aaron's hip and scoots and turns his hips out to the left, bringing his right ankle behind Aaron's neck.
FCF Fight Techniques Picture 3:

Matt reaches up with his left hand and pulls the fig 4 in place locking Aaron's neck and head tightly to his shoulder while keeping the ankle behind the neck as in step #2.
FCF Fight Techniques Picture 4:

Matt arches and finishes the arm bar from this position.
Matt Hume and Aaron Riley train at Matt Hume's AMC Kickboxing and Pankration center in Kirkland, Washington. Matt can be reached for seminars at amc@pankration.com
Disclaimer: This technique, as any martial art or boxing technique, can be dangerous. You or your training partner may be injured if you apply or practice this technique. The author, Matt Hume, Trevor Jackson and FCF are not responsible for any injury that may result. Please consult a physician as to whether or not to attempt this technique.
FCF presents fight techniques in every issue.   In the current issue in Matt Hume's techniques, Matt Hume and Aaron Riley demonstrate a Banana Split Roll to Outside Ankle Crank; in the Punchers Corner, champion kickboxer Derek Panza discusses Power Kicking Off of Your Punches.

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST AND WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION WRESTLER RULON GARDNER ON
"NO HOLDS BARRED NEWS"
ON WBAI'S "LIGHTSHOW"

By Eddie Goldman

He is the man who ended the great Alexander Kareline's 13-year unbeaten streak at the 2000 Olympics. After becoming the focus of the greatest sports story of the 2000 Games, American Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner has done it again, winning gold at the 2001 Greco-Roman Wrestling World Championships, held Dec. 6-9 in Patras, Greece.

We spoke to the Greco-Roman wrestling world heavyweight champion just before an appearance at last week's Midlands Tournament, and we will play in its entirety that interview with wrestling's biggest star on this week's "No Holds Barred News" segment on WBAI radio's "Lightshow."

"Lightshow" airs weekly late Friday night/early Saturday morning, 3-5 AM Eastern Time. The "No Holds Barred News" segment airs in the second hour of the show, between 4 AM and 5 AM EST, early Saturday morning, January 5.

I will be live in the studio this week. The Rulon Gardner interview is prerecorded. We will also be taking phone calls at (212) 209-2900 and discussing whatever comes up in the world of combat sports, including next week's UFC 35, boxing, real wrestling, and kickboxing.

WBAI broadcasts in New York on 99.5 FM. For those not in the New York area, WBAI can also be heard live on the Internet. There are two sites that stream the signal: http://www.wbai.org/ and http://www.2600.com/wbai. At this time broadcasts of "Lightshow" are not archived, but we are working on getting these audio interviews posted.

We also now have a new e-mail address for our segment: nhblightshow@yahoo.com.

  Friday - January 5, 2002

From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC:
UFC Logo
UFC 35 Autograph Session

Prior to UFC 35: Throw Down, there will be an autograph session held outside the main entrance to the Mohegan Sun Arena. The signing begins at 7:00 pm EST on Friday, January 11th. Fighters expected to be signing autographs include heavyweight champion Randy Couture, light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, welterweight champion Matt Hughes, and Pat Miletich. The session will last until the doors open at 8:00 pm.

Friday, January 11, 2002
7:00 pm EST
Outside the Mohegan Sun Arena's main entrance

From Susumu's Gallery:
Susumu's Gallery Update

Susumu's photo

Hello,

Susumu's Gallery has added 27 pictures from Shooto show held on December 16th. You can see Rumina Sato vs. Takanori Gomi and so on.

Please enjoy!

Susumu's Gallery:
http://come.to/susumu

  Sunday - January 6, 2002

UFC Back on Cablevision!!!

      Thanks to the tireless efforts of Zuffa, Frank Romano of iN DEMAND, and diehard fans who e-mailed, faxed and phoned Cablevision, the UFC will be returning to Cablevision serviced households on January 11th for UFC 35: Throw Down. Another HUGE step for the sport.
      Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the nation's leading telecommunications and entertainment companies. It offers high-speed Internet access (Optimum Online) and digital cable television. The company was founded in 1973 and currently operates nation's single biggest cable cluster, serving more than 3,000,000 households in the New York metropolitan area (which includes New Jersey and Connecticut). The holdings of Cablevision and its subsidiaries include: the famed Madison Square Garden properties, Radio City Entertainment (as well as a long-term lease on Radio City Music Hall, home of the world-famous Rockettes), and the Clearview Cinema Group.
UFC 35 Banner

CLOSED FISTS IN MASSACHUSETTS
By Kipp Kollar

Over the past year the United States Mixed Martial Arts Association (USMMAA) in which I preside over has worked with The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Safety to bring open-hand Mixed Martial Arts competitions to the state. The Boxing Commission/Kickboxing Commission, which falls under the Department of Public Safety, has been extremely impressed with the Mass Destruction events we have held and the level of professionalism of those fighting.

We also worked with the Commission to hold a three-hour Judge & Referee Certification class. The purpose of the class was to train and certify all those interested in or already involved with the refereeing and/or judging of Mixed Martial Arts events in the State of Massachusetts. Upon successful completion of the class, applicants receive certification to begin or continue their specific judging or refereeing responsibilities in 2002. The class consists of a practical exercise portion as well as a written test. The 1st class, held in December, was a huge success and the Commission is requiring all past and future referees and judges to take the USMMAA's class.

On February 23, 2002 the Commission agreed to allow two "Closed Fist" matches to take place during the USMMAA's 6th installment of Mass Destruction in Springfield, MA. [See upcoming events section for more info]

Legal Techniques Allowed:
Closed fists, kicks to the head and body while standing, and knees to the body standing or on the ground.

Techniques Not Allowed:
Elbows, head butts, knees to the face and kicks while one of the fighters is on the ground.

MASS DESTRUCTION 6
WHEN.......Saturday, February 23rd - 7 to 11 p.m.
WHAT.......24 Mixed Martial Arts Matches
LOCATION...South End Community Center - Springfield, MA
WEBSITE....www.nagafighter.com
CONTACTS...Kipp Kollar (860-632-2753) or President@Nagafighter.com

NEXT MMA REFEREE & JUDGE TRAINING CLASS
Location: Somerville, MA
Date: Saturday, January 26th, 2001
Time: 9am to 12 Noon
Cost: $199 (No spectators allowed)
Contact: Kipp Kollar (860-632-2753) or President@Nagafighter.com

Frye, Shamrock to Headline Pride Press Tour;
Pride to Unveil Same-Day Broadcasts

By Aaron Crecy

Dream Stage Entertainment recently confirmed that Don Frye and Ken Shamrock will face off in the main event at Pride 19. In an effort to promote the eagerly anticipated match-up between two of sport's most legendary fighters, Frye and Shamrock will participate in a five-day, five-city press tour from February 4 - 8. The fighters will make stops in Detroit, New York City, Dallas, Phoenix and Los Angeles, respectively, to meet with the media and participate in autograph signings. Other Pride fighters will likely make appearances as well, such as Renzo Gracie in New York, Guy Mezger in Dallas and Dan Henderson and Quinton Jackson in Los Angeles. Stay tuned to the Full Contact Fighter Web site for related times and locations.

Scheduled to take place in Tokyo on February 24, 2002, sources report that Pride 19 will also mark the event's first-ever same-day pay-per-view broadcast in the United States. Long hosted by DirecTV and DISH Network, Pride recently penetrated the cable PPV market, partnering with broadcast conglomerate TVN to air tape-delayed shows on the Action Channel, which airs on Cablevision and other U.S. cable systems. Beginning in February, Pride will feature primetime pay-per-view Pride broadcasts on the day of the show -- however, the significant time difference still precludes a live airing. It is not yet known if the same-day broadcast will be available in Canada.
Don FryeKen Shamrock
Don FryeDon Frye

From the event's promoter:
2 Miletich Fighters Capture Titles at MMA Nationals

      DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Dedrick Westbrook and Andrew McFedries, both representing the Miletich Martial Arts Center, claimed titles at the 2001 U.S. Mixed Martial Arts National Championships.
      Westbrook, of East Moline, Ill., dropped 60 pounds in three months before winning the 150-pound title by beating Billy Rush of Middletown, Ohio, in the finals. McFedries, of Davenport, took the 190-pound title with a 42-second victory over Jason Autry of Springfield, Ill.
      Other division champions include Mac Danzig of Greensburg, Pa., at 170; Greg Franklin of Cincinnati at 210; and John Mandell of Springfield, Ill., at heavyweight.
      The MMA Nationals feature fighters who won Extreme Trials qualifying events throughout the year. Notable pro fighters in attendance included UFC champions Jens Pulver, Matt Hughes and Dave Menne; former UFC champion Pat Miletich; and Pride winner Jeremy Horn.

Complete results:

150-under
Dedrick Westbrook def. Randy Erhman, 10:00 unanimous dec.; Billy Rush def. Chris Griffin, 1:36 toe hold. FINALS: Westbrook def. Rush, 1:51 Rd. 2 (6:51) by tap from punches.

170-under
Mac Danzig def. Tim Hernandez, 1:20 of OT (11:20) by armbar. FINALS: Danzig def. Joe Jordan, 10:00 unanimous dec.

190-under
FINAL: Andrew McFedries def. Jason Autry, :42 tap from punches.

210-under
James Wade def. Jarod Rusk, 2:23 Rd. 2 (7:23) Ref stop due to punches; Greg Franklin def. Ryan Antle, 2:19 keylock; FINALS: Franklin def, Wade, 5:00 retire between rounds.

Heavyweight
John Mandell def. Wayne Pitman, 1:10 tap from punches; Jamie Schell def. Terry Lyon, 2:11 tap from punches; FINALS: Mandell def. Schell, 1:33 rear choke.

Warriors of the New Millennium IV
Royal Lahaina Tennis Stadium, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
January 5, 2002
By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com

Warriors of the New Millennium IV put on Maui's fourth mixed martial arts event and have been trying to find a permanent home to host its events. This time the event was held at the Royal Lahaina Tennis Stadium. This outdoor venue had stadium seating and added a new dynamic to the event. One of the most important people behind the scenes is Lee Theros. As my good friend Lee picked me up at Kahului airport, he was a little worried about the prevailing Kona winds that was predicted to bring 25 foot swells to Oahu's north shore, home of the famous Banzai Pipeline. Along with big waves, the Kona winds bring about drastic weather changes to all the islands and the promoters were worried that a cloud front might be blown in. Fortunately, the weather was perfect, even providing a light breeze to cool off everyone and no rain in sight. This event has always provided a venue for fighters to get their start or gain some experience in MMA without being thrown to the wolves. One thing that must be said about amateur fighters is that they usually give it their all with every fight. Sometimes exhausting their energy reserves a little too early in the fight, but what a show during that time! All of pro matches featured some impressive new comers, Jamaal Perkins' domination over Jay R. Palmer and the striking skills of Lyndon Talanoa, David Santiago and Brandon Wolff. The first few events were rocky to say the least, but they are ironing out the kinks with every new show and the difficult art of matching up fighters with no experience is getting further honed.

Amateur Division: (2 rounds X 5 minutes)
Logan Gulick (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu, 6'0", 159lbs)
def.
Kawika Velles (Team Tribe) 5'6", 142lbs.
Tap out due to strikes (accumulated punishment) at 3:32 in round 1

Ermin Fergustrom (Brazilian Freestyle Jiu-Jitsu, 5'9", 179 lbs)
def.
Sasha Bauml (Yen Ching Tao, 6'0", 182lbs)
Submission via triangle choke at 0:54 in round 2

Nassor Lewis (808 Fight Factory, 5'7" 169lbs)
def.
Michael Labuanan (Maui Full Contact Fighting, 5'8", 169lbs)
Unanimous decision after 2 rounds.

Garret Viernes (Team Tiger, 6'3" 230lbs)
def.
Jake Farmer (Freelance, 6'1", 214lbs)
Submission via arm bar from guard at 2:50 in round 1

Professional Division: (3 rounds X 5 minutes)
Women's Match:
Lynn Pendzik (Kihei Kickboxing) winner due to no show

Jay R. Palmer (Universal Rough Housing, 5'8" 150lbs)
vs.
Jamaal Perkins (808 Fight Factory, 5'8" 155lbs.)
No contest due to Perkins' illegal knee to a downed Palmer and Palmer's inability to continue at 1:41 in round 1. It was unclear if the knee caused Palmer injury or one of the other strikes broke Palmer's ribs.

Lyndon Talanoa (Grappling Unlimited, 6'2", 263lbs.)
def.
Johnny Mack (Eye of the Tiger, 5'11", 207lbs)
TKO due to punches from the mount at 3:15 in round 1

Main Event:
Brandon Wolff (Grappling Unlimited, 5'9", 173lbs)
def.
David Santiago (North Shore Freestyle, 5'7", 162lbs)
TKO due to punches from the mount at 3:15 in round 1

From the event's promoter Becky Levi:
Upcoming Danger Zone Events:
The fighters fight promotion!

Amateur Events:
Jan. 13 Ft. Wayne, IN.
Feb.16 Ft. Smith, AR.
April 7 Ft. Wayne, IN.
June Ft. Wayne, IN.

All interested fighters please go to http://www.the-dangerzone.com/ and please fill out a fighter application. Please indicate on the application which show you are interested in fighting in.

Tentative Shows:Pro Cards
Pro Tournaments to be put together for title and belt.
March 23 4 Bears Casino ND. 175 lb.
May Augusta GA. 155 lb.
July/August Kewadin Casino Sault St. Marie, MI. 185 lb. 200 lb.

The Mammoth Dan The Bull Bobish will be taking on Eric Pele for the KOTC title Feb. 9 in CA. Don't miss this fight as well as some other tremendous match ups on the card.

As soon as the date is set Becky Levi will be fighting in the World Toughwoman Championships. The tentative date is March 8-9 at the Grand Casino in Gulf Port, MS. She trains at Byrd Boxing in Flint, MI. with the top male heavyweight Chris Byrd. Look for Chris Byrd and Dan Severn to be in her corner!

  Monday - January 7, 2002

FCF TV Survey

Give Us Your Opinions...

Dana White
  • Ask the President... Here's your chance to get the straight goods on the UFC. Submit your questions to Dana White here and he could answer them on a future edition of Full Contact Fighter TV.

  • Who will win the Tito Ortiz - Vitor Belfort fight?

  • Who would win a rematch between Tito Ortiz & Frank Shamrock?

  • Who do you think is "pound for pound" the hardest puncher in Mixed Martial Arts?

  • Who is the smartest fighter in Mixed Martial Arts?

  • Is there one rule you would like to see added or taken away from the current UFC rulebook?

  • Which fighter do you most enjoy watching?

  • If you could match up any two fighters in the world, in any weight division, what would be your dream match-up?
The results of this survey will appear on the FCF TV show

Click here to take the survey
 

  Tuesday - January 8, 2002

NEW FCF World Rankings

Randy Couture Heavyweight (205-264.9 lbs)

#1: Randy Couture

#2: Rodrigo Nogueira

#3: Josh Barnett

#4: Mark Coleman

#5: Pedro Rizzo

Light Heavyweight (185-204.9 lbs) Tito Ortiz

#1: Tito Ortiz

#2: Vanderlei Silva

#3: Dan Henderson

#4: Chuck Liddell

#5: Kazushi Sakuraba

Dave Menne Middleweight (170-184.9 lbs)

#1: Dave Menne

#2: Matt Lindland

#3: Paulo Filho

#4: Ikuhisa Minowa

#5: Murilo Bustamante [new entry into weight class]

Carlos Newton Welterweight (155-169.9 lbs)

#1: Matt Hughes

#2: Carlos Newton

#3: Hayato Sakurai

#4: Pat Miletich

#5: Anderson Silva

Jens Pulver Lightweight (145-154.9 lbs)

#1: Jens Pulver

#2: BJ Penn

#3: Takanori Gomi

#4: Caol Uno

#5: Din Thomas

From the event's promoter:
WFA FIRST MIDDLEWEIGHT BELT UP FOR GRABS
JHUN AND ANDRE RETURN TO FINISH BUSINESS...

WFA poster February 2nd is destined to be a night of mixed martial arts magic as the World Fighting Alliance makes it return to Las Vegas. The WFA's second installment promises to top its first with even more electrifying sights and sounds, and fans are invited to go "where the fight club meets the night club" - this time at the beautiful Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino's 8,000 seat Events Center. At the heart of the excitement are seven of the sport's most anticipated match-ups, including the WFA's very first title fight of the year.

Ron "The Machine Gun" Jhun and Jermaine "Bamm-Bamm" Andre make their way back to the cage after a fierce encounter at the previous show. From the moment these warriors first clashed, it was a non-stop exchange of fists and knees. Andre was able to come away with the win via referee stoppage - a stoppage some say was premature, and left the fans screaming for more. To put the controversy to rest, the WFA will bring these two warriors together once again. This time, though, the victor will walk away with WFA Middleweight Championship belt around his waist.

A devastating striker, Bamm-Bamm is out to prove the first time was no fluke. Is he happy with the win he earned from their previous fight? "I wasn't done! I wasn't yelling to the referee, 'Hey, come stop the fight.' I was just getting started!" Though respectful of his opponent's skills, he is eager to give it another go with the aggressive Machine Gun. "There are reasons for having the rematch. Like I said, I wasn't done. And Ronald's a tough guy. I don't mind re-matching him. I don't mind giving him another chance."

The Machine Gun had this to say of their last battle: "I felt is was a bad call, but I'm not going to take anything away from Jermaine. He's a tough fighter. I felt like I did what I trained to do. There was a moment where I might have hesitated too long but... I guess we're going to have to find out on February 2nd!" With an MMA record of 22-5 and a reputation for rapid-fire punching, this Hawaiian native promises not to disappoint.

Whatever the outcome may be, this match-up is sure to entertain. Don't miss out on the action. Tickets for this event are already on sale and can be purchased through the Mandalay Bay website (www.mandalaybay.com), Mandalay Bay's Box office (702-632-7580), and through all TicketMaster locations (Ticketmaster WFA 2 Purchase Page). Ticket prices range from $30, $50, $65, and $100. Fans will also have the opportunity to enjoy the show ringside via $1000 VIP couch seating (5 seats per couch). Visit the WFA's official web site for exclusive interviews and bio information on the entire card. (The World Fighting Alliance website)

Fore more event information, please contact:

Paula Romero, WFA Event Coordinator promero1@nyc.rr.com

FCF TV Full Contact Fighter returns to MSG (Madison Square Garden) Network tonight at 11:30PM (Eastern time) for a new season.

The season opener is a UFC 35 preview show that will include an exclusive feature on "The Prodigy" BJ Penn.

The season opener will also air on the Sunshine network on January 11, 2002 (Thursday night/Friday morning) at 1:00 AM.

TSN will rebroadcast the season opener on Wednesday(1/9) at 7:30 PM, Thursday(1/10) at 1:00 AM & Friday(1/11) at 5:00 AM.

Check with your local cable or satellite provider and your local listings.

UFC Meet-n-Greet Charms New York
By Loretta Hunt

Phil Baroni and Tito Ortiz at NY Meet-n-Greet As snow fell on New York City for the first time this winter season, mixed martial arts fans made their way through the flurry of frosty flakes to Hooter's bar and restaurant on 56th St. and 7th Ave. to attend the UFC's Meet-n-Greet this Monday evening. Although attendance was lacking (maybe 30 or so made it out), the fans that did come out were treated to the unexpected -- an intimate evening with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz and UFC president Dana White.

The event was sponsored by popular local station 92.3 FM "K Rock" whose representatives were on hand to give out calendars, CDs, New Jersey Devils hockey tickets, and WWF Smackdown pro-wrestling tickets among other items. Dana and crew brought UFC bags as well as Tito Ortiz stickers, trading cards, and autograph cards which Tito gladly signed for all who asked. Highlights of UFC 34 played on a television in the background as attendees settled at tables to discuss UFC 35's card, just days away. Dana made his way around the room, much to the delight of many onlookers, striking up conversations with some that lasted twenty minutes or more. Even without his entourage, Tito Ortiz is still larger than life when he walks into a room and his friendliness and approachability made for a relaxed atmosphere.

Fans were also treated to fellow Team Punishment member Phil Baroni, who came to lend his support and sign autographs for fans that were undoubtedly impressed with the incredible heart he showed in his last match-up against Matt Lindland. Healing from a broken right hand that has sidelined him from competing this Friday, Phil spoke of his hopes of getting back into the Octagon for the upcoming Las Vegas show on March 22nd. When asked who he'd like to be squared off against, Phil said he'd fight anybody, but quickly added that he'd like another shot at Lindland.

Tito had this to say about the event. "It's nice to be in New York. It's the heart of the nation. To see what happened on September 11th, it gave me a little shock to look out the window of my hotel and realize that I'm in New York. It's a little scary, but at the same time, we're safer than ever and I'm happy to be an American for sure." Turning his attention to his next opponent in March -- the formidable Vitor Belfort, Tito stated he "hopes Belfort shows up, because if he does, it will be a great match. He said he's ready to fight. I heard he was doing some acting in Brazil on a soap and I got scared that he was going to pull out of fighting. But it looks like he will fight and he might have to do horror films after I'm done with him.". When asked what he thought of the weather, the California native laughed and said he's "got to get a taste of the winter once in a while."

As the night wound down, Dana once again walked around the room, handing out UFC T-shirts to the remaining attendees. He seemed undaunted by the turnout. Although this night far lacked in the numbers that the Mohegan Sun will see this Friday night, gauging by the beaming faces that left to brave the cold as they made their way home, the evening was a success.

A Quick Chat with UFC president Dana White
By Loretta Hunt

Attending Monday night's UFC Meet-n-Greet in New York gave me the chance to corner UFC president Dana White and throw a couple of questions his way. I took the opportunity and ran with it. Here's what I came up with...

Hi Dana. How are you doing?
I'm doing fine.

Great. What are your thoughts on the attendance for tonight's Meet and Greet?
These Meet-n-Greets have been really productive. I love getting out and doing this stuff. It's like the PR tour that Josh [Hedges] and I went on the last time. One day we woke up in Boston, spent the day in Atlanta, and went to bed in Chicago. We get out there and meet all these people. Even tonight -- I think they put this one together Saturday or Sunday. I don't care if three people show up. If there's three fans, we're here to do it. I'll go anywhere and do anything for the fans. We're here doing publicity all day tomorrow as well.

Dana White and Eddie Goldman at the NY Meet-n-Greet

What will you be doing tomorrow?
We're here to visit cable call centers and we'll be doing some radio. We'll [Tito Ortiz and Dana] be on "Opie and Anthony." I'm sorry I don't have the times, but they're the big "drive time" guys. [The Opie and Anthony show airs weekdays from 3 to 7 PM on WNEW 102.7 FM in New York. The show is syndicated across the U.S.]

Why will there not be a press conference for UFC 35?
I came back and did this PR tour instead. We've been in Boston since last Wednesday. We did so much PR back there. Portland, Maine, Boston, Providence, Connecticut. Now we're in New York and we're doing a bunch of stuff here. Then we'll head down to Connecticut. We are really starting to get the momentum now and are getting some coverage. We're getting people behind us. It's been a year. People have seen the sport is legitimate and that it's selling a lot of tickets. It's a lot easier to get PR now. So really, we didn't need to do a press conference. Plus, it's almost sold-out, so why hold a press conference and hope that these guys will come from Portland and Boston? Here on the East Coast, it's all so close we can bang it all out in a week.

So you took the press conference on the road?
Exactly.

What fights are you looking forward to Friday night?
Pulver and Penn. I can't wait for that fight. I also want to see Liddell and Almeida against their Russian opponents. There's a lot of hype coming in behind these Russians. I want to see if they're the real deal. I've seen them fight on tapes and their styles seem to be a little more NHB than MMA. I'm waiting to see if this will be an eye-opener for the fans.

We know that the Ortiz-Belfort fight is a go. Care to throw any UFC 36 tidbits the hungry fan's way?
Sakurai and Hughes.

It's definite?
Definitely.

What about Carlos Newton?
I made a deal with Newton when he still had one fight left with Pride. Pride let me take him but I said "if I take him and he wins the UFC title, he can't fight for you till he loses." He lost the title so I have to honor this fight with him and then he'll be back in the UFC. Let me tell you. The next card in Vegas is going to be sick- an awesome, awesome card.

You're going to make us all fly out to Vegas.
You gotta fly out to Vegas.

Thanks Dana.
No problem.

  Wednesday - January 9, 2002

From the event's promoter:
Pro Fighters wanted for Ultimate Combat
Ultimate Combat logo

There are a handful of fighter spaces remaining for the Ultimate Combat event on 10th March in Chippenham.

The event is Professional Vale Tudo and is being held in the UK's first Octagonal boxing ring! The event is at the Olympiad Sports Centre in Chippenham, which is a deluxe new sports development complete with stadium style seating and capacity crowd of 1,500 people!

The event is fully sanctioned by BAMMA (the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) and results from these events will go into BAMMA's official British rankings, which will be used for making selections to send fighters abroad to compete in America, Japan, Holland, Finland, Italy, and Germany.

Firstly, there are two spaces left in the Middleweight (75 - 82.9 kg) British Title Eliminators. The winner of the title will get £350 prize money, the National Title, Title Belt, a sponsorship deal with ML Sports, title defences at £350 and a guaranteed fight abroad!

There is also a spot available to fight British Vale Tudo Champion Leigh Remedios in the Lightweight SuperFight (-68kg). Serious and experienced competitors need only apply! Leigh recently fought in Hook N Shoot and America and is the UK's #1 Lightweight so we really do need a quality opponent for him!

We are also very interested in hearing from Heavyweight and Openweight fighters.

We have one opening for a Semi-Pro match (no headshots on floor) in the Welterweight division (68 - 74.9 kg).

There are a few more places available, in various weight categories and we are already arranging matches for Ultimate Combat 2 on 9th June 2002. So, if you are interested in fighting at either of these events then we need to hear from you NOW (foreign competitors also welcome):

ML SPORTS
e-mail: info@mlsports.co.uk
Telephone: (01225) 359666

  Thursday - January 10, 2002

MECA World Vale Tudo 6 Card Finalized!
By Eduardo Alonso

Anderson Silva Today FCF was able to talk with Chute Boxe Team coach and MECA promoter Rudimar Fedrigo, and he was nice enough to release the complete card for the January 24th event. In its 6th edition, MECA World Vale Tudo promises to have the best event yet, with a 10-fight card, plenty of NHB big names, both inside and outside of the ring, and quite a few surprises. The event will be held in the city of Curitiba at the Circulo Militar gymnasium [the same venue that held MECA 5]. The night will feature two title fights, with the Middleweight and Heavyweight belts on the line; additionally there will be 7 undercard fights and a preliminary bout. Rudimar also said that MECA will have some rule changes, The rules will be the same as those for Pride: the first round will last 10 minutes, and the second and third rounds will be 5 minutes each; elbows are no longer allowed, but knees are legal in any position. "With this new rules, we want the fighter that fights in MECA to feel more prepared and comfortable when fighting abroad for Pride," said the man behind the Chute Boxe team. On January 23rd at 7:00 PM Brazilian time, the rules meeting and the official weigh-ins will be held, and on the following day the event is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM with the preliminary bout. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu icon Fabio Gurgel was invited to be the main referee for the event, but he couldn't accept the invitation due to a seminar. However, Rudimar told FCF that they will be announcing the name of the main referee for the event soon, and they will likely use more than one referee for the event. Among the surprises planned for the event, Pride matchmaker Koichi Kawasaki is likely to be attending the event, as well as the Japanese Consul to Brazil. FCF will be covering all the details of the event that will surely be the best NHB event in a long time in Brazil! Here's the complete card:

Preliminary Bout:

Marcelão (Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Paulão (Arena/PR)
Both fighters come from a Muay Thai background, and both are from Curitiba, with Marcelão coming from Chute Boxe and with some NHB experience.

Undercard:

Bicudo (Brazilian Top Team/PR) vs. Fábio Shon (Califa/GO)
Bicudo is a Brazilian Top Team member from Parana [a state in Brazil] and is a Jiu Jitsu brown belt, while Fábio Shon is an experienced NHB fighter and an IVC veteran.

Zinho (Miguel Repana/SP) vs. Daniel Acácio (Formiga/RJ)
This fight was supposed to happen at MECA 5, but Daniel Acácio injured his knee while warming up backstage, moments before the fight. Both are MECA veterans, and Zinho was responsible for a great fight against RVT notable "Ximu" in a previous edition of MECA.

Clemente (Royler Gracie/RJ) vs. Guilherme Lima (Rio de Janeiro)
Both guys are Jiu Jitsu athletes from Rio de Janeiro, with Clemente being a Royler Gracie student, and both have some NHB experience in minor events.

Luis Azeredo (Gold Team/SP) vs. Cristiano Marcello (Royler Gracie/RJ)
Luiz Azeredo is a MECA veteran and the only man to beat Chute Boxe rising star Anderson Silva in an NHB fight. Cristiano Marcello is a black belt in BJJ and a Royler Gracie student, with some previous NHB experience.

Nilson de Castro (Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Alexandre Gomes (BVT/SP)
Nilson de Castro is one of the most respected fighters in the Chute Boxe camp, known for his heart and his heavy hands, "Nilsão", as he's called by his teammates, is eager to comeback to NHB after some time off. Alexandre Gomes is a MECA veteran who is coming back to the event, after some success in some minor NHB events in Sao Paulo, even knocking out some people.

Jorge "Macaco" Patino (Gold Team/SP) vs. Gustavo Ximu (Ruas VT/RJ)
Jorge "Macaco" Patino is a well know fighter in the NHB world. A UFC and IVC veteran, "Macaco" has some great Jiu Jitsu skills and has been working hard on his stand up skills as well. He knows he needs to win this one to get a shot at events like Pride. Meanwhile Gustavo Ximu is another great fighter, a complete fighter, a MECA and RINGS veteran and one of the current RVT stars. Coming from a loss to BTT's own Ricardo Arona, Ximu is also eager to win this one.

Anderson Silva (Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Jucão (Brazilian Top Team/RJ)
Chute Boxe rising star Anderson Silva needs no introduction. This will be his first fight since he took away the Shooto belt from Hayato Sakurai. Anderson is an exceptional fighter, with amazing stand up skills, lots of composure and a brown belt in BJJ. His opponent is another black belt from the Brazilian Top Team. Jucão has already some NHB experience, and coming from one of the world's most feared teams, the BTT, he can't be taken for granted.

Middleweight Championship Bout:

Murilo "Ninja" Rua (Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Jorge "Navalhada"(Carlson Gracie/RJ)
Pride's newest star and Chute Boxe's own "new kid on the block" Murilo "Ninja" Rua is making a name for himself overseas in Japan, but he very happy to take home his belt in front of his hometown fans. With amazing stamina, great ground control and some submissions of his own to go along with serious Muay Thai skills, "Ninja" maybe the favorite to be the first ever MECA middleweight champion, but he's got a challenge in Jorge "Navalhada." "Navalhada" is a Carlson Gracie student, and that alone give him some serious credentials. The Carlson pupil is also an IVC veteran, and made a great showing at the HEROES event, organized by Carlson himself.

Heavyweight Championship Bout:

Carlão Barreto (Rio de Janeiro) vs. Marcelo Souza (São Paulo)
The first-ever MECA heavyweight title belt will be on the line in a fight between the very experienced Carlos Barreto (a UFC, IVC, RINGS and PRIDE veteran) and a MECA newcomer Marcelo Souza. The fight was originally set to be Carlos Barreto vs. Assuerio Silva, however the Chute Boxe heavyweight seriously injured his knee and had to be replaced. Now Assuerio will be in line waiting for a shot against the future MECA champion. His replacement, Marcelo Souza, comes in with a Jiu Jitsu background, and some serious Muay Thai skills. He is reported to be a very heavy guy, with great power and NHB experience, and we all know what Carlão is capable of, and he sure is in need of this win to get back on track.

FCF TV Full Contact Fighter returns to the Sunshine Network tonight at 1:00AM (Eastern time) for a new season.

The season opener is a UFC 35 preview show that will include an exclusive feature on "The Prodigy" BJ Penn.

TSN will rebroadcast the season opener tonight at 1:00 AM and again in the morning at 5:00 AM.

Check with your local cable or satellite provider and your local listings.

UFC Vice President for a Day Checks in
By Loretta Hunt

UFC VP for a day Greg Davis Imagine you are sitting at home in front of the TV and you get a call from UFC president Dana White inviting you sit with him ringside to watch this Friday night's UFC 35 live from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. In a strange turn of events today, that is exactly what happened to 32-year-old Greg Davis from Danbury, Connecticut. Last month, Zuffa sponsored an online contest in which one lucky individual would get to live the life of a UFC Vice President to make for the ultimate fan experience. Some of the perks that would come with the job: unlimited access to all pre-UFC events including weigh-ins, production meetings, press dinners, and any last-minute issues of the final days leading up to the event; a personal assistant at your beck and call; seating next to Dana White ringside and the responsibility of presenting the championship belts to the victors of the title bouts. Fans jumped at the chance for the "ultimate opportunity" but it was Justin McLean that was randomly chosen from a sea of entries. However, due to unknown circumstances today, he did not make his plane flight. Zuffa was left with a dilemma but quickly jumped into action, accumulating all of the entries that had come in within the tri-state Connecticut area. From there, Greg's name was drawn and Dana made the call. Having just arrived at the fighter's hotel Wednesday evening, I grabbed a few precious moments of the new VP's precious time before he was whisked off to a private dinner with Light-Heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz and Dana. Here's what he had to say.

FCF:   Congratulations Greg.
GD:     Thank you.

FCF:   What were you doing when you got the call?
GD:     I had just gotten home from work and was making plans to go out for the night when I got the call.

FCF:   How long have you been a fan of the UFC?
GD:     I've been a fan since the very first one.

FCF:   Have you seen any UFCs live?
GD:     I never have even though I used to live in Colorado where they held a few of their earlier shows. I've been to different no holds barred events but this will be my first UFC live.

FCF:   Wow. You're going to have quite a choice seat for your first time.
GD:     I'm excited. It's amazing.

FCF:   Do you train in any of the mixed martial arts?
GD:     I do. I've trained for fifteen years. I've trained in kempo karate under Cecil Peoples. I've also studied Muay Thai and kickboxing and I used to compete. I used to own a school called World Karate and Kickboxing Center in Aurora, Colorado. Now I'm learning the grappling side. I currently do jiu-jitsu twice a week and boxing twice a week. I haven't competed since 1999 and I'm anxious to get back to it.

FCF:   What do you do when you're not training, a.k.a. your job?
GD:     I work in Internet telecom sales on the web-posting sites.

UFC VP for a day Greg Davis FCF:   What will this new position as Vice President entail for you this weekend? What's the itinerary?
GD:     I had a couple of quick phone conversations with Zuffa but that pretty much covered the details on what I should bring to wear. I literally just checked in minutes ago and Dana brought me right over to you.

FCF:   Do you have any idea what's in store for you?
GD:     Well, from what I remember reading when I entered the contest, I'll be sitting at the promoter's table and I'll be presenting the belts when the fights are over. Other than that, I have no idea. I guess I'll be meeting people. This is great! Who wouldn't want to do this?

FCF:   Any assignment you looking forward to in particular?
GD:     I don't really know what's going on but I'm just looking forward to meeting as many people as I can. I'm looking forward to sitting right there on the edge of the Octagon. I'm a little nervous to be walking in to present the belts on TV with a lot of people watching pay-per-view.

FCF:   What is your favorite UFC?
GD:     Actually, it was the first one. I just remember I couldn't wait to watch it. After that, I'd say this one coming up in a couple of days will be my other favorite.

FCF:   Any favorite fighter you'd like to run into?
GD:     I just got to meet Tito Ortiz who was definitely one of the guys I wanted to meet. I love to watch Tito fight.

FCF:   What fights are you looking forward to seeing on Friday?
GD:     I always love to watch Chuck Liddell because I like the way he fights. I look forward to BJ Penn-Jens Pulver fight. I used to watch Jens fight when he came out to Colorado to compete in the Bas Rutten Invitationals. I got to see him before he was a really big name and it's cool to see how his career took off from there. I'm also interested to see how Bustamente does now that he's dropped weight. I think Dave Menne is a good fighter and shows a lot of skill as well.

FCF:   Without having seen the inner workings of the UFC yet, just coming in cold for the first time, are there any recommendations you want to give to Zuffa to help them improve the UFC?
GD:     That's an unfair question. It's easy to be a back-seat driver. Though I haven't seen much of it thus far, I think what they've done recently has been very good. They have to get the press out to the general public. What they've done this past week with the "rolling press conferences" was an excellent idea because they're bringing the sport to them. I think what Tito Ortiz did recently with the toy drive really brought the community together including people that weren't familiar with MMA. They should keep spreading the word and show how exciting the fights are. These fighters put everything on the line so to get the people going and bring the money in they should keep doing what they're doing.

FCF:   Great. Good luck in the next couple of days and if I run into you, I'm sure everybody will be interested in what you've been up to. Thanks.

Vanderlei Silva to Walk Down the Aisle!
By Eduardo Alonso

Vanderlei Silva       After winning the Pride middleweight championship against Kazushi Sakuraba in November, and beating Alexander Otsuka in a non-title fight in December, the "Axe Murderer" Vanderlei Silva is set for the next challenge in his life... he is going to get married!
      Next week, on the morning of January 17th, the Chute Boxe academy star will marry his fiancé Téa in a civil ceremony. The following day, the couple will be receiving their close friends at a wedding party. Close to 200 guests will join the newlyweds in Curitiba in celebrating their nuptials. Among the couple's best men will be none other than Chute Boxe coach Rudimar Fedrigo, Rafael Cordeiro and plenty of black belts from the academy. When asked about his honeymoon, Vanderlei replied, "I'm going to spend my honeymoon in the beautiful city of Curitiba! Training hard and knocking people out!" [Laughs]
      FCF will be there to celebrate with the "Axe Murderer" and wishes nothing but the best for the couple!

RADIO NOTES:
WBAI'S "LIGHTSHOW" PRE-EMPTED THIS WEEK, BUT "MAT CHAT" IN WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND, IS ON

By Eddie Goldman

Pimp Daddy Eddie Goldman working his Mack skills on a Hooters girl at the UFC 35 NY Meet-n-Greet This week's edition of "Lightshow" on WBAI radio in New York is being pre-empted for a music special. We will return next week at our regular convenient time of late Friday night/early Saturday morning, 3-5 AM Eastern Time, January 19. The "No Holds Barred News" segment airs in the second hour of the show, between 4 AM and 5 AM EST, early Saturday morning.

I will be switching roles this week, though. This Monday, Jan. 14, I will be a guest on "Mat Chat," the radio show that focuses on the major events around the wrestling and combat sports world, and is hosted by Frank Shanly. "Mat Chat" is broadcast on Wellington Access Radio (783AM, The Genuine Voice of Wellington) on Mondays at 5:30 PM local time, in Wellington, New Zealand. This show also is unfortunately not yet available on the Internet.

We also now have an e-mail address for our "No Holds Barred News" segment on "Lightshow." You can reach us at: nhblightshow@yahoo.com.

From RITC Writer/Statistician John Petrilli:
RITC 33 - Super Bowl Weekend

Date: Saturday, February 2, 2002
Time: Doors Open: 6:00PM, Fight Time: 8:00PM
Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona

Ticket prices start at $15 for General Admission seating Kids under 12 Free!!!

Rage in the Cage will kick off the New Year with RITC 33 on Super Bowl Weekend. RITC has again contracted with Celebrity Theatre, one of the premier venues in the nation, to bring you the finest MMA action that Arizona has to offer.

There will be 12 fights on the card. Details will be released as they become available.

Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-160 ) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For additional information, please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com

From promoter Kipp Kollar:
NEW JERSEY STATE GRAPPLING CHAMPIONSHIP (Date Change)

America's 1st Annual New Jersey State Grappling Championship will take place on Saturday, February 9th in Bayonne, New Jersey. The idea is to have State Tournaments across the country; having all these Champions compete at the end of the year in our National event (NAGC). Please note, you DO NOT have to live in New Jersey to compete! Here are the details of this event:

WHEN: Saturday, February 9th (10 AM TO 6 PM)
WHERE: Marist Gymnasium - Bayonne, New Jersey
WHAT: Over 68 Gi & No-Gi Grappling Divisions!
MORE INFO: Kipp Kollar at (860) 635-1867 or Email President@Nagafighter.com
WEBSITE: www.NAGAFighter.com
NO GI DIVISIONS: Use standard NAGA Rules
GI DIVISIONS: Use standard BJJ Rules (adults)

NATIONAL RANKINGS:
In the past, the NAGA ranked all it's fighters by accumulating points earned throughout the year. While this gave a very accurate indication of who ranked #1 in the NAGA circuit, it didn't take into consideration all the other grappling events that placed fighters throughout the US. In 2002, the NAGA has joined forces with MixedMartialArts.com to track all fighters, in all grappling events to produce "True National Rankings". The New Jersey State Championship will be the 1st of literally hundreds of events that will be tracked. Don't miss out on your 1st opportunity to gain points towards true "National Title"

GI & NO-GI DIVISIONS THE SAME DAY:
One of the unique advantages of NAGA events is the ability for fighters to compete in both Gi & No-Gi competition the same day for no extra cost. We will be holding all 65 divisions (Gi & No Gi) on Saturday so you can save some cash during these tough times (Pre-Reg only $49 to fight in both Gi & No Gi competition).

NAGA IMPROVEMENTS:
The NAGA has purchased our own mats, which will allow us to run 8 continuous rings throughout the day. The mats come in two colors so that rings can be defined in one color and a warning track, which will encompass each ring, will be a different color mat. We will also be placing a fence around the perimeter of all 8 mats so that coaches and spectators cannot interfere with the matches. Only the two fighters and the referee will be allowed on the mat during a match, which will make many of you happy!

ADVANCED GI DIVSIONS GI 1ST:
In order to get the GI Grapplers fighting at the beginning of the day, we are dedicating 2 rings to the GI Divisions. We will work from Advanced to Beginner so that Advanced and Intermediate Gi fighters don't have to wait all day to compete. This is the opposite as the NO Gi so Advanced competitors who enter both will have plenty of rest in between divisions!

SUPERFIGHTS:
KEN KRONENBERG (Tai-Kai) vs. CARLOS CATANIA (Renzo)
JOE D'ARCE (Renzo) vs. JOHN DORAN
TIM CARPENTER (Maxercise) vs. PETER SELL (Renzo)

4-MAN UNDER 175LB TOURNAMENT
Joe Scarola (Renzo Gracie) vs. Cacau (Insight)
Steve Haigh (Fight Factory) vs. Donny Fromal (Tai-Kai)

4-MAN OVER 175LB TOURNAMENT
Mat Santos (JBA) vs. Nick Caggia
Jay White (Renzo) vs. Marco Delima (Top Team)
MASS DESTRUCTION VI (Closed Fists)

Mass Destruction 6 will be the 1st MMA show in Massachusetts to have "Closed Fist" Matches! DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!

EVENT LOGISTICS:
WHEN............Saturday, February 23rd - 7 to 11 p.m.
WHAT............ 22 Mixed Martial Arts Matches
LOCATION......South End Community Center - Springfield, MA
WEBSITE........www.nagafighter.com
CONTACTS.....Joe Cuff Jcuff@Nagafighter.com or Kipp Kollar (860-632-2753) or President@Nagafighter.com

TITLE FIGHTS:
Light Heavyweight Title Fight:
Jorge Rivera (Undefeated in Mass Destruction 3-0) vs.
Billy Vucick (Undefeated in World Extreme Fighting 3-0)

Middleweight Title Fight:
Ted Govola Jr. (Dog Pound) vs.
Ron Kieltyka (Rickson Gracie)

Welterweight Title Fight:
Zack Wakeman (Tai-Kai/Machado) vs.
Mike Littlefield (Boneyard/BostonBJJ)

MAIN CARD
Tom Murphy (VT BJJ) vs. Anthony Argynos (Renzo)
Matt Lee vs. Roland Fabre (Renzo Gracie)
Elias Rivera (Dog Pound) vs. Andy Doe (Tai-Kai Machado)
Bill Luff (Auburn BJJ) vs. Tony DeAngelis (Kung Fu)
Chaisis Marbumrung (BU BJJ) vs. Eric Rich(Dog Pound)
Dan Johnson (Norwich) vs. Matt Zaccaria (Tai-Kai)
Frank Latina (Dog Pound) vs. Andrew Curinga (Tai-Kai)
Cacau (The Dungeon) vs. Garrett Stroggins (Dog Pound)
Frank Chiarillo (Dog Pound) vs. Guillermo Montero (BU)
Jerimiah Fountain (Tai-Kai) vs. Nathaniel Picard (BU BJJ)
Chris Richard (Joe Pomfret) vs. Brian Shepherd (Tai-Kai)
Jason Issac (Dragon's Lair) vs. Bryce Linsky (Dog Pound)
Shohei Uesugi (Boston University) vs. Bill Mahoney (JBA)
Sean Wilmot (MSA) vs. Oren Levin(Renzo)
Andy Rigerio (Renzo Gracie) vs. John Grogan
Kurt Pelligirno (Renzo) vs. Bobby Andrew
Jason Cadima (Dragon's Lair) vs. Stephen Lovejoy
Kipp Kollar vs. Marco DeLima
Also fighting Ryan Griffith, & Randy Durant

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Sumo Matches are back!

LIQUOR LICENSE OBTAINED - We WILL be serving Wine & Beer at the Mass Destruction VI event! This was the main reason we moved the event from Milford, MA to Springfield.

2,000 + SPECTATORS! We are advertising MASS DESTRUCTION on Radio 104.1 & the Hartford Currant, it's going to be HUGE!!!

RING GIRLS & SPOKESMODEL/ANNOUNCER STEPHANIE STOKES -Will be back!

ADVANCE TICKET SALES/HOLDERS:

$25 Advance General Admission - All pre-sales ticket holders will be let in (At 6:30 PM) 30 minutes prior to people who buy tickets at the door. Get better seats; buy your tickets in advance! Doors open at 7PM for general public.

$50 Front Row Seats - Includes Free Mass Destruction T-shirt & 2 Free Drinks (Beer, Doc Otis)
$250 VIP Seats (only 2 left!) - Sit with our ring girls along the ring curtain (limited to 6 seats) at your own VIP table. Free drinks all evening along with your own private waitress. Each VIP ticket holder will also receive a VIP 100% cotton long sleeve Mass Destruction Sponsor shirt.
You can obtain tickets in advance from our website or by mail. Simply send $25, $50 or $250 per ticket to the address below, tickets will be sent to you within five days.
Advance Tickets by Check, mail check to:
Kipp Kollar, 35 Valley Run Drive, Cromwell, CT 06416 (860)-632-2753
or get them on line at http://www.nagafighter.com/ (Use VISA or MASTERCARD)
2002 NAGA & USMMAA SCHEDULE
  • Feb. 23 Mass Destruction 6, Springfield, MA - 24 Fights (Several are Closed Fists)
  • March 16 NAGA BJJ Seminar, Middletown, CT- BJJ Black Belt - Gi & No-Gi
  • April 13 Mass Destruction 7, Fall River, MA - Superfight featuring Don Banville
  • April 20 Sunshine State Grappling Championship, Orlando, FL
  • May 18 New York State Grappling Championships - Long Island, NY
  • June 22 Mass Destruction 8, Wildwood, NJ Superfight: Scott Schultz vs. Eric Colon
  • July 13 Mass Destruction 9, Fall River, MA - Brawl on the Battleship
  • August 3 Battle at the Beach III, Wildwood, NJ - NJ Convention Center
  • Sept. 8 New England Grappling Championships-Middletown, CT
  • Sept. 21 Hawaii State Grappling Championships-Honolulu, HI - Egan in his 1st NAGA Superfight!
  • October 19 Mass Destruction 9, Boston, MA-It's about time!
  • November 16th & 17th-North American Grappling Championship - US Nationals-Bayonne, NJ-America's Largest Grappling Tournament
  • December 7 Florida Nationals, Miami, FL - Year-end event!

  Friday - January 11, 2002

UFC 35 Weigh-Ins Go Off Without A Hitch
By Loretta Hunt

Vitor Belfort The UFC held their official weigh-ins last night at the Mystic Marriott Hotel in Groton, Connecticut. There was no autograph session or local radio station to cover the event or beautiful female celebrities conducting raffles. It was just the fighters and the scale, but that was enough for a few fans that still came out to observe the proceedings. Although this weigh-in was not as big a production as the last two events held in Las Vegas, the attendance list still read like a book of MMA's who's who. Mark Coleman was there, as well as John Lewis and Vitor Belfort to name a few. This was the first time the public and the press were able to see all of thw competitors in one room together as Zuffa chose to bypass their usual day-before press conference in favor of a "rolling press conference" that visited numerous East Coast states throughout the week.

Jens Pulver There were no surprises today and every fighter made his designated weight. As each fighter stepped onto the stage and then onto the scale, their entourages looked on and clapped when the numbers were announced by Bruce Buffer.

The first to make their way up to the stage were BJ Penn and Jens Pulver. Penn weighed in at 153 pounds, Pulver at 152 pounds. Both men and their training camps made it a point to stay at opposite ends of the room and when they were finished, they both seemed to immediately slip out of the room or at least out of the spotlight. Both fighters were sober and determined. This was as tense and dramatic as the evening got as the rest of the weigh-ins seemed to run like a roll call.

Ricco Rodriguez was up at the platform next with his opponent Jeff Monson not far behind him. Ricco weighed in at 239 and a quarter pounds and Monson was 229 pounds.

Chuck Liddell Next to the stage were Chuck Liddell and his opponent Amar Suloev. As Chuck stepped onto the scale, he removed his T-shirt to reveal incredibly chiseled abs. Tito Ortiz hooted from the crowd "Holy abs Batman!" and the crowd laughed. There was no denying that Chuck looked much improved from his last appearance in UFC 33. Liddell weighed in at 205 pounds and Suloev at 197 and a half pounds.

Newlywed Ricardo Almeida, sporting a new red hairdo, was next to step on the scale. He was 185 pounds and his opponent Andrei Semenov rested also at 185 pounds.

Dave Menne made his weight at 183 and a half pounds. His adversary Murilo Bustamante weighed in at 182 and three-quarter pounds, getting a small reaction from a crowd that knew he was dropping almost twenty pounds from his last UFC appearance to fight one weight-class down at middleweight.
Murilo BustamanteDave Menne
Kevin Randleman made his return to the scale coming in at 204 pounds and blew kisses to the audience as he stepped off. His opponent Renato "Babalu" Sobral made weight at 203 and a half pounds, looking well conditioned.

Gil Castillo and Chris Brennan were next. Castillo was 170 pounds while Brennan came in at 169 pounds.

Eugene Jackson and his adversary Keith Rockel were the final pair to weigh-in. Jackson was 185 pounds and newcomer Rockel made it at 184 pounds.

Big John McCarthy As each man made his way back to his camp sitting in the audience, UFC president Dana White told the competitors to grab some food that was waiting for them in the adjoining room and then to come right back to begin the rules meeting. Joe Silva began the meeting by thanking the fighters for coming in such great shape. He also asked that they give one thing of themselves and that thing was the best they had to offer in the Octagon. The rules meeting went off without a hitch. With business out of the way, the room quickly cleared out as the fighters went off to enjoy their last night before they will have square off in the Octagon at the Mohegan Sun Arena for UFC 35.

A Few Words With The Wolf
By Loretta Hunt

Eugene Jackson It's 11 AM, Thursday morning at the Mystic Marriott Hotel in Connecticut. Eugene "the Wolf" Jackson has finished his morning workout, his mind probably drifting to his pending battle with Keith Rockel at the next night's UFC 35. There is a lot riding on this fight for Eugene. Coming off of three recent losses in the Octagon including his most recent at the hands of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Ricardo Almeida in UFC 33, the man known for his knockout punching needs this win. It's make or break time for a man whose future in MMA fighting may be winding down. I was there to talk with Eugene about what may be one of his last MMA fights and where this six-time UFC veteran plans to go from there. Here's what he said.

FCF:   How are you feeling?
EJ:     I'm feel good.

FCF:   Are you ready to go?
EJ:     Oh yeah, for sure.

FCF:   What are you expecting from your upcoming fight with Rockel?
EJ:     I have a ground guy that will try to strike and kick. He's more like the opponents I've fought in about 90% of my losses. They're gonna keep putting me against somebody till I beat them on the ground. This is a put-up or shut-up fight for me.

FCF:   Is that an added pressure for you?
EJ:     No, because I do so much other stuff with my life. I'm not like everybody else in that I need this or I'm a nobody if I go home and don't fight anymore. It doesn't do that to me. Do I still come in with the same intensity? Oh yeah. That doesn't change but this isn't the "make or break me as a person" fight. This is the "hey, if you want to continue what you're doing and you like it, you better do something tonight or you're in trouble" fight.

FCF:   Has your training varied at all for this fight?
EJ:     I did a lot more groundwork. I always keep with my standup because we know if I win, it's going to be off my hands. Everybody's going to try and take me down and I know wrestling and keeping someone down is tiring. I can get through the first or second rounds but my hands will knock him out cold.

FCF:   How do you like Connecticut?
EJ:     It's cold. Very cold. The people are very gracious. It's also very spacious. We walked for miles and miles in every direction and didn't see anything.

FCF:   How has the change in climate affected you?
EJ:     It's a three-hour time difference with regards to sleep and our flight took a whole day with a layover, but that's a little thing. Don't worry, when the time comes, I'll be bright eyed and bushy tailed. With regards to sleep, it's just about getting used to sleep habits with certain people snoring all night. [Eugene glances over at his boxing coach.]

FCF:   The last time I heard, you work two full-time jobs, right?
EJ:     Yes. I work for Home Depot and I also work for a company called Young Life, which is a program that works with inner city youth.

FCF:   How do you fit your training in?
EJ:     Well, the training comes third. My first job is what will pay my bills. Helping kids and helping people is more important to me because you have to leave some legacy. You're only remembered by what you leave, not by what you take with you. Having grown up in the ghetto, I'm trying to show people that there's other stuff out there. The kids are also a lot quicker to respond to me because they know I'm still a fighter, not a used-to-be or couldn't-make-it. They see me on the video or on TV and that allows me to reach the kids that other can't reach. It also teaches my own kids a hard work ethic.

FCF:   Win or lose, what's next for Eugene Jackson the fighter?
EJ:     I truly want to fight one more time after this and then after that I would love to get into commentating. I would like to give the fighter's point of view. I think I'm a little more animated than most and at the same time, I'm ground level. I would take a more personal interest in the fighters. That's what I'd truly like to do.

FCF:   Your last fight? Who would you want to fight?
EJ:     It would be a blessing to get the belt. I'd still like to fight Baroni. Baroni is one of those fights where we'll be bumping at each other in the middle of the ring. Everybody's gonna love us both after that fight. That's the type of fight everyone wants to see.

FCF:   Any words for the fans?
EJ:     I don't consider them fans. I consider them friends. When you come here and laugh and joke with me, it makes ME feel good. It makes me feel like something. If this MMA thing is your dream, find a way to be a part of it. Support it and those that are a part of it. Be like the Japanese. They understand all sides of the game. They understand how much work goes into this. Support the sport and it will grow.

UFC 35 Banner

UFC 35 Tonight!

UFC 35 - Throw Down
Friday, January 11th
Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino
Uncasville, Connecticut
Doors Open 7:30 pm (ET)
Prelim Fights start 8:30 pm (ET)
Pay Per View starts 10:00 pm (ET)

Autograph signing session 7:00 pm EST outside the Mohegan Sun Arena's main entrance. Fighters expected to be signing autographs include heavyweight champion Randy Couture, light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, welterweight champion Matt Hughes, and Pat Miletich.

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Jens Pulver vs. BJ Penn

UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Dave Menne vs. Murilo Bustamante

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
Chuck Liddell vs. Amar Suloev

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
Ranato Sobral vs. Kevin Randleman

HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT
Ricco Rodriguez vs. Jeff Monson

MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT
Ricardo Almeida vs. Andrei Semenov

WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT
Chris Brennan vs. Gil Castillo

MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT
Eugene Jackson vs. Keith Rockel

*Fight Card is subject to change*

  Saturday - January 12, 2002

UFC 35: Pulver Retains Belt;
Bustamante Knocks Out Menne To Become New Middleweight Champ

by Jim Genia

UFC 35 is now one for the history books, and it turned out to be a night full of surprises. Who could have guessed that Eugene Jackson -- a man known for his devastating punching but weakness on the ground -- would earn the evening's only submission victory? Who would have thought Brazilian Jiu-jitsu master Murilo Bustamante was going to knockout Dave Menne? And how many believed that Jens Pulver would out-box and out-grapple the Hawaiian "Phenom known as BJ Penn? Words like "exciting" or entertaining could be used to describe "Throwdown," but unquestionably, the best word to use would be "unpredictable" -- for no one could have predicted the outcomes of some of these fights!

In the first of the preliminary matches, middleweight Eugene Jackson, coming off three straight losses via submission in the UFC, faced newcomer Keith Rockel. Rockel kept the fight on the ground and dominated position, while Jackson turned the tide and secured a guillotine, forcing the Massachusetts native to tap. It was an impressive victory. Jackson defeated Rockel by choke (guillotine) at 3:46 of round 2.

Welterweight Gil Castillo took Chris Brennan down almost at will, and kept up a continuous ground and pound onslaught. Despite some crisp high kicks, Brennan was rocked by a punching exchange. Castillo defeated Brennan by unanimous decision after three rounds.

Returning to the Octagon after two losses, light-heavyweight Kevin Randleman had an easier time taking Renato "Babalu" Sobral down. Babalu kept up a continuous string of triangle and armbar attempts, though, but Randleman was able to avoid them. Randleman defeated Babalu by unanimous decision after three rounds.

In the first fight of the main card, middleweight Andrei Semenov faced Ricardo Almeida in an impressive display of escapes and striking. Almeida was aggressive and flowed from submission to submission, but the Russian newcomer had too many tricks of his own -- and eventually tagged Almeida with a punch, earning the knockout. Semenov defeated Almeida by KO at 2:01 of round 2.

In a light-heavyweight stand-up war, Chuck Liddell punished Amar Suloev with punches and low kicks -- and ate a few as well. Despite a few clinches, neither fighter went for any takedowns. Wary of his opponent's sharp striking ability, Liddell outscored him. Liddell defeated Suloev by unanimous decision after three rounds.

With the belt on the line, Murilo Bustamante proved he belonged in the ring against champ Dave Menne. With some slick grappling and some accurate punching, Bustamante saw an opening and took it -- and landed a solid punch to the champ's chin. Bustamante defeated Menne by KO at :43 seconds of round 2, becoming the new Middleweight Champion.
Dave Menne was one of several fighters to fall prey a severe stomach virus

Looking more and more impressive, heavyweight Ricco Rodriguez dominated grappling standout Jeff Monson via superior conditioning and technique. Executing a cartwheel guard pass, some flying knees, and some positional dominance, Rodriguez took one step closer to the heavyweight belt. Rodriguez defeated Monson by TKO (ref stoppage) at 3:00 of round 3.

Jens Pulver faced off against BJ Penn in what many had predicated would be much like Penn's other fights: short and one-sided. However, it was anything but. Early on Penn showed some of his world-class grappling skills, mounting Pulver and nearly securing an armbar. But Pulver turned the tide in the third round with some of his infamous "counter-grappling," and with neither fighter wanting to go to the ground in the fifth round, Pulver was able to impose his will. Pulver defeated Penn by majority decision after five rounds, and retained his Lightweight Title.

Results:
  • Jens Pulver defeated BJ Penn by majority decision after five rounds, and retained his Lightweight Title.
  • Murilo Bustamante defeated Dave Menne by KO at :43 seconds of round 2, becoming the new Middleweight Champion.
  • Ricco Rodriguez defeated Jeff Monson by TKO (ref stoppage) at 3:00 of round 3.
  • Chuck Liddell defeated Amar Suloev by unanimous decision after three rounds.
  • Andrei Semenov defeated Ricardo Almeida by KO at 2:01 of round 2.
  • Kevin Randleman defeated Renato Sobral by unanimous decision after three rounds.
  • Gil Castillo defeated Chris Brennan by unanimous decision after three rounds.
  • Eugene Jackson defeated Keith Rockel by choke (guillotine) at 3:46 of round 2.
Full coverage of the event in the February issue of Full Contact Fighter

  Sunday - January 13, 2002

From DSE USA:
PRIDE Fighting Championships "Bad Blood"
3 Matches Announced

Pride FC Logo
DSE has announced that "Bad Blood" (a.k.a. PRIDE-19), the first PRIDE show in 2002, will be held on February 24th at Saitama Super-Arena. PRIDE-19 will be same-day pay-per-view in the United States and will be on DirecTV, DishNetwork and TVN (Action PPV) which airs on Cablevision and other U.S. cable systems including AT&T Broad Band.

PRIDE-19
Date: February 24th, 2002
Gate open: 2:00 PM
Fights start: 4:00 PM
Place: Saitama Super-Arena (Omiya, Saitama-Pref., Japan)
Pay-Per-View:
  • SkyPerfecTV (JAPAN, Feb. 24th Live PPV)
  • DIRECTV, DishNetwork, TVN (USA, Feb. 24th, 18 hours delay PPV)

    Announced matches:
    • Ken Shamrock vs. Don Frye

    • Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Enson Inoue

    • Wanderlei Silva vs. Kiyoshi Tamura*
      * PRIDE Middle Weight Title Match

    Ken Shamrock Ken Shamrock
    ENTRY PRIDE: GP2000 & 10
    HOMETOWN: San Diego, CA
    DOB: San Diego, CA
    WEIGHT: 220 lbs.
    HEIGHT: 6'0"
    TITLES or AWARDS:
  • 1st King of The Pancrasists
  • UFC Super-Fight Champion

  • Don Frye Don "The Predator" Frye
    ENTRY PRIDE: 16
    HOMETOWN: Sierra Vista, AZ
    DOB: 11/23/1965
    WEIGHT: 220 lbs.
    HEIGHT: 6'1"
    TITLES or AWARDS:
  • '96 UFC VIII Champion
  • '96 UFC Ultimate Ultimate Champion

  • Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
    ENTRY PRIDE: 15, 16 & 17
    HOMETOWN: Salvador, Brazil
    DOB: 6/2/1976
    WEIGHT: 226 lbs.
    HEIGHT: 6'3"
    TITLES or AWARDS:
  • PRIDE Heavy Weight Champion

  • Enson Inoue Enson Inoue
    ENTRY PRIDE: 5, 7, GP, 10 & 12
    HOMETOWN: Hawaii, USA
    DOB: 4/15/1967
    WEIGHT: 219 lbs.
    HEIGHT: 5'11"
    TITLES or AWARDS:
  • '97 UFC XIII def. Royce Alger
  • '98 VTJ def. Randy Couture

  • Wanderlei Silva Wanderlei Silva
    ENTRY in PRIDE: 7, 8, GP, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 & 18
    HOMETOWN: Curitiba, Brazil
    DOB: 7/3/1976
    WEIGHT: 210 lbs.
    HEIGHT: 6'0"
    TITLES or AWARDS:
  • PRIDE Middle Weight Champion

  • Kiyoshi Tamura Kiyoshi Tamura
    ENTRY PRIDE: First time in PRIDE
    HOMETOWN: Okayama, Japan
    DOB: 12/17/1969
    WEIGHT: 198 lbs.
    HEIGHT: 6'0"
    FIGHTING HISTORY:
  • UWF, UWFI, RINGS Veteran

  • *Card subject to change
    *Other matches shall be announced shortly


  •   Monday - January 14, 2002

    FCF TV Coming up this week on Full Contact Fighter TV:
    • A recap of UFC 35 with exclusive post fight interviews with the fighters.

    • A UFC Classic Match: Tito Ortiz and Evan Tanner from UFC 30.

    • A profile of Canadian MMA Star Joe Doerkson who's getting ready to fight in UCC 7.
    FCF TV airs weekly on MSG Network (Tuesdays at 11:30PM), the Sunshine Network & TSN.

    Check with your local cable or satellite provider and your local listings.

    From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC:
    UFC Throwdown logo
    UFC: Throw Down Results & Replay Schedule

    • Jens Pulver defeated BJ Penn by majority decision after five rounds, Retains Lightweight Title
    • Murilo Bustamante defeated Dave Menne by KO at :43 seconds of round 2, New Middleweight Champion
    • Ricco Rodriguez defeated Jeff Monson by TKO (ref stoppage) at 3:00 of round 3
    • Chuck Liddell defeated Amar Suloev by unanimous decision after three rounds
    • Andrei Semenov defeated Ricardo Almeida by KO at 2:01 of round 2
    • Kevin Randleman defeated Renato Sobral by unanimous decision after three rounds.
    • Gil Castillo defeated Chris Brennan by unanimous decision after three rounds
    • Eugene Jackson defeated Keith Rockel by choke (guillotine) at 3:46 of round 2

    Replay Dates & Times
    iNDEMAND logo
    INDEMAND Replays
    Mon, Jan 14 8:00P ET (iN2)
    Tues, Jan 15 10:00P ET (iN1)
    DirecTV logo
    DIRECTV Direct Ticket Replays: Channel 101
    Tues, Jan 15 (Direct ticket)
    Thur, Jan 17 (Direct ticket)
    Fri, Jan 25 (Direct ticket)
    Sun, Jan 27 (Direct ticket)
    Tues, Jan 29 (Direct ticket)
    Thur, Jan 31 (Direct ticket)
    Bell ExpressVu logo
    Bell ExpressVu Replays
    Tues, Jan 14 @ 9:30pm & 1:00am ET

    We have a winnaah!
    Aaron and a few of his special friends Shirt and hat The latest FCF contest winner, Harry Smith from Astoria, NY - USA, supplied the following caption for the picture above...The Full Monty hits Japan
    Harry wins a long-sleeve NHB shirt and FCF beanie hat.

    Here are some other interesting captions that were submitted...
    • From Michael A. Palacay...
      Now presenting the Antonio Inoki Bom-ba-ye dancers
    • From Jim McLoughlin...
      FCF presents "The Good, the Bad, and the Constipated"
    • From Jason Hessler...
      Hi, my name is Aaron and these are my brothers Darryl, Darryl, and Darryl!
    • From Richard Shopp...
      Is constipation bothering you? Get a dose of fcfighter for relief.
    • From Mark Atherton...
      Corky and the Flying Exlax Brothers
    We will have a new contest up tomorrow...the next winner could be YOU!

    2001 Fighter Of The Year

    Full Contact Fighter
    Fighter of the Year

    It's down to the final 5! The most prestigious award in Mixed Martial Arts will go to one of the following 5 finalists...

    Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Tito Ortiz, BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, or Vanderlei Silva...

    one of these champions has earned the title:
    Full Contact Fighter 2001 Fighter of the Year

    We want your thoughts on who you think should win. Bear in mind that this should be based on their performance and accomplishments in the combat arena between the dates January 1 and December 31 during the year 2001 ONLY.

    Click here to vote for who you think should win

    Parting of the Blood Red Sea:
    The Splitting of the Jesus is Lord Team

    By Michael Onzuka - Mike@onzuka.com

    Ron Jhun vs. Jermaine Andre The Jesus is Lord team made waves from the beginning. They started fighting and started their quest of spreading the word of Jesus Christ while spreading their opponents' faces across the squared circle. The JIL team made people talk in the beginning mainly because people questioned their mixture of religion with fighting. As MMA evolved to the public as a legitimate sport, people could make the connection of the Jesus is Lord team to a competitor like Evander Holyfield, a fighter who is also strongly religious. Another reason people were talking was that the Jesus is Lord fighters, mainly Ray "Bradda" Cooper and Ron "The Machine Gun" Jhun, were exciting to watch with their hard-hitting, straight-punching, and initial ground-and-pound style. The team quickly added submissions to their arsenal and improved their standing skills to keep up with the top fighters in MMA. Ray Cooper gained immediate notoriety with the Shooto organization, ranking as high as number one in the welterweight class. Ron Jhun has been spreading the wealth fighting in SuperBrawl, Warrior's Quest, IFC, Shooto, and recently in the WFA, gaining an impressive record. Like many teams, the Jesus is Lord team has had some internal problems which caused the team to split. Ray Cooper, who is the founder and leader of the Jesus is Lord team continues to lead the team, while Ron Jhun and has left. I caught up with Ron after his win at Warrior's Quest in December to talk about his fight, his controversial WFA fight with Jermaine Andre, and the break up of the JIL team.

    FCF:   First, what did you think about your opponent Shannon Ritch, knowing that he's had about 80 fights?
    Ron Jhun:   I knew he was going to be tough. In the fight game nowadays, you can't underestimate anybody. I was thinking that Shannon was a credible fighter. He fought Frank Shamrock recently, he stepped in the ring with [Kazushi] Sakuraba, so he's fought some named fighters and did his best. I took it in the way that he's been around the block, so just another stepping stone.

    FCF:   Did you think he was going to come out throwing those high kicks like he did?
    RJ:     Yeah. I kind of knew he was going to do something crazy like kicks and flying back kicks and all of that stuff. I kind of had the feeling that he wanted to get it over with. Either he's going to catch me or I'm going to catch him, so he seemed like he just wanted to go all out.

    FCF:   Once you got him to the ground, did you feel that you took him out of the fight?
    RJ:     Yeah, it was just a matter of time. I could hear him breathing kind of hard on the ground so I just didn't want to rush the punches before he goes for a leg lock or something. I just wanted to hold my position and hit the body and hit the head and move every time. It was kind of practicing what I did back at the gym and I just didn't want to go all out and explode. I wanted to take my time and work some of the stuff that I have been working on.

    Click here to continue with the interview

    From the event's promoter:
    KING OF THE CAGE 12
    Action-packed, "no-holds-barred" competition
    Saturday, February 9, 2002
    7:00pm Soboba Casino
    San Jacinto, California

    HAPPY NEW YEAR, KING OF THE CAGE STYLE!
    Hosted by Eddie Bravo and Richard Norton, "King of the Cage 12" will start your new year off with a BANG!

    See 13 total matches all together including hard-hitting 350-pound Dan Bobish versus 340-pound wrecking machine, "Big" Eric Pele as both giants battle it out for the vacant KOTC Heavyweight Championship Belt. See Jiu-Jitsu superstar Dean Lister versus stud fighter Jacen Flynn in the long awaited rematch from KOTC "Wet n' Wild." There's also the "little giants" as Charlie Valencia takes on David Velasques for the newly formed KOTC Featherweight Championship Belt.

    Also scheduled on the card---Combat Grappling's big man Jason Lambert, "King of the Cage" veteran Betiss "Super" Mansouri, fan-favorite Mike "The Rhino" Bourke, wrestling phenom Joe Stevenson, Pride/KOTC veteran Shannon "The Cannon" Ritch, and the ever entertaining Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennet.

    There is no better way to start your year than with some hardcore mixed martial arts action! This is the year of "King of the Cage"!
    From: Team King of the Cage

    GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
    For ticket info call Soboba Casino at 909-654-2883

    FIGHT CARD

    MAIN EVENT FIGHTS
    UNL.KOTC Heavy Wt. Championship Match
    Eric Pele
    Skip Kelp / Lewis JJ
    Dan Bobish
    Danger Zone
    205 lbs.Dean Lister
    Fabio Santos / City Boxing
    Jacen Flynn
    Pat Miletich NHB
    140 lbs.KOTC Feather Wt. Championship Match
    Charlie Valencia
    Submission Factory
    Dave Valasques
    Extreme Sports
    FEATURE FIGHTS
    UNL. Jason Lambert
    William's Combat Grappling
    Jason Jones
    RAW / Machado Jiu-Jitsu
    UNL. Mike Bourke
    Mollen Kramer Judo
    Aaron Brink
    Team Machine
    180 lbs. Shannon Ritch
    Freestyle
    Betiss Mansouri
    Mansouri Combat Grappling
    175 lbs.John Alessio
    Bad Seed Inc.
    John Chrisostomo
    Kamaka / Jhun
    165 lbs.Joe Stevenson
    William's Combat Grappling
    Jerry Gummo
    Team Bulldog
    UNDERCARD FIGHTS
    175 lbs.Fernando Vasconcelos
    RAW
    Naassor Lewis
    Kamaka / Jhun
    200 lbs. Paul Zilicius
    Combat Grappling
    John Hosegood
    Team Cordeiro
    170 lbs. Thomas Denny
    Wildman NHB
    Ray Porales
    Primal Tribe
    160 lbs. Brian Warren
    Shark Tank
    Tracy Hess
    Next Generation
    160 lbs. Charles Bennet
    Team Cordeiro
    Randy Velarde
    Millennia Jiu Jitsu

    From the event's promoter:
    OFFICIAL DANGER ZONE
    FIGHT NIGHT 2 RESULTS

    LOCATION: BROADRIPPLE PLACE
    JAN. 13, 2002 - FT. WAYNE, IN.
    Fourteen fights including 2 amateur tournaments, one pro bout and 7 single bouts.

    The most action packed fight show in the midwest made it's impact for the fans in Ft. Wayne! This was a great night for the fights and fans of mixed martial arts. West Virginia's Adam Rivera recorded the fasted KO ever in a DZ event. A 4-second KO! Jody Poff became a two time Amateur HWT. tournament Champion. Sam Wells of MI. took out Jerry Hackney from WV. with a triangle choke at 2:14 of round two in a sensational pro bout. This was a great fight for the fans and to end the show on. Be sure to keep your eye on these two guys in the future. We would like to thank the fighters and fans for a successful DZ event. Look for us back in Ft. Wayne April 7, 2002.

    HWT. Tournament
    John Spears vs. Jody Poff winner Poff at :38 choke
    Chris Herring vs. Jody Poff winner Poff 1:20 ref stoppage knee strikes to head
    Chad Hickey vs. Adam Rivera winner Rivera :04 KO

    Final
    Adam Rivera vs. Jody Poff winner Poff DQ kick to head of downed fighter
    (There will be a future single bout rematch of this bout!)

    Lightweight Tournament
    Leif Stenberg vs. Chris Melvin winner Melvin :35 choke
    Final
    Craig Williamson vs. Chris Melvin winner Melvin 3:13 choke

    Kurt Ileman Canada vs. James Maloney NY.
    winner McCabe :56 TKO

    Steve Neal WV. vs. Jay Luce IN.
    winner Neal 3:18 Guillotine Choke

    Joe Negli MI. vs. Eric Phelps KY.
    winner Negli 3:41 ref stop due to strikes

    Dave Morris OH. vs. David Bailey
    winner Morris :15 choke

    Forrest Petz OH. vs. Chad Roarke
    winner Petz 1:44 ref stop due to strikes

    John Vitta FL. vs. Dan Swift PA.
    winner Swift 2:53 Towel thrown in

    Jason Scouten OH. vs. Dave Dillon IN.
    Scouten decision

    PRO BOUT
    Sam Wells MI. vs. Jerry Hackney WV.
    winner Wells 2:14 of second round triangle choke

    An ISCF Sanctioned Event

    Dan Severn-Becky Levi
    The Danger Zone Inc.
    www.the-dangerzone.com

      Tuesday - January 15, 2002

    From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC:
    UFC: Throw Down Replay Schedule Update

    Here are the replay dates and times for Cablevision systems:

    Tuesday, Janary 15 - 8:30 PM
    Thursday, January 17 - 10:30 PM

    Pele Landi to face Newton at Pride 19!
    By Eduardo Alonso

    One of the most charismatic Chute Boxe fighters is returning to Pride. Jose Pele Landi has been inactive since his showing at Pride 14 against Daijiro Matsui, when he lost a judges' decision in a controversial fight. However, his pupil Murilo Ninja has been making a name for himself in Japan, and Pele has been constantly going along with him to be in his corner at the Pride events. Now, Pele won't have to just be in the corner of his pupil, and instead he will face another very exciting fighter, former UFC Champion Carlos Newton, at Pride 19 on February 22! Pele is very excited about it and already training very hard for the fight.
    PeleNewton
    PeleNewton
    This match has not yet been finalized

    UFC 35 Pictures!

    Liddell vs. Suloev

    Click here for more pictures

    Keep checking back, plenty more to follow!

      Wednesday - January 16, 2002

    FCF Caption Contest
    Caption it

    Shirt and hat It's No Holds Barred in the FCF Caption Contest, show off that sharp wit and come up with the best caption for the picture featured above and you will win a long-sleeve NHB shirt and FCF beanie hat.

    It don't get no better! You get a chance to be famous and also win a couple of pieces from the fabulous Full Contact Fighter Collection.

    Entries must be in by 11:00 pm (Eastern Time) Monday, January 21, 2002. The winner will be announced here.
    Click here to enter the contest

    Carlos Newton's Pride 19 Opponent
    Still Not Confirmed

    Rodrigo Gracie
    According to sources close to Carlos Newton, they are currently in negotiations with DSE to fight Rodrigo Gracie [pictured] at Pride 19. They say that although the match is not yet signed, one of the sticking points is an issue of the respective fighters' weights.

    We will keep you posted on future updates.

    From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC:
    UFC 36 banner
    UFC 36: Worlds Collide
    Friday, March 22nd - MGM Grand in Las Vegas

    LHW Title Fight - Tito Ortiz vs. Vitor Belfort
    WW Title Fight - Matt Hughes vs. Hayato "Mach" Sakurai


    Also, check out Ultimate Knockouts
    Ultimate Knockouts banner
    on PPV starting Febrary 9th

    More UFC 35 Pictures!

    Jens with the belt

    Click here for more pictures

    Keep checking back, plenty more to follow!

    PS - If you like the sweatshirt,
    you can find it here

    From the event's promoter:
    "Meat Truck" Headlines Extreme Fights 2 in Cincinnati

    Extreme Fights 2       MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio -- Kerry "Meat Truck" Schall hopes to continue his winning ways this Saturday when he faces Joe Campanella in the main event of Extreme Fights 2 at Spears Boxing School.
          Schall, from Cincinnati, will have the support of his hometown fans when he faces Campanella, a tough brawler from Boston who has fought the likes of UFC fighters Andre Roberts and Bobby Hoffman.
          "I just won a 4-man tournament in Minnesota, so I hope to keep heading in the right direction," said Schall, a 6-foot-3, 275-pounder. "My goal is to make it to UFC or Pride... but I'm taking it one step at a time... I want to keep improving my skills... I'm not in a hurry to get somewhere."
          Schall, who trains with undefeated Rich Franklin, has been making the 6-hour trip to train at the Miletich Martial Arts Center in Iowa in recent months. He was impressive in Minnesota where he finished both opponents in the first round.
          Promoter Monte Cox says there are still a couple openings to compete at 170 pounds. Interested fighters should call 563 332-2075 or email him at mailto:Fiteiowa@aol.com.

    From Lee Coates:
    Freestyle Fighting Championship
    Quick Results


    SportFightingUSA unveiled its newest promotion, the "Freestyle Fighting Championship" at the President Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi on January 12th. The FFC event literally played before a "Standing Room Only" crowd of over 1000 people. Joe Giardina the Marketing Director for the President Casino was quoted as saying "this is the biggest gate we have ever had here!" FFC President and matchmaker Rob Braniff added "Lee Coates and I have been developing relationships, building infrastructure and planning the birth of this organization for over a year. It was gratifying to see the community turn out to this extent." The card featured eleven bouts, here are the quick results.

    Jason Wright vs. John David Shakleford - 184.9 lb division Shakleford by arm bar, round 1. Hats off to these guys for stepping up as both of their respective opponents pulled out. A great way to start off the night as both guys exhibited aggression, good stand-up skills and lots of heart.

    Aaron Williams vs. Trey Desmuke - 154.9 lb division Williams by choke, round 1. Initially a slugfest until Williams gained control on the ground and sunk in a fast choke. Williams is a great amateur who looks ready to go pro.

    Youth exhibition match
    Anjun Singh vs. Nathan Loll - 45 lbs division Draw. Great exhibition by the two young men, went over very well with the crowd also. The crowd loved this one as the promoters had the kids come out in Gi's and disrobe into fight shorts and t-shirts before entering the cage.

    Female Bout
    Andrea Grishman vs. Caroline Vanak - 140 lb division Vanak by key lock, 3rd round. Best fight of the night! Grishman and Vanek went toe to toe landing brutal combinations and incredible knees. The match was about dead even in the third round when Vanek was able to get side mount and the land a key lock.

    Richardo Gonzales vs. Jeremiah O Neal - 169.9 lb division O'Neil by armbar, 1st round. O'Neal dropped weight to fight in the 170 lb. division and looked impressive early as he traded vicious leg kicks with Muay Thai fighter Gonzales. O' Neal's wrestling experience came into play with a great takedown and was able to secure the arm bar after a few minutes of furious action on the ground.

    Exhibition Submission Match
    Marco Macera vs. David Ferguson - 204.9 lb division Macera by guillotine choke 1st round. A quick win by Macera over a great grappler. Ferguson has impressed time and time again and was surprised that he got caught. Look for a rematch of this one.

    Darryle Burkey vs. Grady Hurley - 184.9 lb division Hurley by key lock round 1. Burkey took the fight on short notice and nearly made short work of Hurley with a guillotine choke shortly after the bell rang. Hurley however remained calm and used excellent technique to escape the hold. A scramble ensued with Hurley securing the key lock late in the round.

    John Miller vs. Jesse Ault - 204.9 division Ault by 1st round ref stoppage. Excellent fight. Miller pressed the advantage early and even had Ault down in the corner blasting leg kicks from the stand up position, but after a scramble Ault landed a flurry that forced ref Mike Gallo to intervene and halt the bout.

    Exhibition Submission Match
    Darren Desalvo vs. Mike Pyle - 184.9 lb division Pyle by 1 st round ankle lock. Two acrobatic grapplers provided the crowd with a BJJ clinic. Pyle secured a nifty ankle lock midway through the first round.

    World Featherweight Championship Bout
    Toney Canales vs. Antonio "Flea" Smith - 134.9 lb division Smith by Ref stoppage round 1. Canales the BJJ practitioner surprised everyone by taking it to Smith early on, landing several great strikes before trying for a jumping guillotine choke. Smith literally threw Canales off of him and then proceeded to put his "boxing skills" to good use. Smith finally snuck in a cross that dropped Canales. After landing several blows to Canales' head from the back position referee Mike Gallo stepped in and halted the action.

    World Middleweight Championship Bout
    Anthony Macias vs. Anthony Barbier - 184.9 lb division Macias by guillotine choke round 1. Macias landed a very fast, jumping, guillotine chokehold after sprawling to avoid a Barbier shoot. Macias drug Barbier into his guard and held on till he felt Barbier go out. A quick end to what many thought would be a very competitive fight.

      Thursday - January 17, 2002

    From the event's promoter:
    Dungal Fighting Championships
    Tournament of Champions


    Dungal poster Dungal Fighting Championships
    Tournament of Champions
    Saturday, Mar. 23rd 2002
    For more information, call:
    281-479-7979

    www.dungalusa.com
    • Submission Grappling
    • Amateur Submission Fighting (Free Fighting)
    Awards & Expense money
    • 2 Grand Championships
    • 2 Fighting Divisions
    • 8 Weight Categories
    • Novice
    • Advanced
    • Masters
    • Pros
    Bushi Ban International
    8309 Spencer Hwy.
    Deer Park, Texas 77536
    E-mail bushiban-hq@juno.com

      Saturday - January 19, 2002

    From the event's promoters:
    Promoters look for stars in
    'Return of the Heavyweights'

          Pomoters T. Jay Thompson and Monte Cox have announced the co-promotion of a 3-part mega event that will conclude with a 2-day, 16-fighter heavyweight elimination tournament in Honolulu.
          "Return of the Heavyweights" is the largest Grand Prix Tournament event in U.S. history. Including two 8-fighter qualifying events -- scheduled Feb. 16 in Des Moines, Iowa, and March 16 in Orem, Utah -- up to 32 competitors will take part in the tourney. The 16-fighter finale is set for April 25-26 at the Blaisdell Arena.
          The event will be presented by Full Contact Fighter, and will certainly draw the attention of event promoters everywhere, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the sport's most prestigeous event in the U.S.
          "Monte's and T.Jay's shows have discovered many young fighters who have gone on to become big stars," said Joe Silva, UFC vice president of talent relations. "I am looking forward to seeing who wins this tournament. I am always looking for new, talented heavyweight fighters."
          In addition to providing exposure to UFC officials, the tourney also offers a premium payday for the up-and-coming heavyweights. The Grand Prix winner will receive $10,000 and the runnerup will earn $2,500... not to mention exposure in Full Contact Fighter's magazine and television show.
          The heavyweight tourney is nothing new for Thompson, who promotes Super Brawl events and produced one of the most exciting 8-man events of time a year ago. In that event, six of the eight fighters went on to compete in either the UFC, Pride or both. Those fighters include: Josh Barnett, Travis Fulton, Heath Herring, Bobby Hoffman, John Marsh and Ricco Rodriguez.
          "After such an amazing tourney, we knew it would be tough to duplicate it," Thompson said. "So, we decided to double it... and spread it out over two days and find out once again who are the biggest young heavyweights in the world."
          Anticipating a long list of fighters wishing to take part in the event, promoters decided to hold the two qualifying events. In each of those tournaments, the winner and runnerup will earn $2,000 and $1,000, respectively, and spots (all expenses paid) in the final 16-man bracket. The other 12 fighters will be chosen on their own merits.
          Fighters interested in either the Feb. 16 event in Des Moines, or the March 16 event in Orem, Utah, should contact Cox at Fiteiowa@aol.com or call (563) 332-2075.
          Fighters interested in the 16-man finale should contact Thompson at superbrawl@hawaii.rr.com or call (808) 524-6062.

    Get your copy of FCF today!
    Subscriptions available via our secure server
    (or by calling 516-922-1081)
    and at Tower Records locations worldwide!

    Here's what's in the current issue:

    FCF New Issue PRIDE-18: Cold Fury - Live coverage from Fukuoka, Japan.

    The Replacement Killer - Meet 24-year-old Alex Stiebling, the young man who came in as a last-minute replacement and swept through the 16-man IVC tournament in Venezuela and defeated Alan Goes in Pride.

    Mixed Martial Arts: The Year in Review - the ten most influential events in 2001.

    Preparing to Throwdown at UFC 35: Jens Pulver, BJ Penn, Dave Menne & Kevin Randleman speak in depth about their upcoming fights at UFC 35.

    SHOOTO: The Final Act - Professional Shooto official fights from Tokyo Bay NK Hall

    WFA Hits the Strip: Aaron Crecy previews the return of John Lewis' Night club/Fight club show.

    RSF: Mayhem in Ft. Myers - Reality Super Fighting featured Din Thomas' last fight for the RSF Super Lightweight title as well as more MMA action in Fort Myers, Florida.

    You may remember João Alberto Barreto as the first UFC referee, what you may not know is Barreto's father-in-law was the one who introduced Count Koma to Carlos Gracie, thus sparking the flame that was to become Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A veteran of dozens of MMA battles in the "old days", Barreto's tales of his past are engrossing.

    SHOGUN holds its inaugural show in Paradise - Honolulu, Hawaii. We take you there for the action as well a post-fight interview with Dennis Hallman.

    In Catching Up With Frank Shamrock, we find out what the former champ has been up to and whether he plans to return to the ring.

    Matt Hughes BioFile: get inside the UFC Welterweight champ's head... everything from his musical tastes (Country... who woulda guessed?) to his last Halloween costume (a WWF wrestler) to his pre-fight feelings.

    Fight fans make their picks for the best of 2001.

    In our monthly columns...
    In Matt Hume's techniques, Matt Hume and Mark Ashton demonstrate a Modified Half Guard Sweep technique; and in the Punchers Corner, champion kickboxer Derek Panza discusses the Drills for Fighting "Toe to Toe".

    Every issue of Full Contact Fighter is jam-packed with fight news from the U.S. to Brazil to Japan. FCF travels the globe to bring the fights to you. Get yours today! Available at Tower Records stores around the world or by subscription...


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    From the event's promoter:
    No Mercy Entertainment
    No Holds Barred Fights!

    Fight picture
    Sat. January 26, 2002
    Colorado Springs City Auditorium

    Tickets at Independent Records $15, $20, $25

    Special guest:
    UFC Heavyweight Champion
    Randy Couture

    For more information, call 719-575-0900
    Or visit our website at:
    www.rockymountainslammer.com

    From Susumu's Gallery:
    Susumu's Gallery Update

    Susumu's photo

    Hello,

    Susumu's Gallery had added 12 photos of UFC 35 held on January 11th and Deep held on December 23rd.

    Please enjoy!

    Susumu's Gallery:
    http://come.to/susumu

    From the event's promoter:
    WARRIORS QUEST UPDATE:

    On behalf of Warriors Quest, I have felt the need to make a statement in order to clear up a couple of rumors that have been circulated recently. Warriors Quest is NOT in financial trouble! We are STRONGER than ever and you will see it in our next card. You can look forward to a lot of new, explosive talent from Hawaii as well as from the U.S. mainland and internationally. We have searched the world for the best opponent for Ray "Bradda" Cooper who will be defending his title that night. The match between "Cabbage" Correira and Malcolm Ahlo is CANCELLED. Cabbage's management pulled him out of Warriors Quest. Last but not least, Hawaiian champion, Kawika Pa'aluhi makes his long awaited return to the ring and has his sights set on the vacant Warriors Quest Light Heavyweight Championship.

    Brennan Kamaka, Warriors Quest promoter

      Sunday - January 20, 2002

    From the event's promoter:
    'Meat Truck' Rolls Over Opponent
    in Extreme Fights 2

          MT. HEALTHY, Ohio -- Although he was a heavy favorite, even Kerry "Meat Truck" Schall admitted he was surprised how quickly he beat journeyman Joe Campanella Saturday in the main event at Extreme Fights 2.
          Schall landed a right hand that dropped Campanella to one knee, got the takedown and passed guard to full mount. A few strikes later, Schall finished with an armbar, ending the bout in only 50 seconds.
          Extreme Fights 2 was held at Spears Boxing School near Cincinnati.
          "I knew Joe has fought a lot of tough guys... and most of the fights went some distance," Schall said. "I feel fortunate to have ended it so quickly... I expected it to take a lot longer getting him to the ground."
          Schall is now 11-3 with five straight victories.
          In the most exciting fight of the night, Ron Fields won a unanimous decision over Mark Norcross after 15 minutes of back-and-forth fighting. Fields, the better striker, pounded out the win, although he had to escape numerous submission attempts from Norcross along the way.

    Official results:
    John Stutzman def. Dan Swift, rear choke at 4:52.
    Chris Jones def. Adam White, tap from punches at 2:18.
    Michael Rooney def. Scott Nangle, arm-bar at 3:25.
    Maurice Walker def. Mike Jones, KO :08.
    Josh Rafferty def. Jeff Ignatowski, keylock at :30.
    Ron Fields def. Mark Norcross, Unanimous dec. at 15:00.

    MAIN EVENT
    Kerry Schall def. Joe Campanella, arm-bar, at :50.

    Murilo Ninja Injured;
    MECA 6 Postponed
    To Be Shown Live On PPV!

    By Eduardo Alonso

          MECA World Vale Tudo 6, originally scheduled for January 24th, has been officially postponed for one week to accommodate the television broadcast of the event. Sportv, the biggest sports network in Brazil, and the event's sponsor, asked the promoters to postpone the event until January 31st so it can be shown live on pay-per-view in Brazil. Sportv wanted more time to promote the event and broadcast advertisements during their programming, and of course the promoters promptly accepted the request. Promoter and Chute Boxe team coach Rudimar Fedrigo informed FCF first hand about the change: "I think this change was a bit difficult, but this will add even more to the event for sure! There will be more advertisements for the pay-per-view, and thousands of people in Brazil will have the opportunity to watch the event live on pay-per-view. It's an event that no one can miss! No fight fan can miss this next event!"
    Murilo Ninja Rua       In another MECA news, the newest Chute Boxe star Murilo "Ninja" was injured during training last week, and could be seen at Vanderlei Silva's wedding sporting crutches. "I was training very hard! I went to train judo with the gi on. I was training everything! Jiu-Jitsu, judo, wrestling, and unfortunately I got taken down and fell outside of the mat! It was a very hard hit, and very unfortunate and I got injured. I distended out my calf. So my doctor told me not to fight, not to train, to wait for it to reduce the inflammation, so after [the swelling goes down] I'll need to do some weight lifting to strengthen my calf and then get back to training." With these words a very sad Murilo Ninja told FCF about his injury, and so far the doctor hasn't been able to ascertain a date for recovery for the young fighter, as Murilo went on to say, "the doctor told me that he never saw anything like it, so I don't know how long it'll take for my to recover."
          In the end, the postponing of the event because of the PPV wound up being a blessing, because since the title fight between Ninja and Navalhada had to be cancelled, the promoters now have an extra week to find another opponent for the Carlson Gracie student. Rudimar told FCF today that Navalhada's opponent will likely be "Diamante Negro," who fought Pele in a previous edition of MECA. However the event is willing to realize the title fight between Ninja and Navalhada in the near future. "I believe this fight will have to happen, and we want to make this fight in the next event. In February or March. Unfortunately this happened, and I think that master Carlson Gracie will understand that, because he knows that this kind of problem can happen. Unfortunately the fight didn't come through, but this fight must happen! We still have the plan of having the Middleweight title bout between Ninja and Navalhada. The fight was canceled due to Ninja's injury, but in the next MECA event they must fight. I want this fight to happen, if only as a question of honor; MECA has always fulfilled all its promises. So when a fight doesn't happen, we will make all the possible efforts for the fight to happen in the near future," Rudimar promised. It's not only the event that is anxious for this fight down the road, as the young Chute Boxe fighter is also more than willing to face Navalhada. "I want to fight him! And he can be sure that he will face me very well trained, very tough. You can be sure about that." Ninja was visibly sad about the incident, and also went on to say a few words about his future in the fight game: "I want to train even harder, improve my cardio, improve in all aspects so I can always remain among the top. So I can always put on a good show for the Japanese or the Brazilian public. Because I train very hard! The people who knows me know that. Everybody knows that I will never run from a fight, I got injured really bad, and I'm not afraid of anyone, I'll fight anyone man. I've already proven that, and I'll keep on proving it all the time, and keep bringing Brazil's name to the top!"
          MECA World Vale Tudo 6 is officially scheduled for Thursday, January 31st at the city of Curitiba, and will still host 10 fights, and will have a much bigger production than the previous editions of the event. The heavyweight title will be on the line, and some top level NHB athletes will be fighting at the event, such as Anderson Silva, Gustavo Ximu, and Macaco. The event promises to be the best MECA yet, and Rudimar was very excited about it, "I think that the Anderson Silva vs. Jucao fight will be very interesting, a very good fight. Another fight that has been drawing a lot of expectation is Macaco vs. Ximu. I have information that this fight is being anticipated by important people in the fight game abroad, to see what will happen in this fight. And another fight that I think will be very interesting will be the heavyweight title bout. It will be a very interesting fight, and an aggressive fight I believe, because both fighters are looking for a KO! Carlao [Barreto] has been saying in his latest interviews that he is looking for a KO, and his opponent [Marcelo Souza] said the same. Whoever wins this fight will be the first MECA champion, and for sure he will have his opportunity in the major events."
          Less than two weeks before the event, the only change on the card is the replacement of Murilo Ninja, but everything else is set and done as Rudimar said, "The rest of the card is complete! It will be a great event, a great show! And Brazil needs events like that. In Brazil we have a lot of potential in terms of fighters and talent to put on great events. And that's why the event is called MECA, because 'Joinha' [MECA co-promoter and Sportv NHB's host] and myself consider that Brazil is the mecca of NHB! And Brazil needs an event that respects, projects and gives the fighters their due." With live pay-per-view, the presence ringside of fighters such as Mario Sperry, Vanderlei Silva, Pele Landi, Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, Royler Gracie and many more, a 10-fight card with names like Anderson Silva, Macaco, Gustavo Ximu, Carlos Barreto and the only man to beat Anderson Silva in NHB, Luiz Azeredo, the event promises to be close to spectacular, and FCF will be there to keep providing the best fight coverage in the world.

    From RITC Writer/Statistician John Petrilli:
    RITC 33 - The "Big" Show

    Date: Saturday, February 2, 2002
    Time: Doors Open: 6:00PM, Fight Time: 8:00PM
    Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona

    Ticket prices start at $20 for General Admission seating.
    Kids under 12 Free !!!
    $5 Discount cards will be sent to those on the RITC mailing list.

    If you enjoy Heavyweight action, RITC 33 is the place to be on Super Bowl Weekend. Rage in the Cage will be starting the New Year off in a "Big" way. Here's the way the fight card is shaping up.
    • Jeb Hunter (330 lbs) vs. Carl Miller (295 lbs)
    • Edwin Dewees (195 lbs) vs. Brad Reynolds (200 lbs)
    • Justin Lyon (370 lbs) vs. Charles Wilson (295 lbs)
    • Wyland Berry (255 lbs) vs. Jose Cortez (245 lbs)
    • Marty Salamon (210 lbs) vs. Chris Custead (210 lbs)
    • Make Rainieri (210 lbs) vs. Larry Robertson (210 lbs)
    • Pat Larson (210 lbs) vs. Brian Pardo (210 lbs)
    • Joseph Riggs (245 lbs) vs. TBA
    • Ted Opaliniski (215 lbs) vs. TBA
    • Nathan Bulitta (150 lbs) vs. TBA
    There will be 12 fights on the card with a majority of these made up of Heavyweights and Super Heavyweights.

    Fight Card subject to change.

    Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For additional information, please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com

      Monday - January 21, 2002

    Smack Talk and Back Talk
    By Tom DeFazio

    Matt "the Terror" Serra made his UFC debut last year, quickly becoming a fan favorite with his aggressive style. Matt returns to the UFC on March 22nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. For his latest outing, he is dropping down in weight and will enter the Octagon in the 155lb weight class to face Din Thomas (ranked 5th in the FCF world rankings). A confident Thomas, who submitted current UFC lightweight champ Jens Pulver in August of 2000 at WEF 10 (video available in the FCF shop), has apparently been doing some pre-fight smack talk. Matt has some choice words of his own on the matter...

    Matt Serra FCF:   So what have you been up to lately? I understand you've opened up a new school AND you're dropping down to lightweight for a fight against Din Thomas at the next UFC, isn't that a bit much to be taking on all at the same time?
    MS:     Actually no, it's no problem at all. The [new] school is going great. My mat time in the jiu-jitsu has actually picked up with the new school cause I'm always mat -- I literally live at the academy. I get to roll all the time now. Teaching never becomes a problem, because my brother Nick and [student and upcoming MMA fighter] Joe Scarola pick up the classes for me so I don't have to teach as much; plus I still see Renzo every week.

    FCF:   How's the weight loss coming? You normally walked around at what? 175? Twenty pounds is a big chunk to cut off your frame. What are you doing to drop the weight? Are you going to cut off a limb?
    MS:     Right now, 9 weeks before the fight, I'm already walking around at under-170, so it's going well. I'm working with a nutritionist.

    FCF:   I assume the nutritionist has cut out your beloved pizza. Are you suffering withdrawal symptoms?
    MS:     Discipline has a lot to do with it, one of the things I look forward to after the fight is celebrating by going over to my mother's house for some homemade pizza.

    FCF:   What motivated you to drop to lightweight?
    MS:     Last UFC, without even trying, I weighed in at 164. I came in at that weight naturally, without even training hard or dieting.

    FCF:   Are you planning on staying at 155?
    MS:     I'm gonna see how I feel after this fight. I think I'm gonna be a real force to be reckoned with at that weight; instead of being one of the lighter guys in that division as I was at welterweight, I'll be one of the bigger guys; and with my style, I think it'll fit perfect 'cause I'll be quicker and stronger and more explosive and I'll be able to go in there and go ballistic!

    FCF:   What's your weekly training regimen like?
    MS:     I train 2-3 times a day. I get my running in early in the morning, after that I rest a little bit, and do a hard calisthenics and plyometrics workout; and then in the evening I do my wrestling and jiu-jitsu; I also add in kickboxing and sparring 4 times a week.

    FCF:   I understand Din Thomas has been talking about you, something about wanting the whole world to watch the beating he's going to give you...
    Matt Serra on Yves Edwards' back MS:     Yeah, I heard about that, one of my students brought that in, what he said about me on the Internet... I think it's cool that he's confident, that means he'll bring it to me instead of being on his bicycle like the last guy who talked smack. You remember [Yves] Edwards? The guy who said he was gonna knock me out. I predict Din will have just as much luck as Edwards did. For some reason I do better -- I get more motivated or whatever -- when guys talk shit, maybe it's that old streetfighter in me coming back out.

    FCF:   What's your gameplan for the fight?
    MS:     Just like for the Edwards fight, I have tapes of Din and will study them and find the right way to beat him... I'll be strategic and aggressive, I'm not gonna just jump to guard and lay there hoping he leaves his arm out for me to arm lock him. I plan on being in great shape, so I can bring it to him. If it goes 15 minutes, I'm gonna make sure it's 15 minutes of hell for him.

    FCF:   Do you have any other comments for Din?
    MS:     Yeah, in response to what he said... we'll find out in 9 weeks who's gonna get the beating, Din's definitely a guy a who comes to fight. He's an aggressive fighter and a tough guy and so am I, it'll be like two trains on the same track speeding towards each other. Only it's gonna be him crawling out of the wreckage with a broken limb. It'll be a flashback to when my teammate and good friend Rodrigo Gracie snapped his arm but then let go when he screamed in pain. The only difference this time is the ref's gonna need a crowbar to get me off him.

    FCF:   Are you planning on competing in any submission tournaments this year? Abu Dhabi? BJJ PanAms? The Mundials? Or are you focusing on NHB?
    MS:     I'm just focusing on NHB. I would have gone to compete in Abu Dhabi this year if it weren't for all the crap going on in the Middle East.

    FCF:   What are your thoughts on your teammate Ricardo Almeida's fight with Andrei Semenov?
    MS:     I thought that Ricardo fought with heart and brought the fight to him, he just got caught with a punch... it can happen to anybody. Nowadays you can't name any top fighter that fights aggressively that hasn't had a loss. You look at all the champions -- whether it's the UFC, Pride, wherever -- they've all had a loss. Do they just give up? Do they just quit after that loss? No, the loss makes them stronger and they come back and they become champions. Ricardo's a warrior and he'll be back stronger than ever!

    FCF:   Any final comments?
    MS:     I just want to thank all the guys that support me... all the fans, my friends and especially all my teammates and family at Team Renzo Gracie. And of course Renzo, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be who I am today. Also, tune in March 22nd to see whose predictions will pan out, mine or Din's. Either way, I promise you it'll be a sick fight!

    From Pancrase:
    Pancrase 2/17 Event
    Complete Lineup

    Hiroshi Shibata (RJW/CENTRAL) was supposed to face KIUMA KUNIOKU (Pancrase Yokohama) in the following event on February 17th, 2002. Unfortunately SHIBATA was pulled out due to an injury during his recent workout and EIJI ISHIKAWA (Pancrase GRABAKA) will replace him. The following is the confirmed lineup.

    Pancrase 2002 Spirit Tour
    Sunday, February 17, 2002
    Doors Open: 3:00pm - Fights Start: 4:00pm
    Umeda Stella Hall(Osaka, Japan)
    • Fight#1 - 2 5-min rounds-Welterweight Match-
      Takaku Fuke (Pancrase Osaka) Vs Kenji Arai (Pancrase Tokyo) *Debut!

    • Fight#2 - 2 5-min rounds- Middleweight Match-
      Junya Miyakawa (Pancrase Yokohama) Vs Ryo Chonan (U-File Camp)

    • Fight#3 - 2 5-min rounds-Middleweight Match-
      Hikaru Sato (Pancrase Yokohama) Vs Kazuki Okubo (U-File Camp)

    • Fight#4 - 3 5-min rounds-Light Heavyweight Match-
      Light Heavyweight 6th Ranked
      Kosei Kubota (Pancrase Yokohama) Vs Daisuke Watanabe (Pancrase Yokohama)

    • Fight#5 - 1 5-min round-Catch Wrestling Match-
      Minoru Suzuki (Pancrase Yokohama) Vs Katsuomi Inagaki (Pancrase Osaka)

    • Semifinal - 3 5-min rounds-Middleweight Match-
      Middleweight 7th Ranked
      Kazuo Misaki (Pancrase Grabaka) Vs Ryuki Ueyama (U-File Camp)

    • Main Event - 3 5-min rounds-Middleweight Match-
      2nd Middleweight K.O.P.
      Kiuma Kunioku (Pancrase Yokohama) Vs Eiji Ishikawa (Pancrase Grabaka)

      Tuesday - January 22, 2002

    FCF TV
    This week on
    Full Contact Fighter TV:
    • News of the week (Carlos Newton's next possible fight).

    • Pancrase highlights featuring FCF 5th Ranked Middleweight, Ikuhisa Minowa.

    • "Ask the President" featuring UFC President Dana White.

    • Preview of Tito Ortiz/Vitor Belfort UFC Light Heavyweight Title Fight.

    • FCF Classic from UFC 20: Pedro Rizzo vs. Tre Telligman.

    • Feature on UCC Bad Boy Pain Peters.

    FCF TV airs weekly on:

    MSG Network
    Tuesdays at 11:30PM,

    Sunshine Network
    Friday night/Saturday morning at 12:30AM

    TSN
    3 times a week: 1 premiere + 2 replays.
    Check your TV Guide

    Check with your local
    cable or satellite provider
    and your local listings.

    REMEMBER!
    FCF TV is on MSG tonight!

    From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC:
    UFC Logo
    UFC 36: Worlds Collide
    Friday, March 22, 2002
    MGM Grand Garden Arena
    Las Vegas, Nevada

    The Ultimate Fighting Championship is pleased to announce the addition of two more matches to the UFC 36 card.

    In the welterweight division, Sean Sherk will be returning to face Jutaro Nakao. In his UFC debut, at UFC 30, Sherk defeated Tiki Ghosen by submission due to an injury suffered on a slam. Jutaro Nakao knocked out Tony DeSouza at UFC 33 in his debut.

    In the middleweight division, 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Matt Lindland will face off with former welterweight champion Pat Miletich. This will be Miletich's 185-pound debut. In his last bout at UFC 32, Miletich knocked out Shonie Carter with a roundhouse kick to the head. Lindland last fought at UFC 34, defeating Phil Baroni by decision in an all-out war.

    The official card thus far is as follows:

    Light Heavyweight Championship Bout
    Tito Ortiz (champion) vs. Vitor Belfort

    Welterweight Championship Bout
    Matt Hughes (champion) vs. Hayato Sakurai

    Heavyweight Bouts
    Pedro Rizzo vs. TBA
    Frank Mir vs. Pete Williams

    Light Heavyweight Bout
    Elvis Sinosic vs. Evan Tanner

    Middleweight Bout
    Matt Lindland vs. Pat Miletich

    Welterweight Bout
    Sean Sherk vs. Jutaro Nakao

    Lightweight Bout
    Matt Serra vs. Din Thomas

    Pedro Rizzo's opponent will be announced soon.

    Ricardo Arona Healed and Back in Training!
    By Eduardo Alonso

    Ricardo Arona       Last year, Ricardo Arona's star was on the rise in MMA, with numerous wins at RINGS and a victorious debut in PRIDE, however, his debut at PRIDE 16 took him out of of the game for a while. Arona injured his rib fighting Guy Mezger and has not been able to compete since.
          The Abu Dhabi champion was forced to step back from PRIDE 17 and PRIDE 18 due to his injury. He attempted to return to training abit too soon and he felt the injury again, so he decided to take some time off and rest during the holidays. Finally, Arona began to feel healthy again and he had an x-ray done last Friday to check the status of the injury. Fortunately, the results were positive, and the injury is practically healed! With that Ricardo told FCF that he is back in training: "The doctor told me to take easy at first, and then gradually start to get back to full training. I almost don't feel any pain right now, and the x-ray's results were very good. I'm already lifting weights and doing some technical training."
          Ricardo Arona is waiting to see how his training develops and also on a contact from DSE to know if he will fight or not at PRIDE 19, but he hopes he will be ready to fight by February 22.

      Thursday - January 24, 2002

    From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki:
    More Pride-19 Matches Announced

    Today (January 24th in Japan), DSE/PRIDE announced additional match up of PRIDE.19 / PRIDE Fighting Championships 'Bad Blood'(February 24th) as follows:
    • Heath Herring vs. Igor Vovchanchyn
    • Daijiro Matsui vs. Rodrigo Gracie
    • Carlos Newton vs. Pele Landi
    These matches are in addition to the already announced Official Line Up:
    • Wanderlei Silva vs. Kiyoshi Tamura *PRIDE Middle Weight
    • Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Enson Inoue (title match)
    • Ken Shamrock vs. Don Frye
    PRIDE.19 / PRIDE Fighting Championships 'Bad Blood'
    DATE: February 24th, 2002
    OPEN: 2:00 PM START 4:00 PM
    PLACE: Saitama Super Arena (Saitama-Pref , Japan)

    From Zuffa:
    ZUFFA WINS 'ULTIMATE FIGHTING'
    TRADEMARK CASE IN INDIANA DISTRICT COURT

          Las Vegas, January 24, 2002... Zuffa LLC, the owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, today announced it won a legal victory yesterday (Jan.23) when the United States Seventh District Court for the Northern District of Indiana in Hammond, Ind., issued an order permanently barring Ultimate Athlete, a mixed martial arts media company based in Fresno, Calif., from infringing or causing confusion with Zuffa's "Ultimate Fighting" and "Ultimate Fighting Championship" trademarks.
          The court order stated Ultimate Athlete's misuse of "Ultimate Fighting" and "Ultimate Athlete Fighting" in its promotions created public confusion over whether Ultimate Athlete was affiliated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ultimate Athlete also agreed to refrain from encouraging third parties to misuse Zuffa's trademarks.
          "The popularity of mixed martial arts is really growing not only in the U.S., but also worldwide. It is unfortunate that we had to take this legal action against a group like Ultimate Athlete because its management was determined to infringe on our valuable brand names and trademarks. Hopefully, it is now understood that we have to protect our business and fortunately, the federal court system has allowed us to uphold our rights," said Dana F. White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
          The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the leading mixed martial arts organization in the world. It is owned and operated by Zuffa LLC, which is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev.

    From the event's promoter:
    Warriors Quest 4
    April 1, 2002
    Main Event Announcement

    Warriors Quest Champion and Hawaii phenom, Ray "Bradda" Cooper of the Jesus Is Lord Gym in Hawaii will take on Japan star Nathan Marquardt. Nathan is a highly decorated fighter who has had international sucess. One of Nathan's biggest accomplishments is the title that he holds up high as the first and current middleweight King of Pancrase. When asked who he would like to defend his title against, Cooper was quoted as saying, "I only want to fight the best." Also fighting for the #1 contender spot is King of the Cage Champion, Chris Brennan as he takes on John Chrisostomo, who recently joined the 808 Fight Factory. We promise to bring you more updates.

    Brennan Kamaka

      Friday - January 25, 2002

    Vanderlei Silva is a Married Man!
    By Eduardo Alonso
    Mr. and Mrs. Silva

          Last Friday, in the beautiful city of Curitiba, the "Axe Murderer" Vanderlei Silva became no longer available! FCF had the pleasure to attend to Vanderlei's wedding party, at a beautiful restaurant in Curitiba, where he and his wife, Tea Ariadne, received close to 200 guests to celebrate the union of the couple.
          The religious ceremony was beautiful and almost made one of the most feared man in NHB cry. There were tears in Vanderlei's eyes as the preacher made a very touching speech about his life, and the years that lay ahead of the couple. "There's no way not to get touched at moments like this. I'm very happy!" said the only man to beat Sakuraba twice. Among the guests at the party were practically the whole Chute Boxe team, including the best men for the wedding, Chute Boxe coach Rudimar Fedrigo and his fiance, Pele Landi and his wife, as well as Rafael Cordeiro and his wife. Also Murilo Ninja was present as a guest, despite being injured and sporting crutches. After the religious ceremony all the guests were treated to a fine dinner, and later there was a dance party where the "Axe Murderer" could be seen dancing the waltz with his wife, in a rare scene. It was visible that the PRIDE middleweight champion was very happy about getting married and wasn't worried about partying anymore! "With all the success and the media a lot of girls start to appear in your life, but on the other hand it gets more difficult for you to find someone that is really interested in you, or a serious woman you know. And I saw all that in my wife. She is really supporting me, and gives me a good base, even to hold me a bit, because a single guy goes out a lot to the nightclubs, and dates a lot of girls and stuff, and this isn't very good for an athlete."
          Vanderlei is also known for his very serious training, when asked if his new life would affect his career he promptly replied, "Nothing will affect my training. Today, on the wedding day, I didn't train, but yesterday I was lifting weights, running and stuff. So I believe that my professional career has nothing to do with my personal life and you have to know how to split your time." With a smile on his face, he also went on to say what could possibly change in the life of the "Axe Murderer" now that he is a married man: "It'll affect the fact that now I don't fight only for myself, but I'll fight for her too! So if the guys were scared of me before, now things will get even tougher. There were a lot of people talking about me, they better be careful, because a fish dies from his mouth!" After the beautiful ceremony Vanderlei Silva told FCF that he would be back in training on Monday. And his honeymoon would have to be postponed until after his first title defense on February 22nd at PRIDE 19! "Only after Tamura! Tamura will send me to Tahiti [Laughs]"
          FCF was very happy to be present at Vanderlei's wedding, and we wish nothing but the best for the couple in the years to come. Check out FCF's February issue for more details about the wedding.
    Mr. and Mrs. Silva Mr. and Mrs. Silva

    From the event's promoter:
    BAMA logo
    FIGHT NIGHT 16
    January 26, 2002 at South Plainfield Middle School
    In South Plainfield, New Jersey


    BAMA Fight Night pictureBAMA Fight Night picture
    BAMA Fight Night picture

    Come join us for an action-packed night of fights

    January 26th - Seating begins at 6pm, fights begin at 7pm
    South Plainfield Middle School
    2201 Plainfield Avenue
    South Plainfield, New Jersey   07080

    For more information call 908-352-0622
    or visit http://members.aol.com/shootfyter

    Full Contact Fighter will be on hand
    with a great selection of their latest gear and videos.

    For more info please call 908-352-0622.


      Saturday - January 26, 2002

    From the event's promoter:
    WFA logo
    WHERE THE FIGHT CLUB MEETS THE NIGHT CLUB

    WORLD FIGHTING ALLIANCE 2 SHOW POSTPONED
    PAY-PER-VIEW DEAL IN THE WORKS

    (Las Vegas, January 25, 2002) The World Fighting Alliance will postpone its February 2nd show, as owner and promoter John Lewis continues negotiations for a pay-per-view television contract. The Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino has pledged its support to the project and had gladly offered to provide the show with an alternate date.

    All fourteen fighters on the card also stand behind the move, and look forward to taking on their respective opponents in the future. At this time, the card will remain the same. Expected to take place in a couple months, a new official date will be announced in the coming weeks.

    Why make such a dramatic move with the much-anticipated event just a week away? Because pay-per-view will make the WFA accessible to millions of homes. For the sport, this means greater exposure. Postponing the show will allow WFA the time to prepare the show for a pay-per-view audience and pool the creative and monetary resources of what would have been WFA's third show to make this second installment even stronger. Should fans expect a few more surprises now that the show is being prepared for a larger viewing audience? "There are definitely some things in the works. I'll be building on the show and it'll be well worth the wait." The decision to postpone, though not an easy one to make, is a logical one. "The opportunity is just too big to pass up," says Lewis. "This will be a great stride for not only the WFA, but for mixed martial arts as a whole."

    Middleweight title headliner Jermaine Andre voiced his approval concerning the decision. "They didn't postpone it because they were being selfish or they were doing something stupid. It was for a very good reason - probably the only legitimate reason to postpone a fight." He added, "I have complete faith in John. I know this will work."

    "I want to thank all those who have supported the production," Lewis adds. "I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this turn of events. In the end, I know this new and improved show will make it up to you."

    Ticket refunds for the event will be available at points of purchase, with the WFA honoring all tickets kept at its new night. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for the new official date of the WFA 2 and be prepared once again to enter "Where the Fight Club meets the Night Club."

    For more information, please contact:
    Paula Romero, WFA Event Coordinator     (917) 842-9086

    From DSE/Pride:
    Pride promo poster

    As part of a nationwide tour to promote their fight in Japan for the Pride Fighting Championships (pay per view) on February 24th, Ken Shamrock (former UFC champion and WWF Superstar) and Don "The Predator" Frye (former UFC Champion) are signing autographs in Dallas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

    Ken Shamrock and Don Frye
    Wednesday, February 6th at 6:30pm
    Fry's Electronics, Dallas, Texas

    Ken Shamrock and Don Frye
    Thursday, February 7th at 6pm
    Fry's Electronics, Phoenix, Arizona

    Ken Shamrock and Don Frye
    Friday, February 8th at 7pm
    Tower Video on Sunset, West Hollywood, California

      Sunday - January 27, 2002

    BAMA logo
    Fight Night 16 Results
    By Loretta Hunt

    South Plainfield Middle School in New Jersey played host to the Bayside Academy of Martial Art’s Fight Night 16 last night. A healthy crowd came out to watch 16 mixed match-ups of either shootfighting, grappling, or MMA-style bouts. Even with last-minute fighter cancellations (some by no-show), promoter Dan Miragliotta was still able to put on a solid show. Here are the results:

    Shootfighting Glenn Ortiz
    • Peter Lavalle (Team Jay Lally) def. Carl Dankosky (Quantum Jiu-Jitsu)- Ankle lock 2:18

    • Glenn Ortiz (Independent) def. Geoff Roesch (Seaport Fighting Arts)- Arm bar 4:08

    • Cory Wimberly (Quantum Jiu-Jitsu) def. Sonny Michaels (AZ Fight Club)- Arm bar 1:55

    • Mark Dapolito (Pitts Pen) def. Dan Lorimor (Team Alex Wilkie)- Arm bar 2:00

    • Chris Romulo (Seaport Fighting Arts) def. Jason Ratchford (Extreme Tatu)- TKO due to strikes :32

    • Joe Tabakhman (Team Jay Lally) def. Mike Drew (Quantum Jiu-Jitsu)- Guillotine choke 1:52

    • Louis Mislan (Team Freedom) def. Brandon Petrillo (Team VanBrackle)- KO 1:36

    • Rey Santos (Pitts Penn) def. Mike Correra (BAMA)- Guillotine choke :45

    • Michael Bauer (Pitts Penn) def. Vincent Ho (Quantum Jiu-Jitsu)- Key lock 1:13

    • Anthony Argyros (Team Renzo Gracie) def. John McCafferty (BAMA)- Unanimous Decision

    • Stefan Sevi (Quantum) def. Joseph Belden (Pitts Penn)- Ref Stoppage due to strikes 10:00+1:41(OT)
    Grappling
    • John Cole (BAMA) def. Brian Gonzalez (Team Alex Wilkie)- Guillotine choke/ 1:52

    • Jason Mancini def. Adam Turk (Quantum Jiu-Jitsu)- Arm bar
    MMA-style
    • Matthew Butler (Extreme Tatu) def. Steve Hankin (BAMA)- Ref Stoppage (knees) 7:27

    • Mark Inglend (American Karate Center) def. Theme Papadimitriou (Combined)- Knee bar 1:09

    • Kaream Ellington (Combined) def. Justin Ray (Quantum)- Tapout due to strikes 2:04
    Complete coverage of the event
    in the next issue of
    Full Contact Fighter

    Ready To Get Back To The Top!
    By Eduardo Alonso

    Pele       It's been several months since Jose Pele Landi set foot in an NHB ring to fight at a pro event. Since his controversial loss against Takada dojo's own Daijiro Matsui at Pride 14, Pele has been struggling to find an opponent and waiting patiently to fight again. Now the moment has come, and the Chute Boxe veteran is looking to take this opportunity against former UFC champion Carlos Newton and bring his career where he feels it should be, back to the top! FCF had the pleasure to hear from Pele about his next fight, his pupil Murilo Ninja, and his plans for the future.

    FCF:   You have been away from the ring for a long time. Are you anxious to get in there and fight again?
    Pele:   I'm more anxious than anyone now. I'm dreaming with my win and I'll fight hard for it on February 22nd, and show to the world what is a real fight.

    FCF:   It's very hard for a fighter of your caliber to stay focused on training without fighting for so long. How has your training been during all this time without competing?
    Pele:   You're right. For me this has been very tough, the years are going by and things are getting tougher and tougher. But my warrior's will is bigger than that and I'm fighting against myself, against my injuries, against the false media. I'm fighting against everything and it'll be an amazing victory! Whoever comes with me will be victorious together with me!

    FCF:   Can we expect you to be very well prepared for this fight?
    Pele:   For sure! I'll show up with a great cardio, with new techniques. I try to learn all the time, and every teaching is important to me.

    FCF:   DSE finally announced your fight against Carlos Newton at the upcoming Pride event. Newton is a very experienced fighter, a former UFC champion. What do you think of him as a fighter?
    Pele:   He is a good fighter and I'm very happy to be fighting him. This fight is going to be very important to me.

    FCF:   What do you expect from this fight against Newton? How do you see the fight ending?
    Pele:   I think it will end in a knockout!

    FCF:   Newton is a very good grappler, and he always look for submissions. Your ground game has also improved a lot over the years, but your Muay Thai is your strongest point. Do you think this fight will go to the ground, or do you expect it to turn into a standup battle?
    Pele:   You never know! I'm training hard for whatever may come. He also likes to fight standing up, so let's see what will happen!

    FCF:   After you fight Newton, is there anyone that you would like to face in Pride?
    Pele:   I don't pick opponents and I won't challenge anyone. I will just follow the evolution of my career, and after Carlos Newton I hope that I'll face other quality fighters such as him.

    FCF:   Your pupil, Murilo Ninja, has been making a name for himself. How do you analyze Ninja's performance so far in Pride?
    Pele:   Ninja is a talent for sure. He is a talent from Chute Boxe, and he has at least 16 years more in the profession ahead of him. You're going to hear a lot from Ninja in the future without a doubt. He will leave his name written forever in the NHB world.

    Eduardo and Pele FCF:   What did you think of the fight between Ninja and Dan Henderson?
    Pele:   I think it was great! But I just think that Ninja lacked just a bit of Muay Thai in the end of the fight. But this is something that he is[working on]. He is learning and evolving.

    FCF:   Recently you gave Ninja his black belt. What did that mean to you?
    Pele:   Without a doubt I was very proud. I'm a young black belt and I already have a very talented pupil! For me this is a sign of evolution. Of the modern times, where a teacher will discuss techniques with his student, and in the end both learn with the experience.

    FCF:   What can we expect from your future?
    Pele:   Now I want to have a bigger success in my career. I never had so much success as I'm planning to have now. Without a doubt I'll be victorious.

    FCF:   Do you have any message for your future opponents?
    Pele:   What I have to say to my opponents is for them to wait for me, because I'm coming! (Laughs)

    FCF:   Good luck in your fight against Newton.
    Pele:   Thanks a lot! I want to give a message to everybody to stop all that unnecessary violence! If anyone wants to brawl and fight, instead of picking fights in the street or at the nightclubs, start to train and become a professional, because this is the real way!

    From Susumu's Gallery:
    Susumu's Gallery Update

    Hello,

    We have added 16 pictures of Marlos Coenen vs. YABUSHITA Megumi held on January 13th.

    Please enjoy!

    Susumu's Gallery:
    http://come.to/susumu

    From the event's promoter:
    Warriors Quest 4: 1 Match Added!
    Jake Shields
    Cesar Gracie Fight Team
    vs.
    Jeremy Williams
    Next Generation Academy

    This fight has a lot of background to it and it all started when Jake Shields flicked the middle finger to Chris Brennan after Shields won a decision over Brennan's student Tracey Hess. Shortly after that incident in UFC 35, Shields' temmate Gil Castillo beats Chris Brennan by Decision. There is a lot of BAD BLOOD between both camps and I assure you that there will be fire in the ring when the bell rings. Shields and Williams have been making waves in California's top events like King of the Cage, Gladiators Challenge and the IFC.

      Tuesday - January 29, 2002

    FCF TV
    This week on
    Full Contact Fighter TV:
    • News of the week (New tournament for Heavyweight stars of the future).

    • Preview of Matt Hughes vs. Hayato "MACH" Sakurai.

    • "Ask the President" featuring UFC President Dana White.

    • Feature on Tito Incorporated.

    • FCF Classic from UFC 26: Miletich vs. Alessio.

    FCF TV airs weekly on:

    MSG Network
    Tuesdays at 11:30PM,

    Sunshine Network
    Friday night/Saturday morning at 12:30AM

    TSN
    3 times a week: 1 premiere + 2 replays.
    Check your TV Guide

    Check with your local
    cable or satellite provider
    and your local listings.

    REMEMBER!
    FCF TV is on MSG tonight!

      Wednesday - January 30, 2002

    MECA World Vale Tudo 6
    Just One Day Away!

    By Eduardo Alonso

          The most important NHB event in Brazil right now, MECA World Vale Tudo, is just one day away from its 6th event! In this edition MECA promises to have the best show yet, and some of the results from the event will be a major factor for several athletes' careers. The event that will be held in Curitiba, on January 31st will feature a 10-fight card for the first time in MECA history. Not only that, but the event will feature the return of several MECA veterans, such as Luiz Azeredo and Anderson Silva, and the participation of seasoned international veterans such as Carlos Barreto and Jorge Macaco Patino. If that is not enough to guarantee the excitement, promoter Rudimar Fedrigo is promising the biggest production ever assembled for a MECA event, with indoor fireworks and plenty of surprises!
          The show will be broadcast live on Pay-per-view in Brazil, and will also have the presence of an unbelievable cast of NHB stars! Among those who are likely to attend the event are Pride heavyweight champion Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, the "Zen Machine" Mario Sperry, Pride middleweight champion Vanderlei Silva, Pele Landi, Carlson Gracie, Eugenio Tadeu, and even Pedro Rizzo is expected to appear at the event. FCF will also be there to cover the event!
          The weigh-ins and the rules meeting will be held today at the Caravelle Palace Hotel, where most of the fighters will be lodged, at 7 PM Brazilian time. There are some rule changes this time, the event will now use the same rules as PRIDE, with the first round lasting 10 minutes and the second and third lasting 5 minutes each, and no elbows are allowed. One of the surprises for the event is that there will be more than one referee at the show. There's a very good chance that Vanderlei Silva may be among the referees for the event. Plenty of heat is expected, with some big rivalries in Brazil on the line. With the injury suffered by Murilo Ninja, the event's card suffered a minor change, and his replacement will be another MECA and WVC veteran, "Diamante Negro." Here's the official card for the event:

    PRELIMINARY BOUT:
    Marcelão (Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Paulão (Arena/PR)

    UNDERCARD:
    Bicudo (Brazilian Top Team/PR) vs. Fábio Shon (Califa/GO)
    Zinho (Miguel Repana/SP) vs. Daniel Acácio (Formiga/RJ)
    Clemente (Royler Gracie/RJ) vs. Guilherme Lima (Rio de Janeiro)
    Luis Azeredo (Gold Team/SP) vs. Cristiano Marcello (Royler Gracie/RJ)
    Nilson Castro (Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Alexandre Gomes (BVT/SP)
    Jorge "Macaco" Patino (Gold Team/SP) vs. Gustavo Ximú (Ruas VT/RJ)
    Anderson Silva (Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Jucão (Brazilian Top Team/RJ)
    Jorge "Navalhada"(Carlson Gracie/RJ) vs. "Diamante Negro"

    HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT:
    Carlos Barreto (Rio de Janeiro) vs. Marcelo Souza (São Paulo)

    Marcelao, Nilson de Castro, Anderson Silva, Cristiano Marcello

    Here's a preview of some of the more important and intriguing match-ups scheduled for the event:

    Zinho vs. Daniel Acácio:
    Both guys are MECA veterans, and Zinho gave Gustavo Ximu a very tough fight in a previous edition of the event. Daniel has a win and a loss at MECA, but his loss comes to Nilson de Castro, and he can't be taken for granted, because he has some submissions skills of his own. Zinho's main quality as a fighter is probably his heart, which was evident in his loss to Ximu. To add a little spice, this fight was supposed to happen at MECA 5, but Daniel injured his knee backstage some minutes before the fight, and it had to be canceled. Both fighters know that a win can mean the continuation for their MECA careers, so look out for this one.

    Luiz Azeredo vs. Cristiano Marcello:
    Crisitiano Marcello is a Royler Gracie black belt. This alone could give him credentials to fight in any event, but in addition to that, Cristiano is a guy that is willing to learn and improve his game. He lived at Rickson Gracie's house for three years, training and improving his BJJ, and now he has spent two months training in Curitiba at the Chute Boxe academy to improve his stand-up game. This will be his biggest test yet, and everybody in the NHB game in Brazil is wondering how he will do. He couldn't have a tougher opponent for a debut! Luiz Azeredo is the only guy to defeat Anderson Silva in an NHB match so far! Azeredo is a MECA veteran with two wins, and he also fought Hayato Sakurai to a decision loss in Japan. Azeredo's striking skills are very good, with a respectable Muay Thai background, and, coming from the same team as Jorge "Macaco" Patino, he also knows his ground stuff. This fight should be one of the most important and intriguing fights of the night. Look to see one of these fighters at the major events down the road.

    Nilson de Castro vs. Alexandre Gomes:
    Nilson de Castro is a Chute Boxe veteran with some serious skills and the potential to fight for any big event in the future. "Nilsao", how he is called by his teammates, got his black belt on the same day that Vanderlei Silva got his, and after some time out of the NHB game he decided to step back and get his career back on track. Nilson is an IVC and MECA veteran, and one of the hardest hitters at the Chute Boxe team. If he wins this one, and keep on training hard, he will surely be appearing at a major event down the road. Wheter Alexandre Gomes will or will not be a game opponent to Nilson is yet to be seen, but Gomes is a seasoned veteran who already fought at MECA, and seen the return of Nilson de Castro is enough reason to keep an eye on this fight.

    Anderson Silva and Nilson de Castro training for MECA at the Chute Boxe academy

    Anderson Silva vs Jucao:
    Jucao is a brown belt from the Brazilian Top Team, and he will come to Curitiba with an amazing team in his corner... Minotauro, Sperry and more. Coming from the BTT, Jucao is likely to have some serious ground skills, and will surely be well rounded and prepared for battle. However he has a very difficult task ahead of him: to beat one of the most respected and talented fighters in the world, Anderson Silva. Anderson needs no introduction to any NHB fan, and he is the only man to beat Hayato Sakurai so far. Seeing Anderson in the ring is always impressive, with arguably the best jab in NHB right now, and some serious all around Muay Thai skills, Anderson seems to never lose his temper. The way he fights usually takes his opponents out of their game plans. In addition to all if this, Anderson also has a brown belt in BJJ! The Chute Boxe team and the Brazilian Top Team are the most successful teams in Brazil right now, and every time they clash in the ring anything can happen.

    Jorge "Macaco" Patino vs. Gustavo "Ximu":
    Macaco is a seasoned veteran with IVC and UFC experience. With losses to the likes of Pele Landi, and Pat Miletich, Macaco is a very explosive fighter with amazing ground skills. He has been working on his stand up with Luiz Azeredo from a long time, and he knows that this is his chance to get back to the spotlight. Many people believe in Brazil that Macaco has the talent to be a top contender in the major events, however his temper and controversial style have cost him some fights in the past. He seems to be more focused now, and this fight will answer a lot of questions. After Pedro Rizzo, Gustavo Ximu is probably the most important Ruas Vale Tudo fighter right now. Ximu, a RINGS veteran, is very tough both on the ground and standing up. His record includes wins against the likes of Kyoshi Tamura and Chris Haseman, so this alone speaks for his abilities. His last fight was a loss to Ricardo Arona, and he contested that one a lot. Ximu will enter this fight wanting a win badly, so he can have another shot at Arona in the future. This is fight is probably the best one on the card, and it'll be interesting to see Macaco fighting in front of Pele's hometown fans considering all the rivalries he and Pele had in the past.

    Jorge "Navalhada" vs. "Diamante Negro":
    Originally this fight was to be Navalhada vs. Ninja for the middleweight title, and that would have been a way better fight. However Ninja's injury brought up "Diamante Negro" to the fight. Navalhada is the favorite on this one, however Diamante Negro has some good boxing skills of his own. The most important thing about this fight is that if Navalhada wins, this will set up a challenge to Ninja and a title fight between the two at MECA 7.

    Carlos Barreto vs. Marcelo Souza:
    Carlos Barreto is another seasoned veteran coming to make his MECA debut. Carlão has already fought in the UFC, PRIDE, IVC and even in RINGS, and he has some very serious ground skills of his own. Barreto is back with the Brazilian Top Team, and he is looking to put his career back on track, after some recent losses. He knows being the MECA champion won't hurt him, therefore he needs to win this one and he needs to do it convincingly. His opponent is a big question mark so far, but he is known to have a good kickboxing background and wins fights by knockout. Also he comes in as a Jiu Jitsu fighter too, and he is reported to be very huge! So surprises can happen, and whomever wins will probably be facing Assuerio Silva soon, and get a chance at PRIDE.

    Results From
    UCC 7 "Bad Boys"

    By "The Shooter's Shooter" Mike McNeil

    • J.F Bolduc def. Stephane Vigneault via Unanimous Decision.

    • Steve Claveau def. Yves Jabouin via Judges' Decision.

    • Georges St. Pierre def. Ivan Menjivar via (controversial) Referee stoppage. Referee thought Menjivar verbally submitted when asked if he was OK while being struck on the ground. Menjivar answered "No problem, no problem." Referee then jumped in stopping fight. St. Pierre even stated to the crowd after the fight that it was a bad call and didn't take that as a victory.)

    • Jeromie Sills def. Yan Pellerin via KO at 2:16 in the first. Jeromie regains his Canadian light-heavyweight belt left open by an injured Armbrust.

    • Joel Le-Blanc def. Jason St. Louis after St. Louis tapped due to injury to sternum.

    • David "The Crow" Loiseau def. Joe Doerksen via Unanimous Decision.

    • John Alessio def. Sean Pearson via KO in the second to win the UCC World Welterweight Belt. (Very much like Pete Williams on Coleman.

    • Pain Peters def. Stephane Ouellet via DQ. Pain dominates on the ground and to get out of the spanking that he is getting, Stephane receives a DQ for head butts. In a disgusting show of sportsmanship Ouellet even bit Peters before being DQ'd.

    • Donald Quimet def. CJ Fernandez via T.K.O at 59 seconds in the second round.

    • Jeremy Horn def. Steven Potvin via KO on slam at 35 seconds; very much like Tito vs Tanner.
    Jeremy Horn def. Steven Potvin via KO on slam

    Reality Combat XII
    The Main Event in New Orleans Louisiana
    01-25-02

    Karl Schmidt and Alan Herbert unveiled their 13th edition of their successful promotion at former World Champion kickboxer, Joey Ancona's nightclub the "Main Event". The nightclub located in New Orleans legendary "Fat City" section played host to some "Phat" fighting action, the quick results are as follows.

    Jacob Quick def. Courtney Ray - side choke 1:05 R2

    Dennis McCarty def. Mark Whitfield - triangle choke 1:54 R1

    Trey Murphy def. Lyle Johnson - rear-naked choke 2:15 R3

    John McCaul def. Mike Colley - rear-naked choke 2:42 R1

    Gabb Barahona def. Lance Clements - tap out (strikes) 2:24 R1

    Mike Kennedy def. Jake Kurtz - tap out (Kurtz injured knee during a scramble)

    Bret May def. Kurt Blanchard - arm triangle 2:09

    Main Event
    Bone Sayavongsa def. Ricky "The Pit Bull" Folse - DQ (headbutts)

    After rolling Sayavongsa out of the mount, Folse delivers an intentional headbutt. Referee Mike Gallo stops the action, delivers a warning and a point deduction. The action continues and Folse inexplicably delivers three more butts while he and Sayavongsa are clinched. Gallo immediately halted the action, and disqualified Folse. "I lost my head," said a disappointed Folse. "I got frustrated on the ground and instead of concentrating on winning, I lost my cool." Referee Mike Gallo said, "I don't know if he was just frustrated because it wasn't going his way or what, but it was an easy decision for me to stop the fight. I warned him, gave him a chance to collect himself, then as soon as I restart the fight he does it again. We are just not going to allow that."

    From the event's promoter Jamie Levine:
    RSF 7 Results

    Here are the Quick Results of RSF # 7 held Sat Jan 26th:
    1. ERIC DUNSTIN VS ROB LAWRENCE
      Both guys are from Orlando Fl, DUNSTIN wins by KO at the end of the second round.
    2. MARK MILLER VS AHRON DAVIS
      MILLER wins by arm bar first round.

    3. SCOTTY "THE BODY" JOHNSON VS NICK PANOUSHIS
      JOHNSON wins by TKO first round.

    4. MIKE LINGSKOG VS SHAWN GAY
      LINGSKOG wins by rear choke.

    5. SCOTT SHIPMAN VS RORY SINGER
      SHIPMAN by DECISION after three rounds.

    6. WES SIMMS VS MIKE PADUANO
      SIMMS wins by default Paduano from DRAGONS KARATE under Victor J Diodato grand master black belt,Port St.Lucie Fl gets into the cage and refuses to fight.

    7. JASON BRASWALL VS FORREST GRIFFIN
      GRIFFIN wins by split decision after three rounds.

    8. DUSTIN "CLEAN" DENES VS GEORGE ALLEN
      CLEAN wins by vertical arm bar in the first round.

      Thursday - January 31, 2002

    FCF TV

    *** Reminder ****

    FCF TV is on TSN tonight!

    MECA World Vale Tudo:
    Set and Ready!

    By Eduardo Alonso

          The sixth edition of MECA World Vale Tudo, the biggest NHB event in Brazil, is finally going to happen! In only a matter of hours the ring will be shaking in Curitiba when some of the toughest athletes in Brazil will collide. The rules meeting and weigh-ins were held yesterday at the Caravelle Palace Hotel, and everything went smoothly. At the meeting, promoter Rudimar Fedrigo explained the new rules of the event to the fighters. Among the changes on the rules were:
    • Each match will consist of 3 rounds, with the first being 10 minutes, and the second and third lasting 5 minutes each. There's no overtime, and if the fight doesn't end before the 3 rounds expire there'll be a judges' decision. There are 3 judges ringside, and if all 3 judges declare the fight a draw, then the result will simply be a draw.

    • Elbows to the face of the opponent or to the back are no longer allowed. Elbows can only be used against the front part of the body of the opponent.

    • If there's a weight difference bigger then 10kg between the fighters, the lightest fighter can choose whether he wants knees and kicks on all fours to be allowed or not.
          Those were the main rules changes for this MECA event, and they clearly were made to make MECA more similar to PRIDE, so the athlete can get used to fighting overseas for PRIDE in the future, as promoter Rudimar explained in the press conference. There were few questions about the rules, and the only fight with a weight difference bigger than 10kg is the heavyweight title fight between Carlos Barreto and Marcelo Souza. Souza is 14kg heavier than Barreto and now Carlos has the option to allow or not knees and kicks on all fours. Also there was a last minute change on the card, with a switch of opponents on two fights of the night. Nilson de Castro will now face Guilherme Lima and Marcelo Clemente will now face Alexandre Gomes. Also, the order of the fights was changed, so Here's the official card for tonight with the fighters' weights:

    PRELIMINARY BOUT:
    Marcelão (80.3Kg - Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Paulão (72.3Kg - Arena/PR)

    UNDERCARD:
    Zinho (88,4Kg - Miguel Repana/SP) vs. Daniel Acácio (86.5Kg - Formiga/RJ)

    Luis Azeredo (76.5Kg - Gold Team/SP) vs. Cristiano Marcello (79.8Kg - Royler Gracie/RJ)

    Bicudo (71Kg - Brazilian Top Team/PR) vs. Fábio Shon (70.5Kg - Califa/GO)

    Nilson Castro (85.3Kg - Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Guilherme Lima(85.3Kg - Jiu Jitsu)

    Clemente (85.3Kg - Royler Gracie/RJ) vs. Alexandre Gomes(87.3kg - BVT)

    Jorge "Macaco" Patino (83.9Kg - Gold Team/SP) vs. Gustavo Ximú (85.6Kg - Ruas VT/RJ)

    Jorge "Navalhada" (90.5Kg - Carlson Gracie/RJ) vs. "Diamante Negro" (88.5Kg)

    Anderson Silva (80.3Kg - Chute Boxe/PR) vs. Jucão (80.6Kg - Brazilian Top Team/RJ)

    HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT:
    Carlos Barreto (107Kg - Rio de Janeiro) vs. Marcelo Souza (121Kg - São Paulo)

          Most of the fighters seemed more than ready to enter the ring, and some fighters, like Macaco, were so focused that he was rarely seen at the hotel. His opponent Gustavo Ximu told FCF that he knows the meaning of this fight for his career, "I expect the best possible things to happen, and I expect to win the fight. I have been training for 4 months for this fight. I'll fight at MECA, the best event in Brazil, and against a well known guy, Macaco. It's going to be an amazing fight!" Another highlight of the night will be Chute Boxe star Anderson Silva facing Brazilian Top Team member Jucao. Despite been the underdog for the fight, Jucao seems confident and ready to go "He is a very tough opponent, and I have been following his work for a long time. But the thing is that I have been training a lot, waiting for the opportunity to show my value for a long time." He surely now has this opportunity, however he will have no easy task in facing one of the top ranked fighters in the world. Anderson had some words about the fight as well, "It's going to be a good fight, and I'll try to show my technique. For those fans that are willing to see my fight, I'll try to do a very technical fight." Another intriguing and key match-up on the card is the NHB debut of Royler Gracie black belt Critiano Marcelo, facing Luiz Azeredo. Cristiano has been training with the Chute Boxe team for 3 months now, and he feels that he is now ready to face his toughest challenge to date, "I've already passed the biggest test. Those 3 months here in Curitiba training with the tough guys from Chute Boxe. Now I expect the fight to be decided in the first ten minutes." Chute Boxe veteran Nilson de Castro is making his NHB comeback tonight, and one could see in his eyes how much he is willing to fight... "This is the best time! The worst time is already gone, and that is the training and stuff like that. This is the good time, the time to brawl!" With these strong words, Nilson shared his will to fight, his opponent better be ready. The final fight of the card will feature a title on the line, and the presence of Carlos Barreto. Barreto looked to be in shape, and he surely knows the importance of a win tonight, "I intend to fight him as if I was going to fight Assuerio. My goal will be to win the fight and the belt, so I can fight again at MECA to defend my title, and then try to get back to Pride or the UFC. In all of my fights, of course, I prefer to fight on the ground, but if I have to stand up with him I won't be shy! I'll go right at him. It's going to be like a mouse going after some cheese!" In about four hours all the fighters and the press will be leaving to Circulo Militar, the venue where the event will happen, and FCF had the opportunity to be there yesterday to check on the last minute adjustments for the show. Everything is looking sharp, and this will be for sure the biggest MECA yet. Don't miss the complete MECA coverage in the upcoming issue of FCF, and keep checking the web news for the results of the event!

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